The Nerf and Super Soaker Thread

[Sonygamer455]

A similar inspiration to SVX's 1/64 Model Collectors Thread, this thread is pretty much the place you can share and discuss Nerf and Super Soaker blasters and anything relating to the topic. Of course you are not limited to just Nerf and Super Soaker, it can be other brands too.

(I am sure their is more I could say, but I can't think of anything else. So this post is subject to change in the future)

Anyways, happy collecting!

 

[AOS-]

I remember having my first water gun and playing with that back in 98. I was amused by how far the water shot the more I pumped that thing. Took it to the beach, got sand stuck in moving parts, nozzle leak developed (probably from exceeding pressure threshold for prolonged period of time). Stopped playing with it, later threw it out, realized what a waste of plastic that became.

I'm so glad I grew out of that quick.

 

[Sonygamer455]

Me, my siblings and my cousins used to have water gun fights back in 2002 (and I think even in 2003 and 2004) and it was fun. I would have gotten into water guns a lot more, but sadly water gun fights didn't happen very often and the fact we would pretty much only be able to have them in the summer didn't help either. So it never really took off for me sadly, however I do have two Super Soakers I modified to shoot Nerf darts and they are pretty darn good. Other than that, I nowadays don't have much use for water guns anymore sadly, as far as their intended purpose goes.

Nerf blasters however is a totally different story for me.

 

[Gerarghini]

Recently, the house I was in for college had a situation where everyone was armed with a nerf gun (y’know, whenever someone is taking a little bit too long in the fridge).

I had the big ol’ Raider CS-35 with the huge drum mag. I found you can rapid fire by holding the trigger and just pumping it as fast as you can provided the darts don’t get stuck in the operating mechanism.

Otherwise, my family has a bunch of nerf guns we don’t even use anymore

 

[Sonygamer455]

Recently, the house I was in for college had a situation where everyone was armed with a nerf gun (y’know, whenever someone is taking a little bit too long in the fridge).

I'm jealous, I haven't been in a good Nerf war in years. I used to do them all the time with my cousins, but sadly they have moved elsewhere and none of them have the time anymore.

I had the big ol’ Raider CS-35 with the huge drum mag. I found you can rapid fire by holding the trigger and just pumping it as fast as you can provided the darts don’t get stuck in the operating mechanism.

Yep they call it "slam fire". The Raider was among one of the first to utilize this and later blasters started using it afterwards.

I got it shortly after it was first released and it's a pretty good blaster, especially with the 35 dart drum. It also has one of the best stocks ever made in my opinion. It does jam a lot with streamline darts, but if you use elite darts it tends to work better. (For me anyhow)

Otherwise, my family has a bunch of nerf guns we don’t even use anymore

If you ever dig them up, feel free to share them here! I love seeing everyone's collection!

 

[Exorcet]

I'm so glad I grew out of that quick.

They weren't necessarily just a pointless fad. Apparently there are Super Soaker collectors now (or were a few years ago when I looked into this) and they might be willing to give you a few hundred dollars for a well kept soaker.

I still have my Monster XL, though it's probably covered in dust in an attic somewhere. I think they've sold for over $300 if I'm remembering correctly. The CPS 2000 (?), the backpack soaker, is worth even more I think.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

They weren't necessarily just a pointless fad. Apparently there are Super Soaker collectors now (or were a few years ago when I looked into this) and they might be willing to give you a few hundred dollars for a well kept soaker.

Huh, I might have a couple water guns and a couple of water bags (Super Soaker accessories for carrying extra ammo) in my parents' garage. Might have to see if they're in tolerable condition.

I've still got my Nerf Maverick revolver, and I used to keep it at my desk at work for quiet days. I also used the workshop there to remove the little plastic "restrictors" and add some spacers behind the spring, which gave a noticeable, if fairly moderate, improvement in power.

 

[photonrider]

I have twin TRIAD EX-3's tucked into my waistband when I'm gardening. I actually bought them for myself.
It's me versus the chipmunks, though at the moment they seem to be treating it as a game - which is rather humiliating.

There's a huge box of Nerf blasters stowed away in a box at home - left overs from my kids who have moved on, or who are still with me but aren't remotely interested in them at all now. I know for sure theres an N-Strike Elite gatling gun in there - drum and all. That thing would rain darts. Shrieking fun.

When it comes to NERF - we actually have official NERF wars here in the city - usually played out at a school when the schools are closed for the vacations. Serious business actually - trading, modding, the works.

There's a whole bunch of super-soakers, too, in that box, and - with all the Nerf guns - destined for a second-hand shop or some neighbour's kids.

I won't part with my EX-3s though.

 

[Silver Arrows]

I have twin TRIAD EX-3's tucked into my waistband when I'm gardening. I actually bought them for myself.
It's me versus the chipmunks, though at the moment they seem to be treating it as a game - which is rather humiliating.

There's a huge box of Nerf blasters stowed away in a box at home - left overs from my kids who have moved on, or who are still with me but aren't remotely interested in them at all now. I know for sure theres an N-Strike Elite gatling gun in there - drum and all. That thing would rain darts. Shrieking fun.

When it comes to NERF - we actually have official NERF wars here in the city - usually played out at a school when the schools are closed for the vacations. Serious business actually - trading, modding, the works.

There's a whole bunch of super-soakers, too, in that box, and - with all the Nerf guns - destined for a second-hand shop or some neighbour's kids.

I won't part with my EX-3s though.

Gives new meaning to the term 'arms development' no?

 

[photonrider]

Gives new meaning to the term 'arms development' no?

And legs, too. There's a lot of running around and running way, and generally running for no reason at all.
The fact they all live to tell the tale just adds to the god-like immortality.

I have to admit there is occasionally proud sporting of bruises at the end of the day.

 

[MisterWaffles]

I have a Rapidstrike lying around for rainy days. It’s fun to set some cups up and pray the darts actually hit. (It kinda looks like an M41 Pulse Rifle from Aliens so I love it for that too.)

Hey, it’s fun to say I have the “assault rifle” one rather than the cheaper spring blasters, although those would be a much more cost effective alternative.

I’ve seen some videos online of HvZ at universities and colleges. It sucks that there isn’t anything like that around here because it looks like so much fun.

 

[Sonygamer455]

I've still got my Nerf Maverick revolver, and I used to keep it at my desk at work for quiet days. I also used the workshop there to remove the little plastic "restrictors" and add some spacers behind the spring, which gave a noticeable, if fairly moderate, improvement in power.

Air restrictor removal, penny mods, people have done those mods to Maverick for years now. As far performance mods go, you really can't do much to improve the Maverick due to it's reverse plunger design.

