Nerf Dinosquad Rex Rampage Review

Sure, it’s basically a new Stryfe. But Nerf has really hit things out of the park in terms of style with the Dinosquad line. Using blasters like the Rex Rampage just makes for a fun time. It performs as expected for a stock blaster, and has plenty of personality to boot. And if you tinker, you’ll have even more to love. Really, who doesn’t want a T-Rex spitting darts at their opponents???

Large and In Charge

Okay, it’s not the biggest blaster out there. But the Rex Rampage is the largest of the Dinosquad entries. With a large dinosaur head at the front (barrel inside the mouth, of course), a shell with metal plate-like molding,, and a wrapped bone stock, it’s an aesthetically pleasing blend of animal and machine. Honestly, Hasbro could probably get away with recoloring the shell and selling it as a Transformers Grimlock blaster, and we’d be okay with it. The large scope on top isn’t removable (aside from complete disassembly), so don’t expect to be able to use any tactical attachments.

The stock is a bit on the short side, but works well enough; interestingly, there are ten slots for dart storage…on a magazine-fed blaster. I suppose you could grab darts from there to reload, but without any sort of easy breech access aside from the jam door, it seems a bit useless compared to just carrying more magazines. The darts will also hit your hand during use if mounted too low.

The blaster is largely comfortable to use and operate; the large head makes for a great forward grip. The main handle is large and nice to hold. However, the lack of space between the main trigger and the magazine release is annoying. My index finger fits okay if I only use the tip, but larger fingers will have issues, for sure. I realize Hasbro has been into this button placement as of late, but it’s not ideal, especially in this case.

This semi-auto blaster takes 4 AA batteries batteries, and it includes twenty darts as well as a ten-dart magazine

Performance

The Rex Rampage fires as expected, averaging 72fps with single shots and up to three darts per second for rate of fire (with velocity diminishing with higher rates of fire, of course).

Taking a Peek Inside

Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a blaster that actually had wire disconnects inside it. It’s an interesting choice, given Hasbro’s current trend of cutting manufacturing costs, so I’m guessing after designing the blaster they discovered issues in trying to quickly wire and assemble the blaster (all the parts are on one side except for a safety switch and the battery tray).

The entire shell unscrews, and the flywheel cage, while similar to the Elite 2.0 Turbine in nature, actually is secured in place by two screws! I already have replacement cage files available for download, if you can 3d print them or have someone else do so. You’ll still need to trim inside the shell, but careful cutting should allow aftermarket motors and flywheels to fit without anything noticeable from the outside.

Final Opinion

Dinosaurs are fun. Dart blasters are fun. The Rex Rampage merges the two things well, although a few things got missed in the design phase. Overall, if you’re buying the blaster, you’re going to love it!