Wrecking Crew ’98
Japan-only update to the NES construction site classic
Overview
Wrecking Crew ’98 is a Japan-exclusive SNES title based on the original Wrecking Crew from 1984. It contains both the original NES game in its entirety and a completely new versus puzzle mode designed for the SNES hardware. The new mode takes Wrecking Crew’s demolition gameplay and transforms it into a competitive one-versus-one puzzle game similar in structure to Tetris Attack or Puyo Puyo.
Mario and his friends — Peach, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and others — compete to demolish buildings faster than their opponent by clearing coloured panels. Special attacks can be sent to disrupt the opponent’s field.
Gameplay
The game has two distinct components. The Classic mode is the original NES Wrecking Crew, where Mario demolishes walls and structures on construction sites across 100 stages, avoiding Foremen Spike and Eggplant Man.
The VS mode — the headline new addition — is a two-player competitive puzzle game. Players select a character and compete to drop groups of coloured panels, matching three or more to clear them and send garbage to the opponent. Clearing multiple groups at once triggers special attacks. Single-player VS Mode can be played against CPU opponents of increasing difficulty.
Release information
Trivia & facts
- One of the very last SNES games released in Japan (May 1998, seven years after the SNES launched)
- Contains the complete original NES Wrecking Crew as a bonus game
- Japan exclusive — never released outside Japan on SNES
- Playable characters include Mario, Luigi, Peach, Donkey Kong and others in VS mode
- Developed by Nintendo R&D1, the team behind the original Wrecking Crew
- The competitive VS mode predates many similar panel-matching games on the system
Reference & downloads