I really like big ol' trucks that gleam, with eighteen wheels of paint, grit, metal and muscle. That's the only way to describe the graphics for this original game by Sega . Are the graphics top-notch and perfect? Not quite, but they're good enough that I feel I could trade in my Camry for a Peterbilt right now. You can choose from five individual sharp-looking rigs that catch your eye with their uniqueness. The purpose is to take these trucks and race them against a rival driver of sorts, down to a designated goal area. You race down asphalt highways, running over anything in your way, and that includes all sorts of traffic. Sega seemed to have really paid attention to the game overall and I like that. The traffic cars look really good, and they're each different enough from each other that you don't feel like you're staring at an Atari 2600 game. The highways look like any highway you'll find from here to Gardenia. The backgrounds are nice, with swaying trees, sweltering sunshine, and even more things to run over like signs, poles, and fences. There are a few different views as well, but the 'cockpit' view has got to be classic. It looks like you're actually in the cockpit of a big rig, and a big rig in your living room is as good as two in the hand...right?

The sound to 18 Wheeler is one of its few good points to include on a resume. Things like over-blared country music, and CB trash talk between the drivers make the whole truck driving experience come right to your ears...via speakers of course. The whoosh of the air brakes make stopping pretty realistic, while the whinny of 500 horses groan through as you shift gears. If you could judge a game based on graphics and sound, then 18 Wheeler would win a huge award. Alas...

A basic rundown is a player finds him/herself behind the wheel of his steel steed, trying to haul a load of various goods to different destinations. This of course is the goal in Arcade Mode. There is a neat little Parking Mode, which is probably the most fun out of everything. You have to park your truck in a variety of challenging areas. After you complete some of the parking areas, then you can unlock other areas. There is a Score Attack Mode that has you racing three laps around a track. While fun, it gets kind of thin after a while. Of course, no game is a game without Versus Mode, which will pit you against your closest friend, or worst enemy. You and an amigo will race around a track running into each other and kicking dust into each other's grill. Rounding out the top modes are Records Mode that keeps track of time and money records you may have accumulated, and Options Mode which will let you set the type of transmission you use, difficulty, etc. I wish that I could've been able to control the music more, and there would have been some kind of Tattoo Mode, but hey, I'm happy with what I've got.

Okay, big beef here. This game is much too difficult. Is the driving hard? Nope. Is it the fact that a rival driver tries to slam you off course? Nope. It's the fact that the time limit is virtually impossible. I spent a week trying to get past the first level. The sad thing is I had it on Easy. Now keep in mind that I've beaten tough games like Devil May Cry , Super Mario 2 , and Pong . The control scheme makes things nice and manageable, but the game is entirely too difficult. It makes things go sour after playing for so long and not getting rewards. So while the first couple of rounds are marginally fun, that quickly dissipates after the difficulty whaps you in the face. If you love a challenge, and don't have an anger management problem, this game is for you. I guess to sum it up, 18 Wheeler is as easy as a 20-sided, 8-row deep Rubik's cube.

The manual is another saving grace of the game. It's quite a fun read, and pretty entertaining. The controls are actually really responsive, and the load times are kept down. Very little memory card space is used up, and that's always a plus. Space, precious space. The camera angles are great and smooth, and again Sega really made sure that all the bases of this game were covered. Riot Rundown : Overall, this could have been a great cult game like Crazy Taxi . Alas, the difficulty nipped any chances right in the bud. The foundation was there for a beautiful game, but the main time limit of the game was overlooked, making things insanely difficult. The Parking Mode is its only saving grace as far as replayability. 18 Wheeler American Pro Trucker might make a good rental game, but make sure you play it at a buddy's house before you buy.