Of course, I never really liked the Maverick all that much anyway.

I have twin TRIAD EX-3's tucked into my waistband when I'm gardening. I actually bought them for myself.

Quite a bang for the buck isn't it? I have the blue and the white versions. It's actually pretty darn powerful not just for it's value, but in general really and you wouldn't think so just judging by it's size. I've had a few like that in my time.

There's a huge box of Nerf blasters stowed away in a box at home - left overs from my kids who have moved on, or who are still with me but aren't remotely interested in them at all now. I know for sure theres an N-Strike Elite gatling gun in there - drum and all. That thing would rain darts. Shrieking fun.

It's either the Rampage or Raider. The Raider isn't an Elite blaster, but it has a similar color scheme and one could easily confuse it.

I have a Rapidstrike lying around for rainy days. It’s fun to set some cups up and pray the darts actually hit. (It kinda looks like an M41 Pulse Rifle from Aliens so I love it for that too.)

The Rapidstrike is pretty good and I heard it's awesome when modified. The new Hyperfire is even better. (I have both) Funny enough, I set up cans and shot them in my front yard just recently.

Hey, it’s fun to say I have the “assault rifle” one rather than the cheaper spring blasters, although those would be a much more cost effective alternative.

Sounds to me like you have joined the "Flywheel Masterrace". Springers can be better for the cost, but they do have some that cost more than typical flywheel blasters. Like the upcoming Rival Hades for instance, it's going to be $70 when it comes out!

I prefer springers most of the time, but flywheel blasters have grown on me and now that I am learning to mod them, my interest is soaring.

I’ve seen some videos online of HvZ at universities and colleges. It sucks that there isn’t anything like that around here because it looks like so much fun.

It does look like fun, I too wish they had them around here since my cousins are never around anymore. I never actually been to real war before, all of mine are pretty much just me and my friends gathering to shoot each other.

 

[Sonygamer455]

Well finished two mods recently I haven't posted yet. Been modding springers and air blasters for years now, but these are actually my first modified electronic blasters.

Vulcan EBF-25. Long story short, I left the batteries in the blaster for years and it got corroded to the point it no longer worked. Given I wanted to get into electronic modding, I figured repairing this was a good place to start! So I followed this guide to rewire it and did a few things differently from as well. Left the air restrictor in, didn't glue the clutch and cut a hole on the bottom for the XT-60 connector. Blaster is rewired with 18 gauge stranded wire and has I think a 16amp microswitch.

And as you can see, it works again! The blaster is modded for lipo power, but I don't yet have one, so the blaster is running off of one of those old school rechargeable NiMH 9.6v batteries from my Nerf Terrascout.

Quite happy with how it turned out!

Khaos. As my first modified flywheel blaster, I modded this one just so I can get more power out of it and luckily this thing doesn't need replacement motors like other blasters. For this one, I followed this tutorial and rewired the blaster with the same 18 gauge stranded wire and the same microswitch from the Vulcan. However I did one thing differently that I feel people don't do enough, I made it so it can still use regular batteries and be lipo compatible without issue.

Notice the 2nd XT60 connector? Well what I have done here is kept the battery terminals, soldered new wires onto them and put a female XT60 connector to connect to the male XT60. If I want to use regular batteries or the Rival rechargable pack, I just connect the two XT60's and drop in whatever battery I want and then I can use them. If I want to use a lipo battery, I just disconnect the two XT60 connectors and plug the lipo directly into the male XT60. The battery terminals don't do anything when a lipo is plugged in so their is no fear of them heating up.

Most modders completely do away with the ability to use regular batteries when they mod theirs for lipo, which makes perfect sense if you're running aftermarket motors, but with ones like this that don't need replacement motors? Not so much. I feel limiting yourself to one power source when you really don't need to is a mistake too many modders are making with blasters like this.

I don't have a firing demo for this one yet, but once I get a lipo battery, I should have something VERY exciting to show then! I'll show how it is on regular batteries and lipo for a comparison.

 

[Sonygamer455]

Got the new Dart Zone Nexus Pro at Wal Mart last week and I have to say, it's probably the best blaster I have bought in years! The range and accuracy is the best I have ever seen from a springer and it's essentially a hobby-grade blaster that you can easily buy at Wal Mart. While $50 may seem expensive, it's totally worth it! 👍

Although I have an intense Nerf bias, I have to admit, Nerf has had one of the worst years I have ever seen and Dart Zone has really been killing it with their blasters lately. They are putting Nerf to shame this time around and I honestly am getting to where I prefer Dart Zone a lot more now because they provide great performance, lots of ammo, and to my knowledge, no corporate lies, all for a great price.

 

[MisterWaffles]

Thread bump here.

Caved into my urges and ordered the Halo Assault Rifle from Amazon. Great timing too because I've been playing Reach on the PC with my buddies recently.

In the game my favourite weapon is the DMR and a shotgun on my back, but Nerf hasn't made those. Yet...

I'll try to resist smacking anyone in the face with it.

 

[Sonygamer455]

You know what, I forgot to reply here!

Caved into my urges and ordered the Halo Assault Rifle from Amazon. Great timing too because I've been playing Reach on the PC with my buddies recently.

Nice! If I remember correctly, it comes with a code for the blasters color scheme in Halo Infinite.

I have seen reviews of the blaster and it does look pretty nice. I amazed they painted both sides of it because Hasbro has been very bad about not painting both sides lately. However, I don't plan on getting this one because I am not into Halo and in my eyes, it's just another overpriced Rayven reshell with an obscene amount of barrel drag.

In the game my favourite weapon is the DMR and a shotgun on my back, but Nerf hasn't made those. Yet...

Well I think they only recently acquired the license for Halo, so currently we don't have much for it, but I have a feeling they will make one eventually if they keep the license long enough.

Nerf hasn't exactly had a good year though, if anything, it's possibly the worst I have ever seen from the brand in my entire time in this hobby.

 

[MisterWaffles]

You know what, I forgot to reply here!
Nice! If I remember correctly, it comes with a code for the blasters color scheme in Halo Infinite.

I have seen reviews of the blaster and it does look pretty nice. I amazed they painted both sides of it because Hasbro has been very bad about not painting both sides lately. However, I don't plan on getting this one because I am not into Halo and in my eyes, it's just another overpriced Rayven reshell with an obscene amount of barrel drag.
Well I think they only recently acquired the license for Halo, so currently we don't have much for it, but I have a feeling they will make one eventually if they keep the license long enough.

Nerf hasn't exactly had a good year though, if anything, it's possibly the worst I have ever seen from the brand in my entire time in this hobby.

