Wrecking Crew's a bit of an oddball. It stars Mario, but hardly anyone seems to know it, partly because it launched simultaneous with the lengedary Super Mario Bros and was quickly overshadowed.
Wrecking Crew's genre is hard to nail down, but is essentially a mix of a platformer and puzzler. You must make your way up platforms and past obstacles in a level that's one screen wide but two high, and destroy all walls and breakable ladders through 100 stages, with a bonus round after every 4th one.
Some of the WC’s mechanics are interesting. As in Mario Bros. (also on VC), it is possible to walk off the edge of the screen and emerge on the other side. If you hit bombs, a chain-reaction damages all walls next to them and can also open doors to send enemies to the background of the stage, where they can't do any harm until they return through another door.
Making your life miserable in later stages is Foreman Spike. This Wario-esque character stays in the background, but can break down walls from the other side, knocking you down to the lowest floor.
Other enemies include Gotcha-Wrenches, which simply hunt you down, and Eggplant Men, which follow a specific, predictable walking pattern. Both will kill you on contact but enemies can be trapped forever by knocking down oil drums when they walk underneath them.
While the beginning stages are more action-oriented, it shows its puzzle side later in stages that require careful planning. Hitting one wrong object could cause others to become inaccessible, forcing you to restart.
If you complete all 100 stages (a very hard task), it’s not over. Like Excitebike, Wrecking Crew includes a level editor to design and play your own levels. The original NES version would not save these, but the Virtual Console's now allows you to do this!
The music is the same throughout, but is it ever addictive! A different tune accompanies the Golden Hammer powerup that lets you swing your hammer twice as fast, and, if timed well enough, knock down enemies. If you're a pro you can even use it to walk on air, but you lose it when you die. A few levels also feature hidden lives and bonus points, obtained by destroying blocks in a certain secret order.
Wrecking Crew '98, the SNES sequel, strayed a bit too far from the original game and fans still await a proper sequel! The original is a very fun little game and it’s a shame it was overshadowed by Super Mario Bros. Hopefully now, it will receive the attention it deserves!
1. Mirokunite
16 Jul 2007, 16:57 GMT
Ah, Wrecking Crew. A Mario game believe it or not.
I wasn't a fan of it then, so I think I will pass on this one.
2. Pocketim
18 Jul 2007, 23:14 GMT
I want wrecking crew '98 to be released on VC, It was for the SNES and was only released in japan
3. ld
08 Aug 2007, 22:40 GMT
Greatest game ever made
4. Drake
17 Aug 2007, 14:12 GMT
By the way, I kinda don't like ScrewAttack (Home of the AVGN) anymore for including this on a list of worst Mario games. Half that list is wrong, you can't take a Worst Mario Games list with Picross and SMB2 on it seriously.
5. Jadelouise
23 Aug 2007, 21:26 GMT
I have Wrecking Crew 98 its top stuff. Will get this NES one when it turns up on VC.
6. SKTTR
24 Aug 2007, 01:51 GMT
yeah im going to buy a new wii points card for this!
7. BF-Medic
24 Aug 2007, 15:03 GMT
This one I'm going to buy! A brilliant game indeed.
8. jg233
27 Aug 2007, 16:20 GMT
is it actually very good? i like nes games but is it worth 500 points? How long is it fun?
9. Drake
27 Aug 2007, 17:08 GMT
It's an arcadey title, but unlike games such as Donkey Kong, Pinball and all the sports games on the NES, it actually has longevity. There are 100 levels (With a level select too) and a level designer, so you'll get your money's worth for sure. And yes, it is fun.
10. dualj
25 Sep 2007, 19:49 GMT
This needs to come here. My sister loves this game and would flip If i had it.
11. Mii be you
13 Oct 2007, 20:31 GMT
Drake, what is ScrewAttack's Top 10 Worst Mario Games list?
12. Drake
13 Oct 2007, 22:08 GMT
Their list is as follows:
10. Mario is Missing
9. Super Mario Bros. 2 (Doki Doki Panic)
8. Wrecking Crew
7. Mario's Tennis (VB)
6. Mario's FUNdamentals
5. Mario Picross
4. Mario's Time Machine
3. Mario's Early Years
2. Mario Clash
1. Hotel Mario
9, 8, 7, 5 and 2 have no reason to be on there. Also, honestly, Hotel Mario isn't bad at all. My bet is they didn't play over half the games they picked.
13. Mii be you
28 Oct 2007, 20:49 GMT
Hotel Mario deserves 2 stars. The gameplay's not bad, But the sound in the cutscenes sucks. But Bowser looks more like himself than he did in the Mario cartoon and in Super Mario Bros.
