Wrecking Crew (video game)

Last updated

Wrecking Crew
Wrecking Crew cover.jpg
North American box art
Developer(s) Nintendo R&D1 [1]
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Satoru Okada
Producer(s) Gunpei Yokoi
Designer(s) Yoshio Sakamoto [2]
Makoto Kanoh
Programmer(s) Toshiyuki Nakamura
Yase Sobajima
Kenji Imai
Composer(s) Hirokazu Tanaka [3]
Series Mario
Platform(s)
Release
July 26, 1984
  • Arcade (Vs. Wrecking Crew)
    • JP: July 26, 1984 [4]
    • NA: September 1984 [5]
    • WW: 1985
  • Famicom/NES
    • JP: June 18, 1985
    • NA: October 18, 1985 [6]
    • EU: October 15, 1987
  • Famicom Disk System
    • JP: February 3, 1989 [7]
  • Game Boy Advance
Genre(s) Action, puzzle
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system Nintendo VS. System

Wrecking Crew [a] is an action game developed and published by Nintendo. Designed by Yoshio Sakamoto, it was first released as an arcade video game for the Nintendo VS. System in 1984, titled Vs. Wrecking Crew with a simultaneous two-player mode. [8] 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. A sequel, Wrecking Crew '98 , was released in Japan in 1998 for the Super Famicom.

Contents

Gameplay

Screenshot Wrecking Crew gameplay.png
Screenshot

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 (known as Blackie in the Japanese version), [9] 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 Wii Virtual Console release using Wii system storage.[ citation needed ]

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. [10]

Re-releases

Wrecking Crew was re-released in 1989 on the Family Computer Disk System, and in 2004 as the 14th game of the Famicom Mini series on Game Boy Advance. [11] It was also included as a playable bonus game in its sequel, Wrecking Crew '98.

The game was re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in 2007. It was briefly distributed to Nintendo 3DS owners in September 2011 as part of the "Ambassador Program", [12] [13] before being made available for general sale on 3DS Virtual Console in Japan in September 2012, with a release in other territories following in 2013. Wrecking Crew was also released on the Wii U Virtual Console in June 2013. All Virtual Console releases, excluding the 3DS version, support saving custom level designs, which is not possible in the original NES version of the game.

In July 2019, Wrecking Crew was added to the Nintendo Switch Online service as part of the paid membership. [14]

Sequel

Wrecking Crew '98
Developer(s)
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Eiko Takahashi
Producer(s) Tatsuya Hishida
Designer(s)
  • Eiko Takahashi
  • Noriyuki Enoki
  • Naoki Watanabe
  • Takashi Kouyama
  • Reiko Kajigaya
Programmer(s)
  • Narumi Nakashima
  • Taisuke Araki
  • Hirotaka Katoh
Composer(s)
Series Mario
Platform(s) Super Famicom
ReleaseNintendo Power (SFC) [15]
  • JP: January 1, 1998
Super Famicom [15]
  • JP: May 23, 1998
Genre(s) Action, puzzle
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Wrecking Crew '98 [b] is an action puzzle game released exclusively in Japan in 1998 for the Super Famicom's Nintendo Power download service, and later on cartridge. 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: various blocks and colored panels appear on each player's side of the screen, and the player must attempt to line up three or more panels of the same color to remove them. When a set of panels disappears, all blocks and panels above it will drop, potentially allowing the player to create chain combos. Clearing four or more panels of the same color will trigger an attack that hinders the opponent; each panel color will produce a different type of attack. The match ends when one player's screen becomes filled with panels, causing them to lose.

The game's story features Mario returning to the Mushroom Kingdom after a trip, only to discover that Bowser has started a constructing multiple new high-rise bases, depriving the surrounding flora of sunlight. To stop Bowser, Mario retrieves his magic hammer from his time on the Wrecking Crew and begins demolishing Bowser's bases. At each location, he encounters a member of Bowser's construction crew whom he must defeat to destroy the base, including his former rival Foreman Spike.