I’m very curious as to why you think Nerf is having one of their worst years. My MA40 came in the mail and it’s probably the best dart blaster I’ve ever held in my hands. The build quality is excellent, it’s reliable, it shoots hard compared to my old yellow stuff and it looks accurate to the games. My old Rapidstrike has been dethroned for shooting random things around the house now.



I’m aware Ultra was.. ...a thing that happened and people don’t like to talk about that. But Nerf’s had plenty of unsuccessful lines over the years. I remember having to read case studies in school about how Rebelle was sexist. Also the yellow Dart Tag relaunch was a flop.

This new Elite 2.0 line looks cool. If I didn’t have a Rapidstrike or it ends up breaking, I’d probably buy a Turbine to replace it. I also heard all of those blasters are welded together now, but Nerf’s target market is children, not 30-something year old men in their garages using industrial tools to alter said children’s toys. I don’t see why it’s a big deal to your average consumer.

Then this Walmart value brand Dart Zone or whatever they’re called have been making these ludicrously hard-hitting orange Airsoft-looking blasters that aren’t suitable for shooting indoors at things, your friends, or small children, and now everyone’s saying Nerf is dead and you should be buying those now. Yeah, I don’t think so. Again, the target market for Nerf isn’t shopping for that kind of thing, so if you want your Nerf to be more like Airsoft, Hasbro made a thing for you and it’s called Rival.

If you ever show up to a war where everyone else is using stock Nerf blasters (i.e. the only wars I’ve ever attended) and your blaster had an M4 buffer tube on the back, politely show yourself the door.

So yeah, no, I’m not seeing it. There’s been plenty of good stuff from Nerf this year (mainly the Halo AR) and the problems people are complaining about (outside of Ultra) are all outside of the target market of these products. Again, I’m not very active so maybe I’m missing the bigger picture here, but from my position it looks like business as usual for Nerf right now and they’re doing just fine.

 

[Sonygamer455]

My MA40 came in the mail and it’s probably the best dart blaster I’ve ever held in my hands.

I’ve heard it has good ergonomics.

it shoots hard compared to my old yellow stuff

I don’t doubt it because ever since they introduced N-Strike Elite in late 2012, it set a new bar for Nerf and ever since then, most of what they put out nowadays exceeds what N Strike did in terms of performance.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think the MA40 is bad, it’s quite good at what it’s trying to do, it’s just not for me.

I’m aware Ultra was.. ...a thing that happened and people don’t like to talk about that. But Nerf’s had plenty of unsuccessful lines over the years.

And this is true. They have been making blasters for about 30 years now and with all the many blasters and series they have come out with, it’s no surprise theirs going to be some bad ones here and there. Theirs a reason people complained so much about Ultra though.

However, I have to give Ultra some credit, they have gotten better this year with their blasters, but still, it’s Ultra and I can’t say I care about the line.

Also the yellow Dart Tag relaunch was a flop.

Yea I have heard that as well and I honestly don’t understand why because they had some genuinely good blasters in there. Wasn’t too long ago I was playing with one of mine.

I also heard all of those blasters are welded together now,

Yes. With Elite 2.0 they have resorted into using solvent welding and clips to hold it together with only a few screws (some not having any at all), making them harder to get into to.

but Nerf’s target market is children, not 30-something year old men in their garages using industrial tools to alter said children’s toys. I don’t see why it’s a big deal to your average consumer.

I’m aware it isn’t aimed at modders, but with what they have done with the Elite 2.0 line, it doesn’t matter if you’re a modder or just some kid that wants to shoot darts, it’s bad for both sides.

Not only have they made them difficult to get into, but they have ditched using metal springs for things like the trigger, catch, and magazine release, and started using what people have been calling “leaf springs”, which are literally just plastic tabs made to push said part forward and are much weaker. This is very bad because it doesn’t matter if you’re a modder or just an average Nerfer, you’re going to be putting pressure on all these components in normal play quite a lot and since they’re weaker, they’re going to wear out a lot faster and eventually, your blaster will become inoperable.

So lets say you’re not a modder, what do you do if it quits working, you can’t return it, don’t want to throw it away and want to keep using it? Well chances are, you’re probably going to try to open it and fix it. Good luck though because without the proper tools or knowledge, it’s going to be difficult to open, especially if it’s the Phoenix or Turbine. Even if you know how to open it and have the tools, it’s still going to be difficult to get into it to fix it and either way, you risk breaking it even more.

It’s worth noting it’s not just Elite 2.0 that’s doing the leaf spring thing, some Alpha Strike blasters and the Mega Motostyrke have them as well, fortunately they aren’t solvent welded like the 2.0 line is. Captain Xavier made a really good video on the Phoenix and some of the other Elite 2.0 blasters. He looks at them from both a modder and a typical consumer perspective and he really showcases what’s wrong with these blasters and what I am talking about here. I highly recommend checking out the Phoenix video if you haven’t already and if you plan to get the Turbine someday, I recommend looking at that one too.

Then this Walmart value brand Dart Zone or whatever they’re called

Adventure Force. It’s a brand Wal Mart that has products from several companies, including Dart Zone, Zuru and Buzzbee. (Dart Zone being what you’re referencing)

have been making these ludicrously hard-hitting orange Airsoft-looking blasters that aren’t suitable for shooting indoors at things, your friends, or small children

Again, the target market for Nerf isn’t shopping for that kind of thing, so if you want your Nerf to be more like Airsoft, Hasbro made a thing for you and it’s called Rival.

Well to be fair, the Nexus Pro and the recently released Aeon Pro are for ages 14 and up while Nerf is typically aimed at ages 8 and up outside of the Rival line. Now I don’t know much about Airsoft, but I do know their are some hard hitting aftermarket blasters out their such as the Caliburn, Talonclaw, Ceda and such that are geared for professional Nerfing. With the Nexus Pro, they were going for was something like that, professional Nerfing, that can be bought at your local Walmart for an affordable price. That’s what I would call it.

and now everyone’s saying Nerf is dead and you should be buying those now.

I mean if you want performance, they’re definitely the way to go nowadays and Nerf has never produced anything like that yet, but of course, performance probably isn’t the only reason they’ve been saying this. I personally wouldn’t call Nerf “dead”, but they certainly aren’t what they used to be and the competition has gotten a lot better in recent years. (Dart Zone especially) It’s not just because of the Nexus Pro and Aeon Pro.

While the Nexus Pro and Aeon Pro are quite the interesting ones Dart Zone has put out this year, it’s not the only good things they have done this year. They have things like the Spectrum, which comes with much better performance, more accessories than the Elite 2.0 Phoenix and it’s the same price. Theirs the Villainator which costs less than the Elite 2.0 Shockwave and DG, but it has over twice the capacity, better performance, a removable stock, and slamfire. Then of course we have the Sportsman and Cornerfire, which currently no other company has anything like it available now, in fact I have never seen one like the Sportsman at all that’s spring powered. Mind you, I am not even touching on modification potential with these blasters, I am just talking about how they are out of the box and these are all within Nerf’s age group.

