Wikipedia

Big Mutha Truckers

Big Mutha Truckers is an open world racing video game developed by British studio Eutechnyx and released in 2002. Set in fictional Hick County, the game revolves around completing trips between cities, delivering goods, and competing in races while at the helm of a semi truck. The game is available on GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Microsoft Windows. It met with middling critical and commercial reception, due to repetitive gameplay, dated graphics, and lackluster sound. The game uses Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" as its theme song. The game's sequel is Big Mutha Truckers 2. A different game of the same name was developed by Italian company Raylight Studios and released for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS.

Big Mutha Truckers
European cover art
Developer(s)Eutechnyx
Raylight Studios (handhelds)
Publisher(s)Empire Interactive (Europe)
THQ (North America)
Destination Software (handhelds, NA)
Zoo Digital Publishing (handhelds, EU)
Platform(s)GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS
Release
6 December 2002
  • PlayStation 2
    Xbox
    Microsoft Windows
    • NA: 16 March 2003
    • EU: 2 May 2003 [3]
    GameCube
    • EU: 27 June 2003[4]
    • NA: 14 August 2003
    DS
    • NA: 19 October 2005
    • EU: 2 December 2005
    Game Boy Advance
    • NA: 9 November 2005
    • EU: 9 December 2005
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player

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

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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 their 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 they attack 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 can be avoided with skillful driving, and bikers can be shaken away from the truck.

Occasionally, the player will be asked to accomplish a side-mission when they visit a bar. These point-to-point races are good for cash if the player can complete them.

Reception

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Big Mutha Truckers received a mixed reception. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 66.41% and 62 out of 100 for the PlayStation 2 version;[5][12] 65.36% and 63 out of 100 for the GameCube version;[6][11] 65.35% and 59 out of 100 for the Xbox version;[7][14] 56% and 48 out of 100 for the DS version;[8][15] 55.80% and 61 out of 100 for the PC version;[9][13] and 50% for the Game Boy Advance version.[10]

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".[21] 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".[25]

References

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  1. ^ a b "PR - 6/17/03 - DOUBLE DANG DAMAGE! THQ SHIPS EMPIRE INTERACTIVE'S BIG MUTHA TRUCKERS". 16 April 2004. Archived from the original on 16 April 2004. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b "What's New?". Eurogamer.net. 6 December 2002. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  3. ^ "What's New?". Eurogamer.net. 2 May 2003. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  4. ^ "What's New?". Eurogamer.net. 27 June 2003. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Big Mutha Truckers for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Big Mutha Truckers for GameCube". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Big Mutha Truckers for Xbox". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Big Mutha Truckers for DS". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  9. ^ a b "Big Mutha Truckers for PC". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  10. ^ a b "Big Mutha Truckers for Game Boy Advance". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  11. ^ a b "Big Mutha Truckers for GameCube Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  12. ^ a b "Big Mutha Truckers for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  13. ^ a b "Big Mutha Truckers for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  14. ^ a b "Big Mutha Truckers for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  15. ^ a b "Big Mutha Truckers for DS Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  16. ^ Edge staff (January 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers". Edge. No. 119.
  17. ^ EGM staff (August 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (PS2; mislabeled as "Xbox")". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 170. p. 111. Archived from the original on 31 January 2004. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  18. ^ DNM (3 February 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (PS2)". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  19. ^ "Big Mutha Truckers (PS2)". Game Informer. No. 121. May 2003. p. 82. Archived from the original on 28 October 2003. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  20. ^ Leeper, Justin (September 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (Xbox)". Game Informer. No. 125. p. 121. Archived from the original on 3 March 2004. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  21. ^ a b Navarro, Alex (13 June 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  22. ^ Navarro, Alex (21 August 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers Review (GC)". GameSpot. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  23. ^ Meston, Zach (18 June 2003). "GameSpy: Big Mutha Truckers (Xbox)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 8 October 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  24. ^ Meston, Zach (21 June 2003). "GameSpy: Big Mutha Truckers (PS2)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  25. ^ a b Mahood, Andy (11 July 2003). "GameSpy: Big Mutha Truckers (PC)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  26. ^ Zacarias, Eduardo (4 July 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 29 February 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  27. ^ Valentino, Nick (6 July 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  28. ^ Irwin, Mary Jane (30 June 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers". IGN. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  29. ^ Irwin, Mary Jane (14 August 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (GCN)". IGN. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  30. ^ Thomas, Lucas M. (7 September 2006). "Big Mutha Truckers (NDS)". IGN. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  31. ^ Irwin, Mary Jane (21 October 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (PC)". IGN. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  32. ^ Thomas, Lucas M. (7 September 2006). "Big Mutha Truckers (GBA)". IGN. Archived from the original on 11 September 2006. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  33. ^ "Big Mutha Truckers (GC)". Nintendo Power. Vol. 173. November 2003. p. 151.
  34. ^ "Big Mutha Truckers". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. August 2003. p. 97.
  35. ^ McNamara, Tom (November 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers". PC Gamer. p. 112. Archived from the original on 20 January 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  36. ^ "Big Mutha Truckers". Playboy. 2003. Archived from the original on 17 October 2004. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  37. ^ Catucci, Nick (1 July 2003). "Wheelin' and Dealin'". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
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