Out of Darts Announces the Nerf Pro Stryfe X!

After seeing the news while working (and taking time to take in the conversations press releases, and pictures), I can finally post and comment!

Starting with a blaster review on Out of Dart’s Youtube channel, Hasbro has announced the Nerf Pro Stryfe X! It’s a great update to a beloved platform…but it raises both praise and concern. More after the jump!

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Xshot Skins Lock Review

At first, it appeared the Skins line would, aside from the shell changes necessary for the printing technology to work, retread on old Xshot designs. Luckily, that is not the case!

The Xshot Skins Lock offers an eight shot, lever-action revolver with a combination lock! Once you unlock the blaster, it’s yours to use (or prevent others from using). The latter part doesn’t personally appeal to me…but between the performance and play value, it would make a great addition to a kid’s arsenal.

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Xshot Insanity Mad Mega Barrel Review

The Xshot Insanity series is a great refresh for Zuru’s blaster lineup, and the Mad Mega Barrel is no exception. It’s comfortable, easy to use, and features an insane-looking (but easy to handle) 72-dart clip. Add in the ammo storage, slam-fire, and the ability to connect to other blasters, and it’s a great time for users young and old.

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Dart Zone Max Outlaw Review

It’s finally here! The Dart Zone Outlaw is hitting shelves, and I got to play a few rounds of HvHvZ this past weekend with them in hand. It would seem that, while the Dart Zone Pro line doesn’t always meet expectations, the Dart Zone Max line showcases the best parts of competitive foam flinging for the general public. Playing the cowboy while doing it is just icing on the cake.

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Gel Blaster, Hasbro Settle Lawsuits

This post is a bit late, but it’s still relevant.

Proceedings over gel ball blasters at the United States International Trade Commission are still ongoing, but part of the investigation is over. The big two contenders, Gel Blaster (arguably the company that made this market explode) and Hasbro (the juggernaut selling Nerf, and specifically Nerf Pro Gelfire), reached a settlement. As per Bloomberg Law:

Gel Blaster announced through a spokesman on Tuesday that the companies had reached a settlement, and that it would drop its breach of contract and theft of trade secrets lawsuit against Hasbro before a federal court in Texas. Hasbro, meanwhile, would drop its claims of patent infringement against Gel Blaster at the US International Trade Commission in Washington.

The rest of theĀ proceedings are still ongoing. However, as of May 19, there was an order terminating the investigation into the Splat-R-Ball side of things, pending a motion. The details of the settlement have not been fully released, due to confidentiality agreements and a request for only the appropriate USITC staff to have the unredacted documents. That would appear to just leave Prime Time Toys to either mount a defense or settle. We’ll see how this plays out, especially now that Xshot has put gel ball blasters on store shelves. And as far as I’m aware, Spin Master and Hasbro, if they’re serious about defending their territory, would also be suing Zuru over this.

Mall Mutation Madness: Hardcore 4 Is Coming!

Just a small blurb, since it’s one of the best game experiences ever for HvZ (or rather, HvHvZ play). Mall Mutation Madness is back, taking place on the evening of October 14th at Mid Rivers Mall in St. Peters, Missouri (a St. Louis suburb). We even have a fun theme! More info on the game itself, as well as buying tickets when they go live on August 6th, can be found on the various FRAG Society pages (Discord, Facebook).

Dart Zone Pro Mk4 Review

Typically, I’m excited for the next big Dart Zone blaster release. After the issues with the Mk1.2, though, I was only cautiously optimistic about the Mk4. After lots of playtime in various settings, however, it really feels like Dart Zone is headed the wrong way. The blaster is too large, too unwieldy, and too expensive for what it is. And while it still may be fun to use in games, there are so many better options for 90% of competitive users.

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