Tag: Review

2 for 1 PRODUCT REVIEW – Marshmallow Shooters! (Blaster, Double Shooter)

Before I begin – thanks to Spin Master for taking a chance on me by letting me review something a little different – Review of “My Scare Pal Sulley – Monsters University Toy”

Alright!  I’ve known about Marshmallow Shooters for awhile, and they have some great people working for them there.  They’ve been awesome enough to provide samples to review, so let’s first go to the videos –

//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/lkQdIsQjapI

STATISTICS (Marshmallow Blaster):

  • Range: Approx 30′ (angled, also depending on condition of marshmallows used.  The marshmallows in the video above were a bit stale)
  • Cost: $23.95
  • Available: Now (various retailers)
  • Capacity: Single (medium sized, NOT JUMBO) Marshmallow (breech loading)
  • Propulsion: Pump  – Trigger action

//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/XkySlzGEQCY

STATISTICS (Marshmallow Double Barreled Shooter):

    * Range: Approx 30′ – 40′ (flat, depending on condition of marshmallows used)
    * Cost: $31.95
    * Available: Now (various retailers)
    * Capacity: 50 mini Marshmallows (includes 2 tubes, 25 marshmallows each)
    * Propulsion: Pump – Push/pull

Whew!

Now right off probably, you’re thinking the cost is pretty steep.  And it is, for these blasters.  BUT, I’ll say it’s still not a bad buy because of the simplicity and hilarity you’ll have out of these.  Honestly, the big appeal for me out of the whole line is hitting someone with MARSHMALLOWS.  Firing darts/arrows/ballistic balls has a different mindset for me, but marshmallows seem even more ridiculous to shoot at someone.  Think, Ghostbusters –
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/d-sALU_hveA

Is the price worth the hijinks and the look on someone’s face when you tag them with something better suited for s’mores?  I leave that to you to decide.  The Blaster and the Double Shooter both are pretty tough, resilient, reliable blasters (as of this writing, they actually went back and improved some design elements, so you know the Marshmallowville people are always working to bring better products).  I have had some issues in the past, but a lot of the new samples I’ve been receiving definitely function and hold together much better.  I’ve had the occasional broken string or had a plunger tube slide out after pulling on it, but like I said it was some time ago, and the newer models are improved.  And customer service is responsive via email AND social media; they won’t leave you unattended if you have a problem (at least not in my experience.)  Not to mention, the price I am giving is the MSRP.  You do some searching, you’ll probably find a competitive price to own one.

So, the Marshmallow Blaster  – trigger, breech-loaded, and a pump on the back.  When you fire it, there’s an audible and satisfying “POP!”.  Again, use fresh marshmallows for best  performance.  If you’re used to using a stock Ultimate Missile Blast, Blast Bazooka, or some other related type of air blaster, then this isn’t too far from that.  Personally, I use it as a shield buster if a game I am at allows shields and large ammo with special rules.  I find the lack of ready sling points a bit problematic when I use it for that purpose, but I make do if I just feel like playing with marshmallows that day.  Simple, elegant, and effective (with fresh ‘mallows.)

Next – the Marshmallow Double Shooter!

It’s a push-pull shooter, and you load each of the clear plastic tubes with up to 25 MINI marshmallows (no large ammo here).  To load, the tubes pull out of the blaster, and you can position them back in.  However, this is TIME consuming on the field, especially if the marshmallows load odd into the tube.  While the shooter still has enough air moving to push a marshmallow out if it isn’t perfectly lined up, that reduces the range a bit.  Although, shooting anywhere from 3 to 5 marshmallows at time in a spread one odd marshmallow might not make a lot of difference.

If you’re wondering a bit more about how it works, there’s a little door that repositions itself with every pump of the handle, and the air goes into that tube.  So it switches from one to the other.  Just remember to make the motion fast, otherwise it won’t fire.  But it’ll fire as fast as you can go.  This one IS a bit pricier (at least MSRP, again shop the prices if that’s a concern) than the Marshmallow Blaster but for about as proper a shotgun effect as you’ll get out of anything out there even now this might be more your speed, but again you give up quite a bit on the reload time.  Like the Blaster, the Double Shooter doesn’t have a proper sling point.  You’d have to work out some kind of holster/sling system.

