Review: Mattel BoomCo – F2A First Impressions on the Rapid Madness

BoomCo Rapid Madness First Thoughts!

(Recorded this late last night while I was putting together the review – I picked the blaster up late at Target, it was a surprise to see it, will update with a better video once I am rested and have better light. In the meantime, here are some pictures:

Hey everyone! So I picked up the BoomCo Rapid Madness last night. Enjoy the gallery –

The BoomCo shield is removable, and the pump is double action!

https://photos.gstatic.com/media/slideshow.swf

Price: $49.99 (!?)

Includes:
Rapid Madness x 1
Darts x 30
Throwable “Round” x 1
Shield x 1
Target board x 1; Instructions x 1

Impressions!
 
BoomCo is Mattel’s foray into toy blasters. They don’t use foam darts, and the big gimmick is this “sticky technology” on the dart tips that are specially formulated to react and stick to specifically developed targets. It’s a huge line, and coming from one of the top toy makers in the world, is it enough to challenge Nerf, a brand that has become eponymous with toys that shoot darts and other projectiles?

In the past, many other brands have come and go – Light Strike, Max Force, gel shooters, and so on. The difference here is Mattel is much bigger than the other companies trying to broach the blaster market in the past. They have deep pockets for R&D and Marketing which really help getting your brand and toy noticed.  

“Sticky” technology, you say? According to Mattel’s techs, they formulated the rubber/polymer/whatever on the darts to only react/stick to the specially designed targets. And they do! It’s amazing! It could theoretically make hit-tracking and scorekeeping much easier depending on what rules/gametype you, the player, devise. And it’s a strong grip, too. Any other surface/material and the darts just bounce.HOWEVER – CAVEAT – the stickiness will fade if not maintained; you have to rinse the darts regularly or use tape to remove debris. Have no fear, the instructions have…. instructions on how to do this. The Round included is entirely composed of the sticky material, which…. gives me some scenario-style ideas. But more on that as the line develops.

The darts themselves are constructed of a thick straw-like plastic, topped with the sticky material. I don’t have a scale to tell you a difference in the weight of these darts vs. foam. If I had to attest to durability, I’d rather take the darts out to a game rather than hypothesize, and see the attrition that way. The foam darts are definitely thicker, and you can find a pretty good overview at UKNERF..

The dart was fine!

Let’s look at the BoomCo Rapid Madness. At $49.99 + tax, I was a little leery about buying it. There are/were numerous blasters of similar function in the past (Magstrike, Powerclip for starters) but they were also pre-Elite and at most were hitting 20-30′, probably. The Rapid Madness outdoes that with 50′ in range (see the video above!). It also comes with a shield, a target, and a throwable projectile (see previous paragraph).

The Rapid Madness! (Shield is attached and closed up)

The “Round” – both halves stick together when they are pressed, they separate for easy cleaning.

Functionally speaking, we’ve been there, done that. Pump the blaster (at most) 18 times (a double-action pump no less), pull the trigger, and point where you want to unleash your straw/rubber-sticky doom. The only difference in this instance is the 50′ in range vs. maybe 30′ in earlier blasters. It’s this similarity though that makes me question the price, even with the extras included.

The blaster is fully automatic, so it is definitely a spray and pray kind of experience. I found myself wanting to use a grip with my offhand besides the pump, but there really isn’t another place on the barrel that seemed like a good fit. Aiming from the shoulder also seemed improper because of the nature of the blaster, so I actually found shooting from the waist better, again with the spray and pray idea. The double action nature of the blaster’s pump might make it feel slower to refill with air, and depending on your play style this may or may not be your cup of tea. Once your first salvo is out…. MOVE. However, as you can see in the (newly added) video, doing bursts of darts isn’t too hard with the Rapid Madness.

The shield mounts on the barrel and deploys at the press of a button. Even though there is a sort of iron sight on it I felt like the shield made aiming a bit more difficult, which made shooting from the hip even more preferable. In fact, like the Nerf Stampede shield I felt better just having it off. I also don’t think the blaster is for lefties, since the clip loads from the left of the barrel and has to be inserted that way due to the arrow guides. There was a bit of the blaster near the grip that would dig into my hand as well, whether that is because of the design for kids or a flaw in construction I am not sure.

The blaster itself had a separation in the shell already as well –

The shell seemed a bit opened here.

But it worked and as the video shows, the volley needed some dialing in but otherwise it worked pretty well. When I have some time (and daylight) to update the video outside to check max range, I will. The pump felt durable and sturdy, as did the rest of the blaster (something you can expect when a company like Mattel is doing the building.) My nephew (he’s 11) thought it looked pretty cool, and got a kick out of shooting it.

