Review: Nerf N-Strike Hornet AS-6 (UPDATED)

Nerf Hornet AS-6. Bzzzz!

The Hornet is an air-powered semi-automatic blaster that has been around for several years; it was pre N-Strike until it became a part of the Unity Power System with the Titan + Scout. They're very much a love-it-or-hate-it blaster, and apparently there have been huge issues with them being defective out of the box. Being air powered, they can be pretty powerful and can offload 6 darts in one hit,which is impressive..if yours works. The thing is, this blaster is a lot more complicated than you'd think which is possibly why so many people think their blaster sucks. My old one actually..did suck, but I finally worked out WHY:)

Retro: Nerf Blastfire DX-500

Blastfire DX-500. "in my day, 5 rounds was plenty!"

Nerf's range of blasters that have come out in the past few years are pretty awesome; they're innovative, powerful and they look fantastic to boot. Nerf blasters of old- not so much. Gaudy colour schemes, dumb looking designs and..let's go back to the gaudy colour schemes:) Still, the fact that most people in this world will eventually find a partner regardless of how butt ugly or stupid they are does suggest that people all have different opinions on what is appealing and attractive; so to there's a very hot market for the older retro blasters of days gone by (mainly because they've got some serious modding potential- but some actually like said gaudy colour schemes). 

Although I've rejected them to date, there is one of the old blasters that I have always really liked the look of.. so when the opportunity came to pick one up I took it..my very own Blastfire DX-500.

Urban Taggers UTX uber modded blaster: submissions open!

Urban Taggers gives you the finger!:P

We've said many times that Urban Taggers is about inner apartment toy blaster warfare; we don't consider ourselves "serious" Nerfers, engage in outdoor battles nor in the past have really cared for mods. That all being said, I've seen some SWEEEET looking custom blasters over the past few months and my curiosity has gotten the better of me..

SO here's what we're gonna do. Fancy yourself as a modding guru? I want to know HOW good a modded blaster can be, and am keen for someone to design and customise a Nerf blaster for Urban Taggers; that's right folks- I am now on the hunt for a the ultimate uber modded NERF blaster...

Review: Nerf N-Force Battlemaster Mace

 Nerf's Battlemaster is one of the newest and coolest pieces in the N-Force range; it is supposed to be a mace, based on the "flanged" variety (I always thought a mace was a big ball with spikes on it attached to a stick but I have learned there are other varieties- go me and wikipedia!) with a slight futuristic design tilt. Of all the current N-Force gear that's out, this would have to be my favourite. Here's why.

Review: Nerf Dart Tag Hyperfire

Nerf Dart Tag Hyperfire. These days, in Lime Green. Sassy.

The Hyperfire has been around for quite some time, and was even considered the official competition blaster from the Nerf Dart Tag line a few years ago before being eventually replaced by the current Furyfire. It’s had various different colour schemes over the years, and is still a very popular blaster, available in numerous toy stores around Australia.

Review: Nerf N-Force Warlock Axe

The Nerf N-Force Warlock. It's tuff.

No, N-Force isn't here in Australia just yet, but that doesn't mean we can't still get our hands on them from other sources..especially this awesome N-Force Warlock axe; one of the newer N-Force releases from Nerf for this year. Compared to the older Thunder Fury swords, Nerf have definitely put more effort into making these 'weapons' more durable and better quality. They also look sweet, which is of course a plus:)

Repost: Find us on Facebook

You can find us on Facebook (it's so same ol' these days I know!) where we can update you on new reviews and updates to our Urban Taggers blog! It's also the easiest way to communicate with us in real time (I've always got my phone on me!)

Look us up- obviously under "Urban Taggers" - like our page and come say G'day!
(originally posted on the 17/8/10- when noone knew we existed!)

Urban Taggers: Wallpaper downloads

By request! We went through some of our more regularly downloaded Urban Taggers images and turned them into widescreen desktop wallpapers. They..actually don't look that great blown up.. but if you put them on your desktop.. and then step back about 20 metres, it'll look awesome:)

Random: What Celebrities do with Nerf blasters..

Popular Australian radio (and the occasional television appearance) personalities Hamish and Andy get their hands on a Nerf Stampede ECS. Noone really cares when they get hit by a Nerf dart... or do they.. (this is a stream of ALL of their vids so it's likely by tomorrow this vid will be bumped down the list.. but it'll still be there)

Also a few vids after this one; there's also a vid on Hamish Blake getting the day off by using his Stampede ECS. (Thanks to "Anonymous" for this-I've either got an incredibly devoted single reader, or you're all a lil shy on leaving your names. Make it up, I don't mind, just give me something to call you by! "Night Hawk" works)

Video courtesy of Fox FM. (it keeps streaming so just kill it after the vid and reload your browser. Also.. excuse the advertising before the vid. Ugh!)

