Nerf Blasters
Encyclopedia
Nerf
Blasters are toy weapons made by Hasbro
that fire foam darts
, discs, or, in some cases, foam balls. The term "Nerf gun", however, is often used as a blanket term for any foam dart blaster, regardless of whether or not it has the brand name. Nerf guns are manufactured in multiple forms, including pistols, rifles, light machine guns, and anti-material rifles. The first Nerf guns emerged in the late 1980s with the release of the Nerf Blast-a-Ball and the Arrowstorm. These toy guns are sold at many retailers including Target
, Walmart, Zellers
and Toys "R" Us.
The Nerf blaster line currently consists of three sub-lines: N-Strike, Dart Tag and Vortex.
The Nerf line is also sold in Japan
by Takara Tomy
, which sells other Hasbro products in the country. For marketing reasons, some blasters have been given different names in Japan. For example, the Stampede ECS is called "Blazing Burst ECS", while the Longstrike CS-6 is called "Sniper Shot CS-6"; nevertheless, these blasters still have their original names molded on them.
In 2011, the Nerf N-Strike
Stampede ECS was awarded "Boy Toy of the Year" at the 11th Annual Toy of the Year Awards, which is held at the American International Toy Fair
in New York City
.
Nerf
Nerf is a toy brand created by Parker Brothers and currently owned by Hasbro. The acronym NERF stands for "Non-Expanding Recreational Foam". Most of the toys are a variety of foam-based weaponry, but there are also several different types of Nerf toys, such as balls for sports like football,...
Blasters are toy weapons made by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
that fire foam darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
, discs, or, in some cases, foam balls. The term "Nerf gun", however, is often used as a blanket term for any foam dart blaster, regardless of whether or not it has the brand name. Nerf guns are manufactured in multiple forms, including pistols, rifles, light machine guns, and anti-material rifles. The first Nerf guns emerged in the late 1980s with the release of the Nerf Blast-a-Ball and the Arrowstorm. These toy guns are sold at many retailers including Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, Walmart, Zellers
Zellers
Zellers Inc. is Canada's second-largest chain of mass merchandise discount stores, with locations in communities across Canada. A subsidiary of the Hudson's Bay Company , it has 273 locations across the country....
and Toys "R" Us.
The Nerf blaster line currently consists of three sub-lines: N-Strike, Dart Tag and Vortex.
The Nerf line is also sold in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by Takara Tomy
Takara Tomy
is a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
, which sells other Hasbro products in the country. For marketing reasons, some blasters have been given different names in Japan. For example, the Stampede ECS is called "Blazing Burst ECS", while the Longstrike CS-6 is called "Sniper Shot CS-6"; nevertheless, these blasters still have their original names molded on them.
In 2011, the Nerf N-Strike
N-Strike
N-Strike is the main line of Hasbro's Nerf Blasters toy series. This line consists of toy guns that fire rubber-tipped foam darts. While the blasters have been offered in several different colors, the N-Strike's main colors are yellow and orange, despite some models being offered mainly in blue.In...
Stampede ECS was awarded "Boy Toy of the Year" at the 11th Annual Toy of the Year Awards, which is held at the American International Toy Fair
American International Toy Fair
The American International Toy Fair is one of a few major toy industry trade shows held around the world. It is held annually in mid February in New York City's Toy Center, located at 23rd Street at the crossover of Fifth Avenue and Broadway and at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, and is...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
N-Strike
- Alpha Trooper CS-18 (TargetTarget CorporationTarget Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
exclusive) - Barrel Break IX-2 (Toys "R" Us exclusive)
- Barricade RV-10
- Big Bad Bow
- Deploy CS-6
- Element EX-6 (Toys "R" Us exclusive)
- Firefly REV-8
- Hornet AS-6
- Jolt EX-1
- Longshot CS-6
- Longstrike CS-6
- Magstrike AS-10 (Target exclusive)
- Maverick REV-6
- Nite Finder EX-3
- Raider CS-35
- Rapid Fire AS-20 (Target exclusive)
- Rayven CS-18 (upcoming)
- Recon CS-6
- Reflex IX-1
- Scout IX-3
- Secret Strike AS-1
- Spectre REV-5 (Walmart exclusive)
- Stampede ECS
- Switch Shot EX-3 (GameStopGameStopGameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...
