Not Quite Nerf

Wait, What? Shortly after putting together my Velocity overview I became aware that we should see a blue version of the Adventure Force Accelerartor showing up with the fall reset. The first picture we saw on /r/Nerf came with the report that it also has the new agitator functionality we saw in the Velocity even though the packaging made no visible callouts. It took me a bit, but I finally found one. In short, it is the Velocity. The only differences are the nameplates, the embossing on the team plates, and the capacity of the hopper. Which is which? So what should I get? It is difficult to look at a $15 price difference between two blaster packages that differ only in included ammo and hopper capacity. It is easy to look at it as a $1 a ball proposition. Therein lies the comparison flaw, in my view. Both are good values when compared to the Rival equivalents, the Accelerator comes across as a greater bargain - but that doesn't make the Velocity overpriced. Her...

Overview As I mentioned in the Quantum review, it has been a really good year for Prime Time Toys' Dart Zone line. In the dart space, we've seen the Dart Storm, the Light Command, the Titan, and perhaps most interesting - the Commandfire.  It is fair to note that the Light Comand and Dart Storm were fourth quarter releases last year and the Titan is essentially a reshelled Light Command less the light effects. The Commandfire, however, is both a new release and arguably a new platform. Aside from screw ports and the rev trigger, both sides are the same. This blaster is exclusively available as part of the Wal-Mart vanity line, Adventure Force. This line has been treating us well the last couple of years, allowing a number of surprisingly solid blasters to come to the market at really nice price points. Blasters in this line are usually manufactured by our favorite second-tier companies; Buzz Bee, Zuru, and Dart Zone. While most of these are recolor...

This pair of blasters began their assault on dart battlefields last August, as part of Adventure Force's second half offerings. It was well regarded as both fun and fairly effective. It appears that Adventure Force's exclusivity on the mold has ended, as we are now seeing it released in a new form under the Dart Zone Titan. As I did not yet cover the Light Command previously, I'm going to cover both blasters here. Blaster Overview  The blaster design comes from the long-lost land of the Scifi past. It has a thumbhole stock styled foregrip and a similarly angled handle and handguard. The mold itself is liberally decorated in circuitry, cuts, and machinery motifs that seem to have fallen out of a Jack Kirby illustration. The production material is solid. Twisting, squeezing, and otherwise abusing the blaster yielded no distortions and only a few creaks in expected places, such as the battery door. Like most Dart Zone blasters, it butterflies beautifully for e...

Overview Dart Zone Velocity, Adventure Force Accelerator, Adventure Force Quantum, Nerf Rival Nemesis, Nerf Rival Zeus, Zecong ZC7073 It has been a banner year for Prime Time Toys' Dart Zone blaster toys, both in their own, Dart Zone brand and in their offerings through vanity branded Adventure Force products for Wal-Mart. As much excitement as bubbled over for the new Nerf offerings, it was, in some quarters, eclipsed by the curiosity about and enthusiasm for the leaked Dart Zone blasters. So far, we have seen the upgraded Accelerator (Adventure Force), the Velocity (Dart Zone), the revamped Light Command as the Titan (Dart Zone), Commandfire ( Adventure Force ), and the Quantum ( Adventure Force ). Some have pegged the Quantum as a Nemesis killer. While I am unsure of that, on first blush - it certainly has the potential. There've been some lazy comparisons referring to the Quantum as a Nemesis knockoff - something that strikes me as at least a little u...