THE AMMO:

Ok, so while the blasters are pretty decent, these do fire marshmallows.  In hot/rainy weather, they get soft.  In winter, they might freeze (and FROZEN MARSHMALLOWS ARE A NO NO).  They tend to degrade a bit, and in some cases the marshmallows get a bit chopped in the breech and leave marshmallow residue all over the inside of the barrel, which can reduce performance.  While you can leave the marshmallows on the ground as they are perishable food, I would NOT RECOMMEND THAT.  Pick up your marshmallows when you’re done.  If anything, just to keep any wildlife safe if you are in a park and to not litter anywhere else.  At home, definitely clean up after yourself as well, as you’d hate to attract mice or something related.  Their digestive systems might not appreciate marshmallows.  One other side effect I’ve run into is folks like to eat my extra ammo when I’m not looking 🙂  In one case, I’ve actually had a player run up and yank the tubes of marshmallows out of my blaster (he was trolling me) cause he needed a snack.

Bonus:  If you have any marshmallows left, make s’mores!  Have hot chocolate!  Rice Krispie treats, maybe?  So there’s always a case for you to get fresh marshmallows and you won’t have to worry about ammo sitting around waiting to be used.  Granted, there IS a part of me thinking I hate to waste food, but there is something strangely comedic to me about tagging a friend with an air propelled marshmallow. 

So there you have it.  I know it’s been awhile, but I’ve got more on the way and hopefully you found this helpful!  Questions?  Comments?  Either leave’em below or use the submission form on the right.

Nerf N-Strike Elite Rapidstrike CS-18, a closer look

WHOA!  TOO CLOSE!

Better!

STATS:

  • Available now at most major retailers
  • Approx. $39.99
  • Requires 4 “C” batteries (Not included, thank you to Lord Damian for catching the original error.)
  • Flywheels
  • Includes:
    • 1 x Nerf N-Strike Elite Rapidstrike CS-18
    • 1 x Clear 18 round magazine
    • 18 Nerf N-Strike Elite Streamline darts
  • Range
    • 50′-75′, depending on dart quality, battery power, angle, etc.
  • Special features

    • Flip-up sight, extendable stock, various tactical rails and sling points (though I really think there’s only one)
    •  

ANALYSIS:

Let’s take a quick look at where we’ve been.  Nerf Stampede video from the VERY FIRST release party, so many years ago.

Yikes.  Nice to see the quality has (kind of?) improved since then.  

The Nerf N-Strike Elite Rapidstrike CS-18 (as seen in the video at the beginning) is a vast improvement over the Nerf N-Strike Stampede from about 3 years ago.  The Stampede had a direct plunger, but it was big, bulky, hit only 30-40′ maybe, and it was a bit back heavy if you were a younger kid (6 D batteries!) and a bit slow on the rate of fire.  Personally, I found that I’d lead a target using half a magazine (9 shots, and the blaster was stock) before getting a hit.

The Rapidstrike doesn’t have that problem.  It hits Elite ranges, is smaller, lighter, and fires faster.  Even though the Rapidstrike uses flywheels, I can pinpoint a bit better with this and waste less ammo.  Streamlines being streamlines, I don’t expect super accuracy out of them (even Elite ones) so that’s not a concern for me.  But the groupings seem pretty decent all the same, even with full auto.  I found the trigger pull responsive, and no lag like there was waiting for the Stampede to prime and fire.  It’s a fraction maybe faster, but Nerf tag is a game of inches and seconds in Rate of Fire.  Every little bit helps.  Swapping out mags was smooth, and I recommend 18 round straight mags. 

That being said about magazines, here’s the thing – I ran into some issues with reliability.  It got some actual gameplay (hi Des Plaines!  More on that in  another blog post) I used primarily 18 round straight magazines (like the clear one it came with and 3 others.  2 worked (includes the clear) and the others did not.  Further testing is required to see how far the rabbit hole goes about this, so expect a response video to my initial firing test.  I’ll also update this blog post.  Need to test drums, and different generations of the 6 round mags too.

Also, adjusting my grip, I hit the mag release once unintentionally.  When things are moving fast, that might be an issue for some people and they will lose the magazine.  Typically the magwell has been strong enough to not drop the mag on me, but it did once so far.  Depending on your mag, it might drop.  Depending on your mag, it might jam.  In this instance, the location of the release is cool, but the classic orientation on the sides might have made more sense.

Mag release is right behind the magwell.  You might hit it trying to avoid revving the accelerator trigger.

Does that justify a $39.99 purchase?  Considering the fun I’ve had using this (when it works) and that stores have a return policy, maybe.  It really is a ton of fun as a blaster and having something full auto is a welcome function I’ve missed with the Elite line so far.  Slam Fire just isn’t quite the same.  Hopefully my videos are a bit helpful in making a decision, but ultimately it rests on you as a player to see if this is your style.

Aesthetically, this blaster made me think of the carbine from “Aliens” and the adjustable stock made it either comfortable or usable for closer quarters.  Also… the accelerator trigger means dual wieldings 🙂  And that makes all sorts of things awesome:)  Happy hunting!

Questions?  Comments?  Did I miss something?  Need more info?  Shoot me a message!  

