Tag: nerf rival

[Review]: Nerf Ultra One – Latest in Blasting, with an Important Caveat

Nerf Ultra One

  • MSRP: $49.99
  • Ammo: Nerf Ultra Aerofin darts
  • Capacity: 25 darts
  • Batteries: 4 C batteries
  • Range: Claim is 120’, observed 50’-60’ BUT, angling of course would increase.
  • Features: Semiauto firing
  • Mechanism: Flywheels
  • Available: Now
  • Ages: 8+

SUMMARY:

When I first heard about the Nerf Ultra One I wasn’t sure what to think. 120’ (Rival style ranges? Higher “power” than Elite? What?) but being around blasters for so long I know not to buy 100% into the marketing. And when I saw the Ultra One press copy read that the blasters were for “8+”, that told me how to dial in my expectations. Honestly, Rival is designed for 14+. What would you expect?

The Nerf Ultra One to me doesn’t seem that revolutionary. I reliably hit my target (which you can hear in the video), the Ultra darts don’t seem to have the same wacky flight patterns as Nerf streamline darts, and it achieves better range than Nerf Accustrike.

But it’s a semiauto blaster with a drum you load. Nothing we haven’t seen from Nerf or other brands, and for a first blaster it’s underwhelming. I remember not a lot of people too impressed with the Apollo in the beginning, so the naysayers with Ultra isn’t surprising. Maybe future designs will be more innovative to that end, but that remains to be seen.

Controlling Dart Usage

The “dart DRM” as it’s been called is discussed in the video. I don’t really like that Nerf went with this kind of mechanic to enforce using Nerf darts only, but outside the fandom I don’t think it matters to consumers. I’ve seen a number of non-hobbyist posts about the Ultra One (not just the sponsored ads) that like the blaster. And more casual consumers don’t have a hoard of ammo that won’t work or the myriad of other complaints about the DRM. Hobbyists, arena/mobile party owners, game groups with a communal supply will be affected. I will hazard a guess that most consumers will be outside those populations, buy the Ultra One and an extra pack of ammo, and call it a day.

I had this very conversation in the toy aisle. A mom and her child were trying to find a Nerf blaster to buy. They looked at the Ultra One and remarked at how it was a new blaster. I informed them that the Ultra One would only work with the darts it comes with, so the mom told her child that they would get it on his birthday, with extra ammo. No remarks about how unfair it was, Hasbro market share, stock quotes, nothing. Just a promise to get it as a gift and a pack of ammo.

Different Darts Happens

In addition, PUT THOSE TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS DOWN. Yes, You too. And you. STOP.

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME HASBRO HAS INTRODUCED NEW AMMO.

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME HASBRO HAS MADE AMMO THAT FITS ONLY IN CERTAIN BLASTERS.

Back in the 90s, you had micro darts, old school megas, Arrows of Unusual Size, and all sorts of other stuff. Let’s look at some history.

Even before Nerf Ultra, Nerf released streamlines, the original mega darts, rip rockets, whatever the darts were that came with the SM 3000, arrows, Dart Tag Darts (of various incarnations), whistler darts, suction darts, Vortex discs, Mega darts, Elite Streamlines, Accustrikes, Mega Accustrikes, Rival rounds, the list goes on. Every few years they release something new to fire. In the case of Vortex, Mega, and Rival those only fit their specified brands unless otherwise noted. Not just any dart into an n-strike magazine and make it work, and you definitely couldn’t cross other brand ammo in other blasters unless they were front-loading. If Nerf were taking existing ammo off the market, that would be another story. As it stands, the Ultra ammo segment is an addition, not a whole paradigm shift leading to the elimination of everything we already have.

Nerf Rival is also not sold everywhere in the world. I don’t work for Hasbro, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Nerf Ultra satisfies demand for a “higher range” blaster in areas where Rival cannot go, such as Australia. Now the range is questionable, but as long as Nerf can make it to other areas with a new segment, that may not matter to most consumers. They’ll just be happy to see the latest Nerf blasters in their stores.

The Ultra One, Where to Next?

