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Nerf Fall 2018 Press Kit (From Toy Fair 2018)

Just to make it easier to find, here’s the press info from Toy Fair 2018 Nerf blasters, Nerf Nitro, Super Soaker, and more are all posted here.

The Fall 2018 N-STRIKE ELITE line includes: 

NERF N-STRIKE ELITE INFINUS Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $69.99/Available: Fall 2018) Load and fire fast with the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE INFINUS blaster! The INFINUS blaster features motorized Quick-Load Technology; as kids feed darts into the blaster, the darts are automatically loaded into the 30-dart removable drum. With motorized, rapid-fire blasting, kids can quickly unleash a barrage of darts on their targets. Hold down the acceleration button to power up the blaster, then pull the trigger to fire. The INFINUS blaster includes 30 Elite darts. Requires x batteries, not included. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF N-STRIKE ELITE DELTATROOPER Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $29.99/Available: Fall 2018) Be prepared for any battle with the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE DELTATROOPER blaster. With four ways to configure, this blaster gives kids epic possibilities with each removable accessory. No matter where the battle takes fans, the DELTATROOPER has you covered. Take along the core blaster when in action, attach the stock to stabilize shots, or attach the barrel extension for distance targeting. The DELTATROOPER blaster comes with a 12-dart clip and 12 ELITE darts allowing kids to unleash a dozen darts in a row. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF N-STRIKE ELITE ACCUSTRIKE QUADRANT Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 2018) Take on targets with intense accuracy with the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE QUADRANT blaster! This single-shot blaster features a 4-dart rotating drum so players can sweep through the battlefield. Load the darts into the drum, pull the handle back to prime, then pull the trigger to fire one dart. Small and compact, the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE QUADRANT blaster is great for high-intensity, on the move battles. Package includes blaster, four ELITE darts, and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF ACCUSTRIKE MEGA THUNDERHAWK Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available: Fall 2018) Introducing Nerf’s first ever MEGA ACCUSTRIKE blaster! Blast with power and precision with the NERF MEGA THUNDERHAWK blaster. The barrel extension slides back and forth on the top of the blaster for custom performance allowing for distance targeting or a more compact blaster. The THUNDERHAWK allows for steady shots with the flip-down bipod for MEGA performance with ACCUSTRIKE accuracy. The THUNDERHAWK blaster includes a 10-dart, side-loading indexing clip and 10 NERF MEGA ACCUSTRIKE darts. Also compatible with NERF MEGA darts. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

The Fall 2018 MODULUS line includes: 

NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS EVADER Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $39.99/Available: Fall 2018) Stay in stealth mode or light the way with the NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS EVADER blaster! Part of the GHOST OPS series, the MODULUS EVADER is completely clear to keep players undetected on any mission. Illuminate the blaster to guide the way in low-light situations by pressing the light activator. Customize the blaster with the barrel extension which lights up when attached to the blaster. Load the 12-dart clip into the Evader blaster, take aim, and unleash 12 darts in a row with rapid-fire motorized blasting. Enemies will never see you coming! Package includes blaster, clip housing cover, barrel extension, 12-dart clip 12 darts, and instructions. Requires 4 “AA” alkaline batteries (demo batteries included). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF MODULUS ULTIMATE CUSTOMIZER PACK (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $99.99/Available: Fall 2018) Upgrade any NERF MODULUS blaster with the NERF MODULUS ULTIMATE CUSTOMIZER pack for the ultimate in Nerf Modulus blaster building and customization! The motorized blaster comes with 7 tactical accessories to prepare for any mission or battle. The NERF MODULUS ULTIMATE CUSTOMIZER pack gives player the power to switch on the tactical light to illuminate targets for practice, power up the blaster’s motor with the acceleration button for rapid-fire dart blasting, focus their aim with the flip-up sight, and so much more. Package includes seven tactical accessories, two 10-dart banana clips, 40 darts, and four missiles. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS REFLECTIVE TARGETING KIT (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $14.99/Available: Fall 2018) Battlers can practice their skills day or night with the NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS REFLECTIVE TARGETING kit. The two Reflective targets feature LED lights, so no matter the time of day, targets are visible and ready for target practice! Attach the adjustable sight to the tactical rail of the NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS EVADER blaster, sold separately, to send a beam of light allowing players to perfect their accuracy skill. The REFLECTIVE TARGETING kit includes adjustable sight and two reflective targets; blaster sold separately. Requires two “AAA” alkaline batteries (not included). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS CHRONOBARREL (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $14.99/Available: Fall 2018) Players can upgrade their NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS EVADER blaster (sold separately) with the dart counting accessory, of the NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS CHRONOBARREL attachment. Attach the NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS CHRONOBARREL to the front of the blaster then program the barrel to see how many darts have already been fired or the number of darts remaining in the blaster. With a built-in memory, the accessory keeps players updated in real time on remaining darts in the barrel! For additional intel, the NERF MODULUD GHOST OPS CHRONOBARREL attachment measures the velocity of the darts being fired in either feet or meters per second to keep track of all shots! The CHRONOBARREL attachment includes six darts; blaster sold separately. Requires two “AAA” alkaline batteries (not included). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

The Fall 2018 RIVAL line includes: 

NERF RIVAL PROMETHEUS MXVIII-20K Blaster (Ages 14 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $199.99/Available: Fall 2018) Head into battle blazing to take on the competition with the NERF RIVAL PROMETHEUS MXVIII-20K blaster! This blaster features the new ADVANCED ACCELERATION SYSTEM which allows it to fire at a rate of 8 high-impact rounds per second! This blaster also holds a whopping 200 high-impact rounds in its easy-load hopper. The PROMETHEUS MXVIII20K blaster is fully motorized with a rechargeable NiMh battery for endless fun. Package includes blaster, 200 highimpact rounds, rechargeable NiMh battery, charger, two flags, shoulder strap and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF RIVAL PHANTOM CORPS HADES XVIII-6000 Blaster (Ages 14 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $69.99/Available: Fall 2018) Experience intense head-to-head competition with the NERF RIVAL HADES XVIII-6000 blaster! Load 60 high-impact rounds into the easy-load integrated magazine, prime, and pull the trigger to fire a barrage at your enemies. Whether Team Red, Team Blue, or Phantom Corps, Rival battles will never be the same. Package includes blaster, 60 high-impact rounds, two flags and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

The Fall 2018 ZOMBIE STRIKE line includes: 

NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM SCRAVENGER Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available: Fall 2018) Zombie survivors are prepared for anything with the NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM SCRAVENGER blaster! This essential zombie defense kit keeps battlers ready for any zombifying challenge that comes their way. Load a 12-dart clip into the SCRAVENGER and unleash a dozen darts in a row. Grab the extra clip from the holder and slam-fire the zombies away with the on/off slam-fire button, or stabilize shots with the stock/blaster attachment to never miss a target. The 2- dart back-up blaster allows battlers to surprise oncoming zombies who will never see it coming. Package includes blaster, stock with blaster, scope, tactical light, barrel extension, two 12-dart clips, 26 ZOMBIE STRIKE ELITE darts, and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE RIPCHAIN Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $39.99/Available: Fall 2018) Rip into action against the zombies with the NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE RIPCHAIN blaster! The 25-dart chain allows battlers to defend their turf against a zombie incursion. Fire one ZOMBIE STRIKE dart at a time, or slam-fire all 25 darts to swarm the targets. Load the darts onto the chain, place the chain on the blaster, then pump the handle to prime the blaster and pull the trigger to fire a dart. The NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE RIPCHAIN blaster is ready to take on any zombie, any time. Package includes blaster, dart chain, 25 ZOMBIE STRIKE ELITE darts, and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM CHOPSTOCK Attachment (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $12.99/Available: Fall 2018) Part of the new NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM, the CHOPSTOCK attachment gives battlers a new way to strike back at the zombies! The CHOPSTOCK attachment doubles as a foam axe and stock attachment. Simply attach to any NERF blaster with compatible stock attachment point to use as a stock, or extend handle to use as an axe. Package includes foam axe stock. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM TWINSLICE Attachment (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $12.99/Available: Fall 2018) The zombie survivors are prepared for anything- with the new NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM TWINSLICE attachment! Attach holder to any NERF blaster with a tactical rail and remove the stars to send them flying at oncoming zombies. The zombies won’t know what hit them! Package includes two foam stars and holder. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HabsroToyShop.com.

NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE WRATHBOLT Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $14.99/Available: Spring 2018) When zombie fighters need to strike back at the zombies, they use the NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE WRATHBOLT Crossbow! Take aim at zombie hordes and release soft-tipped arrows at the targets. To fight back against oncoming zombies, pull back the string and hook it in place, load an arrow into the crossbow, and pull the trigger to send the arrow slicing through the air. Package includes crossbow, bow arms, two whistler arrows, and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

The Fall 2018 MICROSHOTS line includes:

NERF MICROSHOTS SERIES Assortment (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $6.99/Available: Fall 2018) Battle opponents like never before with the NERF MICROSHOTS SERIES 2 Assortment! MICROSHOTS blasters capture the iconic look of the original NERF blasters fans know and love, but in a micro, super-deformed fun size. Simply load, prime, and pull the trigger for big fun in a small package. This one-shot blaster is as fun to collect as it is to blast! Series 2 includes one micro-sized version of the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE ROUGH CUT 4X4 blaster, NERF N-STRIKE ELITE STRYFE blaster, and NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE CROSSFIRE bow. Each package includes one blaster and two ELITE darts. Each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

The Fall 2018 NITRO line includes: 

NERF NITRO DOUBLECLUTCH INFERNO Blaster (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $39.99/Available: Fall 2018) Fire up an inferno of double action blasting with the DOUBLECLUTCH INFERNO blaster! This 2-barrel blaster allows kids to launch two cars at the same time. Set up targets, ramps, and obstacles and send cars flying through the air. Challenge friends to see who can take on the ultimate obstacle, whose car will soar the highest, or go the farthest. Package includes blaster, four NERF NITRO foam cars with plastic wheels, double ramp, eight obstacles, double pop-up target and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO SPEEDLOOP Stunt Set (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Fall 2018) Create 360-degree stunts with the NERF NITRO SPEEDLOOP Stunt Set! Featuring a 2-piece loop with FLEXWAY technology, the SPEEDLOOP sends cars zooming up the ramp, around the vertical loop, and out the other end to complete the stunt. Create distance jumps and stunt challenges like never before with this epic set. Kids will have a blast zooming and looping through the SPEEDLOOP all day long. Package includes NITRO THROTTLESHOT BLITZ blaster, two NERF NITRO foam cars, loop, ramp, and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO ZAPBLAST Stunt Set (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 2018) Build bigger, epic stunt courses with the NERF NITRO ZAPBLAST Stunt Set! Use the spinning barrier with any NERF NITRO blaster to add an exciting twist to stunts and obstacles. Fire a car through the barrier and watch as the center spins! Package includes foam car and stunt. Blasters and sets each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO BARREL KNOCKOUT Stunt Set (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 2018) Have barrels of fun with the NERF NITRO BARREL KNOCKOUT stunt set! Use the BARREL KNOCKOUT with any NERF NITRO blaster to fire the car up the ramp, knocking down the barrels! Create countless combinations of barrel obstacles and watch as the NERF NITRO foam car demolishes them all. Package includes foam car and stunt. Blasters and sets each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO DOUBLE ACTION Stunt Set Assortment (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 2018) Double the stunt excitement with the NERF NITRO DOUBLE ACTION stunt set! Featuring 2-in-1 stunt action, kids can build big stunt courses for their NERF NITRO world. Drop down the ramp and blast the car up the ramp to soar in the air with the Slammin’ Soar Stunt Set or, blast the car up the ramp and smash through the ring with The Bullseye Blast Stunt Set. Put both stunts together for crazy stunt-action fun! Package includes one foam care and two stunts. Blasters and sets each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO SLIMESTREAM Stunt Set (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $3.99/Available: Fall 2018) Slime is no match for NERF NITRO with the NERF NITRO SLIMESTREAM stunt set! Use the SLIMESTREAM with any NERF NITRO blaster and watch the car fly up the ramp and through the slime ring. Get ready for slimetastic fun all day long as NERF NITRO foam cars break through the slime time after time. Package includes one foam car and one stunt. Blasters and sets each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO FOAM CAR 16 Pack Ast. (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $24.99Available: Fall 2018) Blast into overdrive! Kids can create awesome stunts as they fire foam cars from blasters that feature the power and performance of Nerf! Blast into stunts to go high, go far, go fast! This set includes 16 foam cars for use with Nerf Nitro blasters (each sold separately). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO SLAMMIN’ SOAR Stunt Set (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 2018) Send cars slammin’ and soaring with the NERF NITRO SLAMMIN’ SOAR Stunt Set! Featuring 2-in-1 stunt action. Smash into the first stunt challenge, and trigger the second stunt challenge into position! Once both targets are hit, the bucket drops down to create the second stunt. Blast into a double challenge and watch as the NERF NITRO vehicle soars into the air! This set includes one foam body car for use with NERF NITRO blasters (each sold separately). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO BULLSEYE BLAST Stunt Set (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 2018) Launch cars right into the BullsEye with the NERF NITRO BULLSEYE BLAST Stunt Set! This stunt set features 2-in-1 stunt action designed for kids to blast into a double challenge with each launch of a foam body car. Take aim at the first stunt challenge, and when it’s smashed, the bullseye ring swings up, creating a second stunt. Kids can fire the car up the ramp to fly through the ring! This set includes one foam car for use with NERF NITRO blasters (each sold separately). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE SPEEDBLAST Blaster (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $29.99Available: Fall 2018) Blast into overdrive with the NERF NITRO TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE SPEEDBLAST blaster! Featuring Transformers Bumblebee character deco, kids can design daring stunts for the Bumblebee, Cliff jumper, and Barricade foam body cars. Blast the cars up the ground bridge and through the barrier! Place the blaster on the floor, pull the handle back to prime, load a car into the blaster, and pull the trigger to send cars flying through the air. Includes blaster, three foam body cars and two stunts. Available exclusively at Toys “R” Us and Toys “R” Us.com.

