Excite Truck dev working on top-secret Wii title

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 29th 2008 at 8:30PM }

Excite Truck wasn't the most well-received or widely-purchased launch title for the Wii, though there was something charming about sending gargantuan automobiles bounding across rough terrain. However, we haven't heard much from developer Monster Games since the title's 2006 release. A recent article in a Minnesota-based blog titled Locally Grown shed some light on the company's under the radar status -- they've apparently been working on a top-secret Wii title for the past two years.

The title, which many speculate to be another racing game (as it appears to be the developer's bread-and-butter genre), is nearly complete. However, don't expect any information about the project to leak any time soon -- the article explains that the cautious development team is so protective of the new title that they dim their computer screens when the bottled water delivery person visits. It's a ritual they apparently developed after being forced to murder their first delivery person, who accidentally laid eyes on a single screenshot.

Tags: excite-truck, monster-games, nintendo, wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Strategy_Panda (the artist formally known as Titanium_Orchid) @ Nov 29th 2008 8:35PM

eff-0?

"About a year ago, the long-gone rumor blog run by Surfer Girl (we miss you!) posted an unsubstantiated bit claiming that this game wasn't Excite Truck 2, and that it might be an F-Zero sequel. Now that seems like something that might take a couple of years to get right, and something worth keeping secret."

Copied from www.giantbomb.com

Markez @ Nov 29th 2008 8:47PM

Good lawd I would hope it somehow ends up to be Excite Truck 2. In my opinion that was one of the most enjoyable racing game I've ever playe, and it controlled like a dream.

Another F-Zero too would be great, though.

Eff-o?

syrik zero @ Nov 29th 2008 8:54PM

I might be a bit retarded... Or missing something obvious... But what is eff-0?

syrik zero @ Nov 29th 2008 8:56PM

I think it's a bit of both... Haha

eff = F 0 = Zero

I'm tarded... At least there are plenty of tards living totally kick ass lives though! Right??

j.howlett @ Nov 29th 2008 8:56PM

it's F zero people gosh!

Markez @ Nov 29th 2008 8:58PM

You are the proof and an inspiration to us all, Syrik.

syrik zero @ Nov 29th 2008 8:59PM

You must be tarded... I already said that =P

Strategy_Panda (the artist formally known as Titanium_Orchid) @ Nov 29th 2008 9:02PM

haha +1 to you all

Markez @ Nov 29th 2008 9:03PM

Excerpted from Urban Dictionary, I especially like the example provided:

Effo

Effo is an Australian word for a NON Anglo person.

"Hey bro, look at those effoz!"

"Hey effo, sup?"

"Your such an effo!"

syrik zero @ Nov 29th 2008 9:07PM

Urban Dictionary is awesome.

And I guess I'm not an Effo, although I would like to play Titaniam Orchid's version of Eff-0.

Moptimus Slime @ Nov 29th 2008 9:10PM

Its not F-Zero. If it is, I'd Falcon Punch myself in the balls after spending my money buying it.

Amusement Vision made the last (and best) F-Zero, F-Zero GX on the 'cube, and if they were making the new one it would've been leaked along with The Conduit.

Back to Excite Truck 2, it could be better than Pacific Rift. Bring back SD Card music, add online/4 player local (with AI racers), polish the textures a little, add some flare to the menus, add more bonuses, introduce bikes, new tracks (of course) and BOOM! Best racing game on the Wii (sry Mario Kart)

Haggard @ Nov 29th 2008 9:30PM

damn.. I just made a sheet of paper go clear with forehead grease

Strategy_Panda (the artist formally known as Titanium_Orchid) @ Nov 29th 2008 9:49PM

lol wut?

Cody @ Nov 30th 2008 12:23AM

It better not be F-Zero! The only developer that should ever touch the F-Zero franchise ever again better be the team that made the Gamecube version. That game still amazes me to this day, not just in gameplay but complete with 480p and widescreen support! In 2003!!!

Foetoid @ Nov 30th 2008 12:45AM

Are you serious cody? I havent played my copy since i bought the Wii. Will it run 16:9 480p via Wii?

Moptimus Slime @ Nov 30th 2008 1:03AM

thats just it. It ran in 16:9 and 480p....ON THE GAMECUBE. That was unheard of at the time, and only few games after it managed to do both

Cody @ Nov 30th 2008 2:45AM

Foetoid,

Yeah it'll run it on Wii as well as long as you have the cables.

sam @ Nov 30th 2008 3:21PM

It was Amusement Vision who made the GC version. I think they're now fully part of Sega again (?). Doesn't stop them doing a Nintendo sublicense I guess, but maybe less likely.

I personally hope somebody else makes it (excite truck people with plenty of dev time? ok fine) because although the graphics were nice and the game was really fast and so on, maybe if somebody else makes it, it will be easier. :)

gamepete64 @ Nov 29th 2008 8:38PM

Well back in E3 06 Nintendo said that Excite Truck was one of 3 big new franchises for the Wii. The other being Disaster and Project H.A.M.M.E.R. Hopefully it's a sequel of some sort.

syrik zero @ Nov 29th 2008 8:38PM

That was funny

Rod @ Nov 29th 2008 8:40PM

Is it project H.A.M.M.E.R? please let it be project H.A.M.M.E.R.

