Monster Truck Madness 2

Monster Truck Madness 2[lower-alpha 1] is a monster truck racing video game developed by Terminal Reality and published by Microsoft for the PC (Windows 95/NT) in 1998. It is the sequel to Monster Truck Madness for the same platform, and was one of the first racing games to feature an online multiplayer mode. Online play for it was available on the MSN Gaming Zone until early 2006.

Monster Truck Madness 2
Developer(s)Terminal Reality (PC)
Edge of Reality (N64)
Publisher(s)Microsoft (PC)
Rockstar Games (N64)
Programmer(s)
Artist(s)
  • Kate Bigel
  • Kiki Wolfkill
  • Chuck Carson
Composer(s)
  • Kyle Richards
  • Tom Wedge
EnginePhotex2/Terrain5
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Nintendo 64
ReleaseWindows
Nintendo 64
  • NA: July 30, 1999[2]
  • EU: October 29, 1999
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

The game was ported to the Nintendo 64 in 1999 by Edge of Reality. It was co-published with Rockstar Games and released as Monster Truck Madness 64. The game is known for featuring popular monster trucks like Bigfoot, Grave Digger and Carolina Crusher, as well as WrestleTrucks —monster trucks named after WCW talent.

Overview
Monster Truck Madness 2 features licensed monster trucks such as Grave Digger, shown here on "The Heights" track.

This sequel offers improved graphics, an updated interface, new trucks and tracks and the addition of variable weather conditions when compared to its predecessor. The game is known for featuring the biggest names in monster truck racing like Bigfoot, Grave Digger and Carolina Crusher, as well as WrestleTrucks —monster trucks named after WCW talent. It was one of the first racing games to feature an online multiplayer mode.[3][4] However, the game engine is essentially the same, and most custom trucks and tracks are compatible with both games. The game contains assets from older Terminal Reality games, like Hellbender and CART Precision Racing.[4]

The "Summit Rumble" king of the hill tracks could only be played if the player intended to compete online. Again, "Army" Armstrong provides commentary for the game.[5] However, his race calls have been updated, and new ones have been added. Just like its predecessor, it contains an inaccessible truck, "Chuck's Car" (a Chevrolet Camaro). It was intended to be unlocked by typing in "CHUCK" in a race. The game still displays this message when typed: "Restart the game to drive Chuck's Car". If one restarts the game, it is not there.[4]

The Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback wheel's installation CD also contains the game.[6] The game's file mounting systems gives the possibility to add (or remove) custom tracks and trucks to the game using different editors.[4]

Development and release

Monster Truck Madness was released on August 31, 1996, and is the first entry in the Madness series of racing titles distributed by Microsoft.[7] American video game studio Terminal Reality, Inc. designed Monster Truck Madness to accurately simulate monster truck events such as drag tracks and enclosed circuit races, and replicate the titular off-road vehicles on land, when jumping, and during collisions. Sound effects of the trucks were recorded and digitized from such races. The game's twelve monster trucks were used under license from companies like Bigfoot 4×4, Inc., the owner of Bigfoot and Snake Bite. The developer hired announcer Army Armstrong to perform sports commentary, resulting in lines such as "Bigfoot is doing it in the air!" and "when it's going your way, it's going your way".[8][9] Terminal Reality developed Monster Truck Madness 2 as a sequel to the original which features more trucks and tracks.[3][10] The game features licensed WCW-themed WrestleTrucks and uses the Photex2 game engine for improved graphics and physics.[3][10] It was released in North America on May 13, 1998, as a Windows title.[1]

Monster Truck Madness 64

Monster Truck Madness 64 is a Nintendo 64 port of Monster Truck Madness 2 developed by Edge of Reality and published by Rockstar Games. It was released in 1999.[2] It received advertisement time on World Championship Wrestling programming and features trucks styled after WCW wrestlers.[11] In addition, one commercial spot featured WCW wrestler Kevin Nash.

Reception

Monster Truck Madness 2 received favorable reviews, while Monster Truck Madness 64 received "mixed" reviews, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[12][13]

GameSpot said of the PC version, "The designers wisely recognized that the subtlety of monster truck racing cried out for the added nuance that only a professional wrestling tie-in could bestow."[23] GamePro said of the same PC version, "If you're a monster masher yearning for "Sunday! Sunday! SUNDAY!" Monster Truck Madness 2 is your brew."[30][lower-alpha 3] An unnamed reviewer of Next Generation's August 1998 issue called the same PC version "a definite improvement."[3] Fifteen issues later, however, Doug Trueman of the same magazine (now labeled NextGen) said of Monster Truck Madness 64, "If you want intense off-road racing, play EA's Beetle Adventure Racing instead and run this title over with your car."[25] Adam Roff of Hyper gave the latter 68%, calling it "a lack-lustre conversion of what was a decent PC title. It isn't racing and it isn't wrestling and it isn't fun."[31] Scott Alan Marriott of AllGame gave the same console version two-and-a-half stars out of five, saying, "Monster Truck Madness offers almost everything you'd expect from an Arcade racer except for tight control; the developers decided to make these trucks extremely hard to keep on the road, which ultimately destroys the atmosphere of the game."[32]