The Fall 2018 NERF SPORTS DUDE PERFECT line includes:

NERF SPORTS DUDE PERFECT HOVERKUP Game (Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Fall 2018) Take trick shots to the next level with the challenging NERF SPORTS DUDE PERFECT HOVERKUP game! The NERF SPORTS DUDE PERFECT HOVERKUP game features two battery-powered cups that glide and hover across flat surfaces while players try to bounce the balls into the moving cups! Practice trick shots in solo mode, challenge a friend in 1-on-1 competitions, or have a group split into teams to compete for the highest score or outdo each other’s trick shots. With a customizable play arena, players can adjust the size and shape of the arena to fit any space! Package includes arena, two cups, six balls, four suction cups, cord, and a cord tensioner. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF DUDE PERFECT MINI PERFECT SHOT HOOP (Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $14.99/Available: Fall 2018) Practice the perfect shot with the NERF SPORTS DUDE PERFECT MINI PERFECTSHOT HOOP. Hang the hoop almost anywhere and use the innovative clip and ball joint to create the best trick shots at almost any angle. Perfect solo shots or challenge some friends indoors or outdoors. The MINI PERFECT SHOT HOOP includes backboard, rim, net and three foam balls. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF SPORTS VORTEX HOWLER ACCELERATOR (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $12.99/Available: Fall 2018) Kids can amp up every throw with the NERF SPORTS VORTEX HOWLER ACCELERATOR. The easy throw design allows kids to accelerate their throw while achieving a greater distance! Place the VORTEX AERO HOWLER ball in the scoop and then fling the VORTEX HOWLER ACCELERATOR launcher forward to send the ball flying. Includes two VORTEX HOWLER ACCELERATOR launchers and one VORTEX AERO HOWLER ball. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

The Summer 2018 SUPER SOAKER line includes:

NERF SUPER SOAKER ZOMBIE STRIKE RIPSTORM Water Blaster (Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Summer 2018) Shred or stream water with the NERF SUPER SOAKER ZOMBIE STRIKE RIPSTORM water blaster! This pump-to-fire action blaster holds up to 50 fluid ounces to keep the zombies at bay. Lower the blade into the stream of water and send water spattering wildly onto the oncoming zombie herds. Switch up the attack by raising the blade to drench zombies in a soaking stream of water. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF SUPER SOAKER SOAKZOOKA Water Blaster (Ages 7 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Summer 2018) Drench the competition with the NERF SUPER SOAKER SOAKZOOKA water blaster! The SOAKZOOKA holds up to 55 fluid ounces so battlers can keep pouring on the soakage. Soak battlers with a floodtastic blast! Move the handle back and forth to swamp anyone in range with a massive blast of water. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF SUPER SOAKER TWIN TIDE Water Blaster (Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $12.99/Available: Summer 2018) The tide is coming in – prepared to be soaked with the NERF SUPER SOAKER TWIN TIDE water blaster! The NERF SUPER SOAKER TWIN TIDE has two barrels to deliver twin streams of drenchifying fun with every shot. Fill the tank with up to 33 fluid ounces, pump the handle, and watch as opponents get drenched with a double shot of soakage. Soak and get soaked with this twin tidal wave of water-blasting action. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF SUPER SOAKER SPLASH MOUTH Water Blaster (Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Summer 2018) Blast it or dump it – either way, the competition will get soaked with the NERF SUPER SOAKER SPLASH MOUTH water blaster! With two modes for unleashing water, kids can pump to fire a stream of water at opponents or take them by surprise and dup all the water at once! The SPLASH MOUTH holds up to 20 fluid ounces allowing kids to experience a deluge of splashtastic fun all day long. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF SUPER SOAKER ZOMBIE STRIKE DREADSIGHT Water Blaster (Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Summer 2018) Nothing soaks like a NERF SUPER SOAKER water blaster, and now battlers can take down the zombie with the NERF SUPER SOAKER ZOMBIE STRIKE DREADSIGHT water blaster! This pump-to-fire action blaster holds up to 20 fluid ounces to deliver a deluge of dread upon the zombie herds. Use the targeting scope to focus aim while blasting a stream of water onto the zombies. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

Buzz Bee 2018 pricing and info!

Fresh off the press kit, here’s the pricing information and copy from the new Buzz Bee items for 2018. Yes, there’s a chronograph/distance accessory among them. Yes, it accommodates Rival ammo and Mega ammo.

● Covert Squad [MSRP $24.99; Ages 6+]:​ Team up to embark on a covert mission with these two walkie talkie blasters by Buzz Bee Toys. Each blaster has a built in Walkie Talkie with earbud communication that works up to 300 feet range so your opponents won’t hear you coming. With blasting power up to 100 feet, you will be unbeatable!
○ Additional Notes:
■ Includes 2 blasters, 8 long distance darts, and 2 sets of earbuds.

  • ●  Velocity X [MSRP $14.99; Ages 6+]:​ The Velocity X by Buzz Bee Toys measures dart speed and distance from any blaster, at any angle. Its versatility offers three modes so you can use in a hand-held position, on a tripod stand, or you can attach it to compatible dart blasters for continuous readings!
  • ●  Mutator [MSRP $29.99; Ages 6+]:​ The Mutator by Buzz Bee Toys offers unparalleled versatility that allows users to expand the barrel, transform the blaster and select distance blasting up to 100 feet or extreme accuracy with PrecisePro darts.

○ Additional Notes:
■ Includes blaster, 10 long distance darts, 10 PrecisePro darts, two 10
count clips, and removable stock.
● The Walking Dead Abraham’s Demolisher [MSRP $29.99; Ages 6+]: ​You can have the same blasting power as Abraham with this Demolisher by Buzz Bee Toys! This fully automatic, high speed dart blaster with a motorized barrel will blast darts up to 100 feet!
○ Additional Notes:

  • Includes blaster, 30 long distance darts, dart clip, and shoulder strap.
    Batteries are required.
  • Target Exclusive

● Thermal Hunter [MSRP $29.99; Ages 6+]: E​ scape is not an option with the Thermal Hunter! Its heatseeking scope detects a heat source up to 60 feet away, and its crosshairs will turn red to let you know when you’re on target. Its unbeatable spring power and pump action allows you to blast darts up to 100 feet thanks to Buzz Bee Toy’s long distance darts! The unique design lets you customize and build the perfect blaster with other brand’s accessories – and you can even place this scope on other brand’s blasters!
○ Additional Notes:
■ Includes blaster, 20 long distance darts, heatseeking scope, stock, rail
adapter, and a 10 count dart clip. Batteries are required.

● Predator [MSRP $9.99; Ages 6+]:​ Get ready for high-power, bolt action blasting with the Predator! This bolt action dart blaster by Buzz Bee Toys blasts up to 100 feet and also comes with soft and safe foam suction darts that pack staying power like never before! And with its secret storage area, you’ll never have to waste time refilling this blaster.
○ Additional Notes:
■ Includes blaster, 4 suction darts, 4 long distance darts, scope adapter,
and scope.
● The Walking Dead Andrea’s Rifle [MSRP $14.99; Ages 6+]:​ Put yourself in your favorite Walking Dead character’s shoes with this clip fed, bolt action dart blaster by Buzz Bee Toys! With a detachable scope you’ll be able to see walkers from afar, and you’ll never have to get too close with blasting power up to 100 feet!
○ Additional Notes:
■ Includes blaster, scope, 8 long distance darts and an 8 count dart clip.

