Magical Truck Adventure

Magical Truck Adventure is an arcade game developed by AM3 for Sega Model 3 Step 2.1 hardware and released in 1998. It is an on-the-rails action game similar in nature to Rail Chase and Rail Chase 2.

Plot
A young girl named Alma finds a mysterious stone, which allows its owner to freely travel through the dimensions of time and space. An evil genius named Mommy learns of the stone's powers and plans to use the stone to conquer the world. Along with his dull-witted but muscular henchman, Marrow,he attacks Alma in an attempt to steal the stone from her. While they are scuffling, the stone’s magical power suddenly starts to work, and all three of them are transported to a rural town, where a brave young adventurer named Roy lives. Roy rescues Alma from the wicked pair, but the villains manage to escape with the stone. The two children board a magical railroad truck and chase after the villains in order to get Alma's stone back and save the world.

Gameplay
The game can be played with either one or two players, who can assume the roles of either Alma or Roy. If only one player is active, the second player will automatically be controlled by the computer, although a second human player may enter the game at any time. Both players must work together in order to successfully complete the game.

The truck is powered by two levers mounted on the front of the machine. During gameplay, the machine adds resistance to the levers, which must be pumped up and down as far and as quickly as possible, making the game a test of physical endurance. Each player has a "pumping meter" on their side of the screen, which fills as the player pumps the lever. Pumping the levers as fully as possible makes the truck move faster, while weaker pumps slow it down. When Alma and Roy must escape something that is coming down the track behind them, or have caught sight of the villains and need to catch up to them, the players are prompted to pump faster.

There are also obstacles on the track, such as barrels, gates, or animals. If an obstacle is on the right-side rail of the track, only the player on the left side of the machine must step on their pedal to make the truck dodge to the left (and vice-versa for an obstacle on the left side of the track). If an obstacle is in the center of the track, or the track has a gap in it, the truck must jump over it. To make the truck jump successfully, both players must step on their pedal simultaneously, and at just the right moment. Jumping slows the truck down, and there are some obstacles that can only be dodged. Fortunately, the game always tells the players which action is needed.

Occasionally, the tracks will some to a junction, and the players may choose which side they want to go on by stepping on the appropriate pedal. Players may choose from an easier path with few obstacles, or a more dangerous and difficult path. If both players step on their pedals at the same time by mistake, the game will always send the truck down the dangerous route.

If the truck hits an obstacle, it will take damage, which is shown on a health meter on the bottom of the screen. If the truck is hit too many times, the meter goes to zero, and the game is over (with no option to continue). However, if the players successfully avoid a series of obstacles without taking any damage, they earn "achievements" for that "event". The achievements earned are represented by icons under the player's initials on the game's leaderboard, and the percentage of total achievements that were completed is displayed to the player(s) after the game ends.

Levels

 * Roy's Hometown - The first level always takes place in Roy's hometown filled with windmills and forests. Roy and Alma must watch out for trains coming down the tracks. The kids are always chasing after Mommy and Marrow in the first level. If Roy and Alma manage to catch up to the villains, they'll steal the stone back from them and the stone's powers will teleport them to the Safari level. If not, the stone will teleport them to the South Sea level.


 * Safari - This level takes place in the African Savanna, Roy and Alma get teleported to this level if they succeed to catch up to Mommy and Marrow and steal the stone back in the first level. The kids must pump their way as the tracks go through African Animal Habitats and must avoid hungry lions, dangerous crocodiles and a stampede of wildebeests in a canyon. Near the end of the level, Mommy and Marrow are now chasing after Roy and Alma trying to steal the stone back from them. If the kids manage to get away from the villains, the stone will teleport them to the Futuristic City level. If not, the villains steal the stone back from the kids and it will teleport them to the Fantasy level.


 * Futuristic City - This level takes place in a Futuristic City as the level's name suggests, Roy and Alma get teleported to this level if they succeed to get away from from Mommy and Marrow back in the Safari level. The kids must pump their way down the tracks and must avoid flying cars, lasers and giant robots. Near the end of this level, Mommy and Marrow will try to catch up to Roy and Alma to steal the stone back from them one more time. If the kids get away from the villains again, they escape with the stone and the game ends with a good ending cut scene. If not, Mommy and Marrow will steal the stone back from the kids and the game ends with a bad ending cut scene.


 * South Sea - This level takes place under the sea, Roy and Alma will be teleported to this level if they fail to catch up to Mommy and Marrow back in the first level. The kids must pump their way as the tracks go beneath the sea. They must dodge hungry sharks along the way and must avoid big eels. Near the end of the level, Roy and Alma try again to catch up to Mommy and Marrow. If the kids catch up to the villains this time, they steal the stone back from them and the stone will teleport them to the Dinosaur World level. If not, it will teleport them to the Fantasy level.


 * Fantasy - This level takes place in a Fantasy Land filled with trolls, giants, dragons and royal castles, Roy and Alma will be teleported to this level if they fail to catch up to Mommy and Marrow back in the South Sea level, or fail to get away from them and they steal the stone back in the Safari level. Roy and Alma must pump their way as the tracks go through a royal castle and must avoid a dragon's fire breath. Near the end of the level, the kids are still chasing after the villains. If they finally manage to catch up to Mommy and Marrow, the villains' truck breaks into smithereens and the kids steal to the stone back from them and the game ends with a good ending cut scene. If not, Marrow throws at statue at Roy and Alma's truck breaking it into smithereens and the villains escape with the stone and the game ends with a bad ending cut scene.


 * Dinosaur World - This level takes place in a Prehistoric World filled with ferocious dinosaurs, Roy and Alma will be teleported to this level if they succeed to catch up to Mommy and Marrow and get the stone back in the South Sea level. Roy and Alma must pump their way down the tracks and have to avoid Pachycephalosauruses headbutting, get away from the hungry ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex and avoid other dinosaurs on the tracks. Near the end of the level, Mommy and Marrow are now chasing after Roy and Alma trying to catch them because they now have the stone. If Roy and Alma succeed to get away from Mommy and Marrow, the dinosaur bone Marrow tries to throw at the kids flies into the villains' truck breaking it into smithereens and the kids get away with the stone and the game ends with a good ending cut scene. If not, Roy and Alma's truck breaks into smithereens and Mommy and Marrow steal the stone back and the game ends with a bad ending cut scene.

Trivia

 * At the beginning of Roy's Hometown level, two J70 tram engines are seen each with a number 7, bearing a strong resemblance to the character Toby from Thomas & Friends. Two other tank engines that bear a striking resemblance to Thomas and Percy from Thomas & Friends are also seen.
 * The same steam tram and green tank engine are also seen in a bad ending cutscene.