Dart Zone Unloads for Fall…But at What Cost?
September 19, 2025Yesterday was a big day: Dart Zone had just started fulfilling Primus orders, and then they dropped the news on social media: a bunch of new blasters were going to be available from them directly, ranging from a brand new pro blaster to a repainted classic. However, the news also brought price tags, and it begs the question: how much is a blaster worth to you?
Dart Zone Vector Pro Makes a Splash!
September 13, 2025Another year, and another *somewhat* surprise announcement from Dart Zone. Relative parity between their Walmart and Target offerings is expected (Nexus Pro v. Stryker, for just one example), so a Maxim Pro equivalent was to be expected. The format, however, was not.
The Vector Pro is a 150fps, bullpup-format blaster taking regular magazines. And it’s appearing right as Dart Zone magazines are hitting shelves, as well…
Buzz Bee Air Warriors Lightning Strike Review
September 12, 2025This blaster was a bit of a surprise! We saw it for the first time on a Reddit post, but now it looks like it’s hitting shelves in the US at Dollar General.
The Lightning Strike isn’t anything special in terms of being a blaster. In fact, I think it’s oriented towards the gimmick more than the dart blasting. But that’s what makes a blaster like this a cute impulse buy, after all.
Hasbro Moves To Boston!
September 10, 2025Looks like Hasbro finally decided to move!
In case you missed it, Hasbro has been deciding whether or not to move from Providence to Boston – no doubt in an effort to see what kinds of incentives they could get in the process, like any large corporation would. Now, however, it’s official. By next year, Hasbro will be taking up an office building in the Seaport District in downtown Boston, with 700 employees transitioning there from Rhode Island. Digital assets and a few other things will remain based on the west coast.
We’ll have to see how things shake up over the next year. One can hope Hasbro will host something in Boston in the future.
Buzz Bee Air Warriors Mayhem Ruin Review
September 9, 2025This was a surprise for me. Buzz Bee has always offered tiny blasters, from the original and weak Tek 3 (move the cylinder yourself as an extra step) to the more recent, more robust single-shot Panther. The farthest shooting one was the Duel Shot 2-pack, itself an upgrade to the Air Warriors Gem…but those were at least nominally larger.
The Air Warriors Mayhem Ruin seems to want to do the best of both worlds. For $3, you’re getting a tiny blaster where nearly the entire body space is taken up by a clear plunger tube. In stock form, due to the short barrel design, the performance is okay at best. But given the fact that it’s $3, it’s hard to beat being able to throw off shots in such quick fashion. Even with the tiny handle, it’s far from the worst thing I’ve held in terms of comfort. And with a little love, you can get the performance it *should* be getting.
Buzz Bee Air Warriors Mayhem Mania Review
September 7, 2025The Mayhem line is finally here! We knew that Buzz Bee was making a revamped blaster line, and some of them are appearing at Dollar General here in the United States. Now that I’ve tried the first one, though…it seems a bit less exciting.
The Mania is an eight dart, front-loading pistol that’s easy in operation and shoots well. However, the decision to make a large, sloped grip with a large kink in it results in an uncomfortable experience.
And Here’s the Rest of the Wilder Toys Care Package!
September 4, 2025Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s at least highlight the other two items I got sent by Wilder Toys. They’re not as unique as the Nerf 360° Battlezone or as, um, customizable as the Nerf Zombie Spin Strike, but they’re cool as well. Especially the glasses.
The Neostrike tactical glasses look cool compared to lots of past Nerf eyewear, and (in an improvement on past Nerf licensed accessories) are at least Z87 rated. Granted, you’ll want higher ratings if you’re shooting well above stock Nerf velocities…but for a regular consumer they’re a super neat option. And they’re UV rated if you want to use them outside of foam combat.
Also, the flexible nose pads are SO comfortable!
The Inflatable trainer target, meanwhile, serves as both target and dart catcher. Assuming, of course, you’re good enough to score in the target holes. It also comes with one of the 3M hanging hooks and adhesive strips, so you can mount it after inflation (I’m personally full of hot air when needed, but you can use a pump if you have one handy). It’s also a nice size for testing general accuracy at distance, as it turns out. I’ve hung this up on my back fence (~80′ away from the back door) as a reference for other blasters.
I’m personally still waiting to see these in stores, but I’m more than happy to buy a few pairs of glasses once they’re available.
