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Saturday, August 8, 2009

Lanard Scatter Blast - Review!

Ever wondered about the possibility of equipping foam dart grenades to add new gameplay tactics to your nerf games?

Now you can! With the Lanard Scatter Blast!

The Scatter Blast operates via an air tank system which is filled by a pump stalk that also acts as its stabilizing tail fin. Around 15 pumps is recommended to fill up its air tank. The trigger system is a foam covered orange pressure cap situated within the front tip of the Scatter Blast.

There is also a safety switch which prevents the Scatter Blast from triggering off while being carried around... very important! :)

As the Scatter Blast is designed to be thrown over distance to its target, it is light-weight and its body is covered in soft foam, this cushions any impact if it happens to come into contact with people or objects. I've tested being hit directly by the Scatter Blast itself at close range, the effect is similiar to just being hit by a soft foam ball or tennis ball, so it is safe for usage in nerf games.

It has an ammo capacity for 6 foam darts that are distributed evenly around the middle of the Scatter Blast. In this configuration, when the trigger cap is struck, the foam darts fire outwards in a spread pattern.

The Scatter Blast package comes with 10 foam darts (Lanard actually includes 4 extra foam darts as spares). It is also compatible with all Nerf foam darts too!

In terms of range, there are 2 aspects to consider... how far you can throw it and the area effect radius.

Because the Scatter Blast is light-weight and shaped somewhat like a rugby ball, if you have a good throwing technique, its possible to lob it quite a distance!

For maximum effect, it is best to throw the Scatter Blast at a high trajectory. As its front section is designed to be heavier than the rest of the body, if thrown correctly, it will land directly on the orange pressure cap to fire the foam darts.

On impact, i've measured the foam darts firing outwards on average 10 ft vertically with a potential (though unpredictable!) 10 ft area effect radius. This makes it useful for lobbing around corners or over walls to tag hidden players!

Review:

Lanard Scatter Blast - Box (Front)




Lanard Scatter Blast - Box (Back)




Lanard Scatter Blast - Un-Boxed




Lanard Scatter Blast - Ammo Capacity (6 Foam Darts)




Lanard Scatter Blast - Safety Switch




Lanard Scatter Blast - Scale Comparison with Nerf Maverick





Lanard Scatter Blast Demo & Test Fire Video:




Lanard Scatter Blast Test Fire Video (Outdoors):



The Lanard Scatter Blast is definitely a fun addition to any nerf collection! Think i'll need a few more... :)


Alternative Tactics: If you ever need to unleash multiple shots at close range, just point a Scatter Blast backwards and press the trigger cap, it'll fire off a hail of 6 shots at your opponent's direction!


Monday, May 25, 2009

Buzz Bee Big Blast (2009) - Review!

This is the latest updated version of the Buzz Bee Big Blast!

It is mechanically the same as the previous version, except that it now features a new green/blue colour scheme, along with improved box graphics.

You can check out the more detailed review of the previous version Buzz Bee Big Blast Here.

Model Update Review:

Buzz Bee Big Blast (2009) - Box (Front)




Buzz Bee Big Blast (2009) - Box (Back)




Buzz Bee Big Blast (2009) - Box (Un-Boxed)



These new Big Blasts are now avaliable at all Toys R Us outlets in Singapore.

Now you can finally grab a few to counter those pesky "armoured" nerf targets (ie. foam ballistic shield players!).

Just make sure you set "foam missiles eliminate all shield/armour" rules for your nerf games! :)


When, Where & Price?
Date of Purchase: 24th May 2009
Location: Toys R Us Suntec (Singapore)
Price: SGD$24.95

Sunday, May 24, 2009

More New Buzz Bee Blasters in Stock!

More New Buzz Bee Blasters are now avaliable in stock at Toys R Us (Singapore outlets), and they come in the latest colour scheme too!

More New Buzz Bee Blasters @ Toys R Us (Suntec)



Toys R Us Retail Prices
Buzz Bee Big Blast: S$24.95
Buzz Bee Ball Blast-zoo-ka: S$19.95
Buzz Bee Mega Missile: S$14.95

Happy Shopping! :)

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Buzz Bee Belt Blaster - Review!

Want a blaster with lots of ammo capacity yet not too bulky?

Buzz Bee has answered this call... with the Buzz Bee Belt Blaster!

The Buzz Bee Belt Blaster uses a pump-action spring plunger firing mechanism. The unique feature about this blaster is that it utilizes an ammo belt system and comes with a 30 dart ammo belt!

To fire the Belt Blaster, pull the front grip handle back to prime the spring plunger, at the same time this action also turns its ammo belt gear to rotate the next foam dart into position, then pull the trigger to fire.

To fire a steady volley of shots, just keep repeating this action as fast as you can!