And another thing I cannot ignore is the darts. Nerf sells a pack of 75 Elite darts for $20 and they’re not very accurate and ultimately haven’t aged well. Meanwhile, Dart Zone has a box of 200 waffle head darts that are much more accurate than Elites and will work in pretty much any blasters that fire Elites, and this box is only $10. I am sure I could say more.

There’s been plenty of good stuff from Nerf this year (mainly the Halo AR)

Don’t get me wrong, they still have some good products this year, but I’ve seen better.

and the problems people are complaining about (outside of Ultra) are all outside of the target market of these products.

I disagree. As mentioned earlier, the issues with the Elite 2.0 blasters are bad for pretty much anybody who uses them and the costs being generally higher than their competition certainly don’t help.

it looks like business as usual for Nerf right now and they’re doing just fine.

Given the large following they have, I am sure they’re still making their money, but the reception of some of the things they have put out this year has not been good and rightly so.

I’m very curious as to why you think Nerf is having one of their worst years.

It just hasn’t been as good as previous years. The blasters just aren’t as interesting in my opinion and too many of them are just reskins of existing blasters you can still buy. Don’t get me wrong, reskins are not necessarily a bad thing, in moderation at least, but I think Nerf has been doing it way too much and it gives me the vibe they’re running out of ideas. The Mega Motostryke is about the only blaster that I got really excited for this year and I have seen others say the same. (I would say the Fortnite GL, but it’s price tag is just too much for me)

Of course, you have Ultra being Ultra, but Elite 2.0 is easily the biggest problem for me. They try to make it look like it’s better than the original Elite line, when they’re just worse reskins of blasters from the Elite line with similar performance and the questionable design choices I mentioned earlier, which again are bad for pretty much anyone who uses them. Considering they could possibly be attempting to phase out the original Elite line, one of my favorite lines, for this, you can imagine my displeasure for it. (time will tell though) Generally, I just see Nerf getting a lot more flack this year than before and it doesn’t help that Dart Zone has gained a lot of traction this year.

I am sure I am forgetting some things here. I know I am not in their target age group, but it’s just, when I look at what Nerf has done each year since 2016 and then look at this, it’s quite a step back from what they have done before. And I am not even getting into the modification side when I say all this. Hopefully 2021 will be better though.

 

[MisterWaffles]

I’ve heard it has good ergonomics.
I don’t doubt it because ever since they introduced N-Strike Elite in late 2012, it set a new bar for Nerf and ever since then, most of what they put out nowadays exceeds what N Strike did in terms of performance.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think the MA40 is bad, it’s quite good at what it’s trying to do, it’s just not for me.
And this is true. They have been making blasters for about 30 years now and with all the many blasters and series they have come out with, it’s no surprise theirs going to be some bad ones here and there. Theirs a reason people complained so much about Ultra though.

However, I have to give Ultra some credit, they have gotten better this year with their blasters, but still, it’s Ultra and I can’t say I care about the line.
Yea I have heard that as well and I honestly don’t understand why because they had some genuinely good blasters in there. Wasn’t too long ago I was playing with one of mine.
Yes. With Elite 2.0 they have resorted into using solvent welding and clips to hold it together with only a few screws (some not having any at all), making them harder to get into to.
I’m aware it isn’t aimed at modders, but with what they have done with the Elite 2.0 line, it doesn’t matter if you’re a modder or just some kid that wants to shoot darts, it’s bad for both sides.

Not only have they made them difficult to get into, but they have ditched using metal springs for things like the trigger, catch, and magazine release, and started using what people have been calling “leaf springs”, which are literally just plastic tabs made to push said part forward and are much weaker. This is very bad because it doesn’t matter if you’re a modder or just an average Nerfer, you’re going to be putting pressure on all these components in normal play quite a lot and since they’re weaker, they’re going to wear out a lot faster and eventually, your blaster will become inoperable.

So lets say you’re not a modder, what do you do if it quits working, you can’t return it, don’t want to throw it away and want to keep using it? Well chances are, you’re probably going to try to open it and fix it. Good luck though because without the proper tools or knowledge, it’s going to be difficult to open, especially if it’s the Phoenix or Turbine. Even if you know how to open it and have the tools, it’s still going to be difficult to get into it to fix it and either way, you risk breaking it even more.

It’s worth noting it’s not just Elite 2.0 that’s doing the leaf spring thing, some Alpha Strike blasters and the Mega Motostyrke have them as well, fortunately they aren’t solvent welded like the 2.0 line is. Captain Xavier made a really good video on the Phoenix and some of the other Elite 2.0 blasters. He looks at them from both a modder and a typical consumer perspective and he really showcases what’s wrong with these blasters and what I am talking about here. I highly recommend checking out the Phoenix video if you haven’t already and if you plan to get the Turbine someday, I recommend looking at that one too.
Adventure Force. It’s a brand Wal Mart that has products from several companies, including Dart Zone, Zuru and Buzzbee. (Dart Zone being what you’re referencing)

Well to be fair, the Nexus Pro and the recently released Aeon Pro are for ages 14 and up while Nerf is typically aimed at ages 8 and up outside of the Rival line. Now I don’t know much about Airsoft, but I do know their are some hard hitting aftermarket blasters out their such as the Caliburn, Talonclaw, Ceda and such that are geared for professional Nerfing. With the Nexus Pro, they were going for was something like that, professional Nerfing, that can be bought at your local Walmart for an affordable price. That’s what I would call it.
I mean if you want performance, they’re definitely the way to go nowadays and Nerf has never produced anything like that yet, but of course, performance probably isn’t the only reason they’ve been saying this. I personally wouldn’t call Nerf “dead”, but they certainly aren’t what they used to be and the competition has gotten a lot better in recent years. (Dart Zone especially) It’s not just because of the Nexus Pro and Aeon Pro.

While the Nexus Pro and Aeon Pro are quite the interesting ones Dart Zone has put out this year, it’s not the only good things they have done this year. They have things like the Spectrum, which comes with much better performance, more accessories than the Elite 2.0 Phoenix and it’s the same price. Theirs the Villainator which costs less than the Elite 2.0 Shockwave and DG, but it has over twice the capacity, better performance, a removable stock, and slamfire. Then of course we have the Sportsman and Cornerfire, which currently no other company has anything like it available now, in fact I have never seen one like the Sportsman at all that’s spring powered. Mind you, I am not even touching on modification potential with these blasters, I am just talking about how they are out of the box and these are all within Nerf’s age group.