exclusive or bundled with Nerf N-StrikeNerf N-StrikeNerf N-Strike is a video game developed by EA Salt Lake and published by Electronic Arts for the Nintendo DS and Wii. The game is a rail shooter and focuses on the NERF line of toy dart blasters. It has an optional unique blaster for gameplay called the Nerf Switch Shot EX-3, that can either be...
and Nerf N-Strike EliteNerf N-Strike EliteNerf N-Strike Elite is a 2009 on-rails shoot 'em up for Nintendo Wii and sequel to the 2008 Nerf N-Strike. Like its predecessor, the game is bundled with one N-Strike Switch Shot EX-3...
for the WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
) - Vulcan EBF-25
- 3-in-1 Unity Power System (Titan AS-V.1 + Hornet AS-6 + Scout IX-3) (Toys "R" Us exclusive)
- Titan AS-V.1/Big Bad Titan (Target/Zellers exclusive)
Dart Tag
- FuryFire
- Hyperfire
- Quick 16
- Sharp Shot
- Speedload 6
- Speedswarm
- StormFire (part of the "Capture the Flag" set)
- StrikeFire
- SwarmFire
Air Tech
- Air Tech 1000
- Air Tech 2000
- Air Tech 3000
- Air Tech 4000
- Air Tech Ball Blaster
- Air Tech Squadron
Action Blasters
- Arrow Storm
- Bow & Arrow
- Crossbow
- Missile Storm
- Titan AS-V.I. / Big Bad Titan
- Tech Target Blaster
Ballistic Ball Launchers
- Atom Blaster
- Atomizer
- Blast-a-Ball
- Ballzooka
- Buzzsaw
- Cyclotron
- Reactor
- Slingshot
- Pulsator
- Master Blaster
- Ballzooka MP150 (aka. "Motorized Ballzooka")
Cyber Stryke Gear
- ArmorShot
- AutoGrip
- CommLink II
- Defender T3
- Perceptor
- RatchetBlast
- RotoTrack
- Strongarm
Dart Blasters
- Lock 'n' Load
- PowerClip DX 1000
- SuperMAXX 3000
- WildFire
- SplitFire
- FastBlast
- Lightnin' Blitz
Marvel Super Heroes
- The Incredible HulkThe Incredible Hulk (film)The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 superhero action film based on the Marvel Comics character the Hulk. It is directed by Louis Leterrier and stars Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner. It is the second film to be released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
Hulk Abomination Blaster (green repaint of 3-in-1 Unity Power System, minus the Scout IX-3) - Iron ManIron Man (film)Iron Man is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, an industrialist and master engineer who builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero, Iron...
Stark Industries N.R.F. 425 Blaster (red repaint of Magstrike AS-10; sold in U.S. markets) - Iron Man Stark Industries N.R.F. 425 Blaster (red repaint of Firefly REV-8 without the glow darts and electronics; sold outside the U.S.)
- Iron Man 2Iron Man 2Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
Iron Strike Blaster (red repaint of Transformers Energon Blaster) - Spider-Man 3Spider-Man 3Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
Spider-Man vs. Venom Dart Tag Complete 2-Player Set
Star Wars
- Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
ChewbaccaChewbaccaChewbacca, also known as Chewie, is a character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Peter Mayhew. In the series' narrative chronology, he appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
's Bowcaster - Star Wars Jango FettJango FettJango Fett is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He first appeared as one of the main antagonists in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and later served as the protagonist of the LucasArts video game Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, played by Temuera Morrison.Jango Fett serves as...
Action Set - Star Wars Rebel Trooper Blaster
- Star Wars: The Clone WarsStar Wars: The Clone Wars (film)Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a 2008 CGI animated science fiction/action film that takes place within the Star Wars saga, leading into the TV series of the same name. The film is set in the same time period as the 2003 Clone Wars television series...
