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News: Tom Morello stars in Guitar Hero III
Activision has announced that Tom Morello, from Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, will guest star as a boss character in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Click here to read the article.
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Big Mutha Truckers
Hick State County, in the USA's Deep South, is home to the Big Mutha Truckers Haulage Company. Things are about to change though, as owner Ma Jackson has announced she's planning on retiring. Her only dilemma is which of her four kids to leave the company to. Luckily for her kids, Ma isn't going to just give it to her favorite, instead they will have to compete in a "trial by trucking!" The one who can make the most money buying, selling and hauling cargo around the County in sixty days will become the new owner of the company once Ma retires.
A very simple concept but surprisingly it works really well. Hick State County is divided into several cities with different needs. One might be in need of Milk while another has too much beer. It is your job to buy up the necessary products and sell them off at another city for a profit. The more profit the better seeing as who ever makes the most money after 60 days gets the company.
You might be wondering how time passes in the game. Well its quite simple. After every delivery you make it counts as a day. So you'll be making about 60 trips before Ma announces the winner! Don't think that the trips are a couple minutes long, they're not. While not extremely long they are long enough to feel like you're actually trecking through the South.
As mentioned above, Ma has four kids... and you can be anyone of them. You can choose from Bobbie-Sue (a dumb blonde with big 'features'), Cletus (typical redneck complete with missing front teeth!), Earl (the fat, older brother), and Rawkus (a slick cowboy with a slick cowboy hat).
At every stop you make there is a Garage, a Bar, and a Store. At the Garage, you can fill up your gas tank, repair your damage and upgrade your ride. At the Bar, you can get a loan, play the slot machines, and get tips from the local bartenders on what certain cities need. Last but not least, the Store is where you can sell your current load and buy a new load.
If you get tired of the "Trial by Trucking" you can always try out Mission Mode where you will have to do certain missions like deliver mother's day gifts, or have a tug-o-war with another 18-Wheeler. Pretty fun missions that help take you away from the pressures of worrying about making a profit in the "Trial by Trucking" mode.
The default control layout in Big Mutha Truckers is quite easy to become accustomed to. The Left Thumbstick or D-Pad are used for movement while the Right Thumbstick is used to accelerate and brake. Also, by clicking in the Right Thumbstick, you can change the radio station. If you don't like the Right Thumbstick for accelerating and braking, you can always use Left and Right Triggers. The B button changes gears, the A button is used to go in reverse when stationary, and the Y button is used to sound your horn. The Black and White buttons act as left and right view mirrors. Last but not least, you can change the camera angle by pressing the Back button.
Visually, Big Mutha Truckers isn't that bad. Environments are nicely detailed with tons of car activity. You'll see all sorts of cars pass you by from family cars to trucks to busses. Great variety. As far as your own ride, it looks pretty good. BMT goes for the arcade look instead of the realistic look which is just fine. Character models are average in quality. The only thing that surprised me was that none of the lips move! When people talk to you their mouths don't move! What the hell? They're not ventriloquists.... they should move their lips!
As far as sound goes, there is plenty of it. Cars crashing, tires screeching, horn blowing, etc. Along with all the sound effects which are nicely done, you have the ability to listen to five radio stations (kind of like in GTA 3/Vice City) that vary from Talk Radio to Rock. Something to soothe your music style is bound to be in the game. The best station is probably the Talk station. You'll hear hilarious conversations with rednecks and tons of other stuff that I won't spoil. BMT does have one licensed song and it is "Born to be Wild" which is probably one of the coolest songs ever! A nice addition that fits in perfectly with the game and the opening FMV.
Overall, Big Mutha Truckers is a fun game that is worth every last cent of the $20 you will pay for it! Yup, that's right, BMT costs only $20 brand new! Good game that should be atleast a rental if not a purcharse... I mean come on, its only $20 you cheap-o!
Report Card:
Gameplay = 7.5
Graphics = 7.5
Audio = 7.5
Replay Value = 7.5
Overall: 7.5/10
Click here for the Big Mutha Truckers screenshots gallery!
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