Nerf Vortex Revonix 360 – Taking a Look (Review)

Imagine if you will, a time back in February.

I saw this:

Recorded this:

Tried again during this: (start at 0:33)

and FINALLY, recorded these:

So after a long journey that started at New York Toy Fair 2013 to July 2013 I finally saw a full production Nerf Vortex Revonix 360.

STATISTICS:

Nerf Vortex Revonix 360

  • Available Fall 2013
  • Approx. $39.99
  • Integrated drum
    • 30 Disc capacity
  • Range:  70’ish
  • Slam Fire
  • Includes:
    • Revonix 360 x 1
    • 30 XLR Vortex discs

 And there you go.  The Nerf Vortex Revonix 360.  So what of it?

Well, I like it.  I was a big fan of the Nerf Vortex Pyragon when it came out, mainly because of the level of firepower it packed.  Sure, the reliance on magazines is a sticking point for me in protracted Nerf games, but the slam fire was smooth, it looked good, and felt comfortable with a Nerf Super Soaker Lightning Storm stock.  And the Revonix?  Worth the cost.  A big blaster (almost reminiscent of a grenade launcher, honestly) good range, and comfy to use, especially with a stock.

BUT, it takes a little getting to know.  First thing, as Adult Fans of Nerf likes to say, the thing is a blaster you can reload on the run, like the Dart Tag blasters that have integrated mags (Quick 16, Speedload 6 come to mind).  And the reload takes some practice at first but if you can manage it, you’ve got something good here.  I always appreciate a loadout where I am boiled down to a player with a pouch full of ammo and a blaster by my side (anyone see what I did there?)  One must be familiar with the feel of their blaster to keep loading while running around, while also keeping your eyes on the field.  It’s good to know where the magwell is by feel, and turrets, and so on.  Those brief seconds you spend looking down could get you tagged.  I was able to work it out with the Dart Tag blasters, I’ll have to do the same here with a little more field time.  Initially, it feels easy to fumble discs or slow down to search for the loading points (especially since the mag drum freely spins around) but just keep at it if you want this to be a primary for you.

As one of the videos above shows, the Nerf Vortex Revonix 360 loads through a divot on the left or right side of the blaster, and pumping the handle primes the blaster to fire.  Holding the trigger down while pumping the handle activates Slam Fire.  Needless to say, that’s basic nerf knowledge, I think.  But eventually you too will go “click click bamf!” when you light up your opponents.  Maybe.  Ultimately, the slam fire on the Pyragon felt just a bit smoother than the slam fire mode on the Revonix but I think part of that is the new mechanism (this loads discs vertically and pushes discs into position, the Pyragon discs were already horizontal and didn’t need any additional adjustment from the drum mag or the firing mechanism.)  However, that is practically splitting hairs.  Both blasters send out a bunch of ammo REALLY FAST, and a cloud of discs can be a scary sight during a game.  Maybe even scarier than a cloud of darts.

Should the blaster get jammed, there’s a disc release and the jam door (both pictured)  I believe Mr. K at AFON pointed out this is the first/only Vortex blaster to have one(?):


 As for the range, I was hitting 50′ – 70′ with discs.  Not unexpected, considering that is the deal with Vortex line, hitting high distances.  The only caveat here is the accuracy (as with most things Nerf and maybe especially Vortex) may lack a bit.  The videos above show how hard it is to hit a reliably accurate point the farther you are from the target, and that’s even more noticeable with the frisbee styled vortex ammo.  Not to say I haven’t had success with this blaster, but it adds a little bit more of a challenge.  However, that is also a Vortex blaster’s strength to some degree, the unpredictability when trying to avoid a hit.  A duck or sidestep that would normally get you out of the way ends up sending you into the path of a disc.

That craziness is part of the reason I really like the Vortex line.

The paintjob is striking, for sure.  While the Vortex line has a new deco for 2013, all flame-styled in a way. 

And it works for me.  I honestly very rarely go “WHOA” on a blaster’s paintjob but this does look cool all the same.  The main body is very vibrant with the white and orange accents, and the grey just works with it in my opinion. 

So for $39.99, is it worth the purchase?  If you prefer having the full 40 shots from a Pyragon, and prefer to not reload one at a time (even on the run) then you might not get a lot out of this blaster.  I find the reloading mechanism unique enough that when I am on the field and hurriedly running around collecting my ammo to reload, (if the round is still going) it is MUCH faster to just load a turret than load a mag, and slam it in.  Granted, you can carry smaller mags if you’re using a Pyragon but then that’s still additional weight you have in your loadout as opposed to just a pouch/pocket full of discs.  So, player, know thyself.  The performance was on par with the Pyragon though not as smooth on slam fire, and reloading without additional magazines is nice.  This being Vortex discs you might have accuracy questions, but the ammo output just might compensate (Spray & Pray, my friends.)

If you like your Vortex blasters those are probably the best selling points about it.  Hopefully, I’ve been helpful in making a decision.  If you have questions, feel free to shoot them my way, and good game!

F2A Review: JT Splatmaster z300

JT Splatmaster z300 Sniper

You know the drill.

First, a little more about what JT Splatmaster is about, what the JT First Shot Challenge is, and where Splatmaster is going next, thanks to Rich Telford (XSV Paintball), commissioner of the JT First Shot Challenge, Pro Paintball player (for 20 years now), and overall cool guy:

And that being said,  here’s the demo video and some shots I traded with Thomas Taylor after PSP Chicago.  Dude is a beast at normal paintball, and it was an honor to trade paint with him.

STATISTICS:

  • Price: approx. $49.99
  • Available:  Now, varies by location 
  • Range: approx. 100′ (flat, not angled)
  • Priming Mech: Side-lever arm, mimics a bolt-action feel of sorts
  • Capacity: 15 Splatmaster .50 paintball rounds
  • Loading: Breech-loaded, through an opening on the top of the marker.
  • FPS: Approx. 140, but may shoot higher.
  • Attachments:  Tac rails on top and bottom (perfect fit for picatinny mounts, I have used a GoPro mount), removable and adjustable stock.  Stock has a spot to attach a sling/bandolier.
    Barrel plug is included.
  • EDIT 07/16/13 Sorry for overlooking this – if it wasn’t obvious the priming arm is on the LEFT side of the blaster, effectively making this only for right-handed people.  The z200 is still a decent enough primary for both lefties and righties, but lefties are going to have a bit of a different mechanic from righties if they use the z300.
JT Splatmaster z300 (barrel plug is in)

Tactical rails along the top and bottom of the barrel; picatinny mounts work just fine 🙂

Safety button

Down the sight, and this aims pretty well.!

The lever arm priming mech; kinda felt like a bolt-action rifle after a bit.

.50 paintballs are loaded throught the breech here (the blue part is a door you push open to load)

Your ammo stores here; see how many shots you have left

 I first checked out Splatmaster with the z100 pistol and z200 shotgun, and the z300 is way different from either. 

The z100 and z200 were tested with a chronograph to around 120 fps; the z300 will usually hit around 140 fps but I have seen videos where the fps hit around 180 fps at max.  So, definitely a beefier, stronger shot.  However, the priming arm mechanic feels a lot slower than the z200’s pump-action motion so there’s definitely going to fall on the player whether they want the power of a z300 or a faster run and gun style the z200 lends itself to.  Additionally, the z300 adds a little backspin to keep the shot aloft (hop up?), so I sometimes sailed a little high from my target.  It took some adjustment at first, but eventually I got comfortable.  Still, the power and accuracy in the z300 are pretty righteous.  It’s a nice trade if you have a more deliberate and surgical play style.  Overall, the range and accuracy are pretty impressive.  I’ll definitely do a follow up with higher standing targets and revisit this in the future.

The EXPERIENCE:
  
 Let’s talk about how the z300 handles and feels.  As far as holding it, the adjustable stock really helps.  It’s comfortable, and after holding other toy blasters it feels skinnier and a bit easier to aim, carry, hold, and run with by comparison.  The styling lends itself really well to a proper rifle, making moving and aiming pretty intuitive.  If I had to critique anything, I’d say it needs a bipod, as this is the Sniper type of marker in the lineup.  The priming action is smooth, the trigger pull doesn’t fight, and the arm sits against the body in line with the rest of the marker, so if I strap it to my back it doesn’t jab at me.  There is only one sling point though, and that’s on the back of the removable stock.

Removable stock with 5 different settings.  The sling point is that loop on the back of the stock .

Furthermore on the handling.  The z300 loads through a door in the top of the marker that holds the paintballs (illustrated in the pics above.)  With every move of the priming handle, a ball loads into the barrel (via gravity and a follower that pushes the balls along, it might take some practice or jiggling if you experience any misfires) and the trigger pull launches the ball.  I didn’t experience any chopped/broken balls so far and misfires are rare (and I’ll attribute those to human error), so between the paint and the marker itself, everything is pretty reliable.  You can reload the chamber either one at a time with paintballs but there are also speedload tubes (pods) that JT makes (see the pic below) to expedite the reload process.  It took a little practice to get the right motion/angle to get the tube to push the door down and feed the balls, but as you can see in the video above I got it.

