Big Mutha Truckers (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

I originally encountered Big Mutha Truckers some years ago when the original was released though Empire Interactive on the GameCube and PS2. At the time anything other than a top-down version was unthinkable on the GBA platform and even though some developers experimented with the 3D format, most ended up looking more like a bad accident, with the focus on the visuals compromising absolutely every other part of the game. It's fortunate then that the Italian developers Raylight Studios, who are widely regarded as producing some of the best 3D titles on the handheld platform, have taken on coding responsibilities. That's not to say that they always get it right, and last year's Smashing Drive had its fair share of problems. The sheer fact that this is a console conversion is also of some concern, although surely the DS's extra horsepower can be put to some use. Can't it?

Gameplay

There's been little opportunity so far to get behind the wheel of a big truck in a console game. Indeed I can only recall a few instances where a 16 wheeler even made an appearance and then the usual aim was to destroy everything in your path rather than actually deliver things. As you'd expect BMT has a more financially driven plot and you can choose between either 'Trial by Truckin' or the more arcade orientated 'Mission Mode'. The first mode takes place over 60 days with the main aim being to earn the most money and in addition to taking on all manner of driving jobs you'll also have to care for your truck. This is all controlled from a central hub consisting of a store, garage and a bar with each having its own important role within the game. The store, for example, is where you trade your goods although elements such as fluctuating prices and rare commodities mean that may not be as simple as it first appears as not only will you have to become a competent driver but also a shrewd trader. The garage is more self-explanatory allowing you to purchase fuel, upgrades and even carry out repairs, all for a fee, of course. Finally the place you'll get the inside information about what's hot in the trucking world or take out a loan at incredibly unreasonable repayment terms is the bar. There's even a fruit machine where you can waste hours as well as hard earned cash but shouldn't you be on the road earning real money?

The Mission Mode is better suited to drivers who want that quick fix. Neither damage nor fuel consumption are issues here although time usually is. These modes are only opened and available once you have completed the previous one and include things like hitting mailboxes or getting to a pre-determined destination on time. They are all fairly short and much easier to complete than the main game. The developers have also seen fit to include a multiplayer mode. As you'd expect this is simply a broken down version of the main game and while it is reasonable fun, BMT is much more satisfying in single player mode.

Controls

It's actually quite difficult to begin with and very different to your average racer with the steering actually having some weight to it. This is essential in a game of this nature and it goes some way to emulating the feel of controlling a tractor and trailer unit. Unfortunately this is let down, to some degree, by the collision detection as it's far too easy to 'jack-knife' your 16 wheeler by simply bumping off the road or even slowly colliding with another vehicle. This undoubtedly makes you a much more careful driver but it also occasionally feels a little unfair.

Graphics

Developers Raylight Studios have had some time to perfect their Blue Rose technology now and there's no doubting the improvements made in each outing. BMT is the best yet, with not only detailed but also expansive environments to drive around. It's not without its drawbacks though and the 3D engine suffers from the same flaws as previous titles such as lower textures and the occasional 'joining' of objects and scenery. It's all pretty impressive though and, while this is all achievable on the GBA, the DS's architecture undoubtedly allows the whole thing to be pushed that little bit further.

Sound

The developers here have tried to emulate the radio station soundtrack which was so popular in the Grand Theft Auto series of games replacing the City/Urban theme for a much more Country style audio. This works reasonably well but rather than a fully sampled soundtrack, the audio here is a mixture between voice samples and midi music. It's a bit of a hit and miss affair on the whole but you have to applaud the developers for at least trying. Outside of all this are a handful of generic engine noises.

Dual screen

We may as well tell you that the touch screen interaction is kept to an absolute minimum with the bottom screen used almost exclusively to display the map of the area. Disappointing but expected.

Final comments

It's hard to believe that we've waited so long for a game of this nature but it's here now and if mission based driving is your thing then this is the best effort since Atari's Stuntman some years ago. The driving environment is huge and reasonably impressive given the platform's limitations. The missions are also very enjoyable but the rather temperamental controls can sometimes make a simple maneuver rather frustrating. If I were to cite the biggest problem with BMT though it's the fact that it offers nothing new and if you already have the console version the only thing you are getting here is a handheld version with all the compromises you'd expect. Not for everyone then but certainly worth a look.

Pro: Fully Realized 3D World
Con: Nothing New, Difficult To Control Initially, Very Little Touch Screen Use.
Final score: 6.5

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