Cad BaneCad BaneCad Bane is a fictional character and antagonist in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series created by Dave Filoni and Henry Gilroy. In the series he is portrayed as a cold and manipulative bounty hunter from the planet Duro.-Concept and creation:...
Blaster - Star Wars: The Clone Wars Captain Rex Blaster
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars Clone Trooper Blaster
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars DC-17 Blaster Pistol
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars General GrievousGeneral GrievousGeneral Grievous is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, an antagonist in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He was voiced by Matthew Wood...
Blaster
Transformers
- TransformersTransformers: Generation 1Transformers: Generation 1 was the original Transformers toy line that produced from 1985 to 1992 and actually lasted longer than the G1 1980s television series itself...
BumblebeeBumblebee (Transformers)Bumblebee is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. In most incarnations, Bumblebee is a small, yellow Autobot with the altmode of a compact car.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
Barricade RV-10 Nerf Blaster (yellow/black repaint with images of Bumblebee; New York Comic Con exclusive) - Transformers Optimus PrimeOptimus PrimeOptimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...
Barricade RV-10 Nerf Blaster (blue repaint with images of Optimus Prime; San Diego Comic-Con International exclusive) - Transformers Optimus Prime Battle Rig Blaster
- Transformers Starscream Barrel Roll Blaster
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon Optimus Prime Cyber Blaster
- Transformers: EnergonTransformers: EnergonTransformers: Energon, known in Japan as , is the 2004–2005 Transformers toyline, animated series and comic book series, another co-production between Hasbro and Takara and a direct sequel to Transformers: Armada...
Energon Blaster
See also
- Nerf war
- Nerf N-StrikeNerf N-StrikeNerf N-Strike is a video game developed by EA Salt Lake and published by Electronic Arts for the Nintendo DS and Wii. The game is a rail shooter and focuses on the NERF line of toy dart blasters. It has an optional unique blaster for gameplay called the Nerf Switch Shot EX-3, that can either be...
and Nerf N-Strike EliteNerf N-Strike EliteNerf N-Strike Elite is a 2009 on-rails shoot 'em up for Nintendo Wii and sequel to the 2008 Nerf N-Strike. Like its predecessor, the game is bundled with one N-Strike Switch Shot EX-3...
- Games for the WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
with real Nerf blasters. - The Great Office WarThe Great Office WarThe Great Office War is an online video produced by Runaway Box and originally uploaded on YouTube on June 18, 2008. As of February 2011, the video has been viewed over 5,000,000 times....
- A viral video featuring Nerf blasters. - Super SoakerSuper SoakerSuper Soaker is a brand of recreational water gun, first sold in 1990 by Larami and now produced by Hasbro under the Nerf brand. Invented by Lonnie Johnson on November 13, 1989, the first Super Soaker, the Super Soaker 50, was originally called the Power Drencher...
- Water guns currently sold under the Nerf brand. - Lazer TagLazer TagLazer Tag is a brand name for the infrared pursuit game generically known as "laser tag," "lasertag," or "lazertag."The brand name was created by the toy company Worlds Of Wonder in 1986, appearing at approximately the same time as the home version of the Photon brand.The Lazer Tag brand name was...
- Laser tagLaser tagLaser tag is a team or individual sport or recreational activity where players attempt to score points by tagging targets, typically with a hand-held infrared-emitting targeting device. Infrared-sensitive targets are commonly worn by each player and are sometimes integrated within the arena in...
guns currently sold under the Nerf brand. - Max ForceMax ForceMax Force is a line of toy weapons made by Jakks Pacific to compete with Hasbro's Nerf Blasters. Instead of foam darts, Max Force guns fire "Soft Splat Pellets", which are made of a mixture of paper and wood. These pellets are dipped into water before being loaded into the guns and fired at...
- A competing brand of toy guns by Jakks PacificJakks PacificJAKKS Pacific, Inc. is a designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a range of products that feature numerous children's toy licenses...
.