And another thing I cannot ignore is the darts. Nerf sells a pack of 75 Elite darts for $20 and they’re not very accurate and ultimately haven’t aged well. Meanwhile, Dart Zone has a box of 200 waffle head darts that are much more accurate than Elites and will work in pretty much any blasters that fire Elites, and this box is only $10. I am sure I could say more.
Don’t get me wrong, they still have some good products this year, but I’ve seen better.
I disagree. As mentioned earlier, the issues with the Elite 2.0 blasters are bad for pretty much anybody who uses them and the costs being generally higher than their competition certainly don’t help.
Given the large following they have, I am sure they’re still making their money, but the reception of some of the things they have put out this year has not been good and rightly so.
It just hasn’t been as good as previous years. The blasters just aren’t as interesting in my opinion and too many of them are just reskins of existing blasters you can still buy. Don’t get me wrong, reskins are not necessarily a bad thing, in moderation at least, but I think Nerf has been doing it way too much and it gives me the vibe they’re running out of ideas. The Mega Motostryke is about the only blaster that I got really excited for this year and I have seen others say the same. (I would say the Fortnite GL, but it’s price tag is just too much for me)

Of course, you have Ultra being Ultra, but Elite 2.0 is easily the biggest problem for me. They try to make it look like it’s better than the original Elite line, when they’re just worse reskins of blasters from the Elite line with similar performance and the questionable design choices I mentioned earlier, which again are bad for pretty much anyone who uses them. Considering they could possibly be attempting to phase out the original Elite line, one of my favorite lines, for this, you can imagine my displeasure for it. (time will tell though) Generally, I just see Nerf getting a lot more flack this year than before and it doesn’t help that Dart Zone has gained a lot of traction this year.

I am sure I am forgetting some things here. I know I am not in their target age group, but it’s just, when I look at what Nerf has done each year since 2016 and then look at this, it’s quite a step back from what they have done before. And I am not even getting into the modification side when I say all this. Hopefully 2021 will be better though.

Wow, that was a lot of reading. I mean, fair enough with the cost-cutting and rivals catching up as indicators of Nerf having a tough time recently. Could be a bit of Ferrari syndrome in Formula One, they aren’t the worst team but they’ve fallen into the midfield after some engine investigations and ever-advancing rivals.

Hey, if you’re curious about how out-of-date I am in the Nerf hobby, I’ve gathered my entire arsenal in one picture. This is probably a woeful collection compared to you or anyone else who keeps up to date on this stuff. I probably should have gotten rid of most of them a long time ago, but they remain buried in a closet along with several magazines and a shoebox of darts.

Obviously, my favourite of the bunch and the newest one is the MA40 up top. Really solid, shoulders really well. Actually hits things relatively effectively.

The Rapidstrike used to be my favourite. Got it sometime before 2015. Was still too old for this stuff even when I got it, so it’s only seen a couple wars and the occasional plinking. One of the tac rails is broken (not sure how) and the magazine release is starting to rattle a lot. It’s seen better days for sure.

The Maverick and Spectre have seen many wars with my friends back in the day and they’re still going strong, although the springs are pretty weak now. If I were to mod any of these, those are the two candidates.

Ah yes, my Nite Finder Asiimov. I forget the name of the subseries this came from but I picked it up a long time ago because it looks sweet. Shoots harder than any of my other pistols nowadays.

The Firefly is interesting. I remember most people just using those to make stocks for integrations. I’ll hang on to mine and make sure it doesn’t end up like those other ones. Pretty impractical by today’s standards but it shoots surprisingly hard given its age.

Of course the Alpha Trooper, that was the backbone of my arsenal back when wars with the kids in the neighbourhood were common. It’s spring has gotten pretty weak over years of abuse, but it’s served me very well and I salute it for that.

That Dart Tag ?Speedswarm? over there. It’s really loud and doesn’t shoot nearly as fast as the Rapidstrike, so I didn’t use it very much if ever.

 

[MisterWaffles]

Wow. I don’t really know what to say but I really feel the need to comment on the state of Nerf right now. This is going to be heavily biased and opinionated so just let that be known. After buying the MA40 and loving it to pieces, it’s gotten me interested in just seeing what’s going on in the main hobby again. I’ve started watching all the OGs on YouTube again regularity and I’ve been enjoying it. For the most part.

You go to any comment section on any video and now it’s all just posts about “Nerf is nothing”, Dart-Zone this and that, Nerf is dead etc. A huge majority of this now-toxic community are taking a massive dump on Hasbro and Nerf whenever a new video comes out. Ok, I get that 2.0 has been a sub-par series so far. I get the Warden is basically a catastrophic failure waiting to happen. But what I don’t get is everyone hyperbolically going “friendship with Nerf ended” after a couple wonky blasters.

I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a corporate shill, but Dart Zone wouldn’t be in this glorified position nowadays if it wasn’t for Nerf in the first place. Nerf blasters were a big part of my childhood and they’ve brought so many innovations over the years. Attachments, Smart AR systems, Slam Fire, Magazines, Elite standard performance, the list goes on. Now people are acting like none of that happened over a few substandard blasters.

You look at all of these new companies who have surpassed Nerf in performance and popularity and what do they all have in common? They’re all using expired Hasbro patents! None of these companies would have been successful today if Nerf hadn’t laid down the ecosystem and done most of the engineering for them. Then when I see people in the community and even YouTubers who are crapping on anything Nerf makes nowadays. It makes me irrationally angry.

I know there’s justification behind how toxic the community has become now and I know I really sound like a corporate shill right now, but Nerf was a huge part of my childhood. I bonded with people over the products that everyone is saying aren’t worth a crap anymore. I guess that’s the real reason why my emotions are getting so struck.

I know Nerf aren’t stupid. They’ve made good blasters this year, but Elite 2.0 was a flop. I think they’ll look at this mistake, analyse the market and their competitors and come back stronger in a year or two. I know this community doesn’t hate Nerf completely as a brand. I hope Hasbro will learn from their mistake and this toxicity will end soon.

Stole a crappy meme from Reddit. I think it does an acceptable job at conveying the more vocal/extreme members of the Nerf community right now. They think they’re real cool for buying Dart Zone, dicking on Nerf, and collecting those likes by the hundreds. However, deep down they really just want Nerf to be good again.



I don’t really know what the point of this post was, I guess if you like Dart Zone and it makes ya happy, go right ahead. However, don’t crap on Nerf and treat it like it was never something you liked or bully people for not boycotting the mothership. As much as people claim to hate Nerf now, it’s the reason why anyone is here in the first place and it deserves respect for that.