14. Stuffgamer1
09 Nov 2007, 17:36 GMT
Wrecking Crew was just ESRB rated! Hopefully, it'll release next monday, because I'm tired of waiting for it while junk like Super Mario Bros. 3 comes out (you heard me right! In my opinion, Wrecking Crew was a better NES game, and anyway, I have Super Mario Advance 4 and don't need SMB3 for NES.). Europe's had it for over two months, and they complain that we get all the best stuff first!
15. Stuffgamer1
19 Nov 2007, 13:31 GMT
Yes! Finally released in America! Must download immediately!
16. Thomas
19 Nov 2007, 20:18 GMT
Time to get more Wii points.
I remember playing this one at my cousin's house. I wonder if Nintendo will eventually release Gyromite on the Virtual Console (sans the need for the R.O.B.).
17. Masuyo
19 Nov 2007, 20:21 GMT
I loved wrecking crew!!! OH man. I don't know how it would hold up now but when I was a kid I absolutely loved this game. The way you use doors was so cool
I remember using the level editor! It's so great for an NES games
18. Kenji510
20 Nov 2007, 05:47 GMT
One of my favorite games to download and play!
19. Beau Skunk
23 Nov 2007, 10:04 GMT
One of my all time favorites of the obscure early NES games. The level editor is a nice feature comparible to Excitebike. (But with more replay value, if you ask me.) The 100 levels to chose from, are all very cleverlly made. You could even edit them by setting the number of the level you want to edit on the title screen, and then using pressing one of the buttons on the second controller, in the design mode to bring it up. (Somebody please confirm if this feature is in the VC version.)
The puzzle/platformer-mix genre has always seemed quite forgotten. If you're like me, and enjoy games where you use your brain like like DK'94, Adventures of Lolo, Blast Corps, Dr. Mario, ect. or old-school games in general like Ice Climber, or Kid Icarus, you should try out Wrecking Crew.
20. Clayfrd
26 Nov 2007, 06:59 GMT
This looks like a fantastic game. Mario puzzlers aren't the most common, particularly these days, so I'll have to download this one as soon as possible.
21. Gorecki
26 Nov 2007, 12:21 GMT
How does this game play in 2 player mode? Is it co-op or versus?
22. Drake
26 Nov 2007, 12:24 GMT
It's actually alternating (When one dies the other gets to play). An error on our part (We list all games which only have alternating 2-player as 1-player).
23. Clayfrd
29 Dec 2007, 06:14 GMT
I agree with the score given with the review. This game deserves praise, and it is very good. I haven't tried the level editor, but I'm sure I'll have fun with that. I've played the first several levels, and it is fun if a touch frustrating at times. It may not be the most fun game that can be bought for 500 wii points, but it is certainly worth a try.
24. FinalEffect
23 Jan 2008, 18:52 GMT
Looks alright...worth a shot anyway.
25. Adamant
25 Jan 2008, 17:03 GMT
None of the games on Screwattack's list had any real reason for being there. Yes, not everyone might be interested in learning basic math with Mario and friends, but - shock! These were educational games designed for very young children who probably didn't have much of a say in what games they got to play anyway. If you don't want to play it, don't, but don't call it crap - it does exactly what it was designed to do.
26. v404
04 Apr 2008, 17:58 GMT
How far can you guys get? I'm stuck on level 79
27. pdrydia
04 Apr 2008, 23:17 GMT
Ugly graphics and sound, surprisingly fun gameplay but I don't quite find it addictive. You can skip to any level you want, which is a GREAT feature on a puzzler.
28. Wiimaster
15 May 2008, 16:08 GMT
Wow does this bring back memories !!
Will have to get this one....
On a side note anyone know when the mario RPG is coming for the U.S. ?
29. Mr. Cheez
07 Jul 2008, 00:22 GMT
I didn't even know this game existed until I found that eggplant man trophy in Melee, and i've wanted to try it ever since. It's a good puzzle game, but the dark, ugly graphics bug me and the sound screams "Early NES game". The level editor's a nice addition, but it's not nearly as great as Battle Lode Runner's. a level select is nice too, something Battle Lode Runner SHOULD have.
I hope we get the Japan-only sequel, Wrecking Crew '98 some time.
30. Kurachi
16 Oct 2008, 23:48 GMT
i didnt really like it as much as i liked other nes games, but the thing keeping me playing was making your own levels, yes, i do it in ssbb too
, that was fun, just make own levels, and sometimes even add an enemy or that luigi-looking-guy ( or maybe shadow mario )
this game also was on dunnohowmuch in 1
dont think i will download, but who knows, maybe i change my mind one day
31. Corbie
27 Oct 2008, 19:36 GMT
This was one of those surprises for me during the NES era. I didn't expect this game to be very good but it really surprised me.
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