Video: Spectre REV-5 part 3


Part 3 of my quick review on the Spectre REV-5- this time we're just talking about the attachments.

Video: Spectre REV-5 Part 2

Part 2 of our quick review on the Nerf Spectre REV-5- this vid is about the issues with the design and form of the Spectre.

Video: Nerf Spectre REV-5

Part One of our quick look at the Spectre REV-5. (yes, for some reason I always seem to do videos when I have a cold/ hayfever/ something up my nose)



Nerf Spectre REV-5: Up Close + Personal

"I ALWAYS use protection."

 The Nerf Spectre REV-5 is a much anticipated upcoming blaster (by Australian standards) from Nerf's the new 2010 series; along with the Alpha Trooper CS-18 and Barrel Break IX-2. It's a very sleek and sexy number, with a revolving barrel that accommodates 5 rounds and additional accessories like a "silencer" barrel attachment and a folding stock. We reviewed the Spectre over a month ago, but for those of you who want more..

Shout out to ma peeps: affiliates, friends and just cool dudes

Urban Taggers is relatively new to the Nerf blogging community and it's pretty exciting to see how in only a few months how quickly we've gained a modest, yet decent readership worldwide even though we're personally located in a town of 320,000 in Australia. (thanks guys, you're awesome- yes even you, that guy in the North Pacific Ocean) 

While I do try to post as regularly as possible, in trying to keep a relatively normal work/social/family life I do acknowledge I can't update all the time, so if I am a lil tardy in my posts, I do urge you to check out some of the blogs we affiliate with; it's a shameless plug for those who I am in contact and share information with. We don't make any money out of it all, we just love the foam and all look to bring as much up to date information as we can for the readers...well more so than the official channels anyway:)

They're listed down the right hand side of the blog, but here's some blurb on why I like 'em:)

Review: Nerf N-Force Stonewall Shield + Short Sword set

Leonardas was admittedly a tad underwhelmed by his new stonewall short sword.

Although it has been available in the US for a few years now, Nerf's N-Force foam sword line has yet to really make itself known in Australia. As a concept, it was probably inevitable that Nerf would bring out a foam sword line; already they'd made foam versions of sporting goods, guns and even..um.. flying dudes, so the natural progression of developing safe foam "thwacking" instruments was perhaps long overdue.

Actually, what was probably MORE overdue was a means to defend yourself from said thwacks..

Arts + Crafts: Preparing Against the Zombie Onslaught

I go to Toys R Us to buy darts, come out with a toddler's chainsaw..

Soooo.. every now and then.. we do things that don't make a whole lot of sense but think them to be pretty funny. With Halloween only a few weeks away, it's important to prepare for the rising of the undead..

Yeah I know. I'm a dick. :P

Preview: N-Force makes it to Urban Taggers

Ok..so if they're not "swords" what would we call them?:P

Oooh.. look what landed in  the Urban Taggers apartment today? Looks like the next few weeks may be reviewing some hot melee action (ok that sorta sounds wrong)..

Barrel Break IX-2 Round Holder: An attachment that's actually useful

Barrel Break IX-2's round holder on a Barricade RV-10

One of the more useful tactical rail attachments in the N-Strike line is the Barrel Break IX-2's 8 round dart holder; while it DEFINITELY makes sense with the Barrel Break, it got me thinking how useful would it be on other blasters? As far as attachments go, it's pretty boring, but as for functionality, it's awesome.

Nerf Barrel Break IX-2 Loading + Firing

The Barrel Break IX-2 in action. Please note the test darts I'm using are getting a lil' worn and not firing as far as they used to; fresh darts do much much better. But it gives you an idea of the firing mechanism anyway:)

Rumours: Nerf N-Force "Klaw Hatchet"

"with what shall I cut it, dear liza dear liza.." Image: Gears | Nerf Haven

If it comes out.. I'm so there. Now all they need are N-Force Nunchuks and I'm set:)

Rumours: Clear Vulcan in the midst?

Oooh. Clear EBF belt. I see you..and your 24 other brothers..

As far as Nerf rumours are concerned, this one's probably my favourite. The clear Vulcan EBF-25 belts were spotted on the Chinese Tao Bao website which would suggest a clear Vulcan is in the midst.