In a way, this simulates refilling your hopper with a full pod (and it’s very possible to miss reloading a proper paintball hopper too, so that’s just part of the game.)  Either way you choose to do it, you have options.  In fact, of the existing ammo containers, the grenade shaped ammo packs work pretty well too, just they’re bulkier than the speedload tubes (and during the Splatmaster First Shot challenge you only have 30 rounds per player, so starting ammo & 1 tube.)

Bottom line, while the priming motion and rate of fire is a tad slower than the z200, the z300 is definitely worth the $49.99 for it’s power, range, accuracy, portability, aesthetics, and just overall feel.  For kids and adults looking to start in paintball this is a great offering.  It is definitely one of the coolest looking things I’ve used, and handles so nicely.  That the rails accommodate picatinny accessories (like my GoPro mount) is a huge plus (and might address the bipod gripe I have) and only adds to how much I like this marker and is a must-try for anyone thinking about this line.  So far Splatmaster has the z90 (not reviewed yet, debuted at JT Splatmaster Chicago), the z100, z200, and now the z300.  Each offers a little something different in the play experience so see which suits you!  Just please remember to obey the local laws regarding paintball products, please. 

In closing, big thanks to Rich, Thomas, and everyone at Empire/JT for their time and efforts.  Hope to see you all again!  As a majority of my time with them was spent at THE FIRST JT First Shot Challenge in Chicago, of course I have pics 🙂  Splatmaster is a brand worth watching with what their goal is (building paintball by making it more accessible to people) and what they’re making for people.  They’ve got some great ideas, and I hope to see them come to fruition.

https://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/picasaweb.googleusercontent.com/slideshow.swf

 PIC PREVIEW SPAM:

 

Nerf Centurion – F2A Rundown

//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/vIeG4R7iKug

Nerf N-Strike Elite Centurion Mega Blaster

And there it is.  The Nerf N-Strike Elite Mega Centurion.  One of the three main new blasters for the year (Revonix and the Rapidstrike being the others so far, besides Rebelle, etc.)

EDIT:  The Nerf N-Strike Centurion is currently up for preorder on Amazon (as reported at Basic Nerf and AFON)!
Buy it now at Entertainment Earth!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
STATS:

Cost: $49.99

Release (approximate): Fall 2013

Includes:

  • Centurion blaster x 1
  • Mega Whistler Magazine x 1
  • Mega Whistler Darts x 6
  • Removable bipod x 1 

Range:
Between 40-75′, depending on the angle, dart quality, etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now let’s get to it.  When news of a Mega line, much less a “sniper” style rifle that was going to outdo the Longshot and Longstrike came out, I was excited.  There’s always been 1 or 2 players I knew who liked to sit in the back row and provide support for assault/run and gunners.  The Centurion was their stock blaster solution I thought.

After some initial firing…. I think I built it up too much in my head.  First, let’s tackle some of the questions I have about the blaster.

The Size.  At over 3′ long, this blaster is HUGE.  And unlike the Longshot or Longstrike, you can’t remove the front barrel once it’s on.  (You probably could, but not without risking damage to the blaster.  I warned you!)  It makes maneuvering through a jungle gym or tight indoor spaces a bit tougher unless you have it shouldered with a bandolier.  And even then, you’re running without your blaster drawn which could be crucial seconds.  With practice, this might not be a concern but again, that’s with practice.  On the plus side, it’s friendly to lefties and righties.

The rate of fire.  The Centurion has a draw pull that comes out to approx. 13″on a bolt-action motion.  On the run, that could be an issue for a fleet footed player looking to fire back.  Pump-action is much faster in comparison, and electric blasters have the advantage.  Again, this blaster is designed to be used as a sniper’s play style, so it would take some adjusting to remember this and act accordingly.  Methodical, and NOT a spray and pray game.

The accuracy.  Granted, these are Nerf blasters and inherently aren’t known for pinpoint success at 100′.  Even Elite streamlines still veer off course, so nothing’s perfect.  However, there is a level of tolerance that I have come to expect from Nerf blasters and Elite darts, and the Elite Megas definitely left me wanting.  I was expecting them to be styled more like Elite darts, with heavier heads and at least able to hit within range of a target.  In fact, the foam seems thinner and the heads were just as squishy as the original orange streamlines.  So Elite Megas, these were not.  Additionally, it was getting range relative to the other Elite blasters… and I was expecting even a few feet more.  Different functionalities add so much to a play pattern experience!

And as for the bipod?  It does wobble a bit, and does seem like it wants to let go frequently.  Believe it or not though, that bipod is far more stable than the ones on the Xploderz Xranger or Shadow Hawk.  I was pleased with how it felt, and had to try it on all sorts of things –

But!  All that being said, I see potential here.  Larger ammo I also find inherently funny, so the Centurion is a fun, over the top kinda blaster to use on unsuspecting victims.  Much like the Vulcan and the Hailfire, this blaster is designed with a role play mindset factored in; a kid who wants to pretend to be the sneaky sharpshooter, unlike the other blasters where they play a lone wolf hero archetype.  Unfortunately, the form does not lend itself well to the function of the typical way a person might play Nerf.  At least, not right now.  I intend to try the Centurion out in the field more when more mags and ammo are available, as right now with only one mag reloading is an issue as well.

And yes, there are pics out there showing the internals.  Say what you want, but I find the “KA-thu-CHUNK” of each shot oddly satisfying. 

So, where does that leave me?  I’m excited to see mega darts return, but I’m just not overcome with awe for the Centurion.  The performance was not quite what I expected this but this is only the first blaster in the Mega line and I look forward to what else comes next.  Especially if it means something like the largest Vulcan EVER:

//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/w_Jx5gFQO2g

Does that mean it’s worth the $50?  To be on the forefront of trying out a new innovation from Nerf, sure.  To shoot your friends with oversized ammo, sure.  To have a cool looking totally over the top blaster that still gets pretty good ranges, then sure!  Just remember, this isn’t a blaster to run, strafe, and spray and pray with on the front lines.  It’s more suited to a methodical, sneaky style outdoors or from higher vantage points to check the opposition.

Questions?  Comments?  Feel free, and see you on the field.

Nerf Centurion – Fall 2013! $49.99!

So after a few months of hubbub, here we are with the Nerf Centurion. (Popular Science got the exclusive “official” post on this, here’s their take – http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2013-05/exclusive-nerf%E2%80%99s-newest-gun-fires-100-feet)

picture taken from the article, illustrating distance

Highlights:
Release is set for Fall 2013
Price: $49.99 (a bit lower than I expected, thankfully)

“As for the gun [sic] itself, we’ll be blunt: this thing is freaking huge. It spans 40.7 inches from nose to heel, and at least 2/3 of that length is barrel. As with any gun, the longer the barrel, the straighter – and hopefully the farther – shots will soar.”

“To get the velocity necessary (nearly 55 mph) to catapult ammo one-third of a football field, the designers had to supersize the typical Nerf launch mechanism. With a dart-filled magazine in place, you pull back on a loading handle to allow the top dart to pop into the firing chamber. Pushing the same handle forward sets the firing mechanism in place, and pulling the trigger releases a spring-loaded piston that launches the dart.”

“The Centurion is the first in a new line of Nerf guns that use MEGA darts. The darts are about twice the size of typical Nerf darts, which engineers say helps them get the momentum they need to fly further. The also whistle, an oddly satisfying addition to long-range shootouts.”

So we can expect more Mega blasters down the road.  This all still begs the questions-

– Extra mags/mission kits will be sold when?
– I think we can assume there will be some kind of “value” pack that comes out after the inital release (happens during the holidays especially – Double Discs/Darts, blaster packs, etc.)
– The cradle… and maybe we’ll get a proper scope?
– Ranges are reported to hit 100′.  Is this with the 35 degrees that has been used in the past as the angle for max range claims? (see here) – most likely yes
– Bipod better be robust
– DAT DRAW PULL.  HOLY CRAP.

Not gonna lie though… Yet Another Ammo Type?  Just when things calmed down from Sonics/Micros/Streamlines/Taggers/Discs now Megas are in the mix.  While Sonics and Micros aren’t as prevalent in stores, they are still in circulation and part of many a community dart stash.  So here we go again with one more “caliber” of sorts to sort through when cleaning up.

But don’t get me wrong!  I’m excited to see range and mega darts again, for sure.  Will this change Nerf games?  How?  And it is the shot in the arm in range and performance that Nerf could use?  We’ll see once it hits shelves in the Fall.  And yes, I plan to figure out how to dual-wield these, too.

REVIEW: Skylanders Giants – Trigger Happy’s Dart Blaster from Mega Bloks!

Mega Bloks were awesome enough to send along a couple of samples from Toy Fair – Trigger Happy’s Blaster and Ignitor’s Flame Sword.

Trigger Happy’s Dart Blaster

Ignitor’s Flame Sword (size comparison to a Nerf Marauder)

What wonderful intellectual property are these devices for destruction from?  The Skylanders Giants game, where a player uses a figure on a platform to connect to the video gaming device of their choice and play that character IN THE GAME.

Now, my past experience with licensed blasters is not very positive.  At all.  The Jango Fett blasters I have weren’t anything special, nor were the clone trooper dart blasters I picked up.  On top of that, this is Mega Bloks’s first foray into making roleplay toys, so I was a little curious how these would stack up against past experience.

Thankfully, the stats spoke for themselves:

STATS:

Price:  Approx. $14.99 depending on the store
Range:  Anywhere from 30′-40′ (with darts NOT the ones included.  The darts it comes with decreased the range to about just under 30′)
Ammo:  Foam darts with a hard plastic, thin tip
Ammo Capacity:  6 darts before reloading

Darts that come with the blaster

Versus Nerf Elite Streamlines and current Dart Tag darts

Shot of the chamber

Air restrictors inside (and no, the cylinder does not pop out to reload.)

 Annnnd the video:

So how did I like it?  Sure, it was similar to Nerf Maverick but in a case like this it’s the aesthetics that are important because of the licensing.  Folks who love the game (or have kids who love the game) are going to like this, as well as anyone (like me) who likes a gold-colored blaster (I played A LOT of Goldeneye on the N64).  The cylinder not popping out was a surprise, but the side divots are nice touch to get around that.  As you can see in the video, the divots don’t line up with the chambers on the cylinder.  It would be nice if the holes had lined up WITH The divots, instead of trying to load the darts in on an angle, but the blaster would look a little odd and a little less symmetrical.  I get that.  The lack of a trigger guard bothers the showman in me as I can’t spin the blaster on a finger.  But, that’s a nitpick.

Unfortunately, the included darts don’t do the blaster any justice.  They drop the range and the heads are unforgiving if they did hit their target.  Granted, a toy like this isn’t INTENDED to be shot at others, but things happen and I would have liked to see suction cups or something softer at the heads of the darts, if anything so the blaster would hit the ranges it does with regular Nerf ammo.

And the ranges are THE most surprising thing about this blaster.  Once I loaded proper darts it got comparable range and performance to any Maverick I had (Strongarm doesn’t count, it’s internals are ahead of the Maverick curve but I had to include it for argument’s sake.)  I was pleasantly surprised to say the least!

After being burned so much with licensed blasters in the past, I would take this into any stock blaster game as a good sidearm confidently.  Per the usual rules around here, I won’t be modding this so I won’t write about possibilities.

Ultimately, I think it works as a sidearm if you’re into stock blaster games and the golden aesthetics remind me of sneaking around in my video game days.  It’s not exactly the Golden Gun, but it’s closest I’ve gotten 🙂  Skylanders fans might get a kick out of the blaster as well, as the license is HUGE and the game is really popular.  Trigger Happy looks like a fun character to play as well (judging from the videos, maybe an actual Skylanders player can sound off on him) so if you’re hurting for a unique looking sidearm or want to live the adventure with Spyro and friends, pick this up.   

These are only the beginning too, at Toy Fair there was plenty more on the way, as shown below:

’til next time, chummers!  Got a question?  Post below.

Snapfire 8 – closer look (Review, Repost of Demo video)

Back at last year’s Toy Fair I posted this winner of a video –

and it took… a long time to get to the U.S.  It was out overseas at first (due to the popularity of Dart Tag in those areas as opposed to the lukewarm reception here) and only recently did I finally spot one in a Toys R Us.  Approximately $19.99, it’s that semiauto manual pistol some of us have wanted for a long, long while.  Personally, I remember this old video by SGNerf:

AND FINALLY…. FINALLY….. I got to take a look at a production version Snapfire 8 up close!

More after the break>>>>

Stats:

  • Toys R Us exclusive ($14.99 or so)
  • Front-loading, 8 shot turret
  •  2 settings, “Power” & “Speed”
Twist the dial in order to go to either “speed” or “power”

  • Fires streamlines and taggers
  • No tac rails (as this is Dart Tag)
  • Ranges: 50′ on “Power” (flat) and 30′-40′ on “Speed”

Annnd, size comparison:

Now to the task at hand:

“Does switching between Power and Speed do anything?”

As has been noted by other owners, the trigger pull on the Snapfire 8 feels a little weird.  It’s a bit longer of a pull than I initially expected, most likely to both prime and release the catch the mechanism.  The “Power” setting makes the trigger harder to pull (not unexpected) while the “Speed” setting is a lot easier to pull the trigger but at significant drop in range.  Gives the impression of using versatility and modular play, but I think I would just keep it on the “Power” setting as pulling the trigger a little harder isn’t a big deal to me.  “Power” might be tough for a 6 year old though, so parents be aware that you might have to help a little to fire on the “Power” setting.

Other than the trigger, the Snapfire 8 was decent.  It got decent range on either setting and while the trigger was weird, it just took a little practice for me to get the hang of it.  The big sell to me is the true semiauto one-handed operation- no pumping needed (like a Blastfire) and no batteries (pick one, there are tons of flywheel blasters to name out there.) This feature is also why I needed to dual-wield them, in spite of the risk of reloading both at the same time.

The Snapfire 8 handles well and with taggers it is pretty accurate.  I personally got a kick out of it because I’m a big fan of semiauto pistols (lots of John Woo films growing up), although the trigger is weird.  The round turret makes holstering/pocketing one a little tough, but nothing a good pair of cargo pants can’t fix.  I suppose the lack of any sling points isn’t terrible either, but it would have been nice have some place to clasp one on in case my pockets get full of darts.  The handle seemed a good size, it didn’t feel like I had to hold it weird or that I was enveloping the blaster with my hand, which was a good touch as well.

I think the speed/power setting was a bit unnecessary except for a few select occasions, but it’s a gimmick and needed to bring some different functionality to the table in addition to the true semiauto firing.  Now and again I did have a hiccup with pulling the trigger and a dart not firing, but that could be either poor dart fit or user error.  The same thing happened with the barricade, that if you didn’t pull the trigger correctly, darts jammed.  With the Nerf Dart Tag Snapfire, you have take the same care when firing, as the blaster has to move all its parts correctly to fire properly.

Overall, I give the Snapfire a middle of the road.  On the one hand I love love love the semiauto action, but the weird trigger pull holds it back a little as that affects the reliability of the blasters.  For folks who don’t like carrying a lot of n-strike magazines on them, this is another good addition based on the mobility you have with this vs. a Swarmfire, or even a Speedswarm (not to mention a Speedswarm has that split-second rev time and suffers a bit on the rate of fire).  Is it a must-buy?  Depends on how much you want that semiauto electric free experience.  Personally, I needed to try it and here I am.

While the price is a bit high even for this (much less 2 of them like I got) if you want that flywheel-free semiauto experience, this is your chance to get it, though it takes some practice.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go watch some 80s era Hong Kong action flicks 🙂

Product Demo/Review: Foam Strike Pocket Shots – Monkey Business Sports!

Monkey Business Sports was awesome enough to send over some of their Foam Strike line, in this case Pocket Shots, their take on the slingshot. 

Monkey Business Sport Pocket Shot - what it includes!

Thanks for the package, Monkey Business Sports!

Stats:
Pocket Shot –
MSRP: $6.00
Includes:  Pocket Shot x 1, Ball ammo x 3
Range: Just under 30′

VIDEO:

Ammo comparison
Pocket Shot ammo (center) vs. Nerf ballistic balls

Size comparison vs a Nerf Eliminator

In order to load it, you wedge a ball between the uprights of the Pocket Shot, pull back the “hammer” and release, striking the ball forward. 

As you can see, it took some adjusting to get the shot to go straight but it flew well once I had the mechanics dialed in.  The table was set up around 30′ away, and the ball dropped a little short so there’s your range there.

The Pocket Shot strikes me as a blaster that truly can get played indoors or out.  The ammo flies softly enough that I don’t think it could knock over a vase or anything breakable.  It is also small enough to pocket, even if you are carrying additional ammo which is a good characteristic for a sidearm.  The only shortcoming is that unless you are carrying additional ammo, you’re stuck with 3 shots before you have to retrieve.

The action of pulling back the bungee cord (as all Foam Strike shooters use; compared to the rubber tubing Zing Toys uses) is a very satisfying and tactile sensation, so while this won’t set any range records it is still a bit of fun to play with.  Definitely leave a group of them on a table at a party and see what happens:)

The shape makes these shooters very low profile and unassuming, as opposed to some typical gun shapes that might scare administrators or parents.  Coupled with the softness of the ammo and the low velocity rate, if my nephew were still 5 years old, I’d feel safe letting him play with this under supervision (he’s 10 now).  The Pocket Shot is pretty quick to load and a convenient sidearm if you’re in the market for one.  At the very least, having a slew of them around and random shootouts with friends is a great way to even trigger interest in the hobby at large.  Pretty good offering from Foam Strike with this mini shooter, and after seeing their own bow and arrow hit 200’+, I look forward to seeing more from Monkey Business Sports, for sure.


Action Figures!


Entertainment Earth Exclusive Star Wars Action Fig

Toys R Us Visit – New stuff? (Nerf, Xploderz, new brand)

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

Just some shots of new things I found at Toys R Us and Target recently.  Highlights?

Nerf Double Dart/Disc Packs

Some new line called “NXT Tactical”

A pull-release blaster game system called “SlugTerra” (apparently a cartoon)

SpyNet wrist shooter

Don’t remember seeing this when I first spotted Launch N Attack, could be wrong tho.

A faux hammer pistol from Air Zone!

Oh right!  Found THIS, too:

After last year’s Toy Fair, FINALLY SNAPFIRE 8 in the U.S.! (Well, at least near me)