Nerf Accessories by Jazwares! Nerf Blaster Rack, Nerf LIcensed Bunker sets and MORE

Hey Nerf Nation! I went through the Jazwares showroom the other day to have a look at the latest Nerf accessories and gear coming from their company (as they have the license to make Nerf gear now) and here’s a little rundown of some of the key items I saw. I was not allowed to take photos, but thankfully was allowed to post about this with the pricing. There are some assorted dart pouches, bags, hip holsters, straps, BUT:
The prices are subject to change –
Ankle Blaster Holster – $7.99
Looks like it’s made to accommodate Jolts.
Portable Practice Target – Mesh bag with holes for target practice – $12.99
New goggles (reportedly with swappable lenses, between orange and blue – $6.99
Ultimate Battle Vest – $29.99 (reminiscent of a chest rig)
Ultimate Battle Waist pack – $14.99 (basically a battle belt)
Ultimate Battle Pack (both Vest and Pack together) – $34.99
Hovering Target (like those gift sets with the ping pong balls that float up) – $24.99
Starter Strike Set – $9.99 – maybe a drop leg holster and dart pouch in one pack
Elite Endurance Set – $19.99 – The Starter Strike Set sold with a battle strap
Stealth Striker Set – $19.99 – The battle harness, drop leg, and…. Something else. Not sure what it looks like.
Mobile Gear pack – $19.99 – Battle Harness sold with the Starter Strike items.
Supreme Strategy Pack – $29.99 – Vest and pouches
Total Tactical Pack – $34.99 – Vest, Cinch bag, pouches
Kronos dedicated Holster for Rival – $9.99
FALL 2018 –  BUILD A BUNKER CUBES.
$24.99
Yes, Nerf is making their own inflatable cubes. You can stack and attach with Velcro, and a starter kit will contain 3 cubes. The cubes are maybe 3’ high, if I recall correctly (don’t quote me on that) and are pretty well built. I think it’s a heavier vinyl they are made of, and there’s a notch in the top to act as a barrel rest.
STARTER, Deluxe, Alpha, and The Ultimate Experience Pack Bunker Sets
Starter – $49.99
Deluxe – $69.99
Alpha – $99.99
UEP – $149.99
Jazwares is fashioning 4’ tall bunker supports that will have some Nerf branded camo netting draped between them. The supports will be inflatable but it looks like the bunkers will make a cover 4’ High and 7.5’ Wide. Complete with notches in the top for blasters to rest and holes to peek at the competition through.
BLASTER RACK  (YES.) – $49.99
Looks like Nerf was paying attention during all those #Stockpile Saturdays, they’re finally making a blaster rack. Complete with side hooks, a main storage bay to rack blasters, shelving and a drawer, the set looked pretty cool. This was considered an “introductory” set, so plans for more could be in the works. The height of the initial set I saw was maybe 2-3 feet (tall enough to hold an AlphaHawk) and wide enough in the main spot to hold maybe 6 Retaliators. REALLY cool look, plastic but with a metal rack aesthetic.
Again, no pics were allowed! This is the best I can do, and thanks to Jazwares for letting me publish it! See you on the other side, Nerf Nation.
Some of the Nerf accessories Jazwares produced (the targets, the harness, not the darts.)

New Nerf 2018 – The Road to New York Toy Fair

Nerf Blasts the Internet with Foam Flinging Reveals for 2018

New York Toy Fair is coming! That means a slew of new reveals on a variety of tech/geek outlets across the internet, and Nerf is getting out ahead for 2018. I can’t help but think there will be something else out there. Yes, a majority of the products from that secret video some time ago are already revealed now but maybe there is still something to come. Nerdist.com sometimes does reveals as well, it was there that the Doominator showed up. Whether that holds this year remains to be seen. Popular Science is another publication that may still hold the biggest reveal of them all (how you get bigger than the Prometheus… I don’t know. Odds are decent though.)

*fair note, I put additional bold formatting beyond the sent copy to highlight features of interest.

NERF RIVAL PHANTOM CORPS HADES XVIII-6000 Blaster
(Ages 14 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $69.99/Available: Fall 2018)

Experience intense head-to-head competition with the NERF RIVAL HADES XVIII-6000 blaster! Load 60 high-impact rounds into the easy-load integrated magazine, prime, and pull the trigger to fire a barrage at your enemies. Whether Team Red, Team Blue, or Phantom Corps, Rival battles will never be the same. Package includes blaster, 60 high-impact rounds, two flags and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF N-STRIKE ELITE INFINUS Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $69.99/Available: Fall 2018)


Load and fire fast with the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE INFINUS blaster! The INFINUS blaster features motorized Quick-Load Technology; as kids feed darts into the blaster, the darts are automatically loaded into the 30-dart removable drum. With motorized, rapid-fire blasting, kids can quickly unleash a barrage of darts on their targets. Hold down the acceleration button to power up the blaster, then pull the trigger to fire. The INFINUS blaster includes 30 Elite darts. Requires 4 D batteries, not included. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com. 

NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS EVADER Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $39.99/Available: Fall 2018)


Stay in stealth mode or light the way with the NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS EVADER blaster! Part of the GHOST OPS series, the MODULUS EVADER is completely clear to keep players undetected on any mission. Illuminate the blaster to guide the way in low-light situations by pressing the light activator. Customize the blaster with the barrel extension which lights up when attached to the blaster. Load the 12-dart clip into the Evader blaster, take aim, and unleash 12 darts in a row with rapid-fire motorized blasting. Enemies will never see you coming! Package includes blaster, clip housing cover, barrel extension, 12-dart clip 12 darts, and instructions. Requires 4 “AA” alkaline batteries (demo batteries included). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM SCRAVENGER Blaster 
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available: Fall 2018)

Zombie survivors are prepared for anything with the NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM SCRAVENGER blaster! This essential zombie defense kit keeps battlers ready for any zombifying challenge that comes their way. Load a 12-dart clip into the SCRAVENGER and unleash a dozen darts in a row. Grab the extra clip from the holder and slam-fire the zombies away with the on/off slam-fire button, or stabilize shots with the stock/blaster attachment to never miss a target. The 2-dart back-up blaster allows battlers to surprise oncoming zombies who will never see it coming. Package includes blaster, stock with blaster, scope, tactical light, barrel extension, two 12-dart clips, 26 ZOMBIE STRIKE ELITE darts, and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF RIVAL PROMETHEUS MXVIII-20K Blaster
(Ages 14 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $199.99/Available: Fall 2018)

