Nerf Reflex IX-1



I had my first proper chance to try out my Reflex today, and below is my review.

ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES

• Comes with the Reflex IX-1 and 3 Sonic Micro Darts
• Is the second smallest N-Strike blaster, larger only than the Secret Strike
• Is reloaded on the top, similar to the Scout
• Is only $7 AUS
• Also comes in Blue
• Comes in a set of 6 with the Nerf Attack Unit, or Party Pack
• When used with the Sonic Micro darts, the bullets never pop out
• Is fairly accurate
• Has a good range of 35+ feet.
• Cannot store any extra bullets
• Is inconsistent when used with other bullets.

This is one of the few guns I find it hard to fault. The dart compatibility isn't great, but aside from that this gun is small, fast and easy to conceal. Overall it gets 9/10 stars, and is possibly Nerf's best single shot blaster.

Sales



In Midland, Western Australia

Kmart in Midland Gate
Stampede- $100
Barricade- $24
Nite Finder- $14
Maverick- $14
Raider- $44
Recon- $35

Also, the Target in Midland Gate finally has Point Breaks and Thunderstorms, for $14 and $34 respectively, as well as the new water clips for $7 apiece.

Nerf Dart Tag Update

Good news- the Dart Tag onslaught doesn't end with four new guns. Along with these we are also treated with new jerseys and vision gear.

The Nerf Dart Tag jersey comes in Blue and Orange, and the sizes Small and Large. Instead of the old vests, this is actually like a t-shirt.

The new Vision Gear comes in Black (pictured) Orange and White. Interestingly, unlike the Vision Gear of old, the new gear has no UV protection, and makes no statements that they even provide protection against Nerf darts. It looks as if the new glasses are purely cosmetic, so it's a good thing they look so awesome!!!

Nerf Dart Tag Update

This image is from the back of the Swarmfire's box. Yep- if you look closely there is a fourth Dart Tag blaster on the horizon. If you look really closely it is the 'something' shot. A more detailed image is below.

This image was on Urban Taggers. Looks a lot like a Scout- both in design and use. However, I love the new Dart Tag design, so that is enough to sell it to me anyway. Depends whether the range is good.

Nerf Speedload 6



The Speedload 6 is a bulky pistol like blaster with an internal clip that holds 6 darts. It first surfaced in mid-December on Urban Taggers along with the Quick 16.

Then came the manual, and the official name of the Speedload 6.



And an official Nerf release on the 19th of January.

Like the Quick 16 this gun has been removed from the Nerf website, but even appearing there means that the Speedload 6 is real, and rapidly approaching...

Nerf Swarmfire Update

There have been a few very interesting developments in the Dart Tag line while I was away, so in the next few days I'm going to try and clear everything up- first with a timeline of the Swarmfire.

The new Dart Tag line was first rumoured with this video from Kevinericon back in November, with the unofficial name of the Dart Tag 20



Next the Dart Tag 20 popped up on eBay, with this product picture

In late November, Urban Taggers got hold of one and in early December confirmed this blaster to be called the Swarmfire

Urban Taggers once again got some exclusive information, with this image from an instruction manual, showing the Swarmfire and a mystery new dart tag blaster.

Then came the instruction manual in full!!!



And finally, a week ago, the Swarmfire official box art was released. Now all that's left is the official Nerf release. Stay tuned!!!

Nerf Quick 16

The Quick 16 kicked off at Urban Taggers with a set of two images- the first confirming the name of the Swarmfire, and the second highlighting the complete mystery that was the Quick 16.

Next, Urban Taggers confirmed the blaster with this image, and confirmed the name to be the Quick 16.

Like with the Swarmfire, UT followed with a manual giving hard evidence as to how the gun works.



And on January the 22nd, the Quick 16 appeared on the Nerf website, with box art, and a price tag of $19.99 US!!!

The Quick 16 has since been removed, but an official Nerf release is looking very close.

Hope this clears things up.



We're Back

Just got back from Singapore during to night- and I'm sorry to say I'm empty handed. After being promised Nerf in abundance, I only found Nerf in one store, and that only had Recons, Deploys, Barricades and Nite Finder. No Tactical Vests to be seen. Sorry to disappoint.

On the otherhand, Nerf launched into 2011 with a bang- and the official release of two of the new Dart Tag guns!!!

