Nerf reveals Spring 2016 blasters in RARE Visit from “Nerf Fan Ambassadors”
Vas The Stampede
Fresh off the “Nerf Fan Ambassador” visit to #NerfHQ in Rhode Island, enjoy the info on these future releases. More on the actual visit in am upcoming post, so stay tuned.
N-Strike Elite Dual-Strike blaster
(SRP: $19.99/Available: Spring 2016)
Fires both Elite and MEGA darts
Selector switch to choose MEGA or Elite
6 dart capacity (includes 3 Elite darts and 3 MEGA darts)
Nerf and Dude Perfect Team Up for First Ever Crowdsourced Trick Video By Vas The Stampede
Dude Perfect and Nerf want YOUR sweet trick shot suggestions!
“Nerf is teaming up with Dude Perfect to create the first ever Nerf crowdsourced video featuring the N-Strike Elite Demolisher 2-in-1 blaster and the N-Strike Mega Thunderbow blaster. Nerf and Dude Perfect are asking Nerf Nation to suggest the stunts they want to see in the video by posting to Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter using the hashtag: #NERFPERFECT.” Get on it, Nerf Nation! I’ll see you back here once more info becomes available later today. And, #ThrowbackThursday – a few trick shots of my own from awhile back – http://youtu.be/FO5RAwm_Lbo
Nerf was awesome enough to send along some new video for a bit of an early release. While it covers some of the older products (Fusefire, Super Soakers, etc.) the big draw here is the Nerf N-Strike Mega Thunderbow and Nerf N-Strike EliteDemolisheralong with a peek at Dude Perfect, Nerf’s resident trick shot experts.
A good portion of the gamut of Nerf Life is evident here, from Zombie Strike to Super Soaker, though Nerf Dog and Nerf Rebelle may be getting videos of their own.
2014 is going to finish strong from the looks of it! What have you picked up from the new lineup? What do you plan to get?
(I’m… uh… waiting for them to show up on store shelves.)
Nerf Writeup from the American International Toy Fair in New York City, 2014 Vas The Stampede
Nerf N-Strike Elite, Nerf Rebelle, Nerf Sports, Super Soaker, Zombie Strike, Mega, 3rd party licensed electronics, Oh my!
(update!) Here’s a video of the Nerf Slingfire –
THE GALLERY:
https://photos.gstatic.com/media/slideshow.swf 2014 marked my 4th year attending the American International Toy Fair in New York City. I can’t believe it either, honestly. To walk that floor with all the brands, bigwigs, and toys, there’s almost nothing else like it. FAIR WARNING – I have a LOT to say in this post, so there’s a lot of reading (and some pics!) so more after the break –
This Fall will be a very interesting year for Nerf. The showroom had new entries for Nerf N-Strike Elite, Mega, Zombie Strike, and Rebelle. Information had been released leading up to the show (Nerf Zombie Strike Doublestrike, Nerf Cam ECS-12,Nerf Rebelle Agent Bow – Secrets & Spies, the Nerf Zombie Strke Slingfire, Nerf Demolisher 2 in 1, and Nerf Mega Thunderbow) and while all the speculation, wild chatter, and yea/nay can be fun, I always put the most weight when I have the blaster right in front of me. I already posted some firing videos on the F2A Facebook and Instagram feeds, but rest assured I have some high quality video too and that will go up on youtube shortly. As I stay at Toy Fair the whole time (it’s a lot of fun, seriously. I wouldn’t give it up for the world) there’s a lot to go through.
“Zombie Strike” and “Secrets and Spies” are Nerf’s attempts at telling a narrative, having a backstory to their blasters. These are also attempts to cash in on current pop culture (obviously) trends, but who can blame them? With certain TV shows being so popular and other game types, it was inevitable that Nerf would finally pick up on it and jump in.
