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Game Information

Release Date: May 18, 2001
Developer: SEGA-AM2
Publisher: SEGA
Platform(s): Arcade, Dreamcast, PlayStation, Gamecube
Genre: Racing
Players: 1-2

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Synopsis

Drive a big rig in courses that run through various American cities, racing competitors and rivals for the glory of being number one. The feel of driving one of these behemoths is accurately conveyed through grittily realistic graphics and approximately one zillion (yes, zillion) destroyable obstacles. Make no mistake, all will fall before the mighty wheels of your truck (or you're doing something wrong).

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Gameplay

In this game you start off in the east coast of the U.S. and make your way to San Francisco. There are only about ten races making it a very short-though fun-, non-replayable game. You are an eighteen wheeler with different trailers you can use. Each "race" has civilian vehicles driving along the street which you must avoid hitting or else you lose time on the timer. You can either drive around these vehicles or honk your horn so they pull over to the side. There are also other trucks that you can use to your advantage by streamlining behind them to give yourself a boost. Each trailer in the game gives you different amount of cash. Some are lighter and make you go faster but will reward you with less cash in the end and, others are more heavy which make you go slower, harder to maneuver but will have a higher reward in the end. Each race also has an enemy truck that will attempt to bump into you as much as possible whilst trying to win the race as well. This guy is called, Lizard Tail. He has a bigger truck with a deadly trailer that is pure black. You do not have to beat him in the race, however, it will reward you with more cash if you do. And that is about as tough as each race is. With the money you have earned there are several things you can purchase such as mini-games, new trucks, new horns, new trailers, and new paint for them and your truck. There are several different characters to choose from as well that have different unique trucks and specialties.

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Graphics

Although they aren't the best graphics, it looks a lot like an arcade game. Lot's of action that is very smooth, very bright and colorful, but no a lot of detail on both the trucks and trailers. The streets of the cities you speed through aren't very detailed either leaving most things looking very blocky and pixelated. In first-person mode, however, the dashboard inside the truck looks pretty good, apart from being most black. You can see the speedometer and how much gas you have in (though it never moves). The little toy you have hanging on the mirror will also move accordingly to the way you turn and get hit. The environment outside looks okay as well. Things will fly past you, the sky looks great, buildings all have windows, but the weather is very poor making the rain look ugly, tornadoes that don't look very round, and water that looks almost dry and flat.

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Controls

Very easy to pick up and just play like most racing games. Even though it's really designed to sit in an arcade room to play, the controller does the trick. Triggers will accelerate and break and each button controls either the gear, horn, reverse, or camera view. And of course, the analog will turn the vehicle in which ever way. But if you do not like the analog, you can change it to use the D-pad making it a game change for it's time.

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Ratings

Gameplay: 6.5/10
Graphics: 6/10
Controls: 9.8/10
Overall: 7/10