Preview: Air Zone PowerStrike 48.. LOUD.

There's been quite a lot of buzz for the Air Zone Power Strike 48 for us at Urban Taggers; we heard it was going to be a beast, that it would be a Toys R Us exclusive and from the pics, thought it actually looked pretty cool; even from we who would normally not look a second glance at non Nerf gear.

It's noisy as fark though, and people reckon the Barricade RV-10 is bad...

(it's also got a fake trigger too? WTF?)

Nerf Mods and Reviews for the full post

Arts + Crafts: 'Frankensteining' your blasters..

It's ALIVE!! Vulcan + Longshot + Deploy..

I like what Jermaine from Nerf Mods + Reviews can do with blasters; the total other end of the Nerf spectrum from us at Urban Taggers. He doesn't play, he just mods.. a lot. Check out this post on his combining of a Vulcan barrel with a Longshot and Deploy stock. The.. Nerf.. Centipede.. :)

Rumours: Sonic Series?

DO you think 'Hulk?' or perhaps.. 'Turtles: secret of the Ooze"

We've heard about it, we've seen dodgey pics about it.. but check this one out, courtesy of our Humans vs Zombies friends.. This one looks pretty real to me..

I pose a question though.. Why does "sonic" translate to translucent green? (UPDATED: two more pics after the jump)

Barrel Break IX-2: Up Close + Personal

"Barrel Break IX-2. To guard my precious assets"

The Nerf N-Strike Barrel Break IX-2 is an upcoming (by Australian standards) blaster that fires two rounds between each load, either simultaneously or one after the other. It gets its design cues from a sawn off shotgun and is although we've only had it for a few months (our review here), it's already become a firm favourite amongst us at Urban Taggers. Soo what makes it so cool and why do we like it so much?

Barricade RV-10: How noisy is noisy?

So how noisy it the Barricade RV-10.. really? Hard to really tell from the videos, so I do a comparison with other motor driven devices.. :P (You can tell I have a really scientific mind and did AWESOME in highschool science..or not)

Test: Barricade RV-10 with Sucker darts

6 metres from the target with the Barricade RV-10...

Up close and personal: Barricade RV-10- Everything you want to know

Like the Barricade RV-10 NEEDS any more attention:)

After all this time, the official word is there's no such thing as a Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10.  Sure, we all know it exists.. and I find myself looking at it in my hand and saying to myself "are you real?" but despite all of the speculation on release dates and discussions on where it'll be released.. still no official release on the blaster to date. Perhaps this is even a marketing ploy, relying on hype from the rumour-mill and word of mouth to promote what in all honesty is a flawed blaster. Or maybe they're just going to dump it:P

Our posts regarding the Barricade are the most viewed of all pages on Urban Taggers. Despite in depth reviews, people still are keen to know more and so I thought I'd write up a piece that goes up close and personal with the RV-10..

Rant: Fanboys- what's the big deal?

Whether you preferred Hicks' M41A rifle or Drake's M56A, its hard to not think "Nerf should make one of those.."

How many of you can say you woke up one morning and just thought "wow, playing with toy blasters would be really cool" with absolutely NO inspiration whatsoever from any tv show, movie or video game?

Liar:)

Random: "Blaster" Ice Cubes..

6 cool guns in this briefcase. pffft hahaha..ahem..ANYWAY..

Ok.. it's an ice cube tray. How exciting can it be? Come on, you don't think that's cool? 

$9.95 AUS from Trade Secret. (well I liked it)

Dual wielding: seemed like a good idea at the time

Gun Kata. Or.. possible two sticks of fairy floss.

How cool is dual wielding? We're talking twin 6 guns in the wild wild west- two hand guns in any John Woo movie you can think of (including Appleseed!), and of course my all time fav, Sweet Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider games packing a pair of pistols will just does it for me every time. It's sort of the ultimate in any form of roleplaying (try it- hand a pair of toy pistols to any male and watch him go..) but while in movies this is always sooo cool.. in the world of Nerf this is not so easy. Nerf blasters require your other hand to cock the primer, so unless you've got them on a shoulder strap (in which case it's not REALLY dual wielding but using one after the other) or you're tying your trackie daks drawstring through your pair of Mavericks, you'd traditionally be out of luck. Till.. now:)

Rant: Nerf "Blasters" vs "Guns"

Larry's downfall was using a "blaster" against a guy with a rocket launcher. A real rocket launcher. 

