Introduction

What the hay is this here vidjagame?

Big Mutha Truckers was a game produced by a company you probably haven't heard of called Eutechnyx. It was published by Empire Interactive, a company founded in 1987 and based in the UK, along with THQ, an American company founded in 1989 and still going strong with several titles and franchises, most popularly Saints Row. It was released to little critical acclaim, garnering a 6.3 overall score on a good day, but its biggest fault was just the repetition of the gameplay rather than it being ugly or unfun. They also say that the audio was boring and dull but they might have just been tone-deaf. It's not their fault. Here, have some recommended reading!

The plot of this game is explained in the first video, but here it is again: Ma, past her prime, wants to retire from the family business of haulin' and truckin' and wanted to give the company to her loved ones. But none of them wanted it. So instead, she's going to give her four children a shot at the company. She ain't got no favourites, so whoever manages to do best in her competition will be given the company.

The objective is simple: out-haul your next-of-kin and get the most money by the 60th in-game day. You have that much time to buy as cheap as you can, and sell for the most you can squeeze out of Hick State County. Along the way you'll be offered jobs to do on the side that compensate handsomely, while making allies and enemies out of the locals. You can upgrade and customize your rig, showing off custom decals and enhancing your cargo space, among a plethora of other options. Destroying more and more civilian vehicles along the way somehow makes money magically appear into your total, so go hog wild running down as many innocent bystanders as you can.

What about them there characters? Who we got to watch out for?

Here is a list of the main playable characters in this game, along with biographies taken straight from the game's manual:



Earl Jackson:

"Big" Earl (as he likes to call himself) is the oldest of Ma's four kids. He believes in the values of equality, liberty, and guns for all. When he's not driving his truck he likes drinking beer, eating fried pork products, watching sports, and drinking more beer.



Cletus Jackson:

Some men are born to greatness. Others have greatness thrust upon them. And others spend their time in the fruit cellar with their best friend, Stuart the Pig. Can you guess which category Cletus falls into? He's pretty harmless. Most of the time.



Bobbie-Sue Jackson:

Appearances can be deceptive. On the outside, she's as pretty as a pig in a pitcher. But cross her path and you'll see what the effects of growing up with three older brothers can have on a girl! Bobbie-Sue is tough, independent, and doesn't take sass from nobody!



Rawkus Jackson:

If there was one word to describe Rawkus K. Jackson, it would be "smooth". "Cool" would also be applicable. As would be "chilled". And - well, you get the idea. However, underneath his laid-back exterior beats the heart of a passionate man, as all the "fine ladies" of Hick State County would agree!



Ma:

Ma's not a playable character, unfortunately, but it's probably for the best: she's been around the block so many times that she'd out-haul each of her kids together...without a gas pedal. She's done so many crazy stunts and pulled off so many daring plans in her time that it's likely that anything her kids do, she'll have already done twice. But she's old and tired - she's had her fun in the sun, and she's ready to live the old lady life in the sticks. But none of that old-folks-home hooey!



Evil Trucker:

Who is this man? Where did he come from, and what business does he have with Ma and her kid's little contest? Is there any truth to the rumour that he once carved a pentagram into his own arm while kicking a puppy and stealing candies from children with his other? Whoever, or possibly whatever, he is, you'll want to watch your back for him and his underhanded methods of haulin'.

What is the nature of this here ell-pee? When can we expect them updates?

It's going to be a video LP. Don't really plan on a lot of screenshots or the like, but any real gameplay mechanics I show off in the video, I'll at least reiterate in print. As for updates, if the number of times I've had to re-encode the test video is any indication, then twice a month Since I don't plan on doing the commentary to this by myself the whole way through, it mostly depends on whenever my co-commentators are free. Luckily I only have one guy to rely on for co-commentating, but unluckily, as of this post, he's kind of tied up for some while. In any case, the goal is one update per week, showcasing about ten in-game days of progress per video.

Videos

Delivery 1: Intro, Gameplay, and Plot Synopsis:	YouTube	blip.tv	Download
Delivery 2: Around The World In 10 Days:	YouTube	blip.tv	Download
Delivery 3: Pain, Murder, Argh!	YouTube	blip.tv	Download
Delivery 4: A Logistical Nightmare:	YouTube	blip.tv	Download
Delivery 5: You got twenty days, ya hear me?	YouTube	blip.tv	Download
Delivery 6: Nights in Heaven, Days in Hell:	YouTube	blip.tv	Download
Delivery 7: Dawn of the Final Day:	YouTube	blip.tv	Download

Radio Shows