Again, I’m glad that Hasbro sent me a sample and saved me the trouble of buying one. The blaster features aren’t revolutionary and the dart type is interesting for something new, but past the first pack of ammo I am not sold on this line yet. Yeah, you can snap the ammo in half and some of it even got gouged by my Dart Rover but it’s not super brittle and in your pocket it’ll keep shape better than current Nerf darts. My favorite segment from Nerf is still Rival, but that’s a different market from Ultra, ultimately.

I recognize that the blaster is made for 8+ and is intended for younger users, like everything else in this hobby. My biggest complaint is the drum and the trigger working with the new dart recognition mechanism. It’s pretty uncomfortable to slam my finger against the trigger when a dart isn’t correct or loaded properly, which happens a noticeable amount of times. When in the thick of a blaster battle or trying to shoot targets, that jolt against your finger from a missing/jammed dart really sucks.

In the end, I can’t give the Ultra One a high recommendation like the Nerf Perses. It looks cool, but needing C batteries, the annoyance of the Nerf-only dart mechanism, and the overall cost are problematic. There are a lot of other great, more reliable blasters out there worth your money, Nerf or not Nerf brand. I would suggest waiting for the Nerf Ultra One to drop in price as a sale (probably Black Friday) before dropping your money on it. And you may not want an Ultra One for any number of reasons, THAT IS TOTALLY OK.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Totally appreciate your coming by and getting through my rambling. Make sure to check me out on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for continued updates, reviews, and other content! Thanks again to Click Click BAMF as well for putting in some work on the video.

 

Parting Shot (middle comment):

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XShot Glitters in Gold with the Chaos Orbit & Meteor Blasters

BASIC STATS:

    • XShot Meteor: $12.99 & XShot Orbit: $19.99
    • Meteor: Slide action/ Orbit: Pump-action
    • Integrated clip (14 shots with the Orbit, 6 shots for the Meteor)
    • Safety button on both blasters, jam doors
    • Orbit has sling points
    • Orbit has a sight

XShot Chaos Counters Other Brands with Low Price and Comparable Performance

XShot made some major moves this week. From Toy Fair 2019 to today, they finally released their own entry in the 14+, advanced range blaster market with the XShot Chaos line, looking to “disrupt” the current market as they claim to have done with dart blasters.

I don’t know if this line will turn the market on its head, but XShot makes a very compelling case with these blasters. At under $20, that is the sweet spot for many purchases, promising performance on par against other blasters that cost considerably more, and with more budget friendly ammo, parents may not want to drop $40 on a Nerf Hypnos, which is the most current pump-action Nerf Rival blaster at this time. (The Helios and Jupiter are bolt/side knob, the Hades is last year and not readily on shelves from what I’ve seen, and the Artemis is mostly out of circulation on store shelves as well.)

As far as a manual blaster to buy goes, the Orbit and Meteor have very strong factors working in its favor to get bought. XShot is certainly working to get the blasters visible to consumers.

It is a bit of a shame that there are only two blasters in this line right now, but the Orbit and the Meteor are a fine start. The Meteor is a fun pistol to handle and use, and as far as I am concerned a pump action blaster is always the way to go.

Loading the Meteor through the handle offers a very different pattern than other brand pistols, and is a welcome change of pace. The Orbit has some questions for me as far as design goes, but firing from the hip with it works just fine for me.

Looking Ahead to the Market and XShot vs…. Everyone Else

In the realm of high impact rounds, the XShot Chaos is a strong contender against Nerf and Dart Zone, strictly speaking on performance. Nerf I would say still has the advantage in marketing, but XShot certainly is taking steps to address that. All this talk of XShot as a low price brand, but Dart Zone Blasters has had mostly comparable/if not better items at competitive prices to XShot and Nerf. They are still chugging away making new product, as XShot is doing, and keeping prices on blasters and ammo low. Buzz Bee is remaining strong in their section of the market with dart blasters thankfully, possibly content to let the other companies battle it out and leave the dart market open just a bit.

Kudos to XShot for their accomplishment at making the Chaos line a reality, and for giving budget-minded folks another choice in the market. It’s still incredibly interesting to see what happens next, and I hope you tune in here to get my take on things.

