Big Mutha Truckers

Get Your motor running, head out on the highway, looking for adventure, and whatever comes our way. Not my words, but those of '60s rockers Steppenwolf, whose driving anthem Born To Be Wild became synonymous with hippy road movie Easy Rider, and is now resurrected for the rousing intro of financial lorry driving sim, Big Mutha Truckers. They must be very proud.

Almost as proud as the titular Big Mutha is of her four offspring, Cletus, Rawkus, Bobbie-Sue and Earl, one of whom she deigns to leave the family trucking business to. That honour will fall to whomever can rustle up the most cash in a 60-day period through foul means or fair, be it transporting commodities or carrying out dubious jobs for local villains.

Anyone remember King Of The Road? This is essentially a comedy version of that game, with the humour poking fun at residents of the Southern United States, as well as relying on the fact that 'truck' rhymes with a sexual swear word. There are even five G TA-style radio stations, albeit playing largely incongruous music.

Trucks can be upgraded, different types of trailers fitted, races undertaken, and there are also run-ins with the police and local bikers to contend with, not to mention the loan sharks that you have to turn to when funds run low, with the game boasting some reasonably complex economics. However, for all the trimmings, it essentially involves driving from one place to another in a great big lorry. And if that was any fun, we'd all be doing it.

Ma Jackson ain't a pretty lady. Hell, she barely passes for human. But somehow, she spawned four kids--with four different daddies, no less. Now, she's leaving her trucking company to the offspring who can make the most money runnin' goods from one place to the next. Truckers isn't just a racer, it's also a trading game where you buy various items and sell them for profit elsewhere. Of course, you have to learn the fastest routes between cities (that means loads of shortcuts, people). Along the way, you'll run from the cops and avoid motorcycle-gang hijackings. Oh, and you might have a couple run-ins with some of Ma's illegitimate children as well, of which there are quite a few. For some reason, this game reminds us of when Fudd beer made all of those hillbillies go blind....