Head into battle blazing to take on the competition with the NERF RIVAL PROMETHEUS MXVIII-20K blaster! This blaster features the new ADVANCED ACCELERATION SYSTEM which allows it to fire at a rate of 8 high-impact rounds per second! This blaster also holds a whopping 200 high-impact rounds in its easy-load hopper. The PROMETHEUS MXVIII-20K blaster is fully motorized with a rechargeable NiMh battery for endless fun. Package includes blaster, 200 high-impact rounds, rechargeable NiMh battery, charger, two flags, shoulder strap and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF ACCUSTRIKE MEGA THUNDERHAWK Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available: Fall 2018)

Introducing Nerf’s first ever MEGA ACCUSTRIKE blaster! Blast with power and precision with the NERF MEGA THUNDERHAWK blaster. The barrel extension slides back and forth on the top of the blaster for custom performance allowing for distance targeting or a more compact blaster. The THUNDERHAWK allows for steady shots with the flip-down bipod for MEGA performance with ACCUSTRIKE accuracy. The THUNDERHAWK blaster includes a 10-dart, side-loading indexing clip and 10 NERF MEGA ACCUSTRIKE darts. Also compatible with NERF MEGA darts. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

Geek.Com’s article on the Nerf Zombie Strike Scravenger and Nerf Modulus Ghost Ops Evader
Popular Mechanics on the Nerf Rival Prometheus, and Hades
Gizmodo on the Infinus and Thunderhawk
Ultimately, Nerf once again is going for premium pricing for their higher visibility blasters. The addition of Accustrike Mega Darts, a faster firing rate from the Prometheus, Quick-load technology, and a slam-fire on/off switch… those are some interesting features for this year. New York Toy Fair will be something else, for sure this year. There will undoubtedly be the smaller range items that have a soft release over the course of the year, so don’t be surprised to see additional blasters release as the year continues. But that’s a thought for another day. Thanks for reading, and make sure to watch for new edits and blog posts as the days to Toy Fair continue to pass!

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2017 Year in Review – Nerf, Buzz Bee, Zuru, and more – The Blasters, the Fails, the Wins, the Ugly

YEAR IN REVIEW: BLASTERS AND MOAR BLASTERS
Vas The Stampede

Blogger note: Each section will not encompass ALL releases for each brand. I am choosing highlights for each.

Nerf Nemesis. One highlight from 2017

NERF CONTINUES TO INNOVATE FOR 2017, BUT ALSO BLASTS YOUR WALLET.

2017. Probably one of the craziest years for blasters thus far. Nerf continues to hit some really high notes with their Rival line, continued world-building with Alien Menace, Doomlands, and hitting stride with continued products for Zombie Strike. However, they also continue to push the envelope when it comes to prices. While they are establishing themselves as the de facto blaster brand (so much that the brand has become eponymous with blaster battle play and games) they also establish with Nerf you get a premium product but also at a premium price.

The Nemesis, Regulator, Judge, Twinshock and even Dreadbolt were all 2017 releases and while impressive big blasters, the lowest of the bunch was $39.99 approximately. The Voidcaster, a semiauto spring pistol also released at around the $19.99 mark. The Raptorstrike looked great but it was another bolt-action rifle and while impressive aesthetically wasn’t functionality we hadn’t seen in previous blasters (bolt-action, magfed, accustrike ammo, etc.) The new blasters for the most part were cool in their own right –

Nerf Mega Twinshock
  • Nemesis – gravity fed hopper, 100 rounds before empty, usable with the Nerf Battery pack, overall just a great addition and a huge step for toy blaster play, although at $99.99
  • The Judge – a multishot functionality (3 dart bursts) but HUGE, and expensive.
  • Regulator – a blaster that introduced 3 dart bursts (a function also used in the Nerf Wii game a few years ago) but also a select-fire switch, a huge feature to go from burst, single, and full auto in a blaster. Bonus points for Modulus functionality to add more accessories. If the Nemesis hadn’t released this might have been my favorite from Nerf this year.
  • Voidcaster – Another semiauto blaster. Just a lot of fun and a function that needs to be used more often.
The jewel of the Nerf releases I think was clearly the continued monster offering from Nerf Rival. Higher fps, higher capacity, even at the prices it’s what the community was doing and Nerf made an offer for folks to step up their experience right out of the box. The Nemesis is costly, but that just makes blasters like the Hera, Kronos, even Khaos (with mags now sold separately) a bit more accessible and reasonable by comparison. And the Hera and Kronos were sleeper releases that weren’t a Toy Fair but were a huge hit when they came out, adding functionality to the Rival line of a semiauto flywheel Rival blaster and a 5 shot pistol with an internal magazine.
Not to even begin on the licensing for Deadpool, and Star Wars blasters that are perform pretty well (though I’ll say I wasn’t excited to see the Boba Fett Apollo kit), Nerf continues to keep the market stocked with a good amount of product for shelves. It’ll be interesting to see where Nerf goes next (and a leaked video earlier this year hinted at Bigger than a Nemesis, maybe even a Rival rifle…. a Rivle?) and with all the sub brands they have you can only expet more Nerf on the shelves for the coming year (some of which has already leaked onto shelves early, including the Mediator and Tri-Break.) If I had to nitpick anywhere, I wish there was more range out of the Judge, and maybe something new besides another rifle for Accustrike. Impressive as the lineup was in places, there is still some room for improvement and maybe some concepts I would like to see revisited. The Signature Bow was another great item, albeit not your usual blaster fare.
Toss in the additional licensed products from Sakar and Jazwares, there will be a full array of toys, accessories, and items to choose from to add on this year. Nerf continues to pave the way for other brands. And yes, there were also a bunch of smaller releases, repaints, exclusives, but these are the highlights that stuck out most for me. Dare I say it Nerf continues to set a gold standard for blasters in mass market, and whatever innovations they make definitely find their market amongst hardcore fans and casual players alike.
Don’t sleep on the competition – “Nerf or Nothin'” =/=…. Buzz Bee, Dart Zone, Zuru….

Competition is healthy! It’s so good. And when the competition is like this, the real winners are the players.

Buzz Bee came out swinging, releasing the Thermal Hunter, Zenith, Barbarian, Tactical Storm, Dwight’s Crossbow (for “The Walking Dead”)…. all for lower prices than Nerf blasters. The highlights were not only the number of pump-action blasters they made, but some accessory innovation with the Thermal Sensor (shown below!)

Buzz Bee also made magazines that were cross-compatible with Nerf blasters, new ammo types (Precision, Long Distance, in addition to sucker darts) that were compatible with Nerf blasters, even an adapter to make the Thermal Sensor usable on Nerf Tactical rails.

The Thermal Hunter was by and large the most comfortable blaster from this line for me, and the pump-action gave it the advantage over the Tactical Storm. I also have the Monorail (thanks for the sample, Buzz Bee!) but man…. the issues about it loading are pretty apparent. It does jam on me quite a bit from just the initial testings I’ve done, and considering how excited I was at Toy Fair I was a bit frustrated with the final product. Great idea, great look, but I wish the experience with the Monorail so far hadn’t left me wanting.