The main single player mode is Story mode, in which the player controls Mario and travels through an overworld, entering each of Bowser's construction sites and defeating a rival opponent. Completing each stage within a time limit will unlock several secret stages and an alternate ending. Clearing stages in Story mode will unlock up to 12 total playable characters for use in Versus mode, a competitive mode for one to two players. Clearing the Story also unlocks Tournament mode, in which eight characters compete in a single-elimination tournament until only one remains and is declared the champion. A playable port of the original Wrecking Crew is also accessible from the main menu.

The game was re-released on the Wii U Virtual Console in Japan on September 28, 2016, [16] and on the Nintendo Switch Online service on April 12, 2024, for the first time in the West. [17] A fanmade English translation patch for the game was released in October 2017. [18]

Legacy

The Bonus Stage theme from Wrecking Crew was remixed for Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix (2005).[ citation needed ] The Golden Hammer appears as a usable item in the Super Smash Bros. series, beginning with Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008).[ citation needed ] A "Wrecking Crew" stage also appears in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (2014) and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018).[ citation needed ]

Spike appears in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), voiced by Sebastian Maniscalco. This version is the former boss of Mario and Luigi before they started their plumbing business. [19] [20] After nearly 40 years, the name was standardized for future appearances as Spike also in Japan, where he was previously known as Blackie or Blacky due to his classically black beard and sunglasses, as it already was known in all regions before the release of the film. [9]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: レッキングクルー, Hepburn: Rekkingu Kurū
  2. ↑ Japanese: レッキングクルー'98, Hepburn: Rekkingu Kurū Nainti Eito

Related Research Articles

Mario Kart is a series of kart racing games based on the Mario franchise developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up items. It features characters and courses mostly from the Mario series as well as other gaming franchises such as The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, F-Zero, Excitebike, and Splatoon.

<i>Super Mario Kart</i> 1992 video game

Super Mario Kart is a kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The first game in the Mario Kart series, it was released in Japan and North America in 1992, and in Europe the following year in 1993. Selling 8.76 million copies worldwide, the game went on to become the fourth best-selling SNES game of all time. Super Mario Kart was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console in 2009, on the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2013, and on the New Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in 2016. Nintendo re-released Super Mario Kart in 2017 as part of the company's Super NES Classic Edition.

<i>Mario Bros.</i> 1983 video game

Mario Bros. is a 1983 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for arcades. It was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, Nintendo's chief engineer. Italian twin brother plumbers Mario and Luigi exterminate creatures, like turtles (Shellcreepers) and crabs emerging from the sewers by knocking them upside-down and kicking them away. The Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System version is the first game to be developed by Intelligent Systems. It is part of the Mario franchise, but originally began as a spin-off from the Donkey Kong series.

<i>Super Mario Bros. 3</i> 1988 video game

Super Mario Bros. 3 is a 1988 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It was released for home consoles in Japan on October 23, 1988, in North America on February 12, 1990, and in Europe on August 29, 1991. It was developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, led by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka.

<i>Super Mario World</i> 1990 video game

Super Mario World, known in Japan as Super Mario World: Super Mario Bros. 4, is a 1990 platform game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The player controls Mario on his quest to save Princess Peach and Dinosaur Land from the series' antagonist Bowser and the Koopalings. The gameplay is similar to that of earlier Super Mario games; players control Mario through a series of levels in which the goal is to reach the goalpost at the end. Super Mario World introduces Yoshi, a ridable dinosaur who can eat enemies.

<i>Tetris Attack</i> 1995 video game

Tetris Attack, also known as Panel de Pon in Japan, is a puzzle video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. A Game Boy version was released a year later. In the game, the player must arrange matching colored blocks in vertical or horizontal rows to clear them. The blocks steadily rise towards the top of the playfield, with new blocks being added at the bottom. Several gameplay modes are present, including a time attack and multiplayer mode.

