VS. Wrecking Crew

VS. Wrecking Crew is a 1984 arcade game for the VS. System, predating the 1985 console game Wrecking Crew. The game is less puzzle oriented, does not contain the level editor, and features a simultaneous two-player mode in which the opposing player is seen on the other side of the construction wall. In single player, Luigi acts similar to Foreman Spike and is present in all levels, while Foreman Spike is absent entirely.

Gameplay
Unlike Wrecking Crew, the screen does not scroll vertically, and the gameplay takes place on a single wraparound screen split into five floors. Besides this and Luigi acting as Foreman Spike in all levels, the single player is mostly the same.

However, the game was designed specifically for the VS. DualSystem, and thus featured mechanics that were only possible with multiple screens. On each screen, each player will see the enemies that can harm them in the foreground, while the ones dangerous to their opponent are blue silhouettes. If an enemy walks into a door (which are opened the same as the NES version, by swinging at them with their hammers), they will switch the side of the playfield that they are on. This allows both players to compete by luring enemies on their opponent's side, while simultaneously competing for score by demolishing as much of the building as possible before the time runs out. If both players are at the same wall piece, whichever swings first will knock the other down to the bottom of the playfield, as can be done with enemies that are on the other side compared to where the player is. In addition, they will have to dodge Fireballs that spawn from the edge of their platform.

While a lot of this is possible in single player, Luigi is much less aggressive than an actual second player would most likely be and thus a lot of what can happen in multiplayer may not happen in single player.

Playable

 * Mario
 * Luigi

Enemies

 * Gotchawrench - a dinosaur wrench that chases Mario around the stage. Red ones move slowly while the faster purple ones make their first appearance in Phase 3.
 * Unnamed hatchet monsters that behave identically to the red Gotchawrenches which they replace starting in Phase 11.
 * Fireball - Spend too long in a particular area and a fireball will appear.
 * Luigi - In one player mode, the CPU-controlled Luigi will constantly try to stop Mario from completing his job by hitting him off the beams.

Arcade Archives series
A port of VS. Wrecking Crew for the Arcade Archives series was released for Nintendo Switch on May 1, 2020.

Trivia

 * Earlier Japanese flyers depict the main characters without mustaches and do not refer to them as Mario and Luigi, which is likely a holdover from a period of development when they were not the main characters. The early screenshots in both sets of flyers also have differences compared to the released version. Notably, the HUD has the text "I UP" and "IIUP" instead of "MARIO" and "LUIGI". Additionally, the second player is green or blue-clothed, whereas Luigi wears a lighter shade of Mario's red in the final.