Now, with the advent of super consoles and high-resolution displays and enhanced audio environments for the home, titles developed for play in the living room have met and outpaced the programs developed for arcades. Increasingly, conventional arcade titles are being replaced with games that require specialized equipment not typically found in the home. Gimmicky coin-ops are the norm because crowds need more of an incentive to come in. Whereas gamers were once ecstatic to get a home game that was nearly arcade perfect, today's player can actually look forward to graphical and audio upgrades when a title comes to console.

A nice little rest stop

18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker is the quintessential arcade game: short and loud, with a simple, achievable challenge. The gameplay is about as straightforward as any: keep moving forward and don't crash.

The four selectable trucks don't differ significantly enough to call a choice between them strategic. A truck that stresses durability over speed keeps your cargo safer, thus earning you more cash at the end of the run, but the time bonus suffers with all the banging and bumping. In all but the first stage, players are presented with a choice of cargo. The more awkward it is to lug, the bigger the reward for its successful delivery, so it could be argued that truck selection combined with cargo choice introduces strategic elements, but at the end of the day, it is ducking and weaving that will get the goods delivered in Arcade mode. Nevertheless, Pro Trucker does have its little tricks.

I have not played all that many racers, but there are two interesting and useful features that I think may be unique to Pro Trucker - at least among arcade titles. The first is slipstream, an area of reduced pressure directly behind a speeding truck. Taking advantage of slipstream propels a truck forward at an appreciable rate, and can shave more than a few seconds off the total time. Second is the horn, a feature I first mistook for a mere novelty, but later came to appreciate. Wise use of the horn will enable a player to cut off his opponent almost by proxy - just honk and watch the car in front switch lanes and block the opposition.

There is ample time on the clock to allow a player of moderate racing ability to complete the mission, and the only competitor has a "rubberband" AI that limits his threat somewhat. Once, when it looked like arch-nemesis Lizardtail was about to cross the finish line ahead of me, he was considerate enough to slow down and dump some crates in my direction. I deftly avoided the non-threat and pulled into a first place victory. Lizardtail will also inexplicably switch to a congested lane, boasting and taunting all the way. I guess he didn't go for his post-grad trucking degree (or he was getting seconds in the tobacco line while God was handing out common sense).

The main game is short, and it is conceivable that some players will beat it with all four initially selectable characters in one sitting. A versus mode and Score Attack extend the replay value a tad, and a collection of parking tests awaits more accomplished truckers.

Bells, whistles, and air horns

In Versus, two players race on various tracks, slamming and juggling Bonus vehicles for money. As in the main game, it is important to cross the finish line first, but only because doing so nets more moolah. Multiplayer is fun, but not unique enough to justify a purchase.

Score Attack also features Bonus vans waiting to be totaled, but this time there are a lot more of them. The object here is to complete three laps around one of four tracks, leaving a trail of smoking, twisted metal. Respecting the timer will net bonus cash, as will hauling a more cumbersome load. Lizardtail is up to his plan-thwartin', rascally ways, too, but, again, he is not a major threat, and most players will find the smashing cathartic and enjoyable. In this play mode, the timer can be totally disregarded, since there is only a small $100 reward for each second left on the clock, where the complete destruction of a bonus vehicle will net $2000.

Parking mode is one of the better aspects of 18 Wheeler. Since big rigs aren't as maneuverable and stunt-friendly as cars and bikes, Sega left the long list of challenges to Crazy Taxi and went with a half-dozen parking levels for this game. Each level presents five spaces in which to fit the truck. The goal is to travel to each space in turn and come to a complete stop within the designated area. Hitting a wall or other obstacle results in a time penalty. Though simple in premise, this mode can be mildly frustrating, in that rich, rewarding video game way. Just like the Crazy Box, this mode steals the show.

There aren't a heck of a lot of unlockables in this game, a fact that diminishes its value. Successfully completing the mini parking challenges between trucking runs will win some truck enhancements, but unlike Sega's Soccer Slam, these extras cannot be carried over to a new game or another mode. There is a hidden character and an extra level or two in Parking mode, but none of that takes long to unlock, and none of it adds very much replay value.

Ain't she a beautiful sight?

As an arcade game, 18 Wheeler is a raging success, but the home version is missing the additions that would have taken it to a higher level.

Playing this game in its current state on a GameCube seems wrong. Perhaps if it were part of an arcade collection, it would feel more right. The graphics are very sub-par for such a powerful unit, and the vehicles and backgrounds could have used some more sass. The truck interiors are well done, however, especially the dash and window area of the hidden truck. Except for the bright, bold color palette, the developer went for too realistic a feel in the visuals, and a little more quirkiness is in order.

The line between realism and oddness is successfully straddled in the sound and rumble features of the game, however, and the audio succeeds where the imagery fails. The sounds are spot on, the rumbling just right, and both combine with the excellent controls to pull the player into the truck-driving experience. At the same time, the cries of victory from the playable characters and the threats and braggadocio of Lizardtail are good for a chuckle or two before they get mildly repetitive.

18 Wheeler is a game very reminiscent of a late Eighties, early Nineties arcade racer, only with much higher quality audio. The gameplay is simple, the graphics are bright and functional, and the fun factor is high while the game is in session. Once the ride is over, you may want another go, or you may not, but you will not be disappointed. If this were a snack it would be a 20-oz. soft drink - not too filling, it goes down well, but it is best accompanied by something else.

· · · Nick