Air Zone is Keeping Up

Coop took the opportunity in the past few weeks to review some other brands of  foam weaponry that caught our eyes. Air Zone is a brand exclusive to Toys'R'Us in the United States. We've heard chatter from some users recently that several of the same designs show up elsewhere under the name Lanard. We've seen some Lanard products, but hadn't equated the two ourselves.

So here is the review of the Air Zone Turbo Fire:

It's definitely a turbo fire but like several blasters out there, it can be a bit of a drag to load. It's not quite as diverse in the types of ammunition it will actually fire, but it is Air Zone after all. Overall we may have found a good competitor in this "off-brand" machine.

Nitron Wraps it Up

Oops! Forgot to post this blog when I wrote it! Well, we did finish up with the NERF Vortex Nitron Review to round out our Vortex line reviews for now. Overall, it's been fun to test out the new tech including the XLR Disc technology. It was an interesting study. I mean, we had a new series in the NERF Dart Tag League series as well, but that wasn't really new tech, just new packaging. With the Vortex line there were new things to get adjusted to, including new ammo altogether. Speaking of which we still wonder if there will be any new types of ammo for the

The Nitron caused me to pause and pose a question about terminal range for the XLR discs in these blasters. All the ranges don't differ TOO greatly between the four blasters I tested here in Colorado Springs. So either NERF didn't vary the springs that much or the discs even out the differences.

The Value category naturally opened itself up for debate. I just couldn't endorse dropping $44.99 on the Nitron as is. Several fans on the Youtube page have brought up the availability of a special value pack at Wal-mart that adds a second clip and 20 more discs. This might pull it into the realm of acceptable cost!

Bumblebee Blaster Available!

Hey guys! Did you know that the Bumblebee Barricade is available online?! Yep, the same one that was so popular at the New York Comic Con earlier this month. I know how much we loved the Optimus Prime Barricades that we got our hands on before, so these Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10 Special Edition Transformer Bumblebee blasters will be a great addition too!

NERF gave us a shout to let us know that a limited supply of the blasters is now available at HasbroToyShop.com. They tell us the supply is going quick! Of course, I had to get my order in before I told you about it ;P

Let us know what you think about the Special Edition transformer line of Barricades. Do you think they'll come out with any more? ~Chris

HasbroToyShop.com

Always Vigilon

Here we come with the third installment of the new NERF Vortex blaster reviews. This week it's the Vigilon. Coop brings it to you from our newly established West Coast division. This week we discuss a couple of differences on the coast. Apparently the air density may be creating a difference in ranges for or data tests.

Also, don't forget to rate, subscribe and comment! We're looking for some input on the blaster and also on your thoughts for new categories to go along with Coop's upcoming melee reviews!

Sonic Series 2011 in Stores!

So NERF confirmed the newest blasters to join the Sonic Series today on facebook. Coop saw a new Sonic Series blaster at a Toys'R'Us in the L.A. area last week! So that means this year's Sonic Series blasters are hitting the shelves. Strangely, I was kind of hoping for a translucent blue line this year. Weird right?

Image borrowed from toysrus.com

As always, I'll be looking forward to getting my hands on the latest Longstrike release. I've enjoyed the heck out of this particular design since it's initial release. Plus it really grew on me in our newest short film, "Cross-hair, Triple Threat" (still in editing). I guess it's something to do with snipers needing to blend in to any environment. Now to actually get it to sniper distance! In other words, yes we'll be starting our mod channel some time in the near future. I've been slowly accumulating all of the tools necessary to get us started. Thanks for your patience!

It's kind of sad that the Sonic Series are exclusive to Toys'R'Us, so we'll again be paying too much. . .

Here are the rest of the new images, courtesy of the NERF facebook fan page:

NERF Barrel Break Sonic Series. Check out the black foam whistlers. And even the ammo rail is translucent green on this.

NERF Barricade Sonic Series. Green foam, black head whistlers? Is that what we see in the chamber? What would be the best is if they remake the value pack version of this one to include a translucent green stock! Pretty please?

NERF Stampede Sonic Series. Green foam streamlines for this puppy. Wow, they kind of went all out for the proliferation of dart styles on this release! Not sure I'm as impressed with this one as when the Vulcan came out in green. Is it just the angle, or is that shield not translucent? Check out the solid orange bipod/handle too.

