It was easy to assemble and the instructions were clear. I really like how the instructions had you applying stickers before assembly. Usually play sets like this have you assembling everything and then trying to squeeze stickers into awkward places, and it can be annoying if you try to figure out for yourself how to put the stickers on the right locations before assembly. So, I greatly appreciated that this set didn't do that. The plastic all feels sturdy and seems like it would hold up to play. The included monster truck is nice, though I think it is the same as one commonly available in single packs at your local retailer. So, you may already own it. The set uses a good mix of colors and if you include the smashed cars from the single truck packs, it looks even more colorful. The central smash mountain is a little finicky. I feel like it is better in concept than execution. It was intended to let you smash it down a layer at a time, but really works best if you just smash it all the way down in one go. The included smashed cars, just hollow plastic pieces, fit into the set in several locations and do a lot to break it up and add play value. However, I still don't understand the thought behind how they are designing the smashed cars from the single packs. They don't connect in a useful way to each other and they didn't design this set well to plug into them either. Unless you want to make abstract 3d sculptures, the peg system is useless. The cars don't stack, plug in from their bottoms onto the set, or even connect in a line for the trucks to smash over. You can put them into the car launcher spots on this set, and that does look good when they go flying. I just wish this set included more of its own smashed cars, since they are a different, and better, design than the ones included in the monster truck single packs. The main play feature concept of the set, outside of the central mountain is that the central plate is on a rocker. It doesn't fully plug down, allowing it to tilt to one side or another. This allows you to smash a truck down on one of the sticker labeled action spots to initiate a feature. They all work alright and I imagine little kids would have a ton of fun smashing their trucks into those spots and activating the crush hammer, sending cars flying, etc. As already mentioned, the plastic feels sturdy, so it should hold up to the sort of force a young child would apply. I just wouldn't be too rough with it if you are an adult. All in all, the playset is great. I wish they would figure out a better system for their pre-smashed car accessories so that it played better and more consistently across the whole line. But, that isn't a problem from this set specifically so much as the line overall. Apart from that, I think everything works well enough and should be a lot of fun for anyone that gets this.
