Containment Crew Rival Takedown Grip Review

Note: I got things sent to me for free to try out. Thanks, Containment Crew!

Occasionally I do get to look at new mods and mod kits. In this case, it’s a new item from Containment Crew, a replacement pump grip for the Nerf Rival Takedown. It’s the only part of the blaster I didn’t like, due to the lack of texture or ridges for priming. In stock form, it’s not bad at first, but with sweaty hands (or stronger springs), it becomes a major issue. There are a few other nice grips out there – but this is the one I’m reviewing at the moment.

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Nerf Nation Unboxing: First of the New Year!

Note: Hasbro sent me a free box of Nerf stuff, as they often do. Thank you very much! Also, obligatory hashtags. #NerfNation #Nerf #freestuff

Earlier this week, a fun box arrived at my local Fedex Drop Location. I did get to open it, but work kept me busy for the most part until now. So, without further ado, cool stuff!

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Nerf Alpha Stryke Flyte Review

The Stryfe is one of the most iconic blasters in modern Nerf. It’s been reskinned numerous times as new blasters (Revoltinator, Fortnite SMG, etc), and it’s been a staple for modders everywhere. It and its various iterations have also slowly gone up in price over the years. Enter the Alpha Strike line, aiming to provide budget blasting to compete with the blasters from other companies. After the initial wave in 2019, 2020 sees the Flyte – the Stryfe of the blaster line. But is it worth the $20 price tag?

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Nerf Rival Roundhouse Review

The Nerf Rival Roundhouse fills an interesting niche. It’s larger than the Kronos, the gold standard for Rival pistols, and holds three times the ammo. However, it’s also smaller than the Artemis, a long-standing staple of the line from which it borrows inspiration. The Roundhouse is objectively good, but whether you like it will come down to how fast you use up your Rival balls in battle.

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Jet Blasters Ceda S Review

Jet Blasters has had a spotty history, admittedly. The original Ceda (Close Engagement Dart Assault) blaster just wasn’t that good, with inconsistent performance and a shell that felt cheap. Katanas were the first major half dart magazine, but an inability to actually supply them in a timely fashion left the door open for other competitors. And previous products have all seen extended development cycles, with purchases often arriving late by months.

As of this spring, however, Jet is trying to rectify things. They’ve released the Ceda S, an upgraded version firing exclusively short darts, and they have it supplied to online distributors. They’ve also sent several samples to various influencers as part of their marketing push (I bought this one, however). In the end, the Ceda S is a major improvement on the original, and it retains important features like easy maintenance and upgrading. It’s worth consideration if you want a relatively inexpensive platform that can be made to do more – and especially if it goes on sale.

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Dart Zone Pro Mk1.1 Review

Author’s Note: This got sent to me as a free sample, and will soon be going off for free to a good home. Thanks, Prime Time Toys!

The Dart Zone Pro Mk.1 was released in limited numbers, with only 1000 of the orange units being sold. Given the fact that all of them sold, however, it was reasonable to expect more Dart Zone Pro products in the future. Suddenly, at Toy Fair 2020, Prime Time Toys announced that the Mk1.1, an updated (but not limited edition) version, would be available at Target starting that weekend. Issues with Target’s inventory system have, admittedly, made purchasing one a chore; every time it comes back up for sale, the units on hand sell out, and the system isn’t handling it very well.

Even so, it’s a great blaster, with a few small changes from the original, and it’s worth a look if you want a high performance blaster you can simply pick up and use without modification. (Also, note the $10 coupon for a dart refill with proof of purchase)

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A Late Report From Toy Fair – Visiting NY Dart Zone!

The day before Toy Fair, I took the train from Manhattan out to Long Island for a fun visit I hadn’t been able to make in previous years. NY Dart Zone is a business out in Suffolk County, established in 2015 and having a 5400 square food facility with two arenas (and more). So I got to spend much of the afternoon trading shots with Sophie (@Nerfers101) as well as many kids and families.

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