The Fatass of Kickassness @ Nov 29th 2008 9:02PM

Am I the only one who thought Project HAMMER looked kinda dumb? Just cuz it'd be a new Nintendo IP doesn't mean it'd be great.

Anywhos, Monster Games only releases racing games anyway. I hope it ends up being F-Zero.

Megadanxzero @ Nov 29th 2008 9:48PM

Yes, you are the only person. Project HAMMER was the best looking cancelled Nintendo game in years... Then again it was probably the only one we knew about but still, it was a Wii game that DIDN'T LOOK LIKE SHIT, OH MY GOD! :o

Moptimus Slime @ Nov 29th 2008 10:15PM

You are a man wielding a giant hammer smashing robots.

What part of that previous sentence didn't intrigue you?

Mr Khan @ Nov 29th 2008 10:44PM

If a source as valid as this source is to be believed, Nintendo Software Technology is still working on Project HAMMER. It is claimed that the director of the project said so in a lecture at DigiPen

Moptimus Slime @ Nov 29th 2008 8:45PM

Can I just say this? Excite Truck is a highly underrated, gorgeous game that actually surpasses the original Motorstorm in every category except graphics (obviously)

Markez @ Nov 29th 2008 8:56PM

It absolutely rules.

DBuck_Eye @ Nov 29th 2008 8:56PM

Someone had to speak the truth.
Also, eff = F and o = zero, so eff-o means F-Zero.

syrik zero @ Nov 29th 2008 8:58PM

It was the first game other than Wii Sports that I played and I can agree that it rules and was underrated. But this game and motorstorm I think were pretty equal. They're both really fun games!

Ciatrick Leodis McKelvin @ Nov 29th 2008 9:40PM

WHy would you say that about Motorstorm?

@tomic @ Nov 30th 2008 12:13AM

It was a fun game, if a bit lacking in lasting appeal. Though I believe that can be attributed to the fact that it was a launch title and was probably rushed out the door.

Extinction @ Nov 30th 2008 3:49AM

"Excite Truck is a highly underrated, gorgeous game that actually surpasses the original Motorstorm in every category"

Except in gameplay, multiplayer, unlockables, etc

Emophia @ Nov 30th 2008 5:12AM

Motorstorm was a totally different type of game.

The fact that you feel so compelled to compare Excite Truck to it obviously means you're feeling defensive and that Motorstorm was better.

Calm down.

Lee @ Nov 30th 2008 5:44AM

Wow, them Playstation people sure have short memories. Back when both titles were out there was a lot of comparison between the 2 blahblah.
And yes ExciteTruck was by far the better game in terms of gameplay. Sure the music was crap but thankfully they gave us MP3 playback and I played through until I unlocked everything. Amazingly addictive game.

Motorstorm was just too... Dull compared.

Kye - Capcom DF @ Nov 30th 2008 11:18AM

I loved Excite Truck.
'specially with a drum n bass soundtrack.

Please be ET2, not that I would complain if F-Zero Wii came out.

If only Nintendo would stop being anal about AAC and just let me use my mp3s.

Moptimus Slime @ Nov 30th 2008 5:49PM

"Motorstorm was a totally different type of game."

yeah, I mean, Motorstorm had giant trucks boosting over giant jumps in a dessert setting. Excite Truck had...giant trucks boosting over giant jumps in a desert/tropical setting. Yep, totally different

"The fact that you feel so compelled to compare Excite Truck to it obviously means you're feeling defensive and that Motorstorm was better."

The fact that you felt so compelled to comment on me comparing Motorstorm to Excite Truck obviously means you're feeling defensive and that my personal opinion doesn't dictate the whole fucking universe.

D_Average @ Nov 29th 2008 8:57PM

Excite Truck vs. Excite Bike FTW!

Moptimus Slime @ Nov 29th 2008 9:13PM

I don't think gamers could handle that much awesome in 1 game. Our brains would assplode!

tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 29th 2008 9:37PM

Motorstorm 2 just came out we don't need another one

Moptimus Slime @ Nov 29th 2008 10:06PM

did tmac just admit that Motorstorm 2 is a clone of Excite Truck and VS. ExciteBike?

tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 29th 2008 10:15PM

More or less. Once you've played 1 game like that you've pretty much played them all. That kinda goes with all racing games. I don't need to play GT 5 cause I already played Forza 2.

The Fatass of Kickassness @ Nov 29th 2008 9:00PM

"Excite Truck wasn't the most well-received or widely-purchased launch title for the Wii"

You're right, it was the second best recieved/purchased launch title for the Wii. Way to make it sound as though the game bombed.

This is one of the most underrated games for the system.