Wrecking Crew (video game)
Gameplay. The player controls Mario (or Luigi in two-player mode) and attempts to destroy all of a certain set of objects with a large hammer on each of 100 levels. Mario cannot jump because of the hammer's weight. The player can select any level to start on from the title screen. Each level's playfield is divided into an invisible grid, each space of which can contain one object. Objects include these: destructible walls, pillars, and ladders; indestructible barrels and ladders; bombs that destroy all connected destructible objects; and various enemies that Mario  must avoid. Doors may be opened to cause enemies to move harmlessly into the background. The game introduced a new character, a construction foreman named Spike, who chases Mario and attempts to disrupt him by knocking down objects and causing him to fall to the bottom of the playfield. The player starts the game with five lives and loses a life whenever Mario comes in contact with an enemy or fireball. The game is over when all lives are lost. The game can also be aborted at any time, and must be aborted if Mario becomes trapped in a barrel . Because Mario lacks the ability to jump, the player must figure out the optimal order in which to destroy objects—for example, if a player destroys a ladder too soon, a wall may become unreachable and thus the player cannot finish the level. Destroying multiple objects in a row (usually with a chain of bombs) scores extra bonus points, and occasionally bonus items may appear that Mario can collect. "Wrecking Crew" features a level editor, which allows the player to design up to four custom levels. They can be saved and loaded using the Famicom Data Recorder, a cassette  tape drive. Because this peripheral was only released for Famicom in Japan, other localizations cannot save or load the custom levels. 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 reenabled for the game's Wii Virtual Console release using Wii system storage. Development. "Wrecking Crew" was designed by Yoshio Sakamoto. Hirokazu Tanaka composed the music. Reception. 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. Re-releases . "Wrecking Crew" was re-released in 1989 on the Family Computer Disk System, and was later included as the 14th game of the Famicom Mini series on Game Boy Advance in 2004. The game has been re-released on Virtual Console three times: on Wii in 2007, on Nintendo 3DS in September 2011 as part of the "Ambassador Program", on the 3DS eShop in Japan, North America, and Europe and Australia in September 2012, March 2013, and May 2013 respectively. "Wrecking Crew" was also released on the Virtual Console for the Wii U system on June 19, 2013 in Japan  and on June 20, 2013 in North America and Europe. All Virtual Console versions (except for the 3DS VC version) support saving levels designs, which is not possible in the original NES version of the game. Sequel. is an action puzzle game released exclusively in Japan in 1998 for the Super Famicom's Nintendo Power download service, and later on cartridge. This sequel includes the original as a bonus. Unlike the original, in which the player's objective is to find ways to clear each level of all panels, "Wrecking Crew '98" takes a more competitive approach, where two opponents  are given their own sides to clean up. Each player must try to demolish as many panels as they can on their side, until the opponent's side is completely piled up, to win. Story mode features Mario returning to the Mushroom Kingdom from a trip, then discovering that Bowser has started a construction campaign of building new hideouts. The construction is depriving the flora of sunlight and thus, Mario demolishes the new construction sites with his hammer. Along the way, he meets his old enemies from the original "Wrecking Crew", including former rival Foreman Spike. Legacy. A piece of  music was remixed for the GameCube game "". The "Golden Hammer" music from "Wrecking Crew" was later used in the Wii video game "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" and plays every time a fighter grabs a Golden Hammer, or on the "Mario Bros." stage. Two pieces of music are in "Super Smash Bros. for Wii U"; a soundtrack medley, and a remix medley, both of which appear on the "Wrecking Crew" stage. Similar to "Smash Bros. Brawl", the Switch game "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" also plays the Golden Hammer music when a fighter grabs a hammer. Spike is set to appear in  the upcoming Illumination/Nintendo animated "Mario" film, voiced by Sebastian Maniscalco. This version will be portrayed as the boss of Mario and Luigi.