Adventure Force Jaguar Review

The Buzz Bee Toys Jaguar originally came out in 2012, with an updated Ultra Tek version arriving in 2017. Now, nine years later, the design has been updated again for Walmart shelves.

The Adventure Force Jaguar is a chunkier version of the original. But that chunk makes for a blaster than can be comfortably used by hands of all sizes, and it has the power to hit the same ranges as other modern-day blasters.

Bigger Than Before

The base concept of the Jaguar is a clip-fed blaster that advances the clip on each priming motion. Once you fire all six darts, you have to refill the slots in the clip, push the clip back down, and start over again. The first version was rather compact in all facets; version two had a slightly wider and longer shell to accommodate a larger plunger tube, but was still sized for small kids.

The newest version elects to make everything larger, and that’s a good thing. The main grip is sized for humans in general (something that Buzz Bee doesn’t always do). The priming grip remains somewhat basic, but is serviceable. The auto-advancing clip, meanwhile, is dimensionally larger than before, with the six barrels spaced out farther. I personally would have preferred the barrel spacing to be narrower, fitting the same number in a smaller space…but perhaps there’s an engineering reason that I’m not privy to. In any case, the resulting updated blaster is large and sturdy.

The clip isn’t meant to be removed; there are two small tabs/molded bits on either side used for retention. However, with a bit of shell flexing or abuse, it’s possible for the clip to be pulled out from the top. In that case, insert the clip into the top of its slot and wiggle a bit to reset it in place. I’m sure kid everywhere will make that happen, so it’s good to know.

Performance

Like the previous blaster, there is no slamfire, but it’s possible to fire two darts per second even without such a mechanism. Ranges, meanwhile, have improved. I averaged 78fps with both the included darts and the more common Adventure Force waffles. Do note, however, that the included Accublast darts may be a bit more variable when it comes to their diameters. I saw a far wider range of shots (60fps to 85fps) with them than I did with AF waffles. The latter are far more consistent.

Internals and Modification

There’s quite a bit of plunger in this blaster! Like many other Buzz Bee blasters, the plunger tube itself is directly moved by the priming action, instead of operating some kind of bolt sled or other breech design. The clip advancing mechanism is operated by a tab on the plunger tube that pushes things along at the far ends of its motion.

In terms of modification, I expect 3d-printed clips to be made at some point in the future. Given the potential power available in an $8 blaster, I also wouldn’t be surprised if someone converted this blaster to feed from a half-dart magazine. Get on that, guys!

Final Thoughts

It’s a fair bit chunkier than its predecessors, but the Adventure Force Jaguar keeps the same basic concept as the original blaster from a decade and a half ago. It has the performance needed to be on today’s shelves, and it’s still inexpensive at just $8. Is 2026 the Year of the Jaguar? I’ll let you decide.