Zuru Xshot Blastercorn Review
December 4, 2024I’ll be honest – I have no idea who at Zuru’s marketing team looked at their blaster line and decided that what it needed most was a unicorn. But they deserve a raise.
It’s completely out of place compared with what surrounds it on the shelf, but it looks great, has all the cute effects you’d want (wings flapping on the trigger pull!), and is a great blaster even if you ignore the trappings. If there’s a blaster that screams stockings stuffer, it’s this one.
Nerf Wild Wolfpack Review
November 29, 2024The Elite dart just won’t go away! There are still a few blasters coming out of the pipeline, including those in the “Junior” line. Well, what was Nerf Jr, and is now Nerf Easy Play.
In any case, we have two Nerf Wild products: the Nerf Venompack (I’ll defer to Maritimefoam’s review) and what I have on hand, the Wolfpack. Both blasters operate the same and come with extra dart storage – only the cosmetics are different. And while they’re made specifically for young children, they just don’t work that great. Other Nerf Easy Play/Nerf Jr blasters worked consistently, at least. These don’t.
Quick Review: Dart Zone Max Omnia Pro Gen 3, Dart Zone Pro Mk2 Nitroshot Special Edition
November 26, 2024I don’t need to devote full time reviews here, seeing as we’ve already had experience with the Omnia Pro and the Dart Zone Pro Mk2. However, given the new entries, prices, and claims of improvements, I should devote a post to addressing those! I’ll be sure to have posts with even better thoughts later, but seeing as Black Friday is around the corner, I’ve had messages about these blasters. So, here we go!
Adventure Force Rogue Review
November 25, 2024As much press as Dart Zone may get for their Adventure Force entries, they’re not the only company pumping out great blasters. When it comes to regular Age 8+ blasters, Buzz Bee Toys can do just as well, and the Adventure Force Rogue is proof of that. It’s a solid, semi-auto blaster that may not hit as hard, but makes things up in style, fun, and the inclusion of a 30-dart drum, all at a great price.
Adventure Force Desperado Review
November 23, 2024Somehow, this review slipped through the cracks…and I couldn’t find the blaster I bought earlier in the summer. Buying another one wasn’t a concern, though. Given what $9 gets you in this blaster (a fast, semi-auto spring-powered pistol), it’s hard to not buy two and dual-wield them.
The Desperado may be tiny, but it’s mighty, and it’s ergonomic enough to be used by players of all ages.
Lanard Huntsman Big Brute Review
November 19, 2024When it comes to their blasters, Lanard tends to not have great distribution in the United States. You’ll see things pop up randomly online sometimes, and occasionally see the blasters on shelves in places like Go! Calendars or various discount stores, but otherwise seeing them is a matter of luck.
However, as of this year, Lanard has been working to put more of their toys online at Amazon, be it blasters or action figures. So when the Big Brute appeared – a blaster that had only been in the UK previously, at least to my knowledge – I had to grab one.
The Big Brute is a great looking blaster, combining the “hand cannon” look with the prime of a Nerf Hammershot and a six-dart indexing clip. However, issues with dart compatibility make this a questionable buy.
Wall Street Journal Details Hasbro’s Planning Around Potential Tariffs
November 18, 2024There was an article this weekend in the Wall Street Journal reflecting Hasbro’s efforts to diversify or move toy production, especially in the light of the threat of tariffs on Chinese goods.
While toys were exempt from Chinese tariffs during the first Trump presidential term, Hasbro has been working to move toy production to other places like India (their goal is having only 20% of products coming from there, down from a current 40%). Of course, with the movement of production to India and southeast Asia comes its own difficulties, including quality control, safety standards, and training an entirely new base of craftspeople, since some parts of toy production simply can’t be automated.
Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see if Hasbro ends up having to deal with tariffs. In the meantime, they’ll continue reorganizing the supply chain in a continuing effort to cut costs, in addition to making things more “politics-proof”.
