Author’s note: while I bought the normal RL, the Rippley version was sent to me free for review. Thanks, Hasbro! #freestuff
Foam missile launchers are hard to review; such opinions are far more subjective than those of other blasters. You’re never going to have the rate of fire and range of a regular blaster. As such, it’s just not that useful. However, in the grand tradition of foam play, they hold a special place – firing giant ammo is just plain fun. And when one of them is in a pretty, special edition color scheme, it’s hard to not pick one up.
Cartoon Blue
The handles are undersized – one of the unfortunate aspects of cartoon proportions. Meanwhile, the flip-up sights are oversized and hard to use. So even if you try to use this blaster “seriously”, it’s not the best platform. Even so, firing giant ammo is its own reward, and even more so when the shot connects.
Performance
Can You Mod?
Being a manually pumped blaster, there’s not much to be done to improve it. The plunger seal, however, is somewhat loose; the blaster relies on large amounts of air, as opposed to a buildup of pressure. Since the plunger tube is roughly 1.48″ ID, you can get away with using a 1.5″ o-ring, as long as it’s thin and lubed up. In doing so, however, you’ll have such a good seal that you have to expand the blaster BEFORE loading the missile. Which, in the heat of battle, is an easy place to trip up. Adding a bit more range may not be worth it.
Final Thoughts
The Fortnite RL, in any form, is a silly but fun blaster to use. It’s not practical, but it’s fun. Opinions will vary on how much you value practicality. But if you’re going to grab one, get one of these at Best Buy in May, while they last!