All the same, heck of a year for Buzz Bee releases. They really stepped up to provide an alternative dart flinger for Nerf, and at the prices they have the offerings are pretty good! If you’re a blaster player on a budget, don’t sleep on Buzz Bee toys. You definitely get what you pay for and a lot extra, I think. They still haven’t made their comparable Nerf Rival blaster, but that brings me to…
With the Thermal Hunter
Dart Zone (Covert Ops!) I used to dub Zing Toys the Dark Horse of the blaster/launcher category.
As Zing hasn’t had a new release in some time (that I’ve heard about) besides some Costco gift packs… I pass that onto Dart Zone. It wasn’t enough that they released the Enforcer, Light Command, Dartstorm, but they made a real splash this year with…. 
Much like what happened with Buzz Bee, Dart Zone has made a comparable product to Nerf Rival, but cheaper than any other offering from Nerf. $20 for the Powerball, and it’s cross-compatible with Nerf Rival ammo and magazines. The performance is comparable, in range and accuracy. No slam-fire still from these blasters but that’s not a big deal at all considering what you are getting. On top of the ability to use Nerf mags, the BallistixOps blaster comes with a gravity fed hopper, so depending on your style of play you can use either. You have choices. And buying this blaster won’t put you out against anything else except maybe the battery operated Rival blasters. And even then, there are plans for a new blaster called “The Accelerator”.
Dart Zone again makes the case for a budget buy that offers near-premium performance. You won’t go wrong giving this brand a second look in 2018. Their dart blasters are fantastically strong out of the box as well, but the BallistixOps definitely made their mark this year.
Welcome to the…. ZU (Zuru/Xshot)

Zuru by and large may arguably have the BEST value of blasters and darts. Knowing some of their manufacturing methods, their darts come in crazy packages of refills, but there is a caveat with that. While their blasters accommodate nerf darts, the darts are a little shorter than Nerf darts. In early Zuru mags, Nerf darts were way too long and weren’t cross-compatible. The Bug Attack Crossbow fixed that, but it made the magazine and Crossbow unusable with earlier smaller Xshot magazines, a huge oversight on their part in my opinion. Zuru darts however might hiccup in a Nerf magazine but they work a large part of the time. 
This year, Zuru put out the much lauded Turbo Advance and the Regenerator…. both really decent blasters. The Turbo Advance may have the advantage in my opinion though, as the blaster only needs to be reloaded via the drum while the Regenerator has two new clip styles and you have to refill those as you go. But the blasters are pump-action which I like, and in addition to the cost Zuru continues to chug along cranking out low cost products for good ranges and decent quality. Another brand that undercuts the premium pricing you find at Nerf with good options that don’t have the spectacle and aggressiveness of Nerf, but fire almost as well as anything else. Again, another brand you won’t regret saving a few bucks on.
The E-thir (Third Party companies/products)

Nerf says to use only products with the Nerf seal of approval, and there’s a litany of legal reasons they have to say that to people. Nerf’s brand has become synonymous with toy projectile play – practically anything that shoots a foam dart, arrow, ball, etc. gets referred to as a Nerf toy. Something goes wrong, like a third party dart injures a kid (anyone who used FVJs and found those uncomfortable to get hit with for instance) or some other product breaks and damages a kid’s toy, it’s Nerf who initially may get put on the hook for it. To my experience, the third party products I’ve used (Headshot ammo, shout out to them for providing a pretty decent Rival alternative) have so far been ok, but that doesn’t necessarily mean all of them will be. With the advent of 3D printing, information exchanges on the internet, and Amazon availability, the third party products available now is at a crazy level. That being said, yes, you may find some products perform better than Nerf products and that’s great. Common sense, not all Nerf products are created equal and not everything “for use with” Nerf is Nerf made nor may it be as safe as a product made by Nerf, or any other retailer that makes their products compatible for Nerf but also make their products for mass market (that means Dart Zone, Zuru, Buzz Bee). Just use common sense, read reviews, ask for recommendations, and happy hunting.
Bring me that horizon:

They’re still out there, and I hope to follow up on them at Toy Fair 2018, but Marshmallow Shooters, Paper Shooters, and Precision RBS are still out there and making products! Alternammo from foam darts are still around, so make sure to stay tuned here to find out more as I get info from them. 
Accessories! Modular battlefields!

Earlier I touched on licensed products by Jazwares, utilizing the Nerf brand (those are ok!)
Get familiar with these brands, as they offer ways to create your own adventures and battlefields in two very different ways. Battle Bunkerz offers inflatable barrels, drums, boxes, etc. that you can set up for your own purposes, like they do on Battle Universe. They look really cool aesthetically, and I do need to get these out in the field to try out for myself (it’s winter, and going outside is tough right now in Illinois! Indoor places by me are also few and far between. :P)
Fort Boards (and their sister product, Blaster Boards) are a bit costly to make a HUGE fort, but even the starter kits available can help make some decent panel obstacles for a small battlefield. The blaster board targets make for good objective and target shooting game play, while you also have the added benefit of a construction and fort building kit to add just a little more panache to your battlefield, whether indoor or out. It’s the first year I’ve seen other companies try to market directly to blaster play communities, and it’s interesting to see how everything plays out. The fact that these products exist and have an audience in this manner show that blaster play patterns are really coming to light. Yes, couches, chairs, and tables may still rule the field, but they don’t have to be the only things at risk (and these may save a lamp or two!)
WHEW! What did I miss? 2017 was a big year for blasters and associated products, feel free to sound off and let me know what you want to see in 2018! Happy new year, everyone!

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Dart Zone 2018 New Blasters -Titanium & Accelerator (Adventure Force, Wal-Mart line)

New Adventure Force “Tactical Strike” blasters, from BallistixOps releases from Dart Zone, approximately January 2018! (compatible with Nerf Rival)

Fresh new info from Dart Zone, aka Prime Time Toys!

High-res photos too!

Priced again at just under the cost of other brands, Dart Zone sent over a press release of their new offerings coming to 2018. Under Walmart’s “Adventure Force” brand, the “Tactical Strike” line is where to find these new blasters. I’m not sure what effect this will have on future releases, whether these will be for Walmart only (although in the case of the Powerball, Tactical Strike will have its own paint scheme) but for now I don’t have any info that shows these will be anywhere else.

Queued up is the Accelerator blaster, what looks to be a flywheel, 6D battery monstrosity and the Titanium, another pump-action blaster. A little reminiscent of the original Powerball with a different handle. The new aesthetics look pretty cool though, for sure. What’s new are ammo reloads (Dart Zone is making their own Rival-style ammo) and a mask along with the blasters. As I am all about the details, the blasters and the masks look to have interchangeable color plates for team indicators. Blue, Red, Green for starters (compared to the All-or-nothing color schemes for Blue, Red, and Phantom on the Nerf side of things.) And ultimately the price is definitely nothing to sneeze at considering the current market for 14+ foam projectiles. As a believer in stock play (not that it’s the only way, but I do appreciate my experience straight out of the box) this is a pretty strong toy. And yes, comparable to Nerf performance the Powerball is a smaller profile blaster, and compatible with Nerf Rival magazines. The only real shortcoming is no slam-fire but maybe one day.

I may have samples after the holidays, we’ll have to see! The official release date is January 15 so don’t be surprised if these start popping up around then.

