Software:Big Mutha Truckers

From HandWiki
Short description: 2002 video game
Big Mutha Truckers
European cover art
Developer(s)Eutechnyx
Raylight Studios (handhelds)
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS
Release
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player

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.

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

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

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings(PS2) 66.41%[5]
(GC) 65.36%[6]
(Xbox) 65.35%[7]
(DS) 56%[8]
(PC) 55.80%[9]
(GBA) 50%[10]
Metacritic(GC) 63 out of 100[11]
(PS2) 62 out of 100[12]
(PC) 61 out of 100[13]
(Xbox) 59 out of 100[14]
(DS) 48 out of 100[15]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge6 out of 10[16]
EGM5.83 out of 10[17]
Eurogamer6 out of 10[18]
Game Informer(PS2) 7.5 out of 10[19]
(Xbox) 7.25 out of 10[20]
GameSpot6.2 out of 10[21][22]
GameSpyStarStar[23][24][25]
GameZone(Xbox) 6.5 out of 10[26]
(PS2) 6 out of 10[27]
IGN6.3 out of 10[28][29]
(DS) 6 out of 10[30]
(PC) 5.3 out of 10[31]
(GBA) 5 out of 10[32]
Nintendo Power2.5 out of 5[33]
OPM (US)StarStarStar[34]
PC Gamer (US)71%[35]
Playboy53%[36]
The Village Voice7 out of 10[37]

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

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "PR - 6/17/03 - DOUBLE DANG DAMAGE! THQ SHIPS EMPIRE INTERACTIVE'S BIG MUTHA TRUCKERS". 2004-04-16. http://www.thq.com/Corporate/PressReleases/press-580.asp. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "What's New?" (in en-gb). Eurogamer.net. 2002-12-06. https://www.eurogamer.net/article-47096. 
  3. ↑ "What's New?" (in en-gb). Eurogamer.net. 2003-05-02. https://www.eurogamer.net/news020503whatsnew. 
  4. ↑ "What's New?" (in en-gb). Eurogamer.net. 2003-06-27. https://www.eurogamer.net/news270603whatsnew. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Big Mutha Truckers for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/ps2/562129-big-mutha-truckers/index.html. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Big Mutha Truckers for GameCube". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/gamecube/589614-big-mutha-truckers/index.html. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Big Mutha Truckers for Xbox". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox/914430-big-mutha-truckers/index.html. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Big Mutha Truckers for DS". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/ds/929556-big-mutha-truckers/index.html. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Big Mutha Truckers for PC". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/589613-big-mutha-truckers/index.html. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Big Mutha Truckers for Game Boy Advance". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/gba/929314-big-mutha-truckers/index.html. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Big Mutha Truckers for GameCube Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/big-mutha-truckers/critic-reviews/?platform=gamecube. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Big Mutha Truckers for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/big-mutha-truckers/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Big Mutha Truckers for PC Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/big-mutha-truckers/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Big Mutha Truckers for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/big-mutha-truckers/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Big Mutha Truckers for DS Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/big-mutha-truckers/critic-reviews/?platform=ds. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  16. ↑ Edge staff (January 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers". Edge (119). 
  17. ↑ EGM staff (August 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (PS2; mislabeled as "Xbox")". Electronic Gaming Monthly (170): 111. Archived from the original on 31 January 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040131030548/http://www.egmmag.com/article2/0%2C4364%2C1219147%2C00.asp. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  18. ↑ DNM (3 February 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (PS2)". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_bmt_ps2. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  19. ↑ "Big Mutha Truckers (PS2)". Game Informer (121): 82. May 2003. http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200305/R03.0731.1736.58994.htm. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  20. ↑ Leeper, Justin (September 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (Xbox)". Game Informer (125): 121. http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200309/R03.0821.1048.33345.htm. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Navarro, Alex (13 June 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/big-mutha-truckers-review/1900-6030006/. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  22. ↑ Navarro, Alex (21 August 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers Review (GC)". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/big-mutha-truckers-review/1900-6073411/. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  23. ↑ Meston, Zach (18 June 2003). "GameSpy: Big Mutha Truckers (Xbox)". GameSpy. http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/big-mutha-truckers/5923p1.html. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  24. ↑ Meston, Zach (21 June 2003). "GameSpy: Big Mutha Truckers (PS2)". GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/big-mutha-truckers/5922p1.html. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Mahood, Andy (11 July 2003). "GameSpy: Big Mutha Truckers (PC)". GameSpy. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/big-mutha-truckers/6004p1.html. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  26. ↑ Zacarias, Eduardo (4 July 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 29 February 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080229073859/http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r21778.htm. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  27. ↑ Valentino, Nick (6 July 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081230152614/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r21778.htm. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  28. ↑ Irwin, Mary Jane (30 June 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/07/01/big-mutha-truckers-5. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  29. ↑ Irwin, Mary Jane (14 August 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (GCN)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/08/14/big-mutha-truckers-4. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  30. ↑ Thomas, Lucas M. (7 September 2006). "Big Mutha Truckers (NDS)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/07/big-mutha-truckers. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  31. ↑ Irwin, Mary Jane (21 October 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers (PC)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/10/21/big-mutha-truckers-3. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  32. ↑ Thomas, Lucas M. (7 September 2006). "Big Mutha Truckers (GBA)". IGN. Archived from the original on 11 September 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060911202223/http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/731/731352p1.html. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  33. ↑ "Big Mutha Truckers (GC)". Nintendo Power 173: 151. November 2003. 
  34. ↑ "Big Mutha Truckers". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 97. August 2003. 
  35. ↑ McNamara, Tom (November 2003). "Big Mutha Truckers". PC Gamer: 112. Archived from the original on 20 January 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080120035526/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/big_mutha_truck.html. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  36. ↑ "Big Mutha Truckers". Playboy. 2003. Archived from the original on 17 October 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041017020951/http://www.playboy.com/arts-entertainment/games/bigmuthatruckers/index.html. Retrieved 3 September 2014. 
  37. ↑ Catucci, Nick (1 July 2003). "Wheelin' and Dealin'". The Village Voice. http://www.villagevoice.com/news/wheelin-and-dealin-6410015. 
  • Official website
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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