18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker

Join the convoy!

Another arcade port for the GameCube, this time another fun Sega arcade game that had previously had a Dreamcast release. At its heart, it’s an arcade racer, but having to account for the large load behind your vehicle does add a surprising amount of weight to the gameplay. You have to deliver cargo across four routes, although you can go for a higher score by selecting heavier and more difficult cargo.

Along the way you’ll smash though traffic and take some alternate routes. Most cars will slow you down but taking out a fireworks van will net you extra time. You also have a rival that ploughs trough everything like a madman, but is also handy for getting you a slip stream boost. You don’t have to beat them, but you do get bonus points for doing so, as well as access to a parking minigame that gets you an upgrade.

While some new tracks would have made this port more worthwhile, there’s at least a few additional stuff beyond the main arcade mode. There’s an expanded version of the parking minigame, where you have to park in multiple stops in a small arena, which requires getting used to reversing. There’s also a race mode where you smash into bonus cars for extra points.

While there’s not much to it, it’s still fun while it lasts. I think it’s a shame not much was added for this version to make it more substantial, but at least there’s a few little things to make the game last a bit longer.

Fun

Living life in this kind of fast lane is busy and enjoyable for a while, but you’ll probably reach the end on your first go. After a few runs, even the two-player mode won’t be enough to make this disc seem worth the money. And you’ll tire of your mullet pretty quickly, too.

Martin Kitts, NGC Magazine #68

Remake or remaster?

A Sega arcade collection would be great.

Official Ways to get the game

There is no official way to play 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker.

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