Excite Truck is a 2006 racing video game created by Monster Games and released by Nintendo for the Wii. The game includes environments that can be changed and uses motion controls that rely on tilting the Wii remote. It was one of the first games available when the Wii launched in North America. Excite Truck is the third main game in the Excite series, following Excitebike (1984) and Excitebike 64 (2000). It is the first game in the series to include vehicles other than motorbikes.

Excite Truck was the first Wii game to allow players to choose their own music, such as MP3 files stored on an SD card, to play in the background instead of the game’s built-in music. This feature is also found in the game Endless Ocean.

The game received mostly good reviews from critics. A follow-up game, Excitebots: Trick Racing, was released for the Wii in North America in April 2009 and in Japan in August 2011 through Club Nintendo.

Gameplay

Excite Truck does not use the Nunchuk attachment. It is controlled only with the Wii Remote. When starting the game, players must complete several tutorials before playing the full game. After finishing the first tutorial, both single-player and multiplayer modes are available. Players begin with three trucks but can unlock more by reaching specific goals. The game supports split-screen two-player multiplayer.

In Excite Truck, winning the race is not the main goal. Instead, players earn stars for performing stunts and their race finishing position. A letter grade is given for each race, based on the number of stars earned. The highest grade is "S." Earning S ranks on all tracks in Excite mode unlocks the harder Super Excite mode. Earning S ranks on all tracks in Super Excite mode unlocks Mirror Mode, which is even more difficult.

In single-player mode, players must earn a certain number of stars to advance in the game. They do not need to finish first, as long as they meet the required star count. Races are timed to stop players from repeating stunts in high-star areas.

After completing a race in single-player mode, players receive bonus stars based on their finishing position. These stars are added to the score before checking if the minimum score for the track is met.

In multiplayer races, the first player to cross the finish line earns 15 stars. After the first player finishes, a 30-second countdown starts for the second player. For each second the second player does not finish, the first player earns an extra star. If the countdown ends and the second player has not finished, they are disqualified with no score.

Excite Truck includes several gameplay modes, most for single players:

• Excite Race: Players compete in cup races. After completing each race in a cup, a new cup opens, and new tracks become available.
• Super Excite Race: A harder mode unlocked after earning S ranks in all Excite Race tracks. More stars are needed, rings are farther apart, and a new track is added.
• Mirror Race Mode: An even harder mode where tracks are mirrored and rings are smaller. It is unlocked after earning S ranks in all Super Excite Race tracks.
• Challenge: Players must complete Gate, Ring, and Crush Challenges using the first three trucks.
• Super Challenge: A harder version of the Challenge mode.
• Versus: A multiplayer mode where two players race against each other.

The game includes real-life locations such as China, Scotland, Mexico, Fiji, Finland, and Canada. The only fictional location is Nebula, a fantasy crystal mountain under a purple nebula.

Excite Truck is inspired by earlier games, Excitebike (from NES) and Excitebike 64 (from N64). Many features from these games are included, such as large jumps and hills. Players can reshape the land to make races more extreme. Landing a jump perfectly with the truck’s wheels parallel to the ground gives a large turbo boost.

Overheating is a gameplay element from earlier games. Using too much boost causes the engine to overheat, temporarily slowing the truck. Driving through shallow water cools the engine completely, allowing unlimited boost while in water. Water can be part of the course or accessed using a power-up. However, driving into dark, deep water causes the truck to crash, requiring a reset.

Release

The game was first available to play during E3 2006. An improved version was also playable during the Nintendo Fusion Tour that same year, with four different courses included. Before its release with the Wii, the game was among the first titles available on the first Wii Kiosks, along with Wii Sports and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

The game was released in the United States on November 19, 2006, at the same time as the Wii's launch. Excite Truck was the 9th best-selling game for the Wii during November.

The game was released in Japan on January 18, 2007, and in Europe and Australia in February 2007. A toy truck themed after Excite Truck was included with Wendy's Kids Meals as part of a promotion with Nintendo.

Reception

On Metacritic, a website that collects review scores, Excite Truck received a score of 72 out of 100, showing that reviews were mixed or average.

• E3 2006 Game Critics Awards: Best Racing Game
• AIAS's 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards: Racing Game of the Year (received a nomination)

Legacy

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, one of the trucks is available as a trophy, and other trucks appear as stickers. The music played on the results screen and during replay videos is a song that can be chosen for the Mario Circuit stage. This same song is also available for the "Mario Circuit (Brawl)" stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the track is used on any stage from the Nintendo series that is not specifically themed.

Many features from Excite Truck were included in later Excite games. Excitebots: Trick Racing, a follow-up to Excite Truck, was released in North America on April 20, 2009. It used similar game features, such as controls and the main way the game works. The WiiWare game Excitebike: World Rally also included the ability to change terrain, choose vehicle colors, and use a ranking system. Some tracks in this game have backgrounds that look similar to those in Excite Truck.