Interesting note about the Rebelle for 2014 – compared to the naming schemes for last year, “Pink Crush, “Heartbreaker Bow”, and so on (I think the “Guardian” may have been the main exception) something changed. “Rapid Red”, “Agent Bow” indicate this, although “Diamondista” seems to carry over from last year. “Spylight” could just as easily have fit into the N-Strike line, though maybe as “SpylightFireUltraHyperShot REV-6.”
Word has it research showed girls imagined themselves as spies with last year’s blasters, hence the innovation towards decoders and things. Very retro tech, reminiscent of old sticker collection books I had back in the 80s.(I remember a Super Mario Bros. and Voltron one, specifically. They were awesome.)
If I can highlight some things about the Agent bow…
Integrated Pinpoint sight
It has an actual “nock” to hook onto the string, much detail, such archery. Wow.
It just looks great. Sleek and imposing even, and the bow arm mounted quiver is a really nice addition. (check the gallery).
I did ask to be shot with the Agent Arrows (under protest from my tour guide), but I had to be able to tell you what it’s like to be hit with them. Personally, I didn’t find it any worse than getting shot with a Mega Dart from a Centurion at point blank (ask BasicNerf). The heads are just as soft as Mega Dart whistler heads, the plastic shaft of the arrow is a non-issue (at least for me).
The Sweet Revenge was my favorite from last year, the Agent Bow might be my frontrunner out of Rebelle 2014.
Nerf N-Strike Elite though, is Nerf’s Flagship (at least in my estimation) line and the heavy hitters out of the gate are the Nerf Cam ECS-12 and the Nerf N-Strike Elite Demolisher 2 in 1.
The Nerf Cam ECS-12 is probably the most cost-prohibitive of the bunch. The MSRP is at $79.99, requires 8 AA batteries (flywheels + camera power), includes a 4 GB memory card, and is supposed to hit around 90-95′. A lot of Nerf players may already own GoPro cameras or have other arrangements by this point, so is that range bump enough to pour this much money into just one blaster? Especially given the camera is a 0.3 megapixels?
Nerf provided this video of the Cam(era), and it was honestly better than I expected.
But is it enough? We are still months from seeing a final form of this (in fact, all these blasters) so the jury is still out until the Fall release.
As for the Demolisher, the undermount alone is enough for me. Regrettably, it isn’t removable but it’s a step in that direction. It’s just odd that Nerf didn’t do thissoonerconsidering an undermounted removable missile has been available for some time now from another brand. While some folks also hate it is a triggerless system on the Demolisher’s mega missile launcher, I got a decent shot out of it, and the word says it will hit 50′ about. The Demolisher itself will hit approx. 90′.
So, Rebelle gets a makeover and a sweet bow, Elite gets a 90′ increase, that leaves Mega and Zombie Strike.
The Thunderbow is HUGE. About the size of my torso. And it will hit 100′. It primes like the Heartbreaker, actually. You pull back on the string, wait for the indicator to tell you you’ve pulled back enough (the arms pull back as well) and release, firing the Mega dart. You can do this up to 5 times before you are empty. Approximately 100′ out of it. My only complaint at this stage is somebody trying to pull a Legolas may suffer wear and tear on their fingers, as right now there is nothing covering the string where your fingers go.As someone who’s fired a lot of Zing arrows, I hope something gets put there before Fall, as the pull is pretty robust.
The Nerf Zombiestrike Slingfire? My favorite so far, simply because I can do this:
Whew! Alright, that’s the showroom.
