We got to test the preview code of Empire Interactive's upcoming Big Mutha Truckers for the Nintendo GameCube. The game is being developed by Eutechnyx, which also has Le Mans 24 Hours and F1 World Grand Prix 2000 under its belt. The game was already released for the Xbox and PS2 in December 2002, and this June we will see a release of the GameCube version here in Europe. The reason for this delay is that the game is getting some new features, which include Cash Crash Combo system, bounties for shaking off bikers, more speech, new in-game challenges, and additional sound effects.

The story of the game is as follows: Mum is getting too old to run her truckers company Big Mutha Truckers. She tries to sell it, but without luck. Therefore she decides to sell it to one of her four kids. However, Mum needs convincing of their skills before she can give the company away to one of them.

In the game, you take control over one of Mum's kids. There are two modes you can choose from – Trail by Truckin (Story Mode) and Mission Mode. Mission mode offers you 30 mission-based levels to truck through. In the more interesting story mode, the goal is to earn as much money as possible in 60 days.

Earning money in Big Mutha Truckers can be done in various ways. The most obvious way to earn money is to buy a load of products and sell it somewhere for a profit. The more fun way to earn the cash needed is to wreck some cars on the way. One new feature in the GameCube version related to this is the Cash Crash Combo system, where players are rewarded for the amount of cars they can destroy en route. By creating "chains" of destruction, skilled players can add rewards to their cash total.

Handling the truck takes some time getting used to. But once you have learned to maintain control over your truck, driving from one town to another isn't that difficult if you follow all the usual traffic rules. The challenging part of the game is to try and create as big a destruction on the road as possible. You also have to shake off bikers and police, which sometimes are on your tail.

The graphics of the preview code of Big Mutha Truckers are OK. The trucks and scenery look a bit simple but have a decent amount of detail. The in-game cut scenes, however, still need quite some work. The version we played clearly had not been finished yet graphic wise. We are pretty sure the graphics will see some improvement in the final version of the game.

The sound of the game on the other hand is better than average. The in-game music and speech are of high quality and sound crisp and clear. While driving your truck, you can choose from different radio station to supply you with music varying from country to dance. The soundtrack of the game includes the famous "Born to be Wild" from Steppenwolf, which perfectly fits the game.

If you are thinking of buying this game when it is released this June, beware that this it is not your average racer. If you liked 18 Wheeler Pro Trucker or Crazy Taxi you will definitely want to take a look at this title as it can be placed in the same category of games. More serious racers, though, will probably not get their money's worth from this Big Mutha Truckers, though this game is perfect if you are into humorous games - it will definitely give you a laugh.

Expect a full review and verdict on this game at Cube-Europe when Big Mutha Truckers hits the shelves in Europe.