 

[MisterWaffles]

Forgot to mention but I’ve also been skimming through purchase recommendation threads just to see what the community thinks nowadays and for literally ever thread or response it’s either a Dart Force Aeon Pro, Nexus Pro or Villianator that gets recommended. Very rarely a Nerf product gets mentioned anymore despite plenty of solid non-2.0 Nerf blasters still being easy to find at stores or able to be bought new on Amazon.

That’s wild. The community hate on for Nerf-brand stuff is real right now.

 

[Sonygamer455]

Ok, I get that 2.0 has been a sub-par series so far. I get the Warden is basically a catastrophic failure waiting to happen.

It certainly is. I have encountered at least 3 Youtubers who had their Warden's break during normal use and I wouldn't be surprised if even more examples could be found with a quick search.

But what I don’t get is everyone hyperbolically going “friendship with Nerf ended” after a couple wonky blasters.

I doubt it's just because of a few blasters, if anything, they probably feel Nerf has been on a steady decline for a while now, but I have no doubt the Elite 2.0 series was the straw that broke the camels back for some people. I also have no doubt Hasbro constantly reskinning existing blasters is another thing as well. Depends on who you talk to really.

I don't fully understand it either though because Nerf may not be doing the greatest now, but that doesn't mean it will stay this way, they could improve in the next year or so. Some people within the community can be pretty irrational at times.

I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a corporate shill, but Dart Zone wouldn’t be in this glorified position nowadays if it wasn’t for Nerf in the first place. Nerf blasters were a big part of my childhood and they’ve brought so many innovations over the years. Attachments, Smart AR systems, Slam Fire, Magazines, Elite standard performance, the list goes on.

None of these companies would have been successful today if Nerf hadn’t laid down the ecosystem and done most of the engineering for them.

As much as people claim to hate Nerf now, it’s the reason why anyone is here in the first place and it deserves respect for that.

And I agree, Nerf was pretty much the first company to make foam dart blasters and I am not aware of any doing that prior to Nerf. Nerf is certainly responsible for a lot of what we see nowadays and they were a part of my childhood as well.

However, I don't think the issues they have nowadays should go unignored.

You look at all of these new companies who have surpassed Nerf in performance and popularity and what do they all have in common? They’re all using expired Hasbro patents!

Eh, I wouldn't be so sure about the expired patents part, but you can tell some of them have taken inspiration from their products. Like the Dart Zone Spectrum for instance is undoubtedly inspired by the Stryfe. Of course, they have done some original designs as well that nobody has done yet. (like the Adventure Force Sportsman)

However, it's also worth noting, theirs even some examples of Nerf putting out similar blasters other companies had already done years prior. (like the Slingfire and the Flipfury)

I know there’s justification behind how toxic the community has become now and I know I really sound like a corporate shill right now, but Nerf was a huge part of my childhood. I bonded with people over the products that everyone is saying aren’t worth a crap anymore. I guess that’s the real reason why my emotions are getting so struck.

And trust me, I understand where you're coming from. While I personally am not bothered by what the Nerf community is saying nowadays, I have similar feelings towards various other things I grew up with as well outside of the Nerfing hobby and I am pleased to see I am not the only one like this.

I know Nerf aren’t stupid. They’ve made good blasters this year, but Elite 2.0 was a flop. I think they’ll look at this mistake, analyse the market and their competitors and come back stronger in a year or two. I know this community doesn’t hate Nerf completely as a brand. I hope Hasbro will learn from their mistake and this toxicity will end soon.

I strongly believe they will, they've shown evidence of it in the past and I can think of at least 5 or more examples where people found some rather harsh flaws in a blaster after release that Hasbro corrected in later releases of said blaster. I'd honestly be flabbergasted if they didn't do anything about people's Warden's breaking. Like I said, hopefully 2021 will be better though.

However, deep down they really just want Nerf to be good again.

Trust me, while I am not crazy what Nerf has done in 2020 either, I am not done with Nerf yet and I hold hope they'll get better eventually.

Forgot to mention but I’ve also been skimming through purchase recommendation threads just to see what the community thinks nowadays and for literally ever thread or response it’s either a Dart Force Aeon Pro, Nexus Pro or Villianator that gets recommended. Very rarely a Nerf product gets mentioned anymore despite plenty of solid non-2.0 Nerf blasters still being easy to find at stores or able to be bought new on Amazon.

That’s wild. The community hate on for Nerf-brand stuff is real right now.

Like I said, Nerf has been getting a lot more flack this year. Dart Zone has gained a lot traction and they have put out some pretty good products for low prices. I can see why the Nexus Pro and Aeon Pro wouldn't be for everyone, but unless the Villainator's velocity is too much for some, I can't think of much reason to avoid it, especially with it's low price tag. Ditto to the Spectrum too. I have to say, I am amazed at just how far the off brand companies have come in recent years.

P.S. I have been meaning to comment on your arsenal lately, but I just haven't done it yet.

 

[Sonygamer455]

Wow, that was a lot of reading.

Yea I tend to write a lot on here.

I mean, fair enough with the cost-cutting and rivals catching up as indicators of Nerf having a tough time recently. Could be a bit of Ferrari syndrome in Formula One, they aren’t the worst team but they’ve fallen into the midfield after some engine investigations and ever-advancing rivals.

Well I don't know much about Ferrari in Formula One, but that seems to be a fitting description.

Hey, if you’re curious about how out-of-date I am in the Nerf hobby, I’ve gathered my entire arsenal in one picture. This is probably a woeful collection compared to you or anyone else who keeps up to date on this stuff.

Ah, after seeing your arsenal, your love for the MA40 now makes more sense and I now understand where you're coming from a lot better. 6 years ago, I was in a similar boat as you, I had some N Strike blasters, a few Dart Tag and only 2 Elite blasters (that weren't great) and that was about it. My cousin got the Mega Centurion when it was new and being used to what I had at the time, I was quite wowed by the Centurion's range. (lord knows I don't hold that opinion for it anymore)

Point is, I can see why one would be amused by todays blasters if they have been used to using the old N Strike stuff from before Nerf upped their game in 2012. It's undoubtedly a different experience from those who have been into the hobby for ages.

I probably should have gotten rid of most of them a long time ago, but they remain buried in a closet along with several magazines and a shoebox of darts.

I wouldn't do that. Never know what you might be able to do to them. Some blasters I thought crap back in the days are better than I once thought, especially if we get into the modification portion of the hobby.

The Rapidstrike used to be my favourite. Got it sometime before 2015. Was still too old for this stuff even when I got it, so it’s only seen a couple wars and the occasional plinking. One of the tac rails is broken (not sure how) and the magazine release is starting to rattle a lot. It’s seen better days for sure.

