Wrecking Crew is one of those weird early NES games where Mario ditches the overalls and becomes a demolition expert. You’re basically smashing everything in sight—ladders, blocks, bombs—but there’s a catch: you’ve gotta do it in the right order, or you’ll trap yourself or leave enemies alive. The levels loop around, so if you mess up, you’ll just keep running in circles while fireballs and this annoying wrench-throwing guy chase you.

Spike (or Blackey, if you’re playing the Japanese version) is the foreman who wanders around like he owns the place—some say he inspired Wario, but honestly, he’s just a guy in a hardhat making your life difficult. Luigi’s here too, weirdly dressed in purple instead of green, and the two-player mode is chaotic in the best way. The arcade version, Vs. Wrecking Crew, is basically the same but with that classic competitive edge.

It’s not your typical Mario game, but there’s something satisfying about figuring out the puzzle of each level before everything collapses on you.