Thanks, XShot for the samples, and Click Click BAMF for the editing work on the video!

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Thanks as well to Wicked Ball Chicago for letting me use your arena! If you are looking to hold a party and live near Lombard, Illinois, check them out!

[REVIEW] Nerf Rival Perses

BASIC STATS:

  • MSRP: $99 (approximately)
  • Fully automatic
  • Hopper fed
  • Flywheel/rev trigger set up
  • Capacity: 50 rounds
  • ROF: Supposedly 8 rounds/sec
  • Removable hopper
  • Ammo used: Nerf Rival Rounds
  • Batteries: Proprietary Nerf battery (new design, included with charger)

 

Looking at the Nerf Rival Perses. I dug it. $99 is a hefty tag, but sometimes it’s worth it. And just because the Prometheus is the same price currently, you get a much more mobile blaster that’s easier to move with, aim, and did I mention maneuver? The convenient release on the battery is a super nice piece of design, even though it’s a shame the old Nerf battery packs do not work with it. Thanks for reading this far, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube for more videos!

Thanks, Nerf for the sample, and Click Click BAMF for the editing work on the video!

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[REVIEW] Nerf Rival KNOCKOUT XX-100 (unreleased in the U.S. as of 2019/09/06

NERF RIVAL KNOCKOUT XX-100 Assortment

(HASBRO/Ages 14 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: October 1, 2019)

Available at most major toy retailers nationwide.

Basics:

– 2 x High-Impact Rounds included
– 1 x Nerf Rival Knockout
– Capacity: 1 round (technically, watch the video!)
– Jolt-style downward pull
– Fires one shot at a time
– Breech-loaded
– Tactical Rail
– FPS readings – approx. 90s
– Ranges: 40-50′ flat, can hit 80-90 angled

Mechanics:

– Flick release to spring barrel forward, revealing breech.
– Insert 1 round, slide barrel back into place.
– Pull priming handle down and push back into original position
– Fire

Pros:
+ Compact
+ Chrony shows it hits about 90 FPS
+ Undocumented (in instruction manual) ability to shotgun 2 rounds
+ Nice aesthetics/mechanics, the pop-release breech and priming mech work nicely for me

Cons:
– Other blasters available at similar price for higher ammo capacity
– Single shot, even against other pistols this is at a disadvantage head to head
– The jolt-style priming mech gets in the way of the grip to some degree, at least for my hands
– Shotgun loading is a happy side effect, not an explicit feature

Final Verdict:

Consider purchasing! It’s pretty good at the price and pretty simple to use. This blaster will be a good stocking stuffer/gift/intro blaster to the Rival line. The compact feel of the blaster is a trade-off with the ammo capacity, but may benefit some play styles and loadouts. Since it is so low profile finding a holster or pocket for it is highly probable.

Nerf x Overwatch! Soldier 76 has you in his sights… in a Rival blaster


NERF RIVAL OVERWATCH SOLDIER: 76 BLASTER AND TARGETING VISOR


NERF RIVAL OVERWATCH SOLDIER: 76 BLASTER AND TARGETING VISOR

(HASBRO/Ages: 14 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $130.99/Available: Fall 2019)

 

OVERWATCH fans can take on the role of SOLDIER: 76 with this blaster designed in the style of his signature accessory in Blizzard Entertainment’s internationally acclaimed team-based action game. This set also includes a replica SOLDIER: 76 targeting visor that you can wear. This NERF RIVAL OVERWATCH blaster is fully motorized to rapid-fire 30 high-impact rounds at a velocity of 90 feet per second (27 meters per second). Electronic lights are activated and recoil action kicks in when you operate the blaster, adding to the real-world excitement of OVERWATCH battling. Comes with 30 OVERWATCH NERF RIVAL rounds. Includes: blaster, 30 rounds, visor (3 pieces), and instructions. Requires 6x 1.5v D alkaline batteries, not included. Available exclusively at GameStop. Preorders are up!

Well, that’s neat. Pricey, but since it comes with a mask and looks ridiculously oversized, that’s pretty sweet too.