"Take your DART TAG game to the next level! This air-powered blaster lets you unleash a rapid-fire stream of 16 darts at your opponents to give you high-scoring performance. The integrated clip holds all 16 darts for super-fast loading and the pump-action handle lets you control the rate of fire. When your opponent is in sight, grab your QUICK 16 blaster and send your DART TAG darts flying — they’ll even whistle as they fly. Blast your way to victory!"



"Take your DART TAG game to the next level! This air-powered blaster lets you return fire fast with high-speed reloads! The integrated clip holds six darts and lets you load super-fast. When your opponent is in sight, grab your blaster and send your DART TAG darts flying — they’ll even whistle as they fly. Blast your way to victory!'

So it's official!!! The new Dart Tag blasters are among the most anticipated in Nerf history- and there coming fast.

Singapore



I'm heading off to Singapore, so that means no more post until the 25th of January. Please go back and read previous articles- the reboot is nearly finished- but aside from that, keep on Nerfing and stay tuned for when I return.

Dual Wielding

I had a unique opportunity today- to have a go at some dual wielding. 



Nerf Vulcan.

                                                                             

Weight- This is heavy. To reduce the weight I connected the Vulcan's to Bandolier straps and slung them over each shoulder

Size- Vulcan's are big, so the barrels kept crashing into each other. One of them ended up underneath the other one. It wasn't pretty.

Ammunition- The bonus of dual-wielding Vulcan's is having 50 darts on hand. The downside is that when one of the Vulcan's jams, it is very hard to clear.

RoF- The Vulcan has a sluggish rate of fire for a machine gun, but for dual-wielding it is steady.

Range and accuracy- The is about 20 feet, especially when your Vulcan is shooting at the ground. The accuracy is horrible, and you have no control over the guns whatsoever.

Overall- 5/10. Dual-wielding Vulcan's is beastly, but aside from that it's merely annoying. The range is bad, the accuracy is worse, and the Vulcan's seemed to take turns to jam. As for reloading ...

Barricade

Weight- The Barricade weighs little more than a Maverick, so dual-wielding a pair of these is light and fast

Size- Once again, the Barricade is barely bigger than a Maverick.

Ammunition- I would prefer to have at least 30 darts, but unlike the Vulcan jams are rare.

RoF- You have good control over your rate of fire, with a maximum rate of all 20 in about 5 seconds

Range and Accuracy- Expect a range of about 30 feet. The accuracy on one Barricade is superb, and with two you can still expect to hit most targets.

Overall- 8/10. This is Nerf's best dual-wielding combination. It is light, fast and accurate.

However, dual wielding leaves a lot to be desired. It can be fairly clumsy, inaccurate, and both jams and reloading give you a hell of a problem. Like usual, my usual solution is to get and Alpha Trooper or a Stampede. Either can do a lot more damage than a Barricade anyway.

Nerf Barricade Update

Just two more of the Barricade clip conversion mods, courtesy of SG Nerf.



With 18 dart clip



With 35 dart drum

Super Soaker Update / Nerf Hotspot Reboot



Nerf's new Super Soaker line has been officially released by Nerf, through their Facebook page, with a set release date for some time around March. That means that the Thunderstorm, Point Break, Scatter Blast and Tornado Strike, as well as the legendary Hydro Cannon are coming soon.

The official Nerf Hotspot reboot is a step closer to completion. I've finished editing, rewriting, deleting and labelling the posts in November. Please take the time to check it out.

Nerf Stampede ECS-50 Update / Nerf Hotspot reboot



The Stampede ECS-50 that was featured a week ago has been confirmed as a design concept that Nerf intended to make, but sadly there is no future for the ECS-50.

Along with yet another new logo, I'm currently in the process of going back and editing my previous articles. When I started the site I was just trying to put some info on the blog, with little care of quality, so I'm labelling all of my posts, deleting the irrelevant ones and editing all of the posts that aren't up to scratch.

For those of you that haven't heard I'm going to Singapore on the 10th, so until I return on the 24th please take the time to go back and read my previous posts.

Sales

New Nerf at Target, Midland

Spectre- $24

Barricade- $30

Nite Finder Two Pack- $19

Ammo Bag Kit- $30

With the release of the Spectre all of the new 2010 releases are in Australia. So I have no excuses...

Nerf Barricade RV-10



After finally getting my hands on a Barricade yesterday, I've done my testing, and it's time to write a review.

ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES

• Requires 3 AA batteries to run.
• Fires ten darts from a rotating barrel
• Is semi-automatic, which means that the blaster is fired by pressing the trigger, which means no reloading, but no rapid fire
• Cannot fire without batteries
• Uses flywheels, which means there is a 'motor' like noise while the blaster is firing, but the gun is no louder than an Alpha Trooper or Recon due to a more quiet sound made by the trigger
• Has room for a stock, and works well with the Raider's
• Has a jam clearance door that, unlike other blasters, can be opened at any time.
• Has a impressive rate of fire, fully unloading the 10 dart barrel in 3 or 4 seconds.
• The trigger sometimes briefly locks in place, but this can be resolved by letting the trigger revert back into its original position before continuing firing.
• Has a tactical rail that works well with most accesories, due to the lack of a reloading mechanism

This gun gets 8/10, and it is definitely an upgrade upon the ever popular Maverick. The batteries do not give it a greater rate of fire, but having 10 darts is an improvement, the tactical rail is better placed and it has room for a stock, which was essential due to the fact it is heavier than the Maverick.

And, courtesy of SG Nerf, one of those mods that blows you away...



Awesome!!!

Sales

This is a note of the Nerf gear in the Toys R Us store in Joondalup, Western Australia.

N-Strike
Nite Finder or Sonic Nite Finder- $14.99
Maverick or Sonic Maverick- $19.99
Barrel Break- $29.99
Barricade- $29.99
Recon or Sonic Recon- $39.99
Deploy- $39.99
Hornet- $39.99
Attack Unit- $49.99
Unity Power System- $69.99
Raider- $69.99
Vulcan or Sonic Vulcan- $69.99
Stampede- $99.99

Dart Tag
Hyperfire- $39.99 Contains one Hyperfire, glasses and a vest
Strikefire- $49.99 Contains two Crossfires, two pairs of goggles and two vests
Capture the Flag- $79.99 Contains two Stormfires, two pairs of goggles, two vests and an electronic flag
Furyfire- $79.99 Contains two Furyfires, two pairs of goggles and two vests

The store also had a lot of Super Soakers, but sadly none of the new 2011 series, such as the Thunderstorm and the Point Break, and dart refill packs.

The Joondalup store has a lot more Nerf than I've seen for a while, and I picked up a Barricade while I was there, so expect a review of the Barricade very soon.

Nerf Stampede ECS



I decided that I couldn't wait any longer to post a review of Nerf's latest flagship model...

The Stampede ECS.

ADVANTAGES and DISADVANAGES

• Is fully automatic, running on 6 D batteries.
• Is fired by holding down the trigger
• Comes with three 18 dart clips and one 6 dart clip, as well as 60 darts
• Also comes with a removable blast shield and a removable bipod
• Weighs the same as a Vulcan,but is easier to carry due to the fact that the handle is in the middle of the gun, rather than on the end
• Has five tactical rails
• Has a RoF of 3 darts a second
• Has very good battery life, as it does not use drain the batteries if the blaster is left on
• For a battery powered gun has a superb range of 35 feet, compared to the Vulcan, that only fires 25 feet.
• Has a relatively small barrel that leads to greater accuracy
• Usually costs $100, and is $130 at Myer, but can drop to the reasonable price of $70 on a sale.

This gun gets 9/10. In my opinion it is neck on neck with the Alpha Trooper as the best new release of 2010, its main features being it range and rate of fire, coupled with the 18 dart clips that are exclusive to the blaster. My only issue with this blaster is the cost and the lack of single shot capability- sometimes it just goes through the darts a little to quickly. Below is Nerf's commercial upon the release of the blaster.

Nerf Dart Tag Update- New Accessories

So far, three new Dart Tag guns have been rumoured for 2011- the Swarmfire, the Quick 16, and the Dart Tag 6.  And now, to go with these new releases, new darts and new jerseys.

The new Dart Tag darts are essentially the old orange and green dart tag darts repainted- they are the same size and are made from the same design.

And the new Dart Tag jerseys. Unlike the vests that come with the Crossfire and Furyfire to name a few, this Dart Tag jersey is actually a full shirt, like the ones worn in official Dart Tag competitions.

It's great to see Nerf really developing their Dart Tag line, and I'll post more information if it comes!