When it boils down to it, what are we looking at? The Rapid Madness is expensive for a mechanic we’ve already seen elsewhere. It requires stocking up on Yet Another Ammo Type, and even then the BoomCo ammo gimmick may fade out over time and leave you with darts that do little else but bounce like any other darts but at a premium price (for the blasters that launch them, if not the darts themselves.) However the range is on par with the current market of available blasters (at least, until certain 90-100′ blasters hit shelves later this year) and honestly they do look pretty slick and futuristic. The sticky tech sounds like it’ll be a lot of fun to play around with and I’m willing to give the line a chance and see where they go. If you want to try something new maybe give this a look. But with its price maybe check out some of the lower priced blasters before you go with the Rapid Madness. Honestly, of all the blasters in the line, I wish I had found the Twisted Spinner first, based on the uniqueness of the blaster alone.

Thoughts? Questions? Let me know in the comments! NOTE: I moderate comments, so if they don’t show up right away, don’t worry about resubmitting! I will get there and read them. 🙂

TOY Review: Zing Toys Sky Gliderz!

Includes:
Rip Zip Launcher x 1
Zing Gliderz x 2
MSRP: $15.99
Range: 120 feet (approximate)

 

Operating instructions
 Ok! Let’s take a look at some high-flying insanity from Zing Toys in the form of their Blast Off Sky Gliderz! Similar to the Sky Ripperz in launching mechanics, but vastly different in ammo. Where the Sky Rippers have that front heavy foam head attached to a plastic/paper shaft, the Sky Gliderz are foam-winged…. well, gliderz. They’re shaped like planes (and the wings are adjustable, you DID watch the video at the beginning, right?) but launch off the Rip Zip Launcher the same; simply hook in, pull back, a little elevation helps, and let go.
This review is a little different than most of the ones for this blog, because the toy in question shoots but for a vastly different purpose. It’s a glider, a model(ish) plane, something that simulates the fun you’d have out of flying a paper airplane and then some (maybe.) It’s not for target shooting, and the design makes it so that isn’t something to expect you can do. You just pull back, let go, and enjoy the show.
I set out a target to check the range, but with all the looping/zooming around in a variety of directions, it just wasn’t the right criteria to look for. As the box instructs, elevation, firing technique, and wing position can all dictate how/where your gliderz fly. In my case, the gliderz would loop around once (whistling through the air) and take a flight path that landed it about 90-180 degrees from where I originally aimed. As you can tell in the video, it was tough to capture on film. And I made sure, given the unpredictable nature of gliders in general + the power zing uses for most of their toys, this particular toy needed space. Like an open field. 
Like I said, predicting where the Zing Sky Gliderz is one of the more fun/whimsical (depending on your perspective) aspects of the toy. It gets long range for sure (after some wing bending) but where you’re going to have to walk to pick it up is another question. Maybe you’ll figure out how to launch the Sky Gliderz in such a way you can fly between bottles, but in my opinion, the most fun to be had is just to keep it simple and let the gliderz fly where they may.
Depending on how far you pull back on the Rip Zip Handle, that will determine the distance and speed of your launch, and whether you’ll hear that amazing whistle as it zips around you, or a slow, easygoing cruise down to the ground.
So yeah, while the Sky Ripperz have range, they behave in a predictable linear pattern. They’re satisfying to pull back and see how far they go. The Sky Gliderz are plenty of fun watching just how nuts they go, and worth a look when you’re outside this summer. Just make sure if you take’em to a picnic that you have A LOT OF SPACE around you, and do be careful if you make it circle around yourself, in case the Gliderz get a little close. However, that is definitely a trick shot you can’t claim with a lot of other toys.
Questions? Comments? Leave one! Thanks to Zing Toys for the samples, and take care!
Stampede

TOY REVIEW: VMD Cannon Commando – Skyrocket Toys



BASIC STATS:

  • 16 shot turret
  • Includes 24 darts
  • Requires 6 x AA batteries for tank, 1 x 9v for remote (batteries not included).
  • Ages 8+
  • MSRP: $39.99
  • Available now at major retailers.
  • Range: 50 max. at lowest angle, 20′-30′ at highest
  • Fired Nerf brand streamlines (elite, suction cup, zombiestrike) as well as included darts.  Did NOT launch Buzz Bee or “extreme air zone” darts.
Includes: Remote, darts, Cannon Commando, and tailpiece for stability. (GoPro Mount is my own)

The turret raises/lowers manually.

Dart comparison between VMD darts (far left) and other brands.

Tail piece to prevent the VMD from tipping backward (optional).

Tank treads made driving through gravel and some grass ok, directions note DO NOT drive through heavily loose ground, as this may interfere with motorized internals.

Thanks to Skyrocket Toys for the sample! (All opinions are my own.) So I’ve seen the Cannon Commando before, but this is the first time I’ve actually been able to check it out for myself. Click Click BAMF did a review of their own, so feel free to check that out. As for my my own thoughts, they follow below.

FIRST: The VMD is obviously remote controlled. There are 3 frequencies (A, B, and C) that it uses to sync a VMD Tank unit with the control. There is a switch on the control, and a similar switch on the underside of the tank. This is to help 3 people each with a Cannon Commando each use theirs to shoot independently. I am not sure if more than 3 at one time is possible, though. And you set the frequency when you turn on the Cannon Commando, so it is not possible to hijack another player’s tank mid-game by flipping the switch on your controller.

