Multiplayer party games are such a hit on the Switch. Thanks to its portability and shareability, it’s easy to start a local party game and hand out controllers. You’ll be playing and laughing in no time.
But that also means that there are numerous local multiplayer games to choose from. From behemoths like Jackbox Party Pack and Overcooked to hidden gems like Party Golf and Death Squared, the choices can get overwhelming. So how does something like Toast Time: Smash Up! manage to get your attention?
By taking a seemingly mundane operation and turning it into something cute and deadly, that’s how.
Supplying the bread
Force of Habit’s Toast Time: Smash Up! is a multiplayer game that initially released as a singleplayer mobile game called Toast Time. Both games involve pixelated smiling toasters called Terry, shooting bread out in different deadly ways. And Terry is not just a stationary toaster, either. Every shot knocks Terry back, so you need to be agile and accurate. In single player, this gets hectic. In multiplayer, this gets downright frenetic.
By default, you eject regular white bread as bullets. This is your most basic shot with no other effects. Crates will occasionally appear, and you can hit these with your projectile. If you do, you get to upgrade your shot into another baked good for a short period. They all have different effects, which make them all useful in certain situations.
Managing Terry’s location is the most important mechanic to learn in Toast Time. Because each shot will knock you back in the opposite direction, you need to learn how to use this to your advantage. You can use the knockback to propel yourself upwards, or you can use it to belly flop yourself on an enemy. Aiming also gets a bit challenging with your constant movement, so you need to adjust your projectile’s trajectory accordingly.
Though as frenzied as the gameplay may seem, Toast Time’s controls are easy to learn. Tilt the left stick to aim and press A to shoot. The R or B button anchors you in place for a few seconds to help steady your aim. And that’s it for the controls; everything you need to do depends on how you control Terry in midair.
What’s with the alarm clock?
One thing you’ll notice, regardless of whether you’re in singleplayer or multiplayer, is that there’s an ever-present alarm clock. It serves as a visual timer for both modes, but in singleplayer it’s also your protectee. Let an enemy touch it in singleplayer and it’s game over for that stage.
Thankfully, the alarm clock has a helpful alert to let you know that an enemy is about to touch it. Though considering how busy it gets in the middle of that level, sometimes it’s easy to miss the alert. As a result, it may feel like your shot did nothing to drive the enemy away, even though it was probably a case of you reacting too late.
If you do finish a singleplayer stage with an untouched alarm clock, it will graciously zap the rest of the enemies for you. A pretty nice gesture for an otherwise busy session.
A simple but effective presentation
Toast Time’s main charm is its simple, pixelated presentation. The game operates on a combination of white and shades of a solid color, with little extra details on screen. Everything is clean to minimize distraction, not to mention the aesthetic feels retro.
And thanks to each round’s rapid-fire nature, you won’t be staring at the background for too long. You’ll be too busy keeping track of Terry and aiming your shots to worry about the ninth shade of color you’ve seen for that section. The only other thing you’ll notice is the color of Terry’s hat, whether it’s yours or someone else’s.
That’s all folks
There’s not a lot to say about Toast Time: Smash Up! because it’s such a straightforward game. Its mechanics are the same regardless of the number of players; the only difference is how each round plays. In singleplayer, you need to protect the alarm clock long enough for it to ring. In multiplayer, just knock your opponents out with a well-aimed shot.
And while on most games this would be considered as “boring,” for Toast Time the simplicity is compelling. It doesn’t need a lot of words nor does it require a lot of explanation. If you want a quick burst of fun by yourself or with friends, try this game. It’ll leave you smiling, even if just for the cute toaster.
