Not Quite Nerf

One of the things I have enjoyed the most in the last two years is watching the offerings from Dart Zone increase in quality, novelty, and/or value. Usually more than one. The second half of this year looks like it will be no exception. One day I'll get a decent box photo Or access to promotional art... Overview It's very easy to dismiss the Sentry as what it looks like on first blush - a Kronos work-alike. That's understandable. The Kronos hit the market and as the rare, nearly perfect, out of the box competitive blaster and there wasn't a clear winner in this space. It is natural a competitor would eye that result. We'll get a little more into that comparison later. As with all Adventure Force blasters, this is manufactured for Wal-Mart by one of the three second-tier blaster makers. So far, all of the HIR ball-blasters have been made by Dart Zone as indicated by both the box labeling and the "Powered by PT-DZ" call out on the blaster.  ...

Today we'll be looking at the eagerly anticipated Adventure Force Tactical Strike Accelerator, produced by Prime Time Toys for Wal-Mart. Last year, Prime Time Toys surprised more than a few folks with their initial entry into the squishy foam orb launcher realm with the Ballistix Ops  Powerball blaster in their Dart Zone branding exclusively at Target . This blaster is also available, in Canadian Wal-Marts . This solid and affordable HIR springer picked up a lot of praise once it made it into players hands. When word appeared that we would soon be seeing another springer and  a flywheel blaster for what looked to be a very solid price, some of us got a wee bit excited. Competition is good. Affordable competition is even better. As of this writing, neither is available online at Wal-Mart and is slowly working its way onto shelves as part of the mid-January toy refresh. Consult your local BrickSeek results for the Accelerator  and Titanium  to see what's mad...