The Belt Blaster comes packaged with 30 foam darts and 30 ammo belt shells. The ammo belt shells are all individual pieces which can be unclipped and clipped to each other easily, therefore it is possible to shorten or lengthen the ammo belt specifically to your requirements.

This blaster is 100% compatible with all Nerf foam darts too, there is enough clearance in the ammo belt chamber to rotate in all the different dart types!

Average range is around 25-30 ft, rate of fire will depend on how fast you can prime and fire the shots!

Review:

Buzz Bee Belt Blaster - Box (Front)

 


Buzz Bee Belt Blaster - Box (Back)


 


Buzz Bee Belt Blaster - Un-Boxed & Assembled


 


Buzz Bee Belt Blaster - Ammo Belt Shells (Notch/Clip System)


 


Buzz Bee Belt Blaster - Nerf Foam Darts vs Buzz Bee Foam Dart (Yellow)


 


Buzz Bee Belt Blaster - Scale Comparison with Nerf Maverick


 


Buzz Bee Belt Blaster - Test Fire





Note: To demonstrate its foam dart compatibilities, i fired the 30 dart ammo belt using 2 different dart types:

15 x Buzz Bee foam darts
15 x Nerf Tagger foam darts

Adding to its appeal... its design also bears some resemblance to the Halo Assault Rifle too. Cool!

Imho, this is one of the most effective blasters i've tried out so far, definitely worth getting one! :)


Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Buzz Bee Tommy 20 - Review!

Inspired by WWII movies featuring the famous Thompson SMG and its drum magazine?

You will like the new Buzz Bee Tommy 20!

The Buzz Bee Tommy 20 reviewed here is the newest 2nd generation version, which can now fire foam darts in full-auto mode, along with a new green colour scheme (the 1st generation version was only semi-auto with a yellow colour scheme).

The Tommy 20 uses a fly-wheel based firing system, this is different from the usual spring plunger or compressed air systems usually found in Nerf blasters.

Fly-wheel based systems do not use air pressure to fire a foam dart, instead it utilises 2 fast-spinning motorised wheels at the front of the blaster to "throw" the foam dart out of the barrel, similiar to tennis ball launchers.

To operate its full-auto firing mode, the new generation Tommy 20 now features a motorised dart pusher to push darts forward in sequence into the 2 spinning wheels, with the drum magazine rotating in sync to position a new foam dart after every shot is fired.

The Tommy 20 comes packaged with 20 foam darts. It also requires 3 x AA Batteries to operate.

Point to note: Buzz Bee foam darts are shorter in length than Nerf foam darts and the Tommy 20 drum magazine feed gap is quite narrow, therefore although its possible to use Nerf foam darts, you might have to trim them shorter to fit properly.

With fresh batteries, the firing distance of the Tommy 20 can average around 25+ feet, and the average rate of fire is approx. 2 rounds per second or 120 rounds per minute (RPM)!

Review:

Buzz Bee Tommy 20 - Box (Front)




Buzz Bee Tommy 20 - Box (Back)



Buzz Bee Tommy 20 - Un-Boxed & Assembled
 



Buzz Bee Tommy 20 - Fly-Wheel System (Close-up view from Front Barrel)




Buzz Bee Tommy 20 - Nerf Foam Darts vs. Buzz Bee Foam Dart (Yellow)





Buzz Bee Tommy 20 - Scale Comparison with Nerf Maverick




Buzz Bee Tommy 20 - Test Fire






Note that the Tommy 20's firing performance depends on battery power. If battery power is low, firing distance will decrease and the rate-of-fire becomes slower, so make sure you stock up on fresh AA Batteries (or use rechargables/alternative power sources).

Overall, the Tommy 20 definitely offers an interesting alternative to the conventional spring plunger or compressed air firing systems.

This blaster is compact in size and provides a steady rate of automatic firepower... very suitable for close-quarter skirmish games! :)

Saturday, April 18, 2009

New Buzz Bee Blasters In Stock!

New Buzz Bee Blasters are now avaliable in stock at Toys R Us (Singapore outlets), and they come in the latest colour scheme.

Buzz Bee Blasters @ Toys R Us (Forum Shopping Centre)



Toys R Us Retail Prices
Buzz Bee Rapid Fire: S$34.95
Buzz Bee Double Shot: S$26.95
Buzz Bee Mega Missile: S$14.95

Happy Shopping! :)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Zombie Defence Kit!

Okay, abit of a sidetrack... my office has been watching a marathon of zombie movies recently and i finally finished reading the most excellent "Zombie Survival Guide" by Max Brooks. So we're into the whole zombie thing the past few days.

I managed to rummage through my office halloween party storage box and found one of the plastic toy machettes we used for zombie hunter costumes.

Therefore... i'd like to present the Zombie Defence Kit!



Grab a copy of "The Zombie Survival Guide"... be prepared!



Note the resemblence of our Defence Kit vs the Book Cover? Haha... :)