Throw balls at aliens in Toy Story: Smash It!

Last Updated on April 24, 2024

Some years ago, I spent way too much time on a very simple game on the Windows Store. Toy Story: Smash It! is a 3D physics game in which Buzz Lightyear throws balls at aliens.

Will you help Buzz smash the aliens?

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t like Toy Story. This great arcade physics puzzle game is as fond a tribute to the game as you can imagine.

The idea is simple. Woody and friends are attempting to defeat the evil aliens under the control of Zorg. The aliens have inexplicably built a series of forts and towers out of building blocks and other materials. (Of course, the game doesn’t make sense if they haven’t…) It falls you to take control of Buzz Lightyear to dispatch the invaders. All you need to do is throw a variety of weapons to knock the aliens over and foil their plans.

Simple, right?

Toy Story: Smash It! owes a lot to Angry Birds in the game play, but turns the idea around. Instead of a side-on view, gameplay uses a 3D viewpoint. This is coupled with graphics that seem good enough to appear on the big screen. With the physics-based act of throwing balls, bombs, balloons and other weapons to dislodge the pesky aliens, the game is a lot of fun.

Unlock levels, gain weapons

In order to progress through the game you need to get a perfect core on each level. Gameplay is straightforward – you use the arrow buttons on screen to position Buzz, then launch the weapon by positioning the crosshairs and releasing. Depending on the weapon, you may also need to tap the screen to activate it – for instance, the balloon can be remotely inflated, causing all manner of mayhem.

Control is best using either using fingers or mouse; you can also use the keyboard arrow keys or A and D, to move Buzz, but otherwise keyboard play is non-existent. The optimum way of playing is definitely on touch screen devices.

Aiming weapons should always be at the bricks rather than the aliens. For one, the critters have shields to deflect direct attacks; attacking the bricks gives you a better chance of success, at completing the stage with the three stars required to unlock later levels.

Targeting the aliens’ insanely silly forts (which might include towers and pendulums you can use against them) can be tricky at first, so you’ll need to keep an eye on the shadows of your projectiles to get an idea of where to launch your attacks.

Aiming for the floating bonus blocks is a good way of adding points, but they also help you to correctly work out how to defeat the aliens with the least throws.

Keeping the interest once you’ve completed later levels (which you can pay to unlock if playing is proving too tough) is a chart of entertaining achievements.

Toy Story: Smash It isn’t quite an interactive movie

From the familiar theme tune to the in-game sound effects and graphics, Toy Story: Smash It! is a pleasure. It genuinely feels like a legitimate extension of one of the films. This is something that can be attributed to both the entertaining script that sets up each level (sadly displayed on screen in dialogue rather than calling on Tim Allen and Tom Hanks for voice artistry).

Let’s look at it another way: a Toy Story game surely cannot work without faithfully reproducing the main characters.

But it does.

Despite the limited movement of Buzz Lightyear and the aliens and their ubiquity in comparison to other popular characters, they all look perfect. Animation-wise Toy Story: Smash It! isn’t great, but coupled with graphics, sound effects and the sound track it genuinely feels like you’re entering the Toy Story world, and this is not an easy thing to achieve.

You’ve got a friend in me

Unlike other games of the time, the Windows 8 version of Toy Story: Smash It! did not offer Xbox Live achievements. Released on Windows 8, as well as iPhone and Android, the game was issued in 2013, but has since been pulled. However, it remains available on Amazon Fire tablets in the USA.

  Toy Store: Smash It!:  With an immense 90 challenging levels, friendly, familiar characters and an overall sense of fun, this is an old Windows 8 and mobile game that you really shouldn’t miss. Easy to drop in and out of Toy Store: Smash It! is easy to start and challenging to finish. – Christian Cawley 

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You can find Toy Story Smash It! on the Internet Archive in APK format for Android devices. However, you will probably need to be running an older Anroid phone or tablet for this version to work. The Windows version seems to be lost to time.

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