Holiday Sales, and Xshot Leaks? Blaster New Before Toy Fair!
February 11, 2026I was originally just going to make a small post about the state of the market…but then Zuru had to share a story online that had boxes hidden behind people! Blame their social media.
Let’s cover that, then go back to the bits on market share. Besides, a new mag-in-grip flywheel blaster and an Xshot Longshot upgrade are more exciting!
I’m Off to Toy Fair!
February 4, 2026It’s finally official! I’ll be at Toy Fair, at least per a recent email.
Admittedly, it would appear that qualifying this late is a matter of me needing to update with the times. That’s a story for later. But in the meantime, I’ll be in NY for the event…at least part of the time. Having Toy Fair on Valentine’s Day weekend means I still need to budget time with my wife, after all!
Hopefully we see some fun things from Hasbro, Dart Zone, and anyone else who shows up for the fair!
Adventure Force Water Strike Blitz Stream Review
January 31, 2026Let’s continue the soaker reviews! Earlier this week, I reviewed the Xshot Fast Fill Motorized Turbo Stream. At $15, it was cute and easy to operate, but rather low on both capacity and rate of fire.
On the same shelf, for the same price, is the Adventure Force Water Strike Blitz Stream. It offers two nozzles, depending on the desired range and output. And while I may still prefer other options, the output is still twice that of the other soaker I reviewed this week. By that metric alone, it’s worth a look.
Hasbro Announces KPop Demon Hunters Nerf Melee and More!
January 29, 2026Merchandise for Netflix’s most-watched all-time film? Say it ain’t so!
Naturally, every toy company that can get in on this is doing so – both Hasbro and Mattel are unveiling toys this week at Spielwarenmesse 2026. But for us, the relevant part is three official Nerf melee options!
Unless, of course, you REALLY want a demon mini Furby. I suppose someone might want that option. Let’s get to that part of the press release below!
Xshot Fast Fill Motor Soaker Turbo Stream Review
January 26, 2026Surprisingly, despite the Motor Soaker sub-line being out for over a year, I haven’t really reviewed any of them. I’ve played around with them, but last year the actual reviews just didn’t happen. Let’s change that, starting with this year’s newest entry!
Xshot’s Motor Soaker Turbo Stream is relatively inexpensive, and looks amazing. Practically, however, its deficiencies make it inferior to its larger siblings. But it’s still plenty of fun for smaller kids who might not be lugging around large amounts of water.
Saturday Vacation Post: Patent Updates!
January 24, 2026Here I am, on a cruise ship thanks to my wife and friends who booked something months in advance…and then by chance we escaped before a massive winter storm hit the majority of the United States. Yay serendipity!
While I’m in port with a free signal, let’s do a post about some fun patents that have been popping up on the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s website, ranging from obsolete vaporware to possible upcoming products!
Xshot Fast Fill 80s Super Splash Review
January 19, 2026The Xshot Fast Fill line has utterly dominated spring toy shelves in recent years, combining sheer capacity and ease of use with Zuru’s ability to inexpensively manufacture blasters with near-total automation. And each year, we’ve seen more additions to the line, from new size variants to versions with custom paint skins. This time around, however, Xshot is aiming to evoke old childhood memories.
The 80s Super Splash works the same way the other Fast Fill blasters. But Zuru is molding it specifically to look like old Super Soakers. And while this one isn’t a pressurized monstrosity, it’s still a lot of fun to use.