ICYMI, 3rd party tech made a huge splash at Toy Fair for Nerf this year – Tek Strike is a 3rd party game/setup that promises hit tracking, and utilizes bluetooth connectivity and requires players to be more strategic as you need specialized Nerf darts to play. See my initial writeup HERE Without giving too much away, these folks at Eyespy have a wonderful idea right now, and plenty more wonderful ideas to follow up. I’ll be watching them closely, as I’m genuinely excited about seeing this product and on more than one occasion listening to their pitch I was left speechless. I do have a video that I need to edit as well, so expect that soon.
https://photos.gstatic.com/media/slideshow.swf And Sakar international/Vivitar had a series of cameras, walkie talkies, and more licensed to the Nerf brand… some of which falls in with the Nerf Rebelle Secrets & Spies theme –
https://photos.gstatic.com/media/slideshow.swf My press kit didn’t have much in the way of pricing yet, but I’m in contact with Sakar at the moment trying to get some info. According to the rep I spoke with at Toy Fair, a few of these items (including the hands-free walkie talkies) were pretty new, so the info was lacking. I’ll update this post as necessary! And when I have HQ videos.
Make sure to join the discussion at the F2A Facebook page and see more firing videos on my instagram feed.
I’m sure there’s plenty I’ve left out, so make sure to leave a comment if there’s something you’re curious about. ON THAT NOTE: No secret blaster. All the reveals had been done by this Toy Fair, so the Cam was probably the secret blaster at UK Toy Fair. No super secret sizzle video either like when the Hailfire was revealed. No new Nerf Dart Tag and now new Nerf N-Force (unless you want to count the Strikeblade, but that’s under the Zombie Strike brand.) While not outright saying the lines were defunct, there just aren’t any plans right now for either line, and that is indicated by the lack of new product for those lines as of New York Toy Fair.
Nerf Cam ECS (CS?) 12 Footage is live! This looks a bit better than the engadget post from a month or so ago, in that the video isn’t as pixelated (seemingly) as one might expect, and the camera seems to be insulated from the flywheels whirring much better than before.
And ICYMI:
NERF N-STRIKE ELITE NERF CAM ECS-12 Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $79.99/Available: Fall 14)
Epic NERF shots live on way past the initial blast with the N-STRIKE ELITE NERF CAM ECS-12 blaster! Giving NERF fans the innovation and connectivity they crave, the NERF CAM ECS-12 blaster allows them to capture and share footage of epic battles and missions. The first NERF blaster to feature a built in camera, the NERF CAM ECS-12 blaster sends N-STRIKE ELITE darts flying up to an impressive 90 feet, records awesome NERF missions and lets NERF fans display them instantly on the playback screen or download them to share with friends for major bragging rights. Blaster includes a 4GB memory card which can hold up to 2,000 photos or 3 hours of video, 1.77” color screen, 12 dart clip and 12 N-STRIKE ELITE darts. Eight AA batteries required, not included. Available at most major retailers nationwide and HasbroToyShop.com.
Fresh from the Nerf Showroom at New York Toy Fair! Thanks to the Toy Spy for these exclusive images! I visit the Hasbro showroom tomorrow when the fair opens, so expect more coverage including videos/photos/and more pictures! Click on the pics for more info from the press releases/previous reveals. I expect to have a proper press release on the Attacknids/Combat Creatures after tomorrow.
Once again! These pics came from Toy Spy! I’ll have my own info up later this week. These images came from a separate event, and Toy Fair itself doesn’t start until tomorrow.
Nerf N-Strike Elite Cam CS-12 and the Nerf Demolisher! (click for more info)
Dartblaster.de saw this at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, here’s the press release from Nerf!
NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE DOUBLESTRIKE Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 14)
When zombies are on the loose, double dart firing power is a necessity. Load two ZOMBIE STRIKE darts into the DOUBLESTRIKE blaster, pull back on the hammer mechanism, and fire to unleash both darts in a row! Blaster includes two ZOMBIE STRIKE darts. Available at most retailers nationwide and Hasbrotoyshop.com.
“Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war…” – Julius Caesar: Act 3, Scene 1, page 13
And Engadget sure did. They posted Yet Another Nerf Exclusive and it was the N-Strike Elite NERF Cam ECS-12 Blaster. No press release, but as discussed on my Facebook page (join the conversation! “Like” me!) here is the story so far:
Integrated camera (!) – 0.3 megapixels (urk) at 20 fps(urkx2), comes with 4 GB SD card (ok).
