Nerf News: Alien Menace Melee Weapons listed on Toys R Us!
August 16, 2017After being launched in 2016, we haven’t really heard much from the Alien Menace line – however Toys R Us has just recently added two new Alien Menace foam weapons to their online store. I would’ve prefered seeing some giant, epic alien demolishing blaster, but hey it’s something.
Review: Buzz Bee Stryker Force (15m)
August 13, 2017The Stryker Force is the smallest and simplest in Buzz Bee’s latest line of releases, with their new dart designs being one of the main features. The Stryker Force is somewhat reminiscent of Buzz Bee’s older Air Max 6, though of course while that blaster used an air tank, this is a conventional springer. I will be reviewing Buzz Bee’s new darts in a separate post.
Note that the Stryker Force is in fact not a direct recolour of the Zenith, but is still physically similar. Interestingly, the Stryker Force uses the same shell as the Adventure Force Exact Attack found at Walmart. I believe the Stryker Force is simply the Zenith’s replacement in certain regions.
Disclaimer: This blaster was sent to me by Buzz Bee Toys for review. I will do my best to ensure that the review remains as objective and unbiased as possible.
Nerf Game Report 5/8/17: Melbourne HvZ
August 7, 2017Another game at Melbourne HvZ. We had some pretty good games and a solid turnout, and I had an opportunity to give some of the new Buzz Bee blasters a go in combat.
Diggin Slimeball Gobzooka Review
August 3, 2017
One of the odder things I spotted at Toy Fair was a launcher for rubbery “Slimeballs”. When I spotted it, I went into the booth and talked with the sales rep, and tried out the prototype. IT WAS AMAZING. Ever since then, I’ve been waiting for it to appear on store shelves, with only passing mentions in online literature. Now, it’s sitting on Target shelves for $20, and the final product is every bit as pleasing as the original.
NOTE: This review is heavily skewed toward the modding community. With most large air blasters now off shelves, this presents an exciting option for future projects. Please be aware of this bias as your read the review.
Buzz Bee Air Warriors Zenith Review
July 30, 2017
Dart Zone BallistixOps Powerball Blaster Review
July 26, 2017Several companies have tried to do Nerf experiments better than the original, with varied results. Nerf’s Rebelle line hit with instant success; Lanard Total Crush and Buzz Bee Wingz did not. Nerf’s Mega series is still going strong; Buzz Bee’s Air Max line, despite being better in many ways, fell to the wayside.
Now there’s a blaster from Prime Time Toys meant to compete with Rival. All things considered, it’s a wonderful entry for testing the waters. It’s flawed, but it’s fixable. And in the end, it works great.
Multi-Part Update: Deadpool Blasters, Stock Dart Test 2017, and More!
July 24, 2017
We’re alive! There’s just a ton of things on the plate. Travel, Nerf wars, HvZ events, paying rent. You know, life stuff.
Firstly, a slightly late update on a San Diego Comic Con reveal. In following recent trends in movie promotion Hasbro has decided on another movie-themed blaster. This time, it’s Deadpool! Because if you’re going to have a movie tie-in, why not do it with a property that’s both massively popular and involves a main character that blasts away his enemies?
Interestingly, the Kronos name was trademarked by Hasbro (serial number 87261837) in December of last year, but only under “Toy action figures and accessories for use therewith”, not specifically for blasters.
NERF RIVAL DEADPOOL KRONOS XVIII-500 2 Pack
(Ages 14 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $59.99/Available: Spring 2018)
Intensity. Attitude. Tacos. It’s Nerf Rival meets Deadpool, and that means the battle will never, ever be the same. These 2 blasters have the look — and the snarkiness — of Deadpool, that don’t-call-me-a-hero bad boy from Marvel Comics. Open the breech to load 5 high-impact rounds into each blaster, then prime them with the spring-action cocking mechanism, take aim, and blam go the badder guys! Each blaster sends the rounds blasting into battle at 90 feet per second (27 meters per second). The blasters also have a trigger lock and tactical rail. The special edition box captures the personality of Deadpool with scribbled comments and cross-outs “written” on the box as if by Deadpool himself, and is designed for displaying and storing the blasters, rounds, and taco-shaped instructions. Experience the intensity and attitude of the Nerf Rival Deadpool Kronos XVIII-500 blaster 2-pack! Available Spring 2018 exclusively at GameStop and Best Buy.
In Other News…
In addition, after buying most of the new versions of darts now available (Buzz Bee, Dart Zone, etc), I’m proud to announce that it’s time for a new dart comparison test! Note that this will not reflect the prices, or the availability of bulk darts from off-brand sources (for example, Accustrike darts are expensive. Off brand Chinese copies have been seen for as little as $45 for 1000). It will also reflect STOCK performance for the most part, simply because there are so many additional factors that can contribute to dart behavior when modded blasters become involved. ESPECIALLY with flywheel blasters.
Finally, I have lots of footage to sort through, both from HvZ events and from my visit to the SENC! It’s been a long while since I got to use my NIC-style blasters, and the long trip was well worth it. In addition, this past weekend’s Youngstown State University HvZ Intivational was one of the best I’ve ever attended. The zombies played great, the humans didn’t make any obscenely stupid moves, and the game progressed wonderfully to a technically winnable final stand. Naturally, the zombies overwhelmed the few humans left. But we put up a great fight trying to complete the objectives and elected to just go down shooting when the last two (myself and Jesse from Red Team) found themselves still alive.