Exciting times, comrades. Dart Zone offers a fine product and if you’re curious here’s a firing video I did when I first got the Powerball:

Going to give these a go? Don’t forget to check out Walmart later this month (or January at the latest) to see if you can find them!

For you YouTube watchers:

RECOIL: THE WORLD IS NOW (available at Target and other retailers!) Game

Nerdist/Geek & Sundry just did such a great job with an overview:


Sponsored content brought to you by Recoil!

RECOIL PHOTO GALLERY

RECOIL: The World is Now Game – a new and really intriguing take on Augmented Reality, mixing it with laser tag, implementing perks/power ups from video games, a heads up display (HUD), mobile gaming, scorekeeping, a life bar, and just a whole lot of features other systems have tried before and didn’t excel in. Recoil though, is a little different!
I haven’t tried the game play yet (that’s coming in a future installment, the game doesn’t have a single player feature and I need to wrangle some willing victims) so let’s talk about what each kit in the line comes with. For now that entails the Starter Kit with Game/Wi-Fi Hub, The Recoil RK-45 Spitfire, the Recoil SR-12 Rogue, and the Recoil Frag Grenade.
FIRST – The Starter Kit.
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RECOIL Multiplayer Starter Set
·       Real-time player tracking up to 16 players
·       Location based gameplay powered by GPS
·       3D positional audio for ultimate battle awareness
·       Real time voice chat between players
·       Unique gameplay modes for outdoor & indoor play
·       Add-on mobile players
·       Location-based pick-ups and virtual weapons
·       Includes: (2) RK-45 Spitfires, Wi-Fi base station, downloadable mobile game app and (4) AR tags
·       Height: 7.75” Length: 11” Width: 1.7”  
·       Ages 12+, SRP $129.99
Requires 12 AA batteries (4 for the Spitfire x 2, 4 for the wi-fi hub)
The largest investment you’re going to have in the system, both in cash and batteries. BUT, the wi-fi hub has a range of 250 feet in any direction (500 both ways!), and a whole new Augmented Reality system to play. The game involves air strikes, land mines, actual respawn points and bases via the app, which leaves a whole slew of new avenues to raise your laser tag game. You get a lot of bang for your buck in experience, not to say about the robust build of the toy blasters themselves. Batteries are not included with any Recoil game kit and this requires 12, so rechargeable batteries could be a good idea.
The Game Hub is a neat piece of technology. You fire it up and use your mobile device to connect to the wi-fi signal generated by the hub (no internet, obviously. It’s just enough to allow the mobile phones to run the app and interact.) A hub can support up to 16 people to play at one time and generates the game, maps, etc. to get set up and play. One tip Skyrocket offers is that you hit airplane mode on your device first, THEN activate wi-fi (and connect to the obvious Recoil network), followed by bluetooth and location services. That will make connecting to just the hub and blaster units easier as it eliminates any rival device signals. 16 people only! Stacking Game Hubs does not equal a larger field (but man, that would be cool.)
The Recoil App is free to download (and you don’t need the blasters to play, you can just connect to the hub and game with your phone if you are the odd person out from the starter kit) and you can still play in the game.  Setting out mines is an option as is supplying teammates with ammo. Skyrocket really made sure to make the game highly inclusive if you just get the starter pack.

The app uses GPS signals (at least for outdoor play; at the time of this article an inside version of the skirmish game had not been released yet but was in the works) that show up mapped during gameplay on the app. From there players can locate each other, bases, see the results of damage from airstrikes, grenades, see the time left in a round, scoreboard, and life bars. The game also comes with scannable AR tags that you can use during gameplay for powerups. This will all be displayed in an upcoming gameplay video 😉 The following are some screencaps from the app itself. It’s really interesting to see just how much you actually have to offer once you get a game going.

Max game settings – they weren’t playing that long
Perks!

Find your respawn.

To my knowledge you can’t expand a game past 16 people and I am not sure how well this would operate from an elevated position (say in a park with some staircases or on a jungle gym) but I am still very taken with the promises this toy line is making, and just from the little testing I’ve done outside of a full game there is a lot of good stuff here to take away after that initial buy. There’s just so much you can do that relies on the “honor system” anywhere else. Another note, it looks like you can only connect one bluetooth blaster to your phone at a time, so no complicated loadouts. With the easy reloading though, that makes sense to not have to carry a primary and sidearm, I think.
Another feature is the environmental sound of the game; as gunfire sounds off around you in-game, you hear it directionally through your head phones based on your position vs the position of other players. It’s recommended you wear headphones when playing in order to achieve the full surround sound effect. Also, the push to talk buttons make sure that when you tag/get tagged, you can communicate your enthusiasm or lack thereof to your victims/enemies. Also, makes sure you know who to get revenge on later.
Then comes your pistol – 
Recoil RK-45 Spitfire

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RECOIL RK-45 Spitfire
·       Compact, versatile and effective in all battle types
·       Fully automatic with quick ammo reload
·       Push-to-talk button for real-time player chat
·       Dynamic force feedback
·       High-powered IR transmitters
·       Manual reload mechanism
·       Camera mount
·       BLE enabled for smart phone connection
·       Body-mounted sensor for full coverage
·       Includes: Direct Bluetooth connect and downloadable mobile game app
·       Height: 7.75” Length: 11” Width: 1.7”  

                 Ages 12+, SRP $49.99 

What’s really cool about the Recoil blaster units is not the bluetooth connectivity to your mobile device, or interfacing with the game, but the tactile feedback from the tagger units! I didn’t realize this when I first learned about the Recoil game, but the blasters flash red and make firing noises like some old school toys I had that did the same thing. That right there can be a lot of fun, but given the price you do need a little more, which Recoil definitely promises and delivers. 😉
The Spitfire requires 4 AA batteries, has a push to talk button on the back of the blaster, and three hit sensors on three different sections of the front of the blaster. A fourth sensor is plugged into the bottom handle and placed in your back pocked or the back of your shirt collar in order to set you up to be shot from behind. Less scrupulous individuals need not apply that won’t use the 4th sensor. Still though, it’s a very solid toy, good plastic and has some heft. The futuristic styling is cool and reminiscent to me of some video games. The phone mount is on the side, so it doesn’t obstruct my natural tendency to aim down the sight of a blaster. As far as intro weapons go, this is a winner on aesthetics and feel. 
A little bit louder now with a rifle (higher ranges than the Spitfire supposedly, requires further testing)!
Recoil SR-12 Rogue

