Nerf Loadout Galactic Commander Review

Author’s note: big thanks to Hasbro for sending a review sample for free! I already bought one…but that means more magazines for actually having a usable loadout!

Nerf Loadout is the revival of blasters with multiple attachments you can swap – it’s Nerf Modulus for the current generation. At the head of the product line is the Galactic Commander, a rather large electronic blaster with multiple firing modes. Is it the blaster to get this holiday season? Assuming you’ve adopted the N1 dart, that’s a yes.

Large and In Charge

The Galactic Commander is actually quite long, all things considered. Last year’s Nerf N-Series Infinite was the largest blaster, thanks to its unique magazine, but this dwarfs it. There’s a substantial barrel attachment, a faux scope, a stock, and two magazines – one for the blaster, and one for storage in the stock. All things considered, the blaster feels far more sturdy and durable than blasters like the Shadowspeed – there’s simply more mechanisms you have to support inside the blaster, so you can’t compromise on shell rigidity.

The magazine storage in the stock is nice, and it allows reloading the spare magazine with spare darts, but it’s also a friction fit. There’s nothing locking the magazine in place, so while you can reload magazines on the fly, you can also potentially knock the magazine loose and drop it. If you’re super rough with your blasters, that may be a concern…but for most people, that’s not an issue.

The grip feels sturdy, with a little bit of give to it, but again it has a bunch of internal pieces being supported, so it’s sturdy. The rev trigger is a bit awkwardly shaped, and larger fingers will hang off of it. The magazine release is workable with your dominant hand, but it’s far enough forward to be annoying. It’s not a dealbreaker, but there’s something to be said for creature comforts.

Finally, the paint scheme on the blaster is gorgeous. It’s definitely my favorite of the Loadout line so far, although the differing paint schemes will make it hard to mix and match parts if you’re a stickler for color coordination.

Performance and Gameplay

The Galactic Commander, at least in my testing, averages 88fps on fresh batteries, with not too much drop off when dumping the magazine. It’ll fire five darts per second in full auto, although you can opt for semiauto or a three rounds burst. Do note, though, that there’s a bit of lag between the long trigger pull and the mechanism engaging. If you’ve used the Nerf Modulus Regulator or the Dart Zone Max Omnia Pro before, then the delay level isn’t anything new.

Especially for Humans v Zombies, the Galactic Commander was a ton of fun to use. Thanks to the large magazines and the rate of fire, it was easy to hit multiple targets in a row, or to hit one at a distance with a few shots in quick succession.

Modification Potential

I’m still tearing apart and modding my second Galactic Commander, but there’s potential here. The front of the blaster has plenty of battery space, and the pusher can actually be disassembled easily. Hopefully I can find the time to design and print a replacement for firing short darts.

Mentioning short darts, I’ve tried and printed some magazine adapters for the N Series Sprinter, and they seem to fit without issue. I’ll need to print another flywheel cage to see if that’s also compatible…but if it is…

Final Thoughts

N Series is here to stay, so if you’re looking for Nerf for the holidays, the Galactic Commander is the blaster to get. It’s sturdy, fast, and capable of dumping ammo. It has two magazines. And if you’re like me, you’ll like having a blaster you can push to do more.

Just one thing, Hasbro. Can you actually make spare magazines available for purchase?