The official terminology from Nerf is that they manufacture 'blasters'. It makes perfect sense- if you define a gun as a weapon that uses an explosive mechanism to fire a round- sure, they're not guns. But if you, like most people see a gun as a thing with a trigger and a barrel that fires something..well you can understand why people call them "guns".

Nerf N-Force: DO we even want it?

In regards to the Nerf Warlock: Conan says "Yes"

Nerf's line of melee attack N-Force toys have yet to really make much of an impact in Australia, having only been spotted in very small dribbles in stores-mostly from grey importing rather than it being an official release. (The Australian Nerf website has no mention of them.. but that's more due to the fact their web designer must have glandular fever or something and has been off work for the past year :P a lack of updates) 

If they WERE available though... would you get them? From the whole roleplaying aspect.. have you ever had the desire to don a pair of furry undies and charge around the house screaming for the power of Greyskull? Swords may be very man-ly, but do they clash with your Stampede?:) 

Modded Nerf..

Internals of a Longstrike CS-6. Courtesy of Modworks.blogspot.com

This afternoon I had the joyous experience of finally firing off a few rounds from a modified Nerf blaster. I've never modded any of my blasters before (for cosmetic, performance or otherwise) nor used anyone else's so it was a new experience with me. I was a little surprised at the noise; it's a fair whack louder than an out of the box blaster, but I guess it makes a whole lot of sense given what's actually going on internally.

While I have no confidence in my own ability to do such modifications.. I have to admit.. it was kinda cool:)

Maintaining your Nerf..

It's important to get in between the cracks. 

While Nerf blasters are pretty robust and made for outdoors use, there are things that can affect the longevity of your investment. To an extent it's a little frustrating; given they are toys aimed for ages 6 and above and should be able to take a beating, but then toys in general aren't designed to last forever and if you think back to when you were a kid, you would probably not have been as careful with them as you would be..say now:) I've heard a LOT of opinions on this and I'm still on the fence with some- but what are the little things you do to keep your Nerf in tip top shape?

18 Rounds of foam goodness: how do you like it?

Long + Thin vs Short and Thick..:P

Some of the coolest things to come out this year in Nerf-land are the Alpha Trooper's 18 round drum, and the new Stampede ECS's 18 round clip. Same amount of foam dart, same TYPE of foam dart.. just a different aesthetic. While I love the 18 round drum, I gotta admit I seem to get better performance from the clip.. maybe it's just me. What about you? What's your take? (Or do you just give the big "get farked" and stick with the 35 round Raider drum)

Arts + Crafts: Magpie vs Iron Man?

Sooo.. I was working on another "Ballistic" mask and left it on my balcony to dry, when a rather large magpie (an Australian native bird) decided to kick it around some..drag it along, and then push it over the edge into the neighbour's courtyard down stairs..May you get high on the paint fumes, bird!

Then again..I actually..don't mind it.You just can't GET that sort of customised distressed wear normally?!

Alpha Trooper vs.. Alpha Trooper?

Two Alpha Troopers walk into a bag..

Ok.. so putting the automatic weapons aside, I'm back to poppin' wit ma 'trooper yo! While I am clearly a big fan of the tuff lil Alpha, there are many owners out there who..well aren't. Personally I had experienced almost above average ranges and accuracy from the blaster and I hear there are many of you who would agree with me, but then there seems to be a proportion of you out there who find the Alpha Trooper is pretty much a disappointment and fires horribly. One answer to this could be managing expectations (maybe I'm easily satisfied!) or perhaps the other is maybe the quality control- maybe some of these are poorly made and others are just freaks of an over zealous factory worker?

This gave me the perfect excuse to pull another one out of its box.. In the interests of testing and research:)

How do you store your Nerf?

Hoping the gf doesn't realise the storage trunks are getting bigger..

One day, when I actually own a real house, I'll have more space and can execute my mad crazy plans of developing a full rack/wall set up to house my Nerf blasters in all their glory. While I live in an inner city apartment though, space is a bit of a rare commodity and therefore I have to make do with the space I have. 

SO I put it to you fellow Nerfers, how do you store your Nerf arsenal?

Saturator Clips available

I don't normally deviate away from Super Soaker when it comes to water blasters, but I've been a fan of this Saturator line given it reminds me heavily of the old Entertech blasters of the 80's from Larami. Anyway, I noticed today they're becoming more available in more toy stores around the traps- to the point they're selling the spare clips packs for $9.95. Which is awesome:)