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​Nerf Laser Ops Pro Overview

29/7/2018

 
​​The Slate of Nerf Projectiles is about to expand again.

​Laser Tag was a mainstay of the 90’s with Quasar being my personal system of choice. In recent times the world of Infrared tag has seen something of a resurgence and with Laser Ops Pro Nerf is looking to tighten its grip on the Blaster world.
To kick things the wise decision was made to make the line usable with and without smart devices. Most 8-year-olds (the recommended minimum age) may not be iOS and Android owners which can rule them out of many of the current crop of systems. The Laser Ops Pro is able to go from cold to battle-ready in under 30 seconds (assuming you have already installed the required batteries). Admittedly this is a basic run and gun game type but it is a great experience thanks to the lack of additional gear required.
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​There is, however, another option and that comes in the form of smart device Bluetooth connectivity. This comes in two flavours the first is using one device with all players connecting. This keeps score and acts as a timer adding an extra layer of competition to the game. The second and more interesting prospect is the full multiplayer experience where every player connects to a central player. This allows for more of an online First Person Shooter experience. Unfortunately, there is a small drawback inherent within this mode and that's the limited battery life of a phone using Bluