Happy new year!!

A Year Under the Barrel II: Nerf and other related foam blasters in 2010

What at year. So much has changed and happened this year, both in regards to this blog, other blogs, and playing with Foam Blasters. Nerf, Lanard, and BuzzBee remain major players but when there’s this kind of buzz the true winners are the end users, you and me that head to the stores to see what’s new.

For at least the last 2 years, FoamFromAbove (and other sites, as I’m sure you’ve heard) started working with Nerf, releasing official press releases and information as it comes down the pipe. What this means though is you won’t catch rumors, pictures, and vids of stuff that has not officially come from those we work with, or even mods to said blasters. That’s why I was able to put out pics of the original clear series last year before they fully hit stores(

From Recently Updated

)

and the initial US shots of the Stampede back in July at a media-only release event: (FFA IZ MEDIA)

http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

Two years running now, and the champs from last year repeated! Who’da thunk? Here’s hoping there’s a year 3, and good luck to NARF at getting another shot! (I’m from IL, I support the hometown guys!)

Not to say BuzzBee’s been quiet on their end, either! Some of the more notable releases this year had to be the

Hunter

The Powerstrike

And most recently, the Hawk. (Check out http://nerfornothing.blogspot.com for images!)

And what about 2011? See me again in January, and we’ll talk then! Some pretty big news in the works, and hopefully some tweaks to the site itself. In the meantime, thank you so much for your patronage, and visiting this little blog about silly toys and blasters.

Oh, and my fave blaster of 2010? The Stampede was close, but I think the barricade might have stolen the year for me. Anyone who has seen “Hard-Boiled” with Chow-Yun Fat knows exactly what I’m talking about.

‘Til next time, remember to throw your blaster games how you wanna throw’em, and let the attendees sort it out.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

P.S. I ignored commenting at length on the lawsuit Hasbro/Nerf filed on competitors BuzzBee and Lanard, as I’m really not qualified to do so. Hasbro won, and I’ll leave it at that.

Random blaster test video!

The video explanation pretty much sums it up; Buzz Bee toys sent over a Thunderbolt for me to test and have a look at (they also sent a Belt Blaster; video on that later!) In case you were wondering what it is like right out of the box, here you go! Also featured; the Nerf Barrel Break IX-2 (purchased), Buzz Bee’s Ultimate Missile Blast (not sent, this one was out of pocket), and Zyphoon’s version of a ring shooter. Enjoy!

Hey chicago! Who owns harry potter laser tag wands?

New Nerf blaster: Spectre Rev-5!

Alright, the N-Strike Rev-5 has been out for a good long while now and I’ve finally gotten my hands on it. Looking at this thing right out of the box, you’re looking at somewhere between 20-35′ range so there’s that question. However, the bread and butter of this thing is the streamlining between this and the maverick as you’ll see in the photos.

Now, the Rev-5 functions just like the Maverick Rev-6 and the Recon CS-6 as far as the priming mech, there’s a slide on the top of the blaster that you pull back, and it readies the shot. HOWEVER, unlike the Maverick the Spectre rotates every time you prime the blaster, not every time you pull the trigger. The action feels a bit tighter as a result and dare I say it I think it shoots farther than the maverick as a result.

The whole blaster feels more streamlined, between losing one chamber and everything in general it’s a smaller feel, even with the stock and silencer on it. Don’t think for a second though that fitting into the holster of the Nerf Tactical vest probably didn’t play some role in this little piece of ingenuity.

The stock and the silencer; don’t bother. The stock’s super flimsy (although the flip-out motion is cool) and the silencer’s just another faux barrel. But it looks cool too, so if that’s your thing then don’t let this reviewer stop you. In fact, here’re some shots to show you how other things look on it:

I have a minimalist perspective on these matters though… so I like this:

But yeah, I definitely dig the feel of this blaster in its stripped-down configuration and the range is right where I think a sidearm (especially one that doesn’t need extra mags) should be. Even if you have a maverick and a recon, this just might offer enough from using each to be worth your while. Minus the extra round, the mobility and range offered is enough to tilt my opinion of the blaster towards yes. Too often I find my mags run out, but then I have a Firefly handy, or when it was on me, the Spectre.

Now, about the barricade…? ANOTHER TIME!

How about a size comparison photo?

Spectre vs. Crossfire vs. Maverick vs. Triple Torch

ATTENTION HOLIDAY SHOPPERS: NERF STAMPEDE ECS VALUE PACK

http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

If you haven’t found your way to a Costco yet, you might want to make a point of doing that pretty soon. The Nerf Stampede was reported there in a special bundle!

For the relatively similar price you’d get at Target or Wal-Mart you get 4 (instead of 3) 18 round magazines, 2 (instead of 1) 6 round magazines, a bandolier AND carrying strap, 100 darts and the Stampede/shield/bipod. Batteries still not included. HOWEVER, quantities were limited, so make sure to call ahead if your store has any left. GET ON IT!

Just tried buying a sonic series nitefinder and could not! Proper release date is tomorrow!