Notes and references

Footnotes
  1. During development, it was referred to by its internal codename Metal Crush 2.
  2. Two critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Nintendo 64 version each a score of 5/10, one gave it 4.5/10, and the other gave it 6.5/10.
  3. GamePro gave the PC version two 4/5 scores for graphics and fun factor, 3.5/5 for sound, and 4.5/5 for control.

Citations
  1. GameSpot staff (May 13, 1998). "New Releases". GameSpot. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 15, 2000. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  2. IGN staff (July 22, 1999). "Monster Truck Madness 64 (Preview)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  3. "Monster Truck Madness 2". Next Generation. No. 44. Imagine Media. August 1998. p. 100. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  4. Terminal Reality (May 13, 1998). Monster Truck Madness 2 (Windows 95). Microsoft.
  5. Terminal Reality (May 13, 1998). Monster Truck Madness 2 (Windows 95). Microsoft. Scene: Credits.
  6. Microsoft (1999). Microsoft Sidewinder install disc. Microsoft. Scene: Monster Truck Madness 2.
  7. Dunkin, Alan (April 22, 1999). "Midtown Madness Goes Gold". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on May 8, 1999. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  8. "Microsoft Monster Truck Madness Crushes and Leaps Its Way Into Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)". Microsoft. May 16, 1996. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  9. Anderson, Rebecca B. (May 1, 1996). "Monster Truck Madness Preview". Archived from the original on January 29, 2005. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  10. "Monster Truck Madness 2". Microsoft. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  11. Casamassina, Matt (July 30, 1999). "Monster Truck Madness 64". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  12. "Monster Truck Madness 64 for Nintendo 64". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  13. "Monster Truck Madness 2 for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  14. Chick, Tom (September 7, 1999). "Monster Truck Madness 64". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 23, 2000. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  15. Goble, Gordon (May 14, 1998). "Monster Truck Madness 2". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  16. Chick, Tom (June 5, 1998). "Monster Truck Madness 2". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on July 10, 2003. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  17. May, Scott (September 1998). "Off-road Obstacles (Monster Truck Madness 2 Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 170. Ziff Davis. p. 228. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  18. Davidson, John; Hager, Dean; Hsu, Dan; Johnston, Chris (September 1999). "Monster Truck Madness 64" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 122. Ziff Davis. p. 212. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  19. Helgeson, Matt (September 1999). "Monster Truck Madness 64". Game Informer. No. 77. FuncoLand. Archived from the original on May 22, 2000. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  20. Buchanan, Levi (July 14, 1999). "REVIEW for Monster Truck Madness 64". GameFan. Shinno Media. Archived from the original on June 23, 2000. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  21. Hubble, Calvin (June 1998). "Monster Truck Madness 2 Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on June 13, 1998. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  22. Taruc, Nelson (August 4, 1999). "Monster Truck Madness 64 Review [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  23. Coffey, Robert (May 20, 1998). "Mosnter Truck Madness 2 [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on July 13, 2007. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  24. "Monster Truck Madness 64". N64 Magazine. No. 33. Future Publishing. October 1999.
  25. Trueman, Doug (November 1999). "Monster Truck Madness 64". NextGen. No. 59. Imagine Media. p. 117. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  26. "Monster Truck Madness [64]". Nintendo Power. Vol. 123. Nintendo of America. August 1999. p. 117. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  27. Lee, Ed (September 1998). "Monster Truck Madness 2". PC Accelerator. No. 1. Imagine Media. p. 87. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  28. McDonald, T. Liam (August 1998). "Monster Truck Madness 2". PC Gamer. Vol. 5, no. 8. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on March 2, 2000. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  29. Bottorff, James (1998). "'Madness' keeps on truckin' (PC)". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on April 28, 2001. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  30. Boba Fatt (August 1998). "Monster Truck Madness 2". GamePro. No. 119. IDG. p. 87. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  31. Roff, Adam (November 1999). "Monster Truck Madness 64". Hyper. No. 73. Next Media Pty Ltd. p. 71. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  32. Marriott, Scott Alan. "Monster Truck Madness 64 - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
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