It Takes Praxis

This time we've got the Praxis to look at. Drassassin117 joins us to examine the new NERF Vortex Praxis and what it does for you. As always, we look at the five categories of Speed, Range, Accuracy, Appearance and Value. He's got some interesting thoughts on the color to be sure.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Coop is seeing some different range data in LA than we are here in the Mountain Division. We 'll be learning more about that from him in the Vigilon review coming up next week. Be sure to rate, subscribe and comment on the channel and here as well!

Introducing the NERF N-Strike Jolt EX-1

What's this -A sleeper surprise from our friends at Hasbro? Smooth move.

Every once in a while NERF does something that just makes you go, "Huh?" That time has come once again. I don't really know why they released their new mini-blaster, the Jolt. I first heard about it only a day or two ago. My first impression was Why would NERF make an energy drink? But seriously, I know it's been generating a lot of buzz around the world the last couple of days and it had me very curious too.

To be honest, I find the little pistol to be rather uncomfortable to hold. It's certainly not designed for an adult hand. The grooves in the handle make things worse and I think it would have been better with a smoother design. There's a lot of crowding trying to hold it as well. I thought the Secret Strike was well done with the design of the handle. They couldn't do the same thing with the Jolt because of the placement of the plunger.

With a casual test of the range I'd guess a straight-fired average of around 30 feet to maybe 35 feet. It's dark out and I only have 25 feet down the length of my apartment :) I definitely don't think it averages at the 40 or 45 feet that a couple of others suggest.

For the record, I still kind of like the blaster. And hey, it was only 4.99 at K-Mart. It didn't say K-Mart exclusive or anything, but I haven't found it anywhere else . . . yet. It came with two whistler darts. No tac rails. But it can fit in a pocket. They had room for a full sight on it. One pull to prime it instead of several pumps like the Secret Strike. Though it doesn't have a key ring either!

There will be a more comprehensive review on Youtube soon. But we do have 3 more Vortex blasters to get through!

Just  a few quick thoughts. ~Chris

NERF Vortex Proton

I had the pleasure of reviewing the NERF Vortex Proton this past weekend. I'll tell you, this little blaster has really grown on me over the last couple of weeks. The snap-load makes me smile and the size is just right for an intimidating pistol. As you'll see in the video, I'm back and forth on whether the space in front is wasted or not. It could have had a built in accessory up there, but it's just fine without one.

The major question I'm piqued with now is, "Who wins in the N-Strike versus Vortex battle?" Thoughts? Please share!

~Chris

Arsenal Update: The Final Tally

Hey All! Take a look at our final arsenal video before we split to the two offices of Click Click BAMF, LLC. We had a lot of fun before we were rained out. In fact I'm still working on finishing the inventory little by little.

Also, don't forget that today was the official release of the NERF Vortex series of blasters! Coop already got his hands on the whole set in L.A. and I've at least got the Vigilon and the Nitron here! We're looking forward to getting those reviews out for you in the next few weeks here. I can't wait to pull mine out of the box and try them out!

In the meantime, enjoy:

What happened to Coop and Chris?

Hi Guys!

Chris here. Just thought I'd toss out a little update to you. I know it's been over a month since a lot of things got updated, but I promise we aren't dead! In fact we're very much alive and just "amping up" for our next stage!

Believe it or not, Coop made his move and is now living back in Los Angeles. As you can tell, we both have a lot of fun being actors and he is now much closer to the action. So here is the official leak about there being a Click Click BAMF - L.A.!

I'm doing a major overhaul on our inventory system right now. I know several of you have asked about how many blasters we have. So we'll have that answer soon . . . or at least a ball park number as we seem to continually be grabbing more!

Besides this weekend's Vortex release, here are some things to expect in the near future: A blog about Xploderz, Our 2011 arsenal update video, A review of Lightstrike laser tag, "Bof Bof Rank?", more blaster reviews (of course!), and perhaps the birth of our mod channel. We're looking forward to continuing our work and fun with the world of foam!

Xploderz: Good, Bad or Ugly?

Hey Warriors. We're looking forward to reviewing the Vortex line in the next few weeks. For the moment, here's something else! You know that here at BAMF HQ we're rather committed to foam weaponry in all its forms. After all, there are enough categories and sub-categories to cover in that field alone. We've already strayed from foam weaponry before to cover some water blasters on occasion. So bear with us as we journey into the world of Xploderz blasters. As always, we'll try to be as analytic and helpful as possible.