Now that's a blaster the community has held in high esteem for years now, however I think a lot of the love is more toward what it can be when modified than what it is stock. I have one of these as well and I personally ain't crazy about it as it comes, but I have no doubt it'll be fun once I modify it though.

Kind of weird to me that's yours is broken some, never heard tell of that. Same for the mag release, I'd definitely do something about that.

The Maverick and Spectre have seen many wars with my friends back in the day and they’re still going strong, although the springs are pretty weak now.

Ah, the Maverick, that blaster is legendary among the people I used to war with. Back in my early days of Nerfing, literally everybody I fought with used these for years and I think I was the only one who didn't. While I appreciate it a lot more than I used to now, I didn't really care for this blaster, but I cannot deny though, it's an iconic one for sure.

Never used a Spectre before, or fought anyone who did, so I can't comment on it really. However, if you love the Spectre, you'll be delighted to know they have rereleased it in the Icon line this year in that color scheme with better internals than the original release. American Foam's review seems to imply they upgraded the internals a bit, but Dr. Flux's review seems to suggest otherwise, but hey, it's a thing if you like the blaster!

If I were to mod any of these, those are the two candidates.

You can do some things to them, but don't expect too much though. Orange Mod Works sells upgrade springs for these and you can get them on Amazon or eBay these days. I really need to mod mine sometime.

Ah yes, my Nite Finder Asiimov. I forget the name of the subseries this came from but I picked it up a long time ago because it looks sweet. Shoots harder than any of my other pistols nowadays.

It's from the Whiteout series. The Nite Finder, while very old, is one modders have loved for a long time now and it still has relevance even in this day and age due to it's internals and mod potiental. It's often considered a great place to start if you want to get into modding and rightly so. I would know because it was my first step into it.

The Firefly is interesting. I remember most people just using those to make stocks for integrations. I’ll hang on to mine and make sure it doesn’t end up like those other ones. Pretty impractical by today’s standards but it shoots surprisingly hard given its age.

Yea people love to integrate them as stocks on other blasters, but I am with you, I'd much rather keep one as it comes. I have seen WalcomS7's video on this blaster and yea, it does shoot pretty hard from what I have seen, which is surprising to me. I am even more surprised it's direct plunger because a lot of what N Strike did was reverse plunger. (which is inferior) I really need to get one these.

Does your light still work?

Of course the Alpha Trooper, that was the backbone of my arsenal back when wars with the kids in the neighbourhood were common. It’s spring has gotten pretty weak over years of abuse, but it’s served me very well and I salute it for that.

I don't doubt it. While I don't own an Alpha Trooper (yet), it is a blaster people seem to like a lot and I can easily see why. You'd love the Elite Alpha Trooper because it has even better internals and performance than the N Strike variant. They recently rereleased it under the Accustrike line under a different name and I think it's essentially the same as the Elite variant internally.

If you're super attached to the one you already have though, which I imagine you are (I would be too) and/or like it's color scheme more, you could probably put internals from it's Elite version in it with some modification. People have put internals from the Retaliator (the successor to the Recon) into a Recon with not much trouble and I think they have done the same with the old Longstrike and Deploy as well. That said, I can be reasonably certain the N Strike version you have could be done like this as well.

That Dart Tag ?Speedswarm? over there. It’s really loud and doesn’t shoot nearly as fast as the Rapidstrike, so I didn’t use it very much if ever.

Yep it's a Speedswarm. I generally don't hear much talk about this one either, but it really strikes me as an under appreciated blaster. I couldn't help but notice yours has a blue trigger. Back in the day, they put blue triggers on the Dart Tag blasters to show that it is an upgraded variant of that blaster. If I remember correctly, I think what they did was put tougher springs in them so they can shoot harder, which that means since yours has a blue trigger, yours is hitting harder than the original release. I think that, the Sharpshot and the Swarmfire were the ones that received this upgrade. I have an old Sharpshot I got years ago before Toys R Us closed and it also has a blue trigger and it hits surprisingly good.

I have to say, your arsenal takes me back quite a bit.

 

[MisterWaffles]

Nice wall of text to read there. Anyways, I was watching one of Drac’s videos again today and I think I found the best example of a comment that summarizes the Nerf community in 2020:

Gatekeeping, Dartzone, Most-Liked comment. Most of the other comments are desperate attempts to get likes with this sort of lingo.

This is sad, this is really sad.

Oh yeah, I also recently ordered the Dart Zone Spectrum and the Nerf Turbine the other day....




Not sure about the lights in the Firefly. I’ll have to put in some fresh batteries and see. I’ll let you know.

 

[Sonygamer455]

Nice wall of text to read there.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

This is sad, this is really sad.

Indeed. I am not sad for Dart Zone getting good because competition is a good thing and they have put out some great stuff this year, but I do hate what Nerf has become and seriously hope they have been given a wake up call with everything that's happened this year.

Not going to lie, I can understand where that commenter is coming from.

 

[MisterWaffles]

Anyways. Opened up the Firefly, corroded battery like I expected. Will need to clean out the tray before I can test the lights again.

I’m aware you already said this, it certainly is an unfortunate time I decided to get back into the hobby. Nerf isn’t producing pure crap, but it is producing mediocrity and people are starting to have a bit of a civil war between the off-brand stuff and the main Nerf stuff. Obviously I come from a time when Nerf was the clear best brand and they were hitting home runs constantly back to back. Now their competitors have caught up and they’re stuck with a fanbase that demands harder-hitting and more innovative blasters.

First issue, Nerf blasters are for 8-year olds so I doubt Hasbro is going to make them shoot any harder than 70FPS anytime soon.

Second problem: I think, is that N-Strike has been around for ages. Nerf has basically done everything I could possibly think they could have done with the N-Strike line. They can’t keep selling the same blasters forever so a reskin or new line was inevitable. Unfortunately they kind of fudged that so we’re in an awkward place right now. I’m not saying people should be throwing out their legacy products but it’s certainly strange to see nerfers nowadays going “check out this new mod guide I did for the Rapidstrike, oh yeah by the way Nerf is nothing, boycott them.”

I remember Drac’s old slogan back in the day used to be “much love, Nerf on, Drac out”. Now it’s “Blast on.” I truly have awakened in the dark timeline.

Like I said before, Spectrum and Turbine are on the way. The Turbine was on sale at Wal-Mart so much I was able to get one and a Spectrum for the regular price of one Turbine. I’ll crack them out of their packages and we’ll see who’s king of the hill soon. Spoiler alert, I’ll probably end up liking both of them.

