Wrecking Crew

Wrecking Crew is an action video game developed and published by Nintendo. This was first released as Vs. Wrecking Crew in 1984. It was released as a single-player game for the Family Computer (Famicom) console in 1985, and as a launch game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) later that year.

Why It's A Wrecker

 * 1) Similar to Mario Bros., this game puts both Mario and Luigi in a different game that is from the early days. It comes with an interesting question on what the Mario Bros. were doing before being the ones who save the Mushroom Kingdom.
 * 2) 100 buildings to demolish. That is enough for a good amount of playtime retro style! The best part about it is that you can select any level to start on the title screen.
 * 3) A variety of objects that each stage has. You got walls, pillars, ladders, barrels, and bombs. Some can be destroyed while others have a purpose. The bomb can help destroy all connected destructible objects and various enemies.
 * 4) Doors are placed on some levels. They are useful because they can cause the enemies to move harmlessly into the background. That right there can help you get the job done in some way.
 * 5) The gameplay is simple enough the understand. All you have to do is just destroy things when you are on the job. That sounds so clear if you ask us.
 * 6) A fair amount of hazards that make the game balanced enough. You got Gotchawreches, Eggplant Men, a Fireball, and Foreman Spike who happens to hate the Mario Bros.
 * 7) Thanks to the Mario Bros. not being able to jump. As bad as it may sound, this gives the players enough time to strategize where to go.
 * 8) There is a level editor which gives players the ability to make up to four custom levels. They can be saved and loaded by using the Famicom Data Recorder. This was only released in Japan though. The U.S. manual includes a note stating that the load and save functions "have been programmed in for potential product developments". The feature was re-enabled for the game's Wii Virtual Console release using Wii system storage.
 * 9) The graphics are good for 8-bit standards no doubt about that.
 * 10) Good and simplistic controls. They are not hard to understand and are responsive as well.
 * 11) Most stages on this game have a set of bricks and walls that hide the letters M, A, R, I, and O for player 1 and L, U, I, G, and I for player 2. Get all the letters and you will get an extra life. The best thing to do is to be on a stage that contains letters and find each of them in order.
 * 12) Rememer that hammer power up from Donkey Kong? Well, this is a similar yet different item called the Golden Hammer. The only way to get the item is by using a prize bomb. One of the prizes is a Golden Hammer that can allow Mario and Luigi to swing the hammer much faster and destroy every wall in one single blow. You can also destroy enemies with that hammer.
 * 13) The arcade version has both Mario and Luigi at all times. If one player plays, Luigi is controlled by the computer. Also in the arcade version, the layout of the buildings is almost entirely random.
 * 14) The bonus stage occurs in every four phases. A bonus coin is hidden behind one of the walls and you have to be the first to get the coin before Foreman Spike steals it. The points will increase when your first wall break has the coin.
 * 15) The OST that plays in the game is quite relaxing for an 8-Bit game. Also pretty catchy as well as it plays a lot in the game. You will feel the power when you get the Golden Hammer song.
 * 16) It's really fun when you get to destroy a lot of things with your hammer.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Because Mario and Luigi can't jump in this game, it can be devastating to fall down thus being impossible to complete a level.
 * 2) Golden Hammers are tricky to obtain. The trick is to get the hammer relies on two numbers which are the number of the stage and the number of times you have swung your hammer since you started the stage. You need to add these two numbers together and divide the number by 8. Your remainder determines the prize which consists of either a Pig, Santa Claus, or a Cat
 * 3) The arcade version will not necessarily control Luigi to play cooperatively.
 * 4) The enemies can be quite predictable.
 * 5) It's impossible to save level designs on the 3DS virtual console version.
 * 6) Foreman Spike is absent in the arcade version as the role is taken over by the second player.

Reception
Nintendo Life gave Wrecking Crew an 8/10. In Japan, Game Machine listed Vs. Wrecking Crew in its October 1, 1984 issue as the thirteenth most-successful table arcade unit of the month

Trivia

 * Foreman Spike is set to return in modern-day Mario related media. To prove this to you, he appears in the Illumination/Nintendo animated Mario movie where he happens to be the boss of both Mario and Luigi. Spike is voiced by Sebastian Maniscalco.

Videos
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