Several blogs and reports are calling Xploderz a meeting between paintball and Super Soakers. One can see where they're coming from. There is a ball projectile, but it's just wet with water and certainly doesn't sting like a paint ball. A big plus to this system is that your opponent will be hit by something, but there won't be any paint left behind on clothes, walls, furniture, cars or any other number of things in the suburban environment.

Xploderz is an interesting concept by The Maya Group, a new player on the blaster front. This company was described in a recent press release like this: "The Maya Group was founded to bring safe, high-quality and innovative toys to the market—toys that amaze, wow and dazzle long after the packaging has been opened. The company is dedicated to finding new, cool technologies and applying them to play patterns tested to create enjoyable and continued play."

They've trademarked the term H2Grow to explain their form of ammunition and the process for preparing it. Before you buy one of their blasters, They pre-soak your clip with H2Grow pellets in the box so it's ready to use. Both the standard refill pack it comes with and the refills you buy come as dried-out tiny beads. You essentially water and grow your own pellets to fire.

But now that you have all this background on the product, let's get into the nitty-gritty of a review. The Xblaster 200 was the first item we picked up from this line. Bottom line: It sucked. There is no trigger to pull with these blasters. You have to pull back what they call the power arm and then release it to fire. The stability issues between having to pull back the arm and having no stock makes it rather hard to be accurate for many people.

Another major issue is that you can't trust the ammo in this thing. Almost a third of the time, the ammo explodes as it come out the end of the barrel. Another third of the time, it doesn't explode on impact. Yet another issue; the grow-able ammo doesn't seem to have a standard size. With the Xblaster, you don't get the Ammo Depot they supply with the larger two blasters. You have to resort to loading 75 pellets into your individual clips and soaking those in water. If you leave it in water, it'll slowly keep expanding until it's too big to escape the clip. We've yet to find the right amount of time to soak the ammo here in the humidity conditions, or lack thereof, in Colorado Springs.

This past month, circumstances drew me to finally go ahead and buy an XRanger 2000. This is the biggest and longest-range blaster in the Xploderz line. When I popped on the pre-soaked ammo clip that came with it, I fell in love. The placement of the power arm is perfect. The stock gets rid of stability issues. Not to mention the unique look of this sniper blaster. I thought I had found my new favorite. Well, that euphoria only lasted until the clip ran out. Then I was back to soaking my own ammo . . . Apparently if I had 3-4 hours to sit around at home or to be sure I was back in time, then I might be able  to get the right ammo size. Otherwise . . .  sadness.

On a side note: All of the Xploderz brand ammo is the same shade of blue. But that doesn't have to be the case. Turns out that Xploderz ammo is just a type of water bead that craft stores have been selling for years. We went to our local Michael's, a craft store, and saw several colors to be picked up. We'd like you to meet the H2Faux system. As a warning though, their sizes are even more inconsistent. You'll want to discard the ones that don't fit.

~ Chris

The Eagle Has Landed

It was great fun working on this "vintage" review of a vintage blaster. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it. As always, give us some love on Youtube and feel free to join the discussion. Would you like to see more from Brice Irvine Christian? Any other vintage blasters you're just hurting to hear about? Please send us comments!

On another note, we are so looking forward to the availability of the Gear Up, Whiteout and Vortex series blasters in our area. Of course you'll be able to turn to us for the most comprehensive and in-depth reviews as soon as we have them!

In the mean time, thanks for dropping by and enjoy the heck out of your time!
~Chris

Pocket-sized Pwnage

Who knew that an oldie could be such a goodie? In this review episode, we tackle all of the ins and outs of the NERF Nite Finder EX-3. The price is right and the gettin' is good!

Also, have you been keeping up with Coop's continuing quest to finally make a tag on Chris? In this episode he seems to have a plan worked out. Will he make it work?

A Great Value for a Good Starter Set

It was a must to finally alert you to this NERF Dart Tag League 2-player starter pack. This thing is a great value to get you and a friend started in the world of dart tag. Check out the video to learn all about what comes in the set and what the best parts are.

A Little Too Real

Take a look at this picture to the left. The "Splash Master Reloadable Magazine Water Pistol" has 3 magazines and several belt clips to help make it look and feel like the "real thing". This image represents the joy of many a kid and the terror of many adults. Toy guns have been around about as long as firearms themselves, so accidental shootings thanks to toy guns have been a real and scary thing for several years.

