Wrecking Crew (video game)

Wrecking Crew
Developer(s)	Nintendo R&D1[1]
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Yoshio Sakamoto[2]
Composer(s)	Hirokazu Tanaka[3]
Platform(s)	Nintendo Entertainment System, Family Computer Disk System, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Console
Release date(s)	June 18, 1985 NES[4] JP June 18, 1985 NA October 18, 1985[5] EU October 15, 1987 Famicom Disk System[4] JP February 3, 1989 Game Boy Advance[4] JP May 21, 2004 Virtual Console (Wii)[4] EU August 24, 2007 NA November 19, 2007 JP February 5, 2008 Virtual Console (3DS)[4] NA August 31, 2011 JP August 31, 2011 EU September 1, 2011
Genre(s)	Action, Puzzle
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ACB: G CERO: A ESRB: E PEGI: 3+

Wrecking Crew (レッキングクルー, Rekkingu Kurū^?) is a 1985 action game developed and published by Nintendo. It was designed by Yoshio Sakamoto^[2] and released as a launch title for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Gameplay

Screenshot of Wrecking Crew

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 beginning screen allow selecting any level to start on. Each level takes place on a playfield divided into an invisible grid, each space of which can contain one object. Objects include 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 also exist, which can be opened to cause enemies to move harmlessly into the background. The game also introduced a new character, a construction foreman named Spike (Blackey in the Japanese version), 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 when 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 also features a level editor, which allows the player to design up to four levels. However, the "save" and "load" features were designed for use with the Famicom Data Recorder, a cassette tape device that was only released in Japan, thus rendering the save ability unavailable to North American players. (The game's U.S. manual includes a note stating that the load and save functions "have been programmed in for potential product developments".) When released to the Virtual Console for Wii and later Nintendo 3DS in North America, the "save" and "load" features were re-enabled.

Development

Audio

A piece of music was remixed for use in the Nintendo GameCube video game Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix .^{[citation needed]} The "Bonus Stage" 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.^{[citation needed]}

Re-releases

On December 31, 1985,^[6] Nintendo released an arcade version of this game, titled Vs. Wrecking Crew, adding a simultaneous two-player mode.^[7]

Wrecking Crew was re-released in 1989 on the Family Computer Disk System, and was later included as the 14th title of the Famicom Mini series on Game Boy Advance in 2004 .^[8] The game was also made available through the Wii Virtual Console in 2007. The latterversion supports saving level designs, which was previously not possible on the NES version of the game.

Wrecking Crew was released on September 1, 2011 as part of Nintendo's "Ambassador Program" for the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.^[9] This version also supports saving level designs.^[10]

Sequel

Wrecking Crew '98
Developer(s)	Nintendo R&D1, Pax Softnica
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Distributor(s)	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Super Famicom
Release date(s)	Nintendo Power (SFC)[11] JP January 1, 1998 Super Famicom[11] JP May 23, 1998
Genre(s)	action puzzle game
Mode(s)	single player and multiplayer

Wrecking Crew '98 (レッキングクルー'98^?) is an action puzzle game released exclusively in Japan in 1998 for the Super Famicom's Nintendo Power download game service and later for the Super Famicom itself. The game is a sequel to the original, which is included as a bonus in the game. Unlike the original, in which the player's objective was 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 completed piled up, to win.

The game's story mode features Mario returning to the Mushroom Kingdom from a trip, only to discover that Bowser has started a construction campaign of building new hideouts. The construction is depriving the flora of sunlight and thus, Mario decides to demolish 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 (called Blackey in Japan).

• Story mode: The main single player mode, where one controls Mario and travels through an overworld, entering each of Koopa's construction sites.
• Versus mode: A competitive mode where one can compete with a friend or the CPU. The player can choose between Mario or characters that are unlocked from Story Mode.
• Tournament mode: Available after the player has cleared the main game once. Eight characters compete in a single-elimination tournament until only one remains and is declared the champion.

References

1. ^ "やればやるほどディスクシステムインタビュー(前編)" (in Japanese). Nintendo Dream (Mainichi Communications Inc.) (118): 96–103. August 6, 2004. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Chris Kohler (7 April 2010). "Q&A: Metroid Creator’s Early 8-Bit Days at Nintendo". Wired: GameLife. Condé Nast Digital. http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2010/04/sakamoto/. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
3. ^ (2004) Album notes for Famicom 20th Anniversary Original Sound Tracks Vol. 1. Scitron Digital Contents Inc..
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Wrecking Crew". NinDB. http://www.nindb.net/game/wrecking-crew.html. Retrieved 27 October 2011. 
5. ^ Kohler, Chris (18 October 2010). "Oct. 18, 1985: Nintendo Entertainment System Launches". Wired. http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/10/1018nintendo-nes-launches/. 
6. ^ "Wrecking Crew (Arcade)". IGN. http://cheats.ign.com/objects/767/767442.html?about_tab=6. Retrieved 27 October 2011. 
7. ^ "Vs. Wrecking Crew". iBomb. http://i.gamersfeed.com/game/29966/Vs.-Wrecking-Crew/home. Retrieved 27 October 2011. 
8. ^ Giffords, Kevin (1 January 2000). "Wrecking Crew (Famicom Mini 14)". 1up.com. http://www.1up.com/reviews/wrecking-crew-famicom-mini-14. 
9. ^ Thomas, Lucas M.: "Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors, Behold Your Final Five NES Rewards - DS Feature at IGN" 30 August 2011
10. ^ "3DS Ambassador Games Impressions - Super Balloon Wrecking Bros.". ForkThisLlama. http://forkthisllama.blogspot.com/2011/09/3ds-ambassador-games-impressions-super.html. Retrieved 7 September 2011. 
11. ^ ^{a b} "Wrecking Crew '98". NinDB. http://www.nindb.net/game/wrecking-crew-98.html. Retrieved 27 October 2011. 

External links

• Wrecking Crew at NinDB