Dart Zone Announces the Adventure Force Brute Pro!
June 25, 2025Dart Zone has been busy with their social media! First, they announced that several Adventure Force blasters would be making their way to Canada, including an unannounced blaster. Later, in a now-edited Instagram video, they showed a previously unseen pistol. Now, we have confirmation!
Available at Walmart this fall, the Adventure Force Brute Pro looks to combine the lessons of previous blasters to get a $25 pistol. We have the form factor of the Dart Zone Pro Mk2, the slanted Talon magazine style and grip of a Venom Pro, and the breech mechanism and barrel attachment from a Nexus Pro X/Aeon Pro X. A proper Instagram announcement also lists 140ft range claims and slamfire. Which isn’t truly necessary for a pistol, but is actually really cool, especially if you have longer, compatible magazines on hand (Venom Pro, Worker Nightingale, etc.). I already have a DZP Mk2.1 that I love and keep at HvZ velocities, especially for games with ammo or magazine limits. But this interests me for slightly faster game types, and the price is just about perfect, even if the paint scheme doesn’t quite speak to me.
More news to come whenever these finally hit shelves!
Nerf Loadout Shadowspeed Recon Review
June 23, 2025Last year saw the debut of the N Series line of blasters from Hasbro. It also saw fierce competition from other blaster brands, resulting in a loss in market share. On top of that, Hasbro has to counterbalance current and potential tariffs by cutting costs, both as a company and in the manufacturing process. Admittedly, the toy industry as a whole is in a rough spot. But when the new generation of blasters starts appearing on Amazon, you buy them anyway and hope for the best.
However, if the Nerf Loadout Shadowspeed Recon is the result, then the outlook is dim.
SCRD 2: More Brightly Colored Tactical Gear! Kickstarter Ending Soon!
June 16, 2025See the Kickstarter page here!
As I try to catch up on news that should’ve been posted a long time ago…let’s highlight an effort that friends are making to produce more gear that’s oriented towards being play-friendly!
Last year, Silverfox Industries and Containment Crew made an effort to get colorful gear produced via Kickstarter. While I personally just use a tool belt from Walmart to carry everything (and not necessarily securely), lots on hobbyists use tactical gear…which typically comes in black or camo. When it’s a public-facing hobby that can occur in parks or campuses…that tends to detract from the image of people playing with toys for obvious reasons. People responded to the effort, funding many of the stretch goals and getting items from magazine bandoliers to belts made in various fun colors.
This year, the Kickstarter is focusing on different (and often larger) items, including hydration packs, slings, patch panels, body harnesses, and chest rigs. It’s already fully funded, so the only question now is how many people sign up to get colored gear, and how many stretch goals get unlocked.
The Kickstarter ends early on Saturday, so get pledges in if you want the gear for cheaper than the later retail prices!
Buzz Bee Updates for Mayhem; Primus Appears, Xshot Interviews, and More!
June 9, 2025We’ve got a lot of updates on upcoming products. Some store appearances, a website refresh, and a long interview covering the toy business in general (tariffs, trade law, etc.) that also features upcoming products.
Links will be featured below, but a special thanks to the Foam News Collective (especially the Discord server and its residents) where people like me trade links to things we’ve spotted both for general awareness and for the biweekly video update. Consider subscribing to them or even supporting them on Ko-Fi. For one thing, they’re able to cover a lot more community designs/3D prints/event news than I’ll ever have time for!
Nerf Action Xperience Blaster Review
June 5, 2025I don’t normally review blasters I find in liquidation or overstock stores – it’s a blog focused on current products, after all. This is, however, a unique situation. The blaster at hand was only ever seen at Nerf Action Xperience locations (I handled one during a past trip to the United Kingdom). Such locations appear to be retooling or delayed. And the blasters themselves have never been on store shelves. So when boxes of them suddenly show up at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet…it’s worth noting and reviewing!
The Nerf Action Xperience blaster is a well-built revolver, meant not only to hold up to abuse, but also to be a bit of a testing ground. It’s the transition between Elite and N Series, and if anything, it’s a solid performer that’s worth being in the collection as a part of history.
It’s been a busy month between work, Maryland Mayhem, and actually mailing a few of these blasters to people…but I can finally sit down and post something!
Hasbro, Wilder Announce Target Collaboration!
April 29, 2025
Xshot Piston Pump AEB Hits Social Media
April 23, 2025After a long period of work + managing life with the wife on vacation, I’m…kinda back? At the very least I’m catching up on posting. And what a time for hobbyists, because Xshot is already putting their social media marketing strategy into high gear with various Instagram/Tiktok/Youtube personalities getting preview samples!
So far things are looking good – but there is a bit of a downside: a price increase to $90.