For as long as I can remember, I've been enamored with realistic looking water pistols. Perhaps it came from the desire to be uniquely well-equipped against the bad guys I was blasting in my head. Maybe instead it was because I was curious about the workings of real firearms. Or possible still, I was already a stickler for accurate role-playing. In any case I've loved the getting my hands on good props since I was a young boy.

Once when I was a pre-teen, I was on a family trip and made what I considered to be a great find. At the Family Dollar we stopped at, there were some great looking water pistols that mimicked an M1911 and a German Luger. I grabbed those things about as fast as I could. My parents weren't the happiest, but lt it pass. Of course a short time later, I got the idea to paint them black for use in student films and such.

While it seemed like a good idea to me, it was exactly what my parents and many politicians were afraid of. Check out this New York Times article from 1998. About this time and within the next few years after, it became much harder to find realistic looking toy guns in my local area. Even convincing Airsoft (and equivalent brands) guns became more rare. While this was to my lament in teen years, I still understood why. Kids aren't known or even expected to be the most responsible people on the planet. They can do some fairly dumb things, not the least of which is to wave what looks like a gun at the wrong people.

I'm all for having fun and finding the next cool product to play with, but let's hope toy makers continue to use some common sense. This is the currently available version of that water pistol we were looking at. This color isn't likely to get you shot. I picked it up at the Walgreens down the street from Click Click BAMF HQ. Yeah, I'll likely paint it for use in one of my independent films, but that's on me. You won't be seeing one of my little nephews running around with it.

~Chris Jacobs

Patriots and Blasters

Meet the new Captain America disk launching shield. We were hoping to release this review on Memorial Day, but it just wasn't in the cards . . . or disks. Nothing like red, white and blue to celebrate a patriotic holiday. Remember as you enjoy these toys and watch Captain America: The First Avenger on July 22nd, that these things were created to help tell the stories of heroes.

Most blasters are fashioned to look a lot like real guns. Guns are used for good and bad. I'm willing to bet most of you imagine yourselves to be on the side of good. So remember that men and women are wielding the real things every day for you and us! Whatever country you live in or miss, remember to love it. Thanks for reading and enjoy the review.

~Chris Jacobs

Click Click BAMF Goes "Green"

It was a step toward "going green" yesterday. We finally purchased a battery charger so as to quit disposing of so many batteries ranging from AAA to D over and over again. Admittedly this move was as much for the savings as it was for helping the environment. What do you expect from a growing company? Really, it's not a bad way to hit two birds with one stone.

It's a simple step to take in order to both spend and pollute less, but you do need a little cash. The MSRP on this Energizer charger is $29.99. Don't ask me why I chose Energizer -maybe it was visions of a green bunny following me around, pounding a drum. I also had to drop $9.50 a piece for the 4-packs of AA batteries I grabbed. So with the money spent so far we could nearly buy a NERF Stampede. 

The initial investment may seem like a good chunk of money, but then the payoff happens. The packaging of the AA Energizer Rechargeable packs say that they can be recharged up to 250 times and that they last four times as long as regular AA batteries (when tested in digital cameras). We usually buy Rayovac batteries, which are the least expensive brand we've found locally. We are able to buy 30 AA batteries for about the same a four rechargeable Energizer AAs. Ignoring the suggestion that these rechargeables last 4-times as long, we'll still be using these batteries when we'd be buying our 34th pack of Rayovacs! It would be our 134th pack if you do count the extra duration.

There are a couple of other things to take into account though. If you've seen our arsenal, you know there are a LOT of blasters for us to power. Only having four AA batteries wouldn't go very far to power our full arsenal. Luckily the charger we purchased (and seen above) can hold 8 AA or AAA, 4 C or D, or 2 9V batteries at a time. Another point is that it takes three to seven hours to recharge anhy batteries. Yet if they really last four times as long, it may not really be an issue since you can probably just pop them in at the end of the day. I grabbed two of the AA 4-packs to start. We'll try those and some D batteries for the Stampede and Vulcan for a bit and report back on their performance.

                                                           

Foam Board Games?

Coop and I were doing our semi-weekly store checks the other day when we spotted something weird: foam family board games. Apparently it's not enough to have checkers, chess, four across (what I know as Connect Four), Tic-Tac-Toe and Chinese checkers. Now there are versions of each of those made entirely of foam. They are from Pavilion -a member of the Toy'R'Us family of companies.