<i>Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels</i> 1986 video game

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is a 1986 platform game developed and published by Nintendo. A sequel to Super Mario Bros. (1985), it was originally released in Japan for the Family Computer Disk System as Super Mario Bros. 2 on June 3, 1986. Nintendo of America deemed it too difficult for its North American audience and instead released an alternative sequel, also titled Super Mario Bros. 2, in 1988. It was remade and renamed The Lost Levels for the 1993 Super Nintendo Entertainment System compilation Super Mario All-Stars, serving as its first international release. It has been rereleased for Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Wii, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Switch.

<i>Warios Woods</i> 1994 video game

Wario's Woods is a puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released in Japan and North America in 1994 and Europe in 1995 for both the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. A spin-off of the Mario series, players control Toad in his mission to defeat Wario, who has taken control of the Peaceful Woods. Gameplay revolves around clearing each level by using bombs to destroy groups of enemies. The game also features a multiplayer mode that allows two players to compete against each other.

<i>Pilotwings</i> (video game) 1990 video game

Pilotwings is a flight simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was originally released in Japan in December 1990, shortly after the launch of the Super Famicom in the country. It was also released as a launch title for the SNES in August 1991 in North America, with a European release following in 1992.

<i>Balloon Fight</i> 1984 video game

Balloon Fight is an action video game developed by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was originally released for arcades as VS. Balloon Fight, with the console version releasing in Japan in 1985 and internationally in 1986.

<i>Excitebike</i> 1984 video game

Excitebike is a motocross racing video game developed and published by Nintendo. In Japan, it was released for the Famicom in 1984 and then ported to arcades as VS. Excitebike for the Nintendo VS. System later that year. In North America, it was initially released for arcades in 1985 and then as a launch game for the Nintendo Entertainment System later that year, becoming one of the best-selling games on the console. It is the first game in the Excite series.

The Virtual Console is a defunct line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on past home and handheld consoles and were run in their original forms through software emulation, therefore remaining mostly unaltered, and could be purchased from the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo eShop for between 500 and 1200 Wii Points, or using real currency, with prices depending on the system, rarity, and/or demand.

<i>NES Open Tournament Golf</i> 1991 video game

NES Open Tournament Golf, known in Japan as Mario Open Golf, is a 1991 sports video game developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo R&D2 and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fourth golf game to feature Mario as a player character, after Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course.

<i>The Mysterious Murasame Castle</i> 1986 video game

The Mysterious Murasame Castle is a 1986 action-adventure game developed by Nintendo and Human Entertainment and published by Nintendo. It was originally only released for the Family Computer Disk System in Japan as the second original game for the platform. The Mysterious Murasame Castle was later released worldwide on the Virtual Console in 2014 and for the Nintendo Switch Online service in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo video game consoles</span>

The Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Nintendo has developed seven home video game consoles and multiple portable consoles for use with external media, as well as dedicated consoles and other hardware for their consoles. As of September 30, 2021, in addition to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has sold over 863.07 million hardware units.

<i>Mario</i> (franchise) Multimedia franchise by Shigeru Miyamoto

Mario is a multimedia franchise created by game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for the Japanese video game company Nintendo, which produces and publishes its installments. Starring the titular Italian plumber Mario, it is primarily a video game franchise but has extended to other forms of media, including television series, comic books, a 1993 feature film, a 2023 animated film, and theme park attractions. The series' first installment was 1983's Mario Bros. even though Mario made his first appearance in 1981's arcade game Donkey Kong and had already been featured in several games of the Donkey Kong and Game & Watch series. The Mario games have been developed by a wide variety of developers. Mario games have been released almost exclusively for Nintendo's various video game consoles and handhelds, from the third generation onward.