Nerf News: Overwatch Nerf Rival D.Va Blaster revealed!

BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT UNVEILS NERF RIVAL OVERWATCH® D.VA BLASTER AT CHINAJOY IN SHANGHAI 
Blizzard and Hasbro to Bring Gear from Overwatch’s Iconic Characters to Life through
NERF RIVAL Brand Blasters
SHANGHAI – August 3, 2018 – Blizzard Entertainment arrived at ChinaJoy, China’s Digital Entertainment Expo & Conference, with a special reveal for fans of Overwatch®: a sneak peek at theNERF RIVAL OVERWATCH D.VA blaster. Designed in the style of D.VA’s signature accessory in Overwatch, the blaster is not only true to the game, but also a fully functional NERF blaster.
The D.VA Blaster is the second in the series developed in a collaboration between Blizzard Entertainment and the NERF Rival brand to bring iconic Overwatch accessories to life. Fans of the team-based action game will enjoy custom NERF RIVAL rounds with the Overwatch logo that are specifically colored for each blaster. The blaster holds three NERF RIVAL rounds, and blasts at a velocity of up to 80 feet per second. It will come equipped with a spring-action mechanism, a ready indicator, and a safety lock, and it even features D.VA’s signature bunny charm.
The NERF RIVAL OVERWATCH D.VA blaster will launch in 2019.
With a player base of 40 million, Overwatch’s wide appeal continues to drive a robust merchandising program with brands like NERF. Blizzard Entertainment first teased this collaboration on Twitter on May 16; further details were unveiled during a panel discussion at Comic-Con International: San Diego by members of the Overwatch development team, including a look at the first blaster in the series: the NERF RIVAL OVERWATCH REAPER WIGHT EDITION blaster.

NERF Rival x OVERWATCH Reaper Wight Edition blaster revealed! (SDCC 2018)

Blizzard Entertainment arrived at Comic-Con International: San Diego with a surprise reveal for fans of Overwatch®: a sneak preview of the NERF RIVAL OVERWATCH REAPER WIGHT EDITION blaster. Designed in the style of Reaper’s signature accessory in Overwatch, the blaster is not only true to the game, but also a fully functional NERF toy.
The Wight Reaper Blaster is the first in the series developed in a collaboration between Blizzard Entertainment and the NERF Rival brand to bring the iconic Overwatch accessories to life. Fans of the team-based action game will enjoy custom NERF RIVAL rounds with the Overwatch logo that are specifically colored for each blaster. The blaster will hold eight NERF RIVAL rounds, which it can propel at up to 90 feet per second. It will be equipped with a spring-action mechanism, a ready indicator, and a safety lock.
The NERF RIVAL OVERWATCH REAPER WIGHT EDITON blaster will launch in 2019.
Discuss! Image direct from Hasbro, not a screencap from the video!
To compare (taken from this site – https://www.artstation.com/artwork/44V84)-
Nerf’s made a pretty big move at working on Overwatch styled blasters. The game is still running strong in eSports circles, has a large user base, a large cosplay community, and a continually growing entity on all fronts. Just recently, a new hero was announced so the game continues to provide content, and the constant “nerfs”. It took a lot 
Overwatch logo’d ammo? Color-specific? Could be collectible, if that’s what you like. No telling still on the price, but here’s hoping it avoids the price of some licensed goods as the Boba Fett or Deadpool Nerf Rival sets were at first.
Functionality wise, some folks are hoping for a hammer style prime. My guess is sliding pump-action under the barrel. There’s a chance that hammer could be a pull handle for a priming arm, but I hope that isn’t the case. It says 8 round magazine, and I’m thinking it loads from a door by the hammer, where that little piece sticks up. 
Another theory (but maybe the least likely, considering the performance) is the blaster shoots two rounds simultaneously like the Nerf Rival Atlas. The barrels could be the indicator, but considering the performance of the Atlas on the second shot, I hope that’s not the case. Give me 8 good shots at 90 fps and don’t worry about multishot lackluster madness.
Ultimately, we won’t know until it hits prototyping, and by then it will hopefully be February if something hasn’t leaked by then. I don’t have much hope for the price to be reasonable, BUT there’s a good chance (as with the Deadpool blasters) that these blasters will be released in non-Overwatch skins for a bit lower price as well, that will just take time. What do you think? Play of the Game or utter Defeat?