 

[MisterWaffles]

Not to mention, Drac’s newest video on the Turbine was absolutely brutal. The thumbnail says “Last and Least”. In the video he also recommends you avoid it and complains about the flywheel bog-down like it’s not an issue you find on every other full-auto flywheel dart blaster.

It’s just strange because if you go back to Drac’s earlier reviews on 2.0 products, he actually says some of them are adequate buys if you aren’t in to modding. But it seems like he’s just lost it by the time of the Turbine and isn’t really giving it a fair shot anymore. Seems really strange to have the title “last and least” even though the Warden is objectively the worst of the 2.0 blasters. The Turbine actually works and shoots fairly well all things considered.

I don’t even really know why I’m complaining about this, it just seems like reviewers are so done with Nerf they aren’t even being given a fair chance anymore. Instead we’re just getting these sort of hyperbolic beatdowns that aren’t really reviews at this point.

 

[MisterWaffles]

It feels nice giving such an ancient blaster some attention again. Especially the one people would try to buy off me for stock integrations.

Y’ain’t touchin’ ma gurl. Back off.

 

[Sonygamer455]

Anyways. Opened up the Firefly, corroded battery like I expected. Will need to clean out the tray before I can test the lights again.

It happens. If for whatever reason you cannot fix it, you can rewire it and even replace the LED provided you know how to solder. I had to do that to mine and my brothers Vulcan because the corrosion was REALLY bad. Fortunately it works now after I rewired it.

Nerf isn’t producing pure crap, but it is producing mediocrity

From a certain point of view perhaps.

Obviously I come from a time when Nerf was the clear best brand and they were hitting home runs constantly back to back.

As am I. I got my start in 2007 and have been around long enough to remember when the Longhot was still new and to see the release of the Vulcan and Stampede. Seeing the Buzz Bee Sentinel out perform Nerf's Slingfire was quite shocking for me back in the days. If you told me their were going to be 150+ FPS blasters from another brand at Walmart 10 years ago, I probably wouldn't have believed it.

First issue, Nerf blasters are for 8-year olds so I doubt Hasbro is going to make them shoot any harder than 70FPS anytime soon.

Maybe, maybe not. I seen someone say once that Nerf is just trying to avoid being sued and I imagine that may be why they don't produce blasters with more power in that age category. Of course, it's worth noting the Dart Zone Spectrum and the Villianator are also for the same age group and yet they hit harder. To be honest, I doubt Nerf can ignore this for long, especially if it becomes the norm.

Of course, if we're talking about Pro performance, they certainly couldn't do that for people of that age, they'd have to create a whole new line for ages 14+ and up due to how hard they hit and how much strength is required to prime them. (let's not forget Rival exists though)

Second problem: I think, is that N-Strike has been around for ages. Nerf has basically done everything I could possibly think they could have done with the N-Strike line. They can’t keep selling the same blasters forever so a reskin or new line was inevitable.

Like I said, reskins aren't necessarily a bad thing in moderation, they do give them a chance to fix whatever issues the original blaster had as well as make a better configuration of said blaster. However, given how often they have been doing it lately, it still gives me the vibe they're running out of ideas and I have been thinking lately, given how long they have been around, they could be. I still hold hope they can surprise me and do better though, they've done it before.

I’m not saying people should be throwing out their legacy products but it’s certainly strange to see nerfers nowadays going “check out this new mod guide I did for the Rapidstrike, oh yeah by the way Nerf is nothing, boycott them.”

Not entirely sure where you're going with this, but some people probably still support Hasbro, just not what they're doing nowadays.

I remember Drac’s old slogan back in the day used to be “much love, Nerf on, Drac out”. Now it’s “Blast on.”

I noticed that too and American Foam's used to be "Nerf well my friends", now it's "Blast well my friends". I can't blame them though.

Like I said before, Spectrum and Turbine are on the way. The Turbine was on sale at Wal-Mart so much I was able to get one and a Spectrum for the regular price of one Turbine.

That's a pretty impressive deal for the Turbine. Though, it's kind of odd that it's already on sale like that though. The Spectrum is certainly a good choice! 👍 I really need to get me one of those sometime.

The thumbnail says “Last and Least”. In the video he also recommends you avoid it and complains about the flywheel bog-down like it’s not an issue you find on every other full-auto flywheel dart blaster.

Well to be fair, I don't think blasters like the Rapidstrike were quite this bad though, but I could be wrong, I'd have to pull out my Rapidstrike again and see. (haven't used it in a while)

I do remember the Rapidstrike's motors would speed up when you pull the firing trigger to mitigate this sort of thing, I don't even know if the Turbine does this.

It’s just strange because if you go back to Drac’s earlier reviews on 2.0 products, he actually says some of them are adequate buys if you aren’t in to modding.

Maybe he changed his mind? Given how long it has been since his last review before the Turbine, he may have. I have found that Drac can be very inconsistent at times.

But it seems like he’s just lost it by the time of the Turbine and isn’t really giving it a fair shot anymore.

I agree. I think he made that pretty obvious in the first 20 seconds of the video. I have seen people say before he is biased even though he claims not to be and I can see why. Not the first time I have seen Drac act like this before either.

Seems really strange to have the title “last and least” even though the Warden is objectively the worst of the 2.0 blasters.

I agree. Though to be fair, he apparently got lucky and his didn't break during the review and I doubt he watches other peoples reviews so his opinion can be his own. Still, I find it weird as well.

The Turbine actually works and shoots fairly well all things considered.

And some thing I meant to say in my last reply and even the one before it is the Turbine does have higher ROF than the Rapidstrike, which arguably makes it an exception to what I said earlier about Elite 2.0 blasters being worse reskins. It still has all the pitfalls of the Elite 2.0 line though.

I don’t even really know why I’m complaining about this, it just seems like reviewers are so done with Nerf they aren’t even being given a fair chance anymore. Instead we’re just getting these sort of hyperbolic beatdowns that aren’t really reviews at this point.

For Drac maybe? But I am not sure I'd say that about every other reviewer.

It feels nice giving such an ancient blaster some attention again. Especially the one people would try to buy off me for stock integrations.

Y’ain’t touchin’ ma gurl. Back off.

Yea I wouldn't either. Nowadays, I'd be happy to have one at all. I never really cared for integrations anyways, nice to see yours is working again! 👍

 

[Sonygamer455]

On another note, I got one of these just yesterday!

Haven't tested it outside yet, but I have fired a few shots and unsurprisingly, it hits very hard! My only complaint really is that it's a top prime and is difficult to pull back as a result, but fortunately I think theirs a 3D printed piece you can buy that makes it easier. While I do prefer the Nexus Pro over this, it's pretty solid overall and I am excited to see what they do next with this line.