MSRP: $75 (?!)
8 (!?!) AA batteries (4 for the camera, 4 for the blaster)
Flywheels (dat accelerator trigger)/semiauto (but looks like aRapidstrike, no?)
Allegedly hits up to 90′ (probably angled)
Photo courtesy of engadget. Opted for this one because it’s the real life prototype they used. Final will have a clear magazine and blue trim.
That being said, let’s get some quick thoughts down:
Holy carp, $75? The biggest complaint I’ve been receiving is that is just too much $$$ for a camera that isn’t even a single megapixel. Furthermore, even if it is for kids (which it is), that’s a lot for an 8 year old’s toy who either has a mobile device of some sort or some other camera in this day and age. Even if it is integrated, that price is so darn high against other tech toys with better resolution. Regardless of the blaster hitting 90′ (the Elite line originally touted 75′ ranges) I can’t see telling anyone to pay for the camera AND blaster when the camera is of such low quality. Engadget’s piece also has a video, and…. well, I hope the camera gets an improvement from this prototype to the final version. The flywheels and camera each require 4 AA batteries, so there’s an additional cost right there.
Also, the proximity of the camera to the motors. The engadget video illustrates it perfectly: “VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR” is what I heard.
Otherwise, the aesthetics and power boost (hopefully) are the better parts I can see about this blaster. While I can’t advocate strapping an expensive iPhone or iPod Touch to the top of your blaster (personally, I use a GoPro, but that’s me. Yes, maybe the camera will provide a tactical advantage cornering and yes, the camera integrated into the shell is more streamline, but a Rapidstrike is considerably less and full auto. If you need practice with trigger control, then this is more your style unless you would rather get a Stryfe.
So I’m ambivalent about this blaster. I want to love the way it looks, but I don’t know if that’s enough for me. For $75 I could buy a Rapidstrike or Stryfe and extra darts. I can remove whatever camera I’m using to put on other blasters or for a project unrelated to Nerf. But for the Nerf Cam? Thumb middle of the road until the final version. Hopefully this will be available at New York Toy Fair, and I’ll get a better look then.
UK Nerf, was able to try them out. Make sure to read the entire report, but here are some choice bits:
About the Slingfire: “About the same size as the Sledgefire and roughly the same weight. This was designed to be used one handed so the balance is spot on. You can flick it to prime it and it lands neatly in your hand so rapid fire with this technique would be possible with a little practice, keeping the other hand free for a secondary or to reload.”
The Demolisher:
” The Grenade launcher is not detachable, nor can it be without a lot of work (as far as I could see). It is fairly heavily integrated into the shell and I think if it were removable, simply using it would wrench it off the rail anyway.” Word has it the Demolisher may be full auto due to the popularity of the Rapidstrike, so that remains to be seen.
Go read the rest if you want to know more! It sounds promising though, and I am looking forward to getting a turn at these come New York Toy Fair. UK Nerf mentions a total of 10 releases, so it’s bound to be a busy year. No word on N-Force or Dart Tag though, we’ll have to wait and see.
I’d really love to say more and speculate, but honestly there’s not much to say without the blasters. It’s a little weird to see the Thunderbow reliant on the bow arm as part of the priming mech, unlike the Big Bad Bow or BnA, where the bow arms were extraneous. The Demolisher is going to be fun I think, and I really want to know if the diameter of the missile is the same as the Mega darts. I strongly think the Rebelle Agent Bow is going to be the dark horse of the new releases, with the new arrows (tipped something like ball, per UK Nerf). Anyway, have fun with the info! It looks like Hasbro didn’t allow video or photos at all in their showroom hence the lack of images and photos from anybody. UK Nerf does have some new angles though. Thanks to them for taking time out of their lives to make the trip!
Foam From Above 