Battery compartment
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RECOIL SR-12 Rogue
·       High fire-rate, magazine capacity and damage output
·       Fully automatic with quick ammo reload
·       Push-to-talk button for real-time player chat
·       Dynamic Force Feedback
·       Improved rate of fire and range
·       High-powered IR transmitters
·       Manual reload mechanism
·       Camera mount
·       BLE enabled for smart phone connection
·       Body-mounted sensor for full coverage
·       Includes: Direct Bluetooth connect and downloadable mobile game app
·       Height: 9” Length: 26.875” Width: 3” 
·       Ages 12+, SRP $79.99
For a few dollars more, you get a higher ammo capacity and range in the Recoil SR-12 Rogue, moreso than you get out of the Spitfire. No mods to do here either, what you see is what you get. It requires 6 AA batteries as opposed to the 4 the Spitfire demands, but you get the added boosts as well. The Rogue feels solidly built as well, and features a phone mount spot on both sides of the blaster (depending on your dominant hand). More of the same with three hit sensors and a wearable fourth, good weight distribution, and sleek look. The tactical rails make me wonder if any future plans are in motion but that’s a post for another day. If I had any nitpicks (and this is a minor one) it’s that the push to talk button is only on one side of the blaster. But even with that, the button is easily reached with whatever hand is not on the trigger. Given the added firepower you get from the Rogue that’s definitely not a deal breaker.
And now, A GRENADE. Again, similar technology in past products from other companies but this syncs up with your weapon as well in order to give you credit for your kills! 
Frag Grenade

I appreciate the detail at having a little clip to attach.
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RECOIL Frag Grenade
·       An explosive addition to your arsenal
·       High damage output
·       Large blast radius
·       Simple 1 button design
·       Time-delay explosion
·       Includes: (1) Frag Grenade
·       Height: 3.7” Length: 2.6” Width: 2.6” 
·       Ages 12+, SRP $14.99

The Recoil Frag Grenade is pretty cool because it has a couple of ways it works- you can sync it up with your blaster  to identify to anyone you used it if it took them out or give it a quick prime and throw for anonymous damage. The housing has some rubber on it to cushion it from impact, but definitely don’t throw it directly at someone, it’s still a hunk of plastic and electronics! This toy provides a radius of damage to opposing Recoil players, there’s no need to hit someone directly with it. Just need to lob it in the general area and let the timer do the rest. I don’t know how well the frag grenade takes impact against grass or hard surface from a high height or concrete but it definitely feels and looks like it can take a beating. It’s a very good mechanic that has been missing in a lot of blaster games, and this just might be one of the better ways to implement a splash damage mechanic, one I am really looking forward to exhaustively experiment.
And that’s the Recoil line for now! It’s a really exciting line, and I can’t wait to see what they might have planned for the future. There’s a lot to do between up to 16 people and with Recoil The World is Game for as long as people want to make their backyards, parks, parking lots, garages, and offices (in the future) into competition areas. Available now, The World is Now Game. Make sure to try this out and see what the future of laser tag holds!

"Nerf" Arenas – Blaster Battle Facilities in the U.S. Are Here

“Nerf” Arenas Continue to Spread – a look at NDWA and Dart Warz from 2015



BASIC STATS:

Dart Warz
Locations (US):
Meridian, ID
Colorado Springs, CO
Centennial, CO
Wichita, KS
Pricing:
Varies by location: see website – DART WARZ
Banned blasters?
Yes – see website
Socks/Shoes during play?
Socks

Dart Warz! One of the first arenas I ever heard about, but also definitely the first franchise I ever heard about. Randi and Stanton W. were nice enough to fly me out for a night to experience not only their arena(s), but to try my skills playing on one of their teams for their proprietary tournament, NDWA (National Dart Warz Association.)
As it stood, I met staff from the Idaho location, but had the privilege to look at the Centennial and Colorado Springs locations in the scenic, lovely, state of Colorado. Each location had 2 arenas (with enough square footage to accommodate modern Nerf blasters that hit 40-50’ flat, if that’s helpful), littered with obstacles, pro shop, rental stations, safety briefings, DJs playing music, open play, private games, things like that. It was a real neat setup to see in person. I believe each play area could accommodate up to 40 players on each field, and I can only imagine the chaos THAT would look like.
Dart Warz has rules, as many competitive style places do. One rule is, you play in socks. In order to preserve their floors (foam mats), they ask that players wear socks during play. It took some getting used to for me, but after a bit of time it wasn’t a serious problem. Different, yes. A deal breaker? No. The games also have referees, which removes the honor system in place for a lot of Nerf I played in the past, at least most of the time. Refs are still human and you might think a call gets missed, but just play through and get it the next time. Either way, it’s definitely nice to have the refs there in the first place. There are also special house rules, some special house game types, but nothing I can really go into detail here. Must be experienced! But I had fun and the games we played ranged from the familiar to the alien, and it was great to see a bunch of new (to me) ideas at play. House rules such as bunker destruction, “grenades”, and precision targets as objectives were all fun to participate in, especially in large team games. Players were allowed armor and shield rules as well, which added another depth of tactics for some game types and situations.
The obstacles were sturdy enough, and the field layouts had decent movement, cover, firing lanes, choke points, and so on. Once in awhile the field arrangement seemed a bit favored but for the most part they worked. Dart Warz at the time was still using Vortex blasters heavily, which added an element of surprise, due to the curve of the discs around cover. Many players really liked Vortex, and remarked they were sad to see it fading even then. The Pro Shop had Dart Warz emblazoned gear, including socks, shirts, and headbands. Blasters were rented from a base tier to more expensive tiers, and I think a chronometer was available for “xtreme” (modded, blowguns, etc.) league play. Yes, that’s right, league play. Either way, the facilities and business models appear to have an option of foam blaster play for all ranges of interest in the hobby, from people just getting into it to heavy modders (within reason).

The NDWA tournament itself was an intense affair, pitting the skills of staff from the three arenas against each other in a variety of games, both blaster and melee (with foam swords and other weapons) oriented. Objectives had to be met, flags raised or captured, and within a time limit. Points were awarded based on performance and ultimately one store’s staff would lead in points, but ultimately everyone is still one big Dart Warz entity, just there to have fun and meet the other staff. I had a good time talking to some folks and seeing how they developed their play styles within Dart Warz, and definitely took home some ideas to tool around with in my own games. I flew into the tournament blind, ultimately, and used a Cycloneshock for the duration of the tournament. Opting to step out of my comfort zone, I went with a Mega blaster with slam-fire, and it served me well during the tourney. My loadout consisted of that, my ammo pouch, and my eye protection. It was kinda liberating to not rely on my “favorite” blaster and just go with what I could, a little extra difficulty for me, but an element of the unknown that makes stepping into an unknown playing field with an unknown opponent even more interesting.
I regret I only had a day to spend playing at Dart Warz, but what I did experience was different from my usual park pickup games. And it was a lot of fun all the same trying out something new and seeing how a place like a dedicated Nerf arena might operate, in this case the Dart Warz model. The fact that three stores operate under this brand show there’s some interest out there, and it’s interesting to know that within 3 years of emerging they’ve grown even this much. Yes, it may be a little more rigid than internet organized games and meetups, but places like this forge their own niche in the hobby, as well as introduce the idea of blaster games to a larger more regular and accessible audience. If you have one in your area, it’s definitely worth a look at least once.

SUPER BIG THANK YOU again to the staff and owners of Dart Warz, for bringing me out and putting me up for the night to have this experience. It was a glimpse of something new and different for the hobby, and as a proponent of varied play, I am totally fine with that. Have blaster, will travel.

Questions? Comments? Any facets of the place I missed? Let me know!