Big Mutha Truckers

Big Mutha Truckers

European cover art
Developer(s) Eutechnyx
Raylight Studios
Publisher(s) Empire Interactive
THQ
Destination Software
Zoo Digital Publishing
Spike
Platform(s) Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS
Release
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player

Big Mutha Truckers is a 2002 racing video game developed by British studio Eutechnyx. Set in fictional Hick County, the game revolves around completing trips between cities, delivering goods, and competing in races while at the helm of an eighteen wheeler. The game is available on Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Xbox, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance and PC, but enjoyed only mediocre critical and commercial success due to repetitive gameplay, dated graphics, and lackluster sound. The game uses Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" as its theme song. The sequel is Big Mutha Truckers 2.

The game's plot revolves around one of four available characters and their quest to inherit the family business. With plans to retire from the family business, Ma' Jackson challenges her four children, Cletus, Earl, Rawkus, and Bobbie-Sue, to a "Trial by Truckin". She gives each sibling 60 days in which to make deliveries to various cities in Hick State County, with the company going to the sibling with the most money in the end.

Gameplay

Big Mutha Truckers is primarily a racing game, in the same vein as 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker. Players spend the majority of their time on the road, navigating the highways between the game's six cities: Salt Sea City, Capital City, Greenback, Skeeter's Creek, Smokestack Heights, and Big Mutha Truckin' Incorporated. The player will earn most of his or her money through trade, shipping goods from cell phones to beer, with additional opportunities from mini-games and challenge races.

Every city features three locations: a garage, a bar, and a store. The garage allowed players to repair damage, refuel, switch trailers to carry different kinds of cargo, buy upgrades to improve their rig, or design custom logos for their truck. In the bar the player can find tips on where to buy and sell certain cargo, and a loan shark. The store allows the player to buy and sell goods, with prices varying by town. When visiting Big Mutha Truckin' Incorporated, the bar and store are replaced by visits to Ma Jackson.

On the road, the player can earn extra money by smashing other vehicles. This money can be multiplied through combos, or by hitting a vehicle with the trailer. If the player earns a high enough combo, he can make reward icons appear on the road. When collected, these icons can refuel the truck, repair damage, or offer a cash bonus. Law enforcement and biker gangs are both present in the game, and cause trouble for the player if he or she attacks them by mistake. Any cop will pursue and capture a player, while bikers will attempt to shoot up the trailer, or even detach it from the truck. In either case, it is a significant blow to the player's cash. Every cop in this game can be avoided with skillful driving, and bikers can be shaken away from your truck.

Occasionally, the player will be asked to accomplish a side-mission when he or she visits a bar. These simple point-to-point races are good for cash if the player can complete them.

Critical reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings(PS2) 66.41%[1]
(GC) 65.36%[2]
(Xbox) 65.35%[3]
(DS) 56%[4]
(PC) 55.80%[5]
(GBA) 50%[6]
Metacritic(GC) 63 out of 100[7]
(PS2) 62 out of 100[8]
(PC) 61 out of 100[9]
(Xbox) 59 out of 100[10]
(DS) 48 out of 100[11]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge6 out of 10[12]
EGM5.83 out of 10[13]
Eurogamer6 out of 10[14]
Game Informer(PS2) 7.5 out of 10[15]
(Xbox) 7.25 out of 10[16]
GameSpot6.2 out of 10[17][18]
GameSpy[19][20][21]
GameZone(Xbox) 6.5 out of 10[22]
(PS2) 6 out of 10[23]
IGN6.3 out of 10[24][25]
(DS) 6 out of 10[26]
(PC) 5.3 out of 10[27]
(GBA) 5 out of 10[28]
Nintendo Power2.5 out of 5[29]
OPM (US)[30]
PC Gamer (US)71%[31]
Playboy53%[32]
The Village Voice7 out of 10[33]

Big Mutha Truckers has a mixed reception. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 66.41% and 62 out of 100 for the PlayStation 2 version;[1][8] 65.36% and 63 out of 100 for the GameCube version;[2][7] 65.35% and 59 out of 100 for the Xbox version;[3][10] 56% and 48 out of 100 for the DS version;[4][11] 55.80% and 61 out of 100 for the PC version;[5][9] and 50% for the Game Boy Advance version.[6]

GameSpot critic Alex Navarro gave the game a 6.2 out of 10 rating, noting that while it "earnestly tries to be a fun game," flaws in the presentation and a lack of varied gameplay lead to a game that "as a full-on purchase . . . just doesn't measure up."[17] Similar complaints about the game's commerce model came from Andy Mahood of GameSpy, who wrote that "no matter how much you dress it up . . . this lather-rinse-repeat cycle can turn stale after only a few hours of play."[21] Despite negative commentary, though, many reviewers admitted that the game was enjoyable, if only for the first eight to ten minutes.

References

  1. 1 2 "Big Mutha Truckers for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Big Mutha Truckers for GameCube". GameRankings. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Big Mutha Truckers for Xbox". GameRankings. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Big Mutha Truckers for DS". GameRankings. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Big Mutha Truckers for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Big Mutha Truckers for Game Boy Advance". GameRankings. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Big Mutha Truckers for GameCube Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Big Mutha Truckers for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Big Mutha Truckers for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Big Mutha Truckers for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Big Mutha Truckers for DS Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  12. ↑ Edge staff (January 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers". Edge (119).
  13. ↑ EGM staff (August 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (PS2; mislabeled as "Xbox")". Electronic Gaming Monthly (170): 111. Archived from the original on January 31, 2004. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  14. ↑ DNM (February 3, 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (PS2)". Eurogamer. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Big Mutha Truckers (PS2)". Game Informer (121): 82. May 2003. Archived from the original on October 28, 2003. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  16. ↑ Leeper, Justin (September 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (Xbox)". Game Informer (125): 121. Archived from the original on March 3, 2004. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  17. 1 2 Navarro, Alex (June 13, 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers Review". GameSpot. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  18. ↑ Navarro, Alex (August 21, 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers Review (GC)". GameSpot. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  19. ↑ Meston, Zach (June 18, 2003). "GameSpy: Big Mutha Truckers (Xbox)". GameSpy. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  20. ↑ Meston, Zach (June 21, 2003). "GameSpy: Big Mutha Truckers (PS2)". GameSpy. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  21. 1 2 Mahood, Andy (July 11, 2003). "GameSpy: Big Mutha Truckers (PC)". GameSpy. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  22. ↑ Zacarias, Eduardo (July 4, 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  23. ↑ Valentino, Nick (July 6, 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 30, 2008. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  24. ↑ Irwin, Mary Jane (June 30, 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers". IGN. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  25. ↑ Irwin, Mary Jane (August 14, 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (GCN)". IGN. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  26. ↑ Thomas, Lucas M. (September 7, 2006). "Big Mutha Truckers (NDS)". IGN. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  27. ↑ Irwin, Mary Jane (October 21, 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (PC)". IGN. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  28. ↑ Thomas, Lucas M. (September 7, 2006). "Big Mutha Truckers (GBA)". IGN. Archived from the original on September 11, 2006. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Big Mutha Truckers (GC)". Nintendo Power. 173: 151. November 2003.
  30. ↑ "Big Mutha Truckers". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 97. August 2003.
  31. ↑ McNamara, Tom (November 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers". PC Gamer: 112. Archived from the original on January 20, 2008. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  32. ↑ "Big Mutha Truckers". Playboy. 2003. Archived from the original on October 17, 2004. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  33. ↑ Catucci, Nick (July 1, 2003). "Wheelin' and Dealin'". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
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