"Another one of Mario's inside jobs."

Before his grand leap to fame in fall of 1985, Mario, who was somewhat known for his appearance in Mario Bros., alongside his brother, was sneaked into any early Famicom game. He was the referee in Tennis, a bar-bearing hero in Pinball, and a... construction worker in Wrecking Crew. Wrecking Crew is one of the unknown launch titles of the NES, hidden behind the glory of Super Mario Bros. and other renowned games.

Gameplay: 8/10
The objective of Wrecking Crew is to destroy all the objects (doors, fragile staircases, an array of brick walls, etc.) with your trusty hammer. Seems easier said than done but enemies are prowling around the demolition site and are potent of hunting Mario down across the site. Enemies can be trapped in dilapidated doors for a limited amount of time. The current stage is completed when all destructible objects are smashed.

I found the gameplay of Wrecking Crew very enjoyable, as it incorporates logic and pattern memorization. The enemies are a little odd and do not fit the concept of the game, with the minor exception of the screw-like enemy. It plays well with no serious programming flaws.

Graphics: 8/10
Wrecking Crew, like many other games of the time, has superb graphics; the importance of detail is extremely resorted to in this game. The animation is not too choppy but passable, but in terms of 1985, this game is mighty-fine in the graphics aspect.

Music/Sound: 10/10
Wrecking Crew has one of the best albeit limited soundtracks on the NES. While Wrecking Crew isn't considered by many a memorable game, its soundtrack has been arranged many times. As for sound effects, it seems every motion completed in-game has its very own unique sound effect.

In all honesty, Wrecking Crew isn't the NES game we all know and love, but most memorize the cheerful and catchy soundtrack.

Replay Value: 7/10
The thing is about long puzzle games is after the player eventually conquers every level, they tend not to replay it anytime soon. This pretty much sums the post-game of Wrecking Crew. It's pretty much a one-and-done deal in terms of frustration and the longevity of the game. Wrecking Crew isn't a bad game to replay, it does have its fun moments, it's painstaking to complete.

Pros:
- Addictive gameplay
- Near picture-perfect graphics
- Memorable soundtrack and sound effects.

Cons:
- Longevity = no replay value

Final Score: 8.4/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/26/11

Game Release: Wrecking Crew (US, October 1985)