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:

New York Toy Fair 2017 Picture Gallery is live!

Nerf Showroom Photo Gallery from TFNY 2017 is live! 
Vas The Stampede

Click the link here to view the full album.

Nerf blaster firing videos from Toy Fair are found here.

(photos taken by Leywink, she helped me out a ton during the show. Most of the video? Her work, too.)

Nerf continues to provide blasters in the higher price category, but not without good reason. The Nemesis seems to be the hallmark blaster for them this show, providing a high capacity, high rate of fire, full auto, quickly reloaded blaster. At approximately $100 this is a pretty pricey toy, but for an older age group and with possibly a bit more disposable income. Using the Rival rounds is convenient (and offers a play style similar to paintball) even further encouraged with the hopper fed firing mechanism. Even as a prototype, this blaster really sets a bar that will be tough to meet on certain criteria. Again, this is a premium priced toy, but you might possibly get your money’s worth out of it.

“NERF MODULUS REGULATOR Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $59.99/Available: Fall 2017)
Bring the power of three firing modes with one epic blaster! The NERF MODULUS REGULATOR blaster features single-fire, burst-fire, and fully motorized blasting power. The REGULATOR blaster is customizable and compatible with accessories within the MODULUS system, sold separately, so fans can build their blasters and have the ultimate blasting experience. Includes two 12-dart clips and 24 MODULUS darts. Requires 4 C batteries, not included. Available at most major retailers nationwide and HasbroToyshop.com.”
The Regulator, I could see that blaster being quite a bit of fun across board as well. The select fire feature, complete with 3 round burst setting, is a fascinating bit of engineering. The Nerf video game had a burst round blaster, and now art imitates life here. The fire select option worked pretty decently going between single, burst, and full auto, but given it’s a prototype I don’t want to get my hopes up too much until the final product. At best I can estimate performance similar to the Hyperfire (based on the batteries needed) and my own visual experience. My only real confusion with this blaster is the carrying handle, I can see that adding to the full auto feel of the blaster but it comes across to me as just unnecessary. But, given the intended market and 8 year old switching from burst to Full Auto can really get in character with the help of the muzzle handle. Even more impressive is you can still sight through the handle even when it’s on. Well done for finding the Devil in the Details, Nerf.

“NERF DOOMLANDS THE JUDGE Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $59.99/Available: Fall 2017)
Bring justice to a doomed land with the DOOMLANDS THE JUDGE blaster. With an impressive 30 dart capacity, THE JUDGE blaster can fire three darts at once! This massive blaster is ready for anything the post-apocalyptic wasteland can send its way. Includes 30 DOOMLANDS Elite darts. Available at most major retailers nationwide and HasbroToyshop.com.”
The Judge’s size was not lost on anyone. ANYONE. This blaster is ridiculously huge, and say what you want about dead space, useless plastic, etc., this toy was still wowing and amazing people on the design. Now Nerf isn’t promising full range on all three darts from each barrel, there will still be a dip in performance for each burst. That being said, this would still be on my list of things to buy just because of how insane it looks. Would I have liked slam fire? Sure. Would I have liked a stock? Maybe? Would I have liked to see 4 or 5 dart bursts? Definitely. But even this prototype at Toy Fair did a fine job of leaving an impression and should find its way into a gift box or two. I would be interested to see this play out at some of the games I go to though (blasters can count as shields there, and the players go super stock. There is also a decent amount of cover, so high range blasters get equaled out a bit more.)

“NERF N-STRIKE ELITE ACCUSTRIKE RAPTORSTRIKE Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available: Fall 2017)
Hone your skills and hit your mark with the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE ACCUSTRIKE RAPTORSTRIKE blaster. This clip-fed blaster with pop-up sight, adjustable stock and bipod helps players line up their shot and to aim with precision and confidence. Includes two six-dart clips and 18 ACCUSTRIKE series NERF darts. Available at most major toy retailers and at HasbroToyShop.com.”

