Thanks to HogWild Toys for these fun samples of the ZipStix! Let’s mix things up with these tabletop construction/destruction toys, and take a closer look. You can build your own trick setups using the ramp, quarter pipe, cones, and launchers available in the separate kits, from starter packs to the Mega Pack. Each pack has everything you need to start launching, including ZipStix, Launchers, and cones. The ramp and quarter pipe are sold in the larger kits, but they add another level of complexity and air time to your launches. The sets have an MSRP of $3.99 to $19.99, and after you start launching, I’ll admit it’s a lot of fun setting up a target and then knocking it back down.
The ZipStix themselves are essentially stronger slap bracelets- they flex and click straight, then pressing the ZipStix will make it curl up and spring about. The Launcher hooks the ZipStix, giving it a direction to go. Simple, and straightforward, and actually a bit of fun. If you think about it, you’re not limited to those options either. I have to put the video together, but if you throw a straightened ZipStix in a particular manner, it will bounce up.Even though you already will have plenty to do setting up and launching, there are plenty more ways to play long after the inital purchase. Keeping everything together is pretty easy too, I like to stack my cones all together, and then snap the ZipStix around the top cone, making a cone tree of sorts with a ZipStix topper 🙂
This isn’t a blaster/game review, but it’s nice to mix things up now and again and I did have some fun playing/setting these up. My nephew (seen below) is 10 and had a good time aiming these around as well. The cones are light, so crashing the ZipStix through them is a pretty satisfying experience, even if you spend a good amount of time picking up/setting up the cones. However, for those of us used to picking up darts/loading large quantities of magazines, this shouldn’t be too different. 🙂
The price range of the kits is decent, but I will admit the $21.95 did make me double take a bit. However, if you are a completionist and want to explore all avenues of building different courses/shots/targets/tricks, it’ll probably be worth the money just to see the height the ZipStix get when you shoot them. As time permits, maybe I’ll do some future trick shots with these to show you what I come up with. Definitely a fun time to play with though.
Thanks to HogWild Toys for the sample, it was nice to try something different! I’ll be back next time with the more traditional programming (VMD, Super Soakers, Next Generation Toys, etc.) are on-deck, and I’ll have more then.
’til next time!
The Setup! Stack your cones and then bring them crashing down when you launch the ZipStix though them (or try to launch them over, whichever tickles your fancy). In use, the kicker ramp from the Stunt Pack. Flip it for another angle to use!
Box art for the Stunt Pack – $10.95
Different designs for a good number of ZipStix, you can make a whole collection of them.
Cones for targets, ramps for added hilarity.
The best part is, make up your own rules as well! Maybe you don’t want to to use the cones?
Step 1: lock a ZipStix into the launcher.
Aim!
Press on the end of the ZipStix to make it curl up just a bit, getting it ready to launch, then let go to see it fly!
As has been heavily covered already (seriously, I’m basically the last one to post about this), Mattel’s jumping into the blaster market (again!) with a product calledBOOMco. I heard rumblings about this at New York Toy Fair, amidst other companies and apparently the group at dartblaster.de heard about it during the International Toy Fair Nürnberg. Not having anything solid to go by, I haven’t been able to say much at all about it. Mattel was also booked solid by the time I found out, so I wasn’t able to bug them.
Clipstrike – Cause it has a carabiner! A belt clip! Geddit? It also looks like it folds up, no?
The Farshot (shield deployed)
No cross-branding here! Dart refills (w/Smart-Stic Tech) look longer than Nerf darts, most likely not compatible.
Dual Defender pack
Rapid Madness!
Additional targets & other accessories (see below) will be for sale
Twisted Spinner blaster – NOT to be confused with a dilophosaur.
First things first. No relation –
All joking aside, I’m a bit surprised and really interested at Mattel even getting near blasters again. I want to expect a knock-down, drag-out slugfest of innovation in blasters now that 2 of the top toy makers out there are on a collision course. They rule the roost with Barbie and Monster High, have some great games with Uno and Apples to Apples, but blasters and playing with blasters has been synonymous with Nerf. The other brands (not necessarily blasters) on the market are carving a great niche (Zing, Marshmallow Shooters, Power Poppers, Tek Recon come to mind) but admittedly, a blaster brand/company with the resources and deep pockets like Mattel has been long missing. Nerf, long synonymous with blasters for many years might have that challenger.
