Originally an arcade-only game created by Sega, "18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker" has now been ported to the PS2 console by Acclaim.  This means that everyone who's had a desire to pilot a big-rig can do so without leaving the couch.

18 Wheeler includes four different driver/truck combinations that can be chosen from and each has very distinctive characteristics.  For example, there's Asphalt Cowboy who thinks his rig is analogous to his famous cowboy granddaddy's horse.  I guess you have to pass the time somehow on those long drives - yeehaw!  Each truck is rated in terms of speed, torque, and toughness.  Therefore each performs different under various circumstances, such as hills and long stretches of flat highway.

There are four different modes of play in 18 Wheeler.  The first is the famous arcade mode in which you transport cargo to various locations across the country in the specified amount of time.  There are a series of checkpoints in each level that must be reached in order to be awarded extra time and there are also some special cars that can be run into along the way to gain additional extra seconds.  A rival trucker is present in each stage, which gives some competition and also allows you to more easily gauge your driving performance.  If you finish before this truck you gain access to a bonus stage that, if completed successfully, can yield some new parts for your truck, such as an upgraded horn.  The funny thing is that the rival trucker always seems to blow right by you, but they'll you catch up to him all of a sudden; AI virtually nonexistent in 18 Wheeler.

Did you ever imagine there would be a game which featured a parking game mode?  Well, 18 Wheeler has just that and it's probably the most boring and pointless game mode ever to be included in a game.  Basically all you have to do is maneuver your truck into the specified parking space before the time runs out and without hitting anything along the way.  Sounds exciting, huh?  Yeah right.  Score attack is the last of the single-player modes.  It is a racing mode in which you must complete three laps to earn points, which are based on cargo value and time remaining.  Lastly, there is a multiplayer mode that is essentially just score attack mode with a split screen.

The most frustrating part of the game is the slow acceleration of the trucks, which as we all know is realistic, but something about barely moving just isn't too fun.  Once you get up to speed though the game becomes a little more entertaining.  To boost up your speed even further it is possible to draft other vehicles of similar size, which they call a "slip stream."  Another way to complete the levels faster is to make good decisions when there are forks in the road.  These various routes along with some off-road shortcuts found throughout the game can give you a significant edge on the rival trucker as well as make the game more interesting.

The horn is an offensive weapon in 18 Wheeler, as it causes traffic in front of you to move out of the way.  Sometimes though, other vehicles and objects cannot be avoided and the result is damage to the trailer, which causes the trailer delivery reward value to decrease.  It's coming from your paycheck, buddy!

To control the trucks, both the digital and analog controls can be used with ease.  Additionally, this game supports the Logitech GT Force Wheel and the Logitech Driving Force Wheel, but they don't have the same effect that the huge arcade steering wheel has.  Even though trucks usually have many different gears to choose from, the only choices in 18 Wheeler are high and low.  The game also tells you when to shift up or down, which makes the game very easy.  Just about anyone could pick up a controller and master 18 Wheeler within minutes.

In my opinion this game should have never left the arcade.  Without the huge steering wheel, the big screen monitor, and your friends (along with everyone else in the place) laughing at you, the experience isn't nearly the same.

This game is rated "E" for everyone and it takes up 224KB on your PS2 memory card.
 

Gameplay: 6
While the gameplay is somewhat entertaining for a couple of plays, it just doesn't have a lasting quality to it.  This is in part to the slow-moving action, due to the poor acceleration of the trucks.  Parking mode?  Give me a break.

Graphics: 6.5
The visuals in 18 Wheeler aren't necessarily horrible, but they're not impressive either.  The frame-rate is decent, but the overall look isn't very smooth.  The environments are packed with different objects, such as buildings, various landmarks and even a tornado at one point, but many things don't come into view until you're right on top of them.  The trucks themselves are detailed in every respect though, from the interior to the many different types of cargo that can be hauled.

Sound: 5.5
Both the music and the sound effects are pretty cheesy.  Each driver has a set of phrases that they repeat one too many times and the music deserves to be turned down as soon as possible.  The sounds made by the trucks are fairly realistic though.

Difficulty: 6.5
If all the tactics are used correctly, this game only takes a short time to complete.  Anyone can master this game in and out within a matter of minutes.

Concept: 5
I can't say that any big-rig games have been made in the past, but there's probably a reason for that.  Just being in the arcade was pushing it, but porting it to a console showed how boring such a game could be.

Multiplayer: 6
Typical split-screen mode that's not any better than the rest of the game.

Overall: 6