The most important thing I’ve learned this generation is people like shooting things and watch stuff blow up. Toss the Turtle combines these themes and manages to serve as a clever lesson in projectile physics. In my over-priced engineering heavy education it is almost impossible to present physics in an entertaining way. The examples are always a ball being thrown by someone and solving for x. Now, if the example was a turtle shot out of a canon, with a jet pack, and a gun, into a sea of explosives and spikes, there would be more engineers out in the World.

Toss the Turtle’s basic principle: see how far the player can launch an invulnerable turtle out of a canon. Many obstacles along the way will either propel or immediately stop the turtle. The turtle’s flight can be perpetuated by the player being able to shoot the poor guy, Dunk Hunt style, in order to increase the distance traveled. Obstacles include knockoff goombas, bombs, spike walls, phallic statues, chainsaw people, smiling suns, and aliens. All either send the turtle sailing into the air or end the turtle’s trip faster than Tiger Wood’s reputation. Objects are easily distinguishable as either beneficial or hurtful, though the game’s bright color palette. Mechanics are constantly refreshed by the in-game currency rewarded after each launch. Money can be spent in the game’s store owned by a surly store owner who has managed to acquire various cannons, jetpacks, and guns for the sole purpose of shooting an invulnerable reptile.

Toss the Turtle’s brilliance is its ability to teach 2-d physics. It means something other than a lazy way to describe things move. The best way to maximize the distance the turtle can be launched is at 45 degree angle. As the turtle starts falling down, shoot him with an ak-47 or a rocket launcher, either one offers a solution to increasing the turtle’s traversal. Basic knowledge of projectiles enhances the experience of shooting a turtle out of a canon.

Toss the Turtle is a hilarious game that serves its purpose, a fun time waster that subtly teaches the player elementary physics. I believe it is a great experience and it can be found here, on Kongregate.