Developed by Sega AM2 and originally released in arcades in 1998 before coming to Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo GameCube, 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker is a racing game centered on hauling cargo across the United States. The route runs from Key West to San Francisco across several stages, with players choosing from multiple characters, each assigned a distinct truck with its own attributes. Gameplay revolves around reaching each destination before a countdown expires. Ramming special vans adds three seconds to the clock, while sounding the horn clears traffic and slipstreaming behind large vehicles grants brief speed boosts. After the first stage, players choose between two trailers — one more difficult to handle but worth greater earnings, the other easier but less lucrative. Collisions with the trailer reduce the payout. A rival trucker called the Lizard Tail provides additional competition, and parking mini-games between stages offer further opportunities to accumulate money.
