Wrecking Crew (game)

Wrecking Crew is the second game and namesake installment of the series of the same name. It was released in 1985 for the Family Computer in Japan and later that year for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America, eventually making it to Europe in 1987. Wrecking Crew was also released for the Game Boy Advance, exclusively in Japan as a part of its Famicom Mini series, and released on the Virtual Console for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U respectively.

Wrecking Crew follows the VS. System version titled VS. Wrecking Crew which came out a year prior, in 1984. In both games, the player controls Mario (Player 2 as Luigi) working on a demolition site. The goal is to break down all walls on each phase. However, this version is more focused on the puzzle platformer aspect and removed competitive play entirely as there is no simultaneous two-player mode.

Unlike the arcade version, this game also features a DESIGN mode, where players can make their own Wrecking Crew phases. The game had the ability to save those custom phases. However, the required peripherals (the keyboard and Data Recorder accessories) were released only in Japan, as the peripherals are only available in the Family BASIC accessory. The games Excitebike and Mach Rider have the same limitations as Wrecking Crew. This functionality was fully utilized in the Virtual Console re-releases of these games as they emulate the peripherals behind-the-scenes. However, this feature is not included in the Nintendo Switch Online version of the game. The Family Computer Disk System version does not need the peripherals as it could save on the disk.

In 1998, Wrecking Crew '98 was released as a Japan-only game for the Super Famicom. Wrecking Crew '98 is competitive, giving each player their own side to clean up and an opportunity to send enemies to the opponent's side.

Gameplay
Players can select any of the 100 phases to start on, excluding the bonus stages that come after every fourth phase. Unlike the arcade version, there is vertical scrolling but each phase still takes place in a single wraparound screen.

As the player tries to break all the walls with their hammer, they are attacked by various enemies. Defeating the enemies is not easy, as the regular hammer deals them no damage. If an enemy wanders underneath a drum, the player can trap it by causing the drum to fall. Sometimes Foreman Spike appears in the background and smashes walls himself. He can also try to push the player off the platforms, but if they can hit Foreman Spike with their hammer, Foreman Spike will fall down instead.

Doors appear less frequently than in the arcade original. Like the previous game, an enemy sent to the background screen becomes a harmless silhouette. If all enemies in a phase that contains more than one are sent to the background, they will freeze for around eight seconds.

If the player breaks down the walls in a particular order, they may find letters of the name of the character the player is playing. Finding all of these will give the player an extra life. In any phase with three or more dynamite, hitting three dynamite in a specific order will reveal a prize. The type of prize is determined by adding the phase number with the number of swings Mario made during the phase then dividing by 8. If the remainder is 0, 3, or 6, a pig statue is revealed which can be smashed for 800 points. If the remainder is 2 or 5, a Santa Claus statue worth 1600 points with show up. If it is 4 or 7, a statue worth 3200 points will appear. If the remainder is 1, it will spawn a Golden Hammer, also worth 3200 points. Much more powerful than the regular hammer, the Golden Hammer allows the player to knock down walls much faster, and, if they time it right, they can knock enemies down to the bottom floor.

As well as brick walls, there are also pillars that can be knocked out, ladder walls that can be used until they are destroyed (Foreman Spike can also destroy these), and dynamite that will damage any bricks lined up with it (as well as knocking whoever is nearby off the platform if they do not move away fast enough).

In the bonus stages, the player has to compete against Foreman Spike to find a coin hidden in a row of walls as the time counts down. 10,000 bonus points are awarded for finding it in the first wall that was smashed.

In 2 Player Game, one player will take over after the other loses a life. After completing all 100 phases, the game starts again from the beginning.

References to other games

 * Mario Bros.: The fireball appears in phases if the player takes too long to complete the phase.

References in later games

 * Kid Icarus: Graphics designer Toru Osawa created the Eggplant Wizard in part as a tribute to Wrecking Crew's Eggplant Men, as well as his own love of eggplants.
 * Wrecking Crew '98: This game is a sequel to Wrecking Crew, a port of which is also included. All characters from the previous game are back.
 * Super Smash Bros.: Mario's third color palette, with brown overalls and a white shirt, is said to be a reference to Foreman Spike. This color option for Mario would return in all future installments. Also, Luigi's third color palette, with red overalls and a pink shirt is based on his sprite from the game.
 * Mobile Golf: Foreman Spike reappears.
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee: The Eggplant Man reappears as a collectible trophy. Mario's Foreman Spike-inspired color palette returns and Luigi's pink color palette returns.
 * Chibi-Robo!: The Eggplant Man reappears again, this time under the name "Kid Eggplant."
 * WarioWare: Twisted!: 9-Volt has a microgame based off Wrecking Crew simply titled Wrecking Crew.
 * Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix: Waluigi's theme, "Destruction Dance", is an arrangement of the bonus round music.
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl: The Golden Hammer and its theme are included in the game. Mario's Foreman Spike-inspired color palette returns and Luigi's pink color palette returns.
 * WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase: 18-Volt has a microgame titled Wreck. Crew but some of its graphics are more similar to VS. Wrecking Crew.
 * NES Remix: Several challenges are based on this game.
 * Super Smash Bros. for Wii U: A Wrecking Crew stage appears in this game. Mario's Foreman Spike-inspired color palette returns and Luigi's pink color palette returns.
 * Super Mario Maker: Foreman Spike is one of the 100 Mario Costumes in the game and also several jingles are also heard from this game when playing as him.
 * WarioWare Gold: One of 9-Volt's microgames in this game is based on Wrecking Crew.
 * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: The Golden Hammer from Wrecking Crew returns in this game. Mario's Foreman Spike-inspired color and Luigi's pink color palette also returns.

Staff

 * Game Designer
 * Yoshio Sakamoto
 * Makoto Kano


 * Original Music
 * Hirokazu Tanaka


 * Sound Department
 * Hirokazu Tanaka


 * Director
 * Satoru Okada


 * Producer
 * Gunpei Yokoi


 * Programed by
 * Toshiyuki Nakamura
 * Tomoyo-chan
 * Yase Sobajima
 * Akina-chan