Nerf Accustrike StratoHawk Review
November 23, 2018Purchase here (affiliate link that supports the site)
In the grand tradition of rereleasing blasters in a new color palette, Hasbro has decided to bring back the Rapidstrike in orange. A Walmart exclusive, the Stratohawk is billed as the first electronic Accustrike blaster. Aside from the paint scheme and the darts, however, nothing about the blaster has really changed. And that’s a good thing!
Thanksgiving Trademark Updates
November 22, 2018Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Before we start posting more reviews, I thought I’d make today an easy news day with some news on future offerings from Buzz Bee Toys! This is all information you can find at the United Stated Patent and Trademark Office, that was filed on November 15, 2018.
Names that were previously used but are being filed: Reaper, Night Tek, Destiny, Cyclonic. I find it interesting that the Destiny has largely disappeared, but the name is still being claimed.
New blaster names (possibly for next year): Gladiator, Agitator.
With any luck, we can see those new blasters in February, when I’ll once again be at Toy Fair!
EDIT: Shortly after, “Metamorph” was also filed for a trademark.
Nerf Modulus Longstrike Review
November 19, 2018The Longstrike is a beloved blaster in the original NStrike line. But it’s not because of performance; the old reverse plunger-type blasters never had much power to begin with. It was loved instead for its looks – it had the looks of a “sniper rifle”, but with the kid-friendly foam flinging factor. As of this fall, a new version is available exclusively at Amazon, recolored and retooled to shoot modern blaster distances. It’s not without issues (or price shock), but it’s far superior to its predecessor.
Dart Zone Ballistix Ops Velocity Review
November 18, 2018Dart Zone (or more properly, Prime Time Toys) has made incredible strides in producing blasters that can compete with Nerf’s Rival line. Several like the Powerball and Quantum, I have reviewed previously. In the case of the Velocity, I reviewed a previous version, the Adventure Force Accelerator. The Velocity is an improvement upon a good blaster. And with Black Friday rolling around, you’ll soon be able to find it for just $20 at Target.
Amazingly, despite having had an article on its introduction, I never actually did the review. Let’s fix that!
Blaze Storm 7100 Dart Blaster Review
November 15, 2018Zecong Toys has a history of making near-copies of various Nerf blasters – not usually from the same molds, mind you, but made to be very close. On occasion, they go out there and try something somewhat unique, to mixed results.
With the 7100, however, Zecong has a strange confluence of shell design imitation and unique internal choices/compromises. It takes the aesthetics of the Nerf ECS Cam blaster, then uses features that are meant for balls and uses them to fire darts. (This is so they can reuse the shell and parts in a Rival ball-firing blaster, which I do NOT have on hand for review). Sadly, however, due to the low power motors used and the wider than normal motor spacing, performance is subpar.
It’s not a total loss – after an overhaul it becomes an insanely good superstock blaster. But if you’re just looking for a nice new blaster, you’ll be disappointed.
Blaster Oddities at Five Below – Wrist Blaster and R/C Tank
November 11, 2018This post is less of a review than it is a look at some silly things with potential applications. Let’s face it – generally speaking, $5 blaster toys generally do not do that well. However, little surprises do pop up. In this case, it’s the possibility of controlling other things. Or backup shots. Or firing twenty tanks at once, because why not?
These blasters are all entries in the “Hero” line by Playtek Toys.
Dart Zone Titan Review
November 9, 2018The Titan isn’t a new design – Prime Time Toys previously produced it as the Adventure Force Light Command, for $25 at Walmart. In this case, it’s simply a newer version, minus the extra circuits for lights. It also comes with the newer “Waffle-style” darts that PTT has been using. For $20, it’s a great deal for a fully automatic dart blaster – as long as you don’t mind using chains instead of magazines.
