Foreman Spike

Spike riding in a backhoe.
Spike
Species	Human
Debut	Wrecking Crew

Foreman Spike is one of Mario's earliest rivals, predating even Bowser and Wario, who was featured in Wrecking Crew and related games.

Background

Foreman Spike first appeared as a rival for Mario in the game Wrecking Crew. Here he appeared on the other side of the demolition site, knocking out different areas in an attempt to beat Mario. He also employed Gotcha Wrenches and Eggplant Men to slow down Mario's progress and would attack Mario himself by trying to hit a wall Mario was currently beside. His motives were unknown, since he was apparently in charge of the demolition.

Spike later made an unusual return in the Japan-only Wrecking Crew '98. His design was altered to replace his beard with a mustache. In this game, he was the second-to-last boss faced in the normal path. This time, he worked for Bowser, which made Spike part of the Mushroom Kingdom. After Spike was defeated, he became a playable character in 2-player mode, marking the first time Spike was playable in a game.

He made another return in the Japanese-only Mobile Golf as a playable character. This game returned Spike to his original bearded appearance. In Super Mario Maker, Foreman Spike's original NES sprite was one of the random costumes that Mario can wear as Costume Mario after touching a Mystery Mushroom. His costume was unlocked by clearing a 100 Mario Challenge on Normal or higher.

Trivia

• His Japanese name is Blackey
• According the official website for the Super Smash Bros. series, Mario's brown costume in that series is based on Foreman Spike.