<i>New Super Mario Bros. Wii</i> 2009 video game

New! Super Mario Bros. Wii is a 2009 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. A follow-up to New Super Mario Bros., it was first released in Australia, North America, and Europe in November 2009, followed by Japan a month later. It was released on the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2016, though only in Europe, Australia and Japan. A port in high definition resolution for the Nvidia Shield TV was released only in China in December 2017. Like other side-scrolling Super Mario games, the player controls Mario as he travels eight worlds and fights Bowser's henchmen to rescue Princess Peach. New Super Mario Bros. Wii was the first Super Mario game to feature simultaneous cooperative multiplayer gameplay; up to four people can play in cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, taking control of Mario as well as Luigi and one of two multicolored Toads. The game also introduced "Super Guide", which allows the player to watch a computer-controlled character complete a level.

<i>NES Remix</i> Video game series

NES Remix is a compilation video game series developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. The first and eponymous game was simultaneously announced and released on December 18, 2013, on the Nintendo eShop following a Nintendo Direct presentation. A second game, NES Remix 2, was released on April 25, 2014. A retail edition consisting of both games, titled NES Remix Pack, was released on April 24, 2014, in Japan and December 5 in North America. Another title, Ultimate NES Remix for Nintendo 3DS, was released on November 7–8, 2014 in Europe and Australia, December 5 in North America and August 27, 2015, in Japan.

<i>Super Mario Bros.</i> 1985 video game

Super Mario Bros. is a 1985 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game Mario Bros. and the first game in the Super Mario series. It was originally released in September 1985 in Japan for the Family Computer; following a US test market release for the NES, it was converted to international arcades on the Nintendo VS. System in early 1986. The NES version received a wide release in North America that year and in PAL regions in 1987.

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). Nintendo Dream (in Japanese). No. 118. Mainichi Communications Inc. August 6, 2004. pp. 96–103.
  2. ↑ Kohler, Chris (April 7, 2010). "Q&A: Metroid Creator's Early 8-Bit Days at Nintendo". Wired: GameLife . Condé Nast Digital. Archived from the original on January 28, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  3. ↑ Famicom 20th Anniversary Original Sound Tracks Vol. 1 (Media notes). Scitron Digital Contents Inc. 2004. Archived from the original on December 2, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Wrecking Crew (Japan, Flyer 1)". Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  5. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) [Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 128. ISBN   978-4990251215.
  6. ↑ Kohler, Chris (October 18, 2010). "October 18, 1985: Nintendo Entertainment System Launches". Wired. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Wrecking Crew". NinDB. Archived from the original on December 25, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Vs. Wrecking Crew". iBomb. Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  9. 1 2 Yarwood, Jack (April 20, 2023). "Nintendo Changes Japanese Name Of Spike For The Super Mario Bros. Movie". Time Extension. Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 245. Amusement Press. October 1, 1984. p. 35.
  11. ↑ Giffords, Kevin (January 1, 2000). "Wrecking Crew (Famicom Mini 14)". 1up.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012.
  12. ↑ Thomas, Lucas M. (August 30, 2011). "Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors, Behold Your Final Five NES Rewards". Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  13. ↑ Luke. "3DS Ambassador Games Impressions - Super Balloon Wrecking Bros". ForkThisLlama. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  14. ↑ Good, Owen S. (July 10, 2019). "Donkey Kong 3, Wrecking Crew join NES library for Switch Online". Polygon. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Wrecking Crew '98". NinDB. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  16. ↑ "レッキングクルー'98 - Wii U". 任天堂ホームページ (in Japanese). September 28, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  17. ↑ Doolan, Liam (April 12, 2024). "Nintendo Expands Switch Online's SNES Library With Three More Titles". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on April 12, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  18. ↑ Lopes, Gonçalo (October 4, 2017). "English Translation Released for Super Famicom Exclusive Wrecking Crew '98". Nintendo Life. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  19. ↑ Ditchfield, Jaime (August 9, 2021). "Sebastian Maniscalco will voice 'Spike' in Illumination Super Mario movie". Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Super Mario Bros. Plumbing" . Retrieved February 12, 2023.
Listen to this article (9 minutes)
Sound-icon.svg
This audio file was created from a revision of this article dated 15 April 2024 (2024-04-15), and does not reflect subsequent edits.
(Audio help  · More spoken articles)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.