One thing I can tell, not all the blasters are triggered. The Twisted Spinner blaster isn’t, and has a… different kind of rotation mech. The Rapid Madness does have a trigger though, but it also uses a clip reminiscent of a Powerclip/Magstrike (additional clips are sold separately).
Some quick specs:
– Blasters should hit around 70′ (not sure if this is for all of them, but it’s claims are close to N-Strike Elite) – Darts use “Smart Stick” Tech to show hits, supposed to be used with the shields/targets that also stick to surfaces. As shown in the videos, the targets can be worn on clothes to optimize stickability. – Eye protection, 2 in 1 bandolier, extra darts, targets, and clips will be sold separately. – The shields are used to protect and collect, catch your opponent’s darts so you can fire them back. I guess that helps cut down on dart sweeps…. maybe? The shields are fixed to the blasters via tactical rail. – Interesting bit, if you watch the videos from the pros in their interviews, one of them mentions how you don’t really know where the darts are going, adding to the satisfaction when you DO get a hit. Testament to the accuracy? Who knows. Honestly, that won’t be a confirmed thing until these come out Summer 2014. – Mattel looks to be going big – Nerfnation meet the BOOMco League (and win a “Boom Box” while you’re there.)
Mattel has a reputation for putting out strong, quality products. Can’t attest that the reputation upholds though until these are out. The videos however make a good number of promises, and I will admit with Mattel’s name involved, I am just a touch less skeptical than I would normally be. Given the past incarnations of sticky ammo from other brands though, I wonder how those new darts will work on cloth and skin. But wondering is about all I can do, along with the rest of you, until these come out and hopefully I can get my hands on them. BUT, with the possible competitiveness between these two powerhouse toy companies… I truly hope it’s us the consumers who win out. With each trying to outdo the other we might see some of the best blasters to date in performance, quality, and features.
Not the Nerf Attacknid coming out this Fall 2014 (for $79.99) but a much larger version! If there’s one thing to take away from this video, eye protection is always important. (Although, when the darts are the size of pool noodles, maybe a full mask might be good.)
This version is the current original version out there, and the Nerf version will have a few differences. Click Click BAMF did some initial investigative work, so have a look there as well!
So, there are some constants to New York Toy Fair, and Marshmallow Shooters is another one of those brands who keeps chugging along. Every year there’s something new, and this year they revealed a few things. Now, in my opinion they most famously have many repaints of existing models, but given the circumstances, I don’t mind in this case. They landed the Ghostbusters license, so the next round of Marshmallow Shooters are going to look fresh out of 1984 (Happy 30th Anniversary to “The Ghostbusters” and it’s a sad thing that Harold Ramis had to pass away this year. As a fan of his work, I couldn’t believe it when I first heard it. But that is a whole different blog post. If you missed out on the original Ghostbusters pop guns back in the day, maybe these will take the edge off. But at the very least, it’ll be for a new generation.
Ghostbusters paintjobs for Marshmallow Shooters
A concept image of an upcoming Marshmallow shooter. Think… scattergun. Scattermallows. Something like that.
A Beaver Blaster. Not only will it shoot Marshmallows, but it is supposed to also have a foam ball.
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.
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $29.99/Available: Fall 14)
The NERF REBELLE AGENT BOW is perfect for high-profile missions that require accuracy and skill. Release the string and watch as the first ever Nerf Rebelle foam arrows soar up to 85 feet across the sky making a whistling sound! For added precision, the AGENT BOW features an electronic glowing red dot that provides better aiming accuracy with every shot. The NERF REBELLE AGENT BOW comes with three secret message foam arrows, a separate decoder, and a detachable quiver. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 14k)
Even top spies love to be stylish while on a top secret mission. The NERF REBELLE DIAMONDISTA crossbow is a must-have for spy situations that require elegance with an edge. The crossbow sparkles with studs and glitter to ensure you’re ready for every fashionista mission. Simply load the dart blaster, pull the string back and press the trigger for realistic crossbow action, sending darts up to 75 feet. The NERF REBELLE DIAMONDISTA blaster comes with a separate decoder and three darts, including two “Secret Message” re-writable darts. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.
NERF REBELLE MESSENGER Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $14.99/Available: Fall 14)
The best spy missions need to be carefully executed and planned and the NERF REBELLE MESSENGER blaster allows for stealth action. Send secret messages to your friend that no one else can read! Simply write your message on the dart with the special pen hidden in the blaster handle and then launch your message up to 75 feet! Since the text is only visible through the decoder and a special red lens on the blaster, nobody else will know your next step! This 3-shot blaster includes a recipient double decoder, concealable invisible ink marker, and 5 “Secret Message” darts. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.
NERF REBELLE RAPID RED Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $29.99/Available: Fall 14)
Mission: Spy Showdown. The NERF REBELLE RAPID RED blaster is the must-have accessory for the quickest spy around. This high-capacity motorized blaster features a 12 dart clip for rapid-fire action with darts soaring up to 75 feet! Not only will you have a super quick NERF REEBELLE blaster, but the RAPID RED blaster also features an integrated decoder to quickly access any secret messages sent your way. The NERF REBELLE RAPID RED blaster comes with twelve darts including six “Secret Message” darts and a separate decoder for your friend. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.
NERF REBELLE SPYLIGHT Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Fall 14)
Keep your spy missions going, anytime of day! The NERF REBELLE SPYLIGHT blaster features a detachable flashlight to put the spotlight on your targets or to help you light up the scene as you conduct your mission. Featuring a 6-shot rotating barrel, you will be ready to take fire at any time and sends darts up to 75 feet! This blaster also features a secret compartment in the handle that stores two darts for unplanned last minute shots! The NERF REBELLE SPYLIGHT blaster comes with an integrated decoder in the barrel, separate decoder, and six darts including three “Secret Message” darts. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.
NERF REBELLE Arrow Refill Pack
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $8.99Available: Fall 14)
Always have extra arrows on hand with the NERF REBELLE Arrow Refill Pack! Each refill pack comes with 3 colorful whistling foam arrows that soar up to 85 feet each. Load your bow (sold separately) and make your mark! Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.
Not actual size of darts; this was part of the display.
NERF REBELLE SECRETS & SPIES Dart Refill Pack
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $7.99Available: Fall 14)
When the mission calls for secrets to be sent and shared, the NERF REBELLE SECRETS & SPIES Dart Refill Pack has everything needed to create secret messages. Each refill pack includes 8 re-writeable darts, a pen, and a message decoder for friends to discover the secret messages. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.
Enjoy! I’ll get together a more detailed breakdown later this week.
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.
GEAR REVIEW: Spy Gear Sonic Distractors – Thanks to Spin Master Toys for the sample! The opinions and thoughts are my own, however.
MSRP: $9.99 Available: Now Range: As far as you can throw it
Includes: 2 x Sonic Distractor spheres (1 black, 1 grey – 4 different sounds apiece. See the video for the different sounds) 1 x belt clip/holder
This is an interesting little gadget from Spy Gear. Relatively inexpensive (some stores have them on clearance), and in the right scenario/gametype, maybe these would be of some use if you have a particularly sneaky style of play.
2 spheres, and you hold the button down to trigger a timer, and after a few seconds the distractor makes 1 of 4 noises. If you can remember the sequence of the noises on each sphere, you can readily select which one you’re using (birds cawing, a cat yeowling, laser blasts) but in some instances maybe just a sudden noise of any kind would be enough).
Maybe even a game like this:
I didn’t whip these around on concrete (also I would NOT suggest throwing these at people) so I couldn’t tell you how durable they are from a dropped height. I believe ideally you would roll these into position to use them, though rather than throw them around. They are of a hard plastic construction so they would definitely bounce around. Still, the amount of sound effects available, the compact build, included holster, and easy to use button are nice little touches.
You might even find these on clearance at the moment, so if you have the right group and location, these could be a handy fun roleplay (spy vs counterspy, thief vs guard) element for your game types. What do you think? Would you try them?
“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.
Foam From Above 