The Raptorstrike. You might not see anything with this Accustrike blaster that you haven’t seen already, outside of the precision/range increase from Elite and Accustrike technology. The blaster comes with 2 six shot magazines, extendable bipod, but a flip-up sight. the sight means no top tactical rail, which is unfortunate, but it does have a neat look and a very cool feeling carry handle along the underside. Also of note is the solid priming bar, not the insert tab style on the Alphahawk. Also missing is a barrel attachment point, but the iron sights are another nice detail on the blaster that some folks should get a kick out of. The ammo storage in the stock is a neat touch, and it’s one of the long type rifles that Longstrike/”sniper” fans might get a kick out of. Again, I’ll reserve full judgment until it hits stores.

NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE DREADBOLT Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available: Fall 2017)
Outsmart and dominate the zombie hordes with the ZOMBIE STRIKE DREADBOLT blaster. The first-ever arrow-firing ZOMBIE STRIKE crossbow, the DREADBOLT blaster can take down zombies like never before. Use the detachable scope to line up the target, aim, and fire! Includes five arrows and detachable scope. Available at most major retailers nationwide and HasbroToyshop.com.

The Nerf Zombie Strike Dreadbolt surprised me. I had not expected it to be nearly as big as it was, with previous crossbows in the line (Outbreaker, Crossfire Crossbow, etc.) and the Rebelle Courage Crossbow was supposedly a similar design, BUT SO MUCH SMALLER.

With the Dreadbolt, the blaster has a pretty sizable wingspan at the arms, and uses the soft head arrows introduced in the Rebelle line, with the Agent Bow. It’s also comfortable to hold, and the priming mechanism is a wrench along the bottom to crank back the string. Nothing you haven’t seen before either, but also nothing this big crossbow styled yet. I could see a few faithful users to this blaster just because of how much fun it could be. Using arrow ammo would be a pain during the usual Nerf war, but just the hilariousness of this blaster could make it worth it.

Speaking of arrows….

Really looking forward to the Signature Bow. I really hoped it would come out last year, but it looks like that was not the case, and this is why. It went rebranded to be released as part of the Dude Perfect trick shot items. I’ll still get it, just because of the archery aspect. Not much to say about it, as this is essentially the Platinum Bow from last year, and I wanted to get it then too.
Nerf Nitro was in full effect as well! The cars really are a firm foam construction, and Nerf isn’t kidding when they say you’ll hit new heights with the cars. They launch off the ramps a lot higher than I did with Hot Wheels cars I used back when I was younger, and if they hit wood floors or furniture, the marking and dents should be minimal. It’s a really neat idea and while not your usual cup of foam from Nerf, I can see why they did it. My next big question about this innovation is what does Nerf have lined up on the licensing side of things if this line takes off.
Nerf Rebelle only had a couple of new blasters to show off, the new Accustrike crossbows and then a crossbow/bow combo blaster. One might think Rebelle is getting scaled back after storming out with revolvers and other triggered blasters, but it’s hard to say. There wasn’t anything terribly striking from the Rebelle line this year though, unlike last year when the Corner Sight was part of the lineup. No new narrative was apparent either, unlike the “Secrets and Spies” from a couple of years ago, or the Charmed line from last year. Given how early it is in the year though, I’ll definitely not be surprised if Rebelle comes out with something else later this year.
Don’t forget that Jazwares will also be making new Nerf accessories for 2017! Check out the press release here.
Thanks for reading! I have plenty more booth visits to write up (Buzz Bee, Zuru will be out later this week) and some additional brands worth checking out to recommend (Whombatz and Fort Boards, I’m looking at you).
All in all, Nerf had a pretty strong showing with a couple of blasters, but stayed the course in functionality with a few others. I feel like there are still a few “buzz generating” items they’re holding off on even now, and will just bear watching in the future. A few more brands came out of Toy Fair swinging, so the brand synonymous with the blaster battle activity is going to have to keep coming out strong themselves.