18 Wheeler American Pro Trucker for Dreamcast

18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker for Dreamcast is another great game to bring trucking into video games. The game has its limitations and may not be as entertaining as some of the other Dreamcast titles, but it is definitely worth playing. The game could be a little longer, but that also seems to be a quirk that Sega is working out on what seems to be a new niche in the video game market.

If you are not familiar with this type of game, you may find it a little more challenging in the beginning as there are certain features in the game that you must utilize in order to be successful. An example of this is the slipstream technique as it increases your speed and will allow you to conserve your fuel so you can complete the longer levels.  Unfortunately, there are just not that many courses and routes to really get going once you do perfect your driving. There are some extras that can extend the life of the game, but all in all, the game definitely could have been a bit longer.

If you have played this game in the arcade, you may find that you are a little disappointed overall in the game as some of the characteristics that made this game such a hit as a coin operated game simply do not transfer over into the world of home entertainment. This is not to say that it is a bad game, because it is still entertaining. The visuals on the game are also outstanding and the transference from arcade to home game transferred very nicely with this game.

All in all, it’s not that this is a bad game, it is just that it does not last long enough. It is a shame that there are not more stages to play because it seems like just as you start to get into it, the game ends. You would have to think that Sega would improve on this in the next home version as you have to give everyone a little more for their money.   

Cheat codes for 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker

Press A,B, Y, X, Left, Start and you will unlock all tracks and all trucks

Press Start at start screen, then press A-B-X-Y at the same time.  This will give you a light screen with no pause icon.

Hold L + R + X + A + B + Y + Start simultaneously for the Ice Cream Truck

Hold L and press A,Y, X, B, Left, Start and you will be in cheat mode

Hidden Features of the Game

There are two bonus trailers available if you beat the game in arcade mode in all four characters

There is a hidden trucker, Nihonmaru, available after you beat the game in arcade mode with all four characters

If you finish the original 4 parking stages of the game, there is a hidden 5th stage

If you finish the 5th hidden stage, there is a hidden 6th stage available

As you can see, once you get through the game, there just isn’t much there and the lack of hidden features and codes is relevant to the length of the game. It is a lot of fun and will take you a little while to master it, but then after that, the game is just not long enough to warrant the purchase of the game.

Realistically, this is a perfect game for rental. More than likely, you are only going to have it for a few days before you work your way through all of the levels and hidden features. It will probably take you a couple of times through to find the best routes, but with there only being 4 stages and the two hidden ones, that is not going to take very long.   

If this is one of your favorite arcade games, purchasing definitely becomes an option as you will want to enjoy the game at home whenever the itch strikes you, but keep in mind that the home version does not approach the actual arcade game. You might get your 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker fix in, it just may not be as satisfying as you were hoping.