When you think of driving games it is usually fast, expensive cars and realistic handling. But this wasn’t what the developers of Eighteen Wheeler were thinking…or smoking. You take the role of one of four mad truckers in a bid to run their rig across the USA within a tight time limit. There are different difficulty levels and trailers you can pull, the heavier and harder the trailer, the more notes you will get when you have completed the game. This is another classic SEGA arcade game that has ported well to Dreamcast sans the massive wheel.

Graphics: 8/10
The visuals are of a medium to high quality and do the job well. The inside you your truck is nicely furbished and you will notice the way in which certain objects such as hats and clipboards realistically slide across the dashboard. While not as graphically sound as Shenmue 2 most of the textures seem smooth but there are a few rough patches.

Sound: 8/10
You cruise along the highways at top speed listening to the stereo which has some authentic tracks and receive messages on your truckers radio. These small touches add to the realism of the gameplay. Effects for the truck and voiceovers are recreated well, which also make you feel like you are really driving.

Gameplay: 9/10
To get the most out of the game make sure you plug in a steering wheel, which works much better here than on more precise driving games like MSR. As you drive you have to continually meet the time requirements at checkpoints. On the harder difficulty levels this can be frustrating but you should only try these if you have already completed the game and need a new challenge. Other elements to increase the replay value are small parking mini games where you have to park your truck accurately as fast as possible to get better parts. There is a choice of two trailers most of the time if you want more of a challenge and a timed driving mode where you have to hit certain markers then stop. Eighteen Wheeler is much like Crazy Taxi except with trucks, no passengers and slower vehicles, but the spirit is the same!

Overall: 8/10
Another great and innotive arcade game to add to your Dreamcast collection. It is simple to play and is very enjoyable. Although there aren’t many more modes to keep you busy once you have completed the main game a couple of times.

Rent or Buy?
You really ought to buy this game. If you were to find it in a shop or on Ebay chances are that it will be quite cheap. I bought this game for 10 pounds a while back and still play it from time to time, try to find it because it is worth the money.