You fire the VMD by flipping the “armed” switch cover to reveal the “arm” switch underneath, and flip that to light up the red skull on the control. Press down the top right bumper switch on the control, and you can fire away. Firing AND moving isn’t built in the functions though, one function or the other at a time.

The VMD also has to be aimed manually. You set the angle you want to fire, and then drive around. the lowest angle would hit around 50′ (the video above is set in a high wind, fair warning) while the highest elevation reduced range to about 20′-30′. Also, this is a flywheel blaster (see the above breakdown at the beginning of the article for what darts did/did not work) so launching a variety of darts is a bit easier than with a blaster that uses a magazine. They market this as one of the hardest firing launchers out there, and it’s true (stock). There is definitely some pop in the flywheel launcher, more than I initially expected when I first saw this. Definitely a lot of surprise in such a little package.
 
Reloading the VMD is a bit tricky, from what I could tell the dart cylinder doesn’t pop out, so you have to manually (and somewhat gently) rotate the chambers if you choose to reload darts that way. Besides the rotation mechanism though, the rest of the tank feels pretty solid in construction. It’s hefty, and the treads are a decent rubber. As you can see it rolled along on pavement pretty quickly, and low grass wasn’t a problem. I really wish it could aim with the remote, but chances are that would have taken it above the attractive $40 price tag.

While this isn’t the normal type of dart shooter and maybe not one I’d use for a normal running around type of dart blaster game, I still found it a lot of fun to play with and there are some interesting ideas I have to use this for in the coming weeks. For a motorized dart launcher with a lot of replay value, I think this is worth the $40. In the office, at home, or just because, definitely worth a look! 

Review: The Ultimate Nerf Blaster Book (POW! Publishing)

NERF: The Ultimate Blaster Book by Nathaniel Marunas, published by POW!


There have been plenty of reviews already on this book, but what’s one more? Licensed by Nerf and developed/researched for some time by Mr. Marunas (note the shoutout to the collectors/other sites out there, which includes Adult Fans of Nerf) he went to Hasbro HQ and the internet to gather what info he could and consolidate the information as best he can. But with as many companies that owned the Nerf brand (Larami, Park Brothers, and so on) over the years, that’s 40+ years of history in foam.

Now right off, this is a kid’s book. It’s intended audience is for the 8+ crowd and even though there are mch older players everywhere, this book is for kids! There’s a brief history of the brand from the beginning, but this is in no way an omnibus of the entire armory of Nerf blasters from day 1. He mentions the early days, the creation of the foam ball which led to the development of the first blaster and some of the various types of ammo (including the first mega darts) from over the years,but the majority of the book’s blaster listings are for N-Strike blasters from 2004 to the present.

The book does include six exclusive N-Strike Elite camo darts in the cover as well, in case you need to protect yourself while reading. 🙂

The book explains different types of Nerf ammo, both discontinued and current. Mega Darts to Vortex discs, and everything in between. Each chapter separates the blasters by “classes” such as Light, Medium, Heavy, accessories, each page giving the technical specs of some blasters. It doesn’t go into exhaustive detail about different paintjobs/schemes (unless you count the Lumitron vs the Praxis, which is listed here, and the red strike series gets a shoutout next to the Longshot.) It also introduces common lingo/terms to someone who may not be familiar with blasters, explaining direct plungers, priming a blaster, and so on.

Either way, this technical info is good for the kids and their parents to help them understand the different types of blasters and why a dart tag dart won’t work inside an N-Strike magazine. Ranges don’t differentiate angled/flat, but the release date info and measurements are nice little touches and trivia.

The best part for ME, as an older Nerf enthusiast, is the timeline and design process pages.

The above page even explains the “Javelin” hullabaloo. These pages are by far the most intriguing thing about the book for me, having met designers and wondering about just how they conceive the ideas and test these blasters, and how long it takes to hit production. To know where we’re going, I like to see where we’ve been.

The book carries on its “intro to Nerf” feel by also including a few pages of gametypes –

And yes, you may play differently. These are guidelines, by no means are they law. Enjoy your games as you want to play, and let those who like what you do join in. BUT, it helps to also have some rules you may not have considered before!

OVERALL, is this worth the $20? part of me says the older fans have nothing to get out of it besides a couple of pages. BUT for the kids, the future of the hobby, this is a good buy for them. Big bold pictures, easy to follow, and darts. It’d be a great gift for the upcoming Easter baskets (if you celebrate) or just because they are all about their new active way to play. Also, the book sells, it’d show there’s a market for it, and there could be more like this in the future!

Either way, borrow your friend’s, have a quick look at the book store (they still have those, right?) and give this at least a glance. If you get it for your younger relatives, you can always borrow it.

Take it easy!
Stampede.

Monday Funday: ZipStix From Hog Wild (Game, not Nerf)

Gratuitous glamor shot of the ZipStix.
 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. 
Prices taken from the HogWild Toys site here:
The ZipStix Mega Pack – $21.95.

ZipStix Dual Pack – $6.95.
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!