I suppose the foam version could be good if sister gets mad and wants to pummel brother with the board and game pieces, but I doubt that was their thinking in making these! Really I'd be more impressed with the foam version of chess they had three dimensional foam pieces instead of paint on the checkers.

Next step, figure out if you can fire the foam checkers out of the Vortex blasters . . . (kidding!)

Foam Freedom: Rant in Response

So Urban Taggers, arguably the premiere blog and source of NERF information on the interwebs, brought up an interesting discussion. "What really MAKES it for you?" There are several sub-groups of fans for as many different types of toy blasters and melee weapons and manufacturers there are. Though one very common push among current blaster and toy gun fans is that they should all fire darts.

Personally, I think there is room for more than just dart launchers is our lives. With the announcement and demos of the new NERF Vortex blaster line, there has been a lot of discussion both for and against disk launchers. Disks, darts, water or . . . balls, this blog will be happy to cover the whole range of them. We definitely need it to shoot SOMETHING, but we're not bent on one form of ammo.

Generally we're fans of the foam. Foam is a great substance, especially for it's safety aspects. You'll hear a lot of pubescent and otherwise self-involved Airsoft fans insist that to "grow up" is to play Airsoft. But foam takes the cake for a lot of reasons in this book; A) You can fire most, if not all foam blasters in the house without breaking stuff. B) You can fire most of the foam blasters at kids without really causing pain. C) You can carry most stock foam blasters in public without inciting a panic in anyone (besides intended victims). D) It's way easier to find and re-use your foam ammo.

So in all, I'd say there can be a large variety of answers to what really "makes it" for me. Give me a blaster with some good ammo that I can pop off at anyone, then you can probably get a smile out of me. Two of my personal faves: NERF Maverick and Air Zone Power Strike 48!

~Chris Jacobs

Foam and Blood

Shortly after we founded Click Click BAMF, Coop discovered a growing alternative sport brought forth by the Foam Weapon League. They take a pick-up joust with foam swords and other weapons to the next level. Real Fighting, Fake Blood. What's not to like? It was perfect for a company like ours to follow and we've had a lot of fun keeping up with what they've been doing.

While we were on the coast last month, we had a chance to touch base with the FWL commissioner, David Ballard. He told us all about how the Foam Weapon League works, what they're planning and where they're going. Check out the full interview below:

NERF Vortex, Part Trois

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nFk4qW2o1k

In their third Vortex video release, NERF has finally confirmed and officially released what the blasters are going to be called as part of the Vortex line. Getting an even better look at the blasters, I am personally twice as excited to try each of them out! The size of the blasters in the shot I picked above is obviously not proportional if you compare to the other two videos they've released.

We all were comparing the stock that comes with the Praxis to the Recon stock, but the new version looks loads more comfortable and sturdy. I, for one, am crossing my fingers that they release it in the N-Strike color scheme as well (not just the Gear Up version).

BTW . . . Vigilon? Weird name. Maybe it'll grow on me, but I think it's kind of weak.

~Chris Jacobs

NERF Swarmfire on the Beach!

Hey Warriors! We pumped out the last of the individual NDTL blaster reviews. Coop rocked it on the beach. Check it out:

"Glo" Swords At Toys'R'Us

Dart Tag Starter Set
(Image from nerf.com)

We just got back from Los Angeles a couple of days ago. We're happy to be back at HQ, but sad to leave the fun of the West Coast. While out there, Coop and I decided to take a little trip to an area Toys'R'Us just to compare the foam section a bit. The price gouging seems to be consistent at each Toys'R'Us. Though, unlike our local store, this one had the Dart Tag Starter pack with two training jerseys, two Sharp Shot blasters and two pair of vision gear goggles that I am tempted to call version 1.5.

Something cool we did discover on our outing were these new glow-in-the-dark foam swords. There are several designs and a few different colors too. We were both thinking that they're perfect for a little bit of visual modding to get a good cosplay going. Though the core doesn't run the length of the sword, so LARPing with them won't work out too well. We'll certainly be reviewing them in the near future along with NERF and other foam melee choices. Take a look:

Speaking of melee choices, you wouldn't believe some of the coverage we have coming in the weeks ahead. While out in L.A. we had the chance to talk with David Ballard, commissioner of the Foam Weapon League. What's that? Only an awesome new alternative sport that is soon to hit airwaves and the interwebs near you! Whether you're already a fan or not, there are some cool facts you're not going to want to miss out on. Also, have you ever heard of LARP? We delve into one SoCal group that was kind enough to show us the ropes.

We're really stoked about where the next episodes will be taking us!

More on the Vortex!

Well Warriors, today we write to you from the road. Coop and myself are just pulling in to Los Angeles in the company of our roommate (Hi, Mark). Be looking for another review in a week or so to finish up our special edition of NDTL blaster reviews! We get to do this one from a fun place on the coast!

So as you may have noticed, more Vortex visuals have made their way onto the Nerf Nation facebook page. This is an obvious marketing tactic to keep up excitement and interest for their new line. Well, for some of us, it's working! Take a look at this video below and then we'll make a few comments: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJxnamubmJ0

Did you notice the slide-stop/release that makes these blaster feel just a little more realistic? I've got to say that it's notable that NERF is taking a step toward a realistic feel but still trying to keep away from a dangerous LOOK out of the box.

Also, the ammo looks different than a lot of people have been assuming on-line. It's not the foam disc donut that we've come to associate with Lanard's disc shooters. It still has the hollowed-out bottom, we assume to work with their spring, but the top is covered (perhaps to make stefan discs more difficult?). In fact these seem more like hardened foam like you see on some stock LARPing weapons. It's shiny material, but we hesitate to say plastic since NERF is always up on the safety aspects.

We kind of let a lot of the last video speak for itself as we're not here to steal NERF's thunder or to repeat what you can see for yourself. But if you missed something or just want to confirm what you saw, Urban Taggers has some great commentary over there. They've included some write-ups and break-downs that fans wrote for them.

Well on to enjoy the West Coast for the few days we're here. Anyone have some suggestions? Throw us a comment soon. We leave in 3 days!

~Chris Jacobs

The Hollow-Point Dart

It's been a fast-held industry standard to shy away from comparing foam dart guns to actual firearms. Though companies such as NERF edge excitingly close to replica possibilities at times, they never call their toys "guns". It's always blasters.

The Hollow-Point dart shell, and clip.

We decided to pick up the Air Zone Shoot 'N Shatter system at Toys'R'Us in our ever-continuing quest to find effective targeting systems to test our blasters on. The Shoot 'N Shatter includes an electronic target set and a Shell Shock X-6 blaster with the darts, shells and a clip. Imagine our surprise, excitement and awe when we discovered what we can only call the Air Zone Hollow-Point Dart! When we un-boxed it, we weren't expecting what looked like a bullet and cartridge. We thought we had found the coolest dart ever to add to the arsenal we use for range tests. The down side is that these darts will barely fire out of anything other than their native blaster. Rest assured these darts will make appearances on our Youtube channel where possible.

The Hollow-Point tip.

The Air Zone Shoot 'N Shatter System.

The Shell Shock X-6 was previously available by itself, but I hadn't seen or heard enough of it to be interested. Chatter on the web suggests it was available back in 2009. The ranges are nothing to write home about, but the ejecting action along with the more realistic bullet casing are a plus for foam movie enthusiasts. We really like the feel of the blaster in our hands as well. It retails for around twenty dollars, now that it includes the Shoot 'N Shatter target system. It seems a little steep for the items that you get in the box, but electronics always give them an excuse.

The un-boxing of the Shoot N Shatter.

Though we aren't a mod-promoting channel or blog; Due to its poor range performance, the Shell Shock may be one of the most forward candidates for modification. The look and feel of the blaster is great and should have more power to come with it. The Nerf or Nothing Blogspot notes that NERF streamline darts will fire when the post is removed from the shells and the dart is cut down. Yet I'd like to see something heavier, like a whistler dart, be able to fire from the Shell Shock.

In all, the focus probably rests on the darts themselves. They are unique and provide a more realistic look. However, they could become the fodder of the news media next time someone chooses to blame toy guns for violence and such. I know I still want them. What about you? ~ Chris Jacobs

NERF Reveals Their New Vortex Series

(Image from Nerf facebook.)

As we close out Spring break and look toward the Summer season, NERF continues to tease their new line of blasters they call; Vortex. Many of the NERF Nation were waiting this morning with baited breath for written info, video and pictures detailing what this elusive Vortex line is all about. Yet 9:30AM EST came and went with no release. The tension on the facebook page was epic. Finally, twenty minutes late, the details trickled out in video. See for yourself:

NERF Staffer Tests the Range of a Vortex Blaster. (Image from Nerf Youtube.)

Nerf Vortex First Look

There were a couple of theories out there as to the new release. I know I saw the idea of discs a couple of times for sure, so props to you if you thought so! From the First Look there, it seems that they've effectively married their successful clip system endeavors with the novelty or intrigue provided by the Lanard disc shooters. I, for one, am rather excited to get a few in my hands and try them out.

If the test video is any indication of the true stock performance, we've got a far-reaching beauty on the way. Yet questions are already being raised about the effectiveness of a foam disc as ammunition. One user on facebook said, " . . . won't the disc curve like crazy?" In fact, you can already see a 'disc>dart' and vice versa war starting on the page. The whole range versus accuracy idea reminds me of the old Koosh Vortex line that you can read a little about below.

HISTORY

The Koosh Vortex Tornado. (Image from Nerfer Wiki.)

NERF calls the Vortex line the next evolution in blasters, though they're using on old school name. Koosh released their Vortex line of blasters in the late 1990s. Those blasters fired rubber rings instead of foam darts. While infamous for their indoor ranges, many jokes have been made about their outdoor short-comings. They weren't the most infamous series, but notablex and common enough to still be available at original cost or less on-line.

The NERF Vortex football. (Image from Google products.)

And many of us slightly older NERF fans remember the Vortex Football that debuted in 1993 from the company Oddzon. It was a finned creation that let one throw the ball incredible distances with a lot less effort. A common nickname for the first release was the "Flying Lemon". Other versions like the "Pocket Vortex" and the screaming "Howler" also became fan favorites. Hasbro eventually acquired the rights to the toy -as they do with most successful such inventions. They of course branded it under NERF.

Lanard Fire Shot (Image from Nerf Blaster Wiki.)

Then there are the Lanard Fire Shot and Zip Shot disc shooters I mentioned above. They're still available in some markets today. I suppose that until September, they enjoy leadership in the foam disc shooting area.

Though the name and the concept have been around, it looks like NERF will do what they are famous for. They'll take the ideas to the next level of production and show toy and foam fans everywhere what quality is like. From the little we know about it, Vortex looks like it can run as a sister line to N-Strike rather than a replacement which would be great news of both sides. Now all we can do is wait until 9.10.11 to get these beauties in our hands!

By Chris Jacobs

Integrated Clip Systems -Dart Tag Only.

by Chris Jacobs

Just last week, foam warriors saw NERF's new Dart Tag line of blasters trickle into stores. After getting our hands on the new toys, we realized that there are a couple of big things that set apart this new series of blasters.

NERF Speedload 6. (Image from nerf.com)

The new tech found in the integrated clip is a great concept in and of itself. The inclusion of a self-contained clip that allows you to load multiple darts which are essentially ready to shoot is a step forward in the eyes of many NERF enthusiasts. This new approach eliminates two issues for the average user. For one, you no longer have to carry around extra clips to load which can be cumbersome and difficult to keep track of. Second, you get the convenience of not having to load a dart every time you fire your blaster. This is already a benefit to other clip system blasters, but many didn't consider that an advantage because of the loathed streamline darts.

On another hand, not having clips to remove can be seen as a down side. Having preloaded clips that you can quickly replace is seemingly a quicker way to reload than manually replacing darts in the integrated clip during a battle.  During the often short rounds of Dart Tag, this may be a non-issue. It'll be an interesting trade-0ff to observe whether versatile ammo in the integrated clip or a ready supply in the older clip systems win in longer term foam applications such as long-term battles or 'Humans versus Zombies'.

Mod to carry ammo. (Image by beerhandconners2, Youtube.)

Based on our own review of the NERF Dart Tag Speedload 6, the new integrated clip blasters should stay in the Dart Tag arena. They don't come with blaster accessories, tactical rails or even the eye gear that they recommend wearing at all times. They also don't come with any semi-convenient way to hold extra ammo. It seemed that NERF was on the right track last year when they released the ammo rail with the Barrel Break blaster. While we don't advocate mods, someone posted the idea to glue and velcro an ammo rail to the Quick 16 to allow for extra storage. Not a bad idea, but yet again spending more money just to get an adequate supply.

Overall, the line of Dart Tag Blasters look like they'll perform just as they are marketed to do. We can see how they'd likely operate well within the Dart Tag arenas that were seen in last year's Championships. Though, without serious modifications, they seem like they'll operate at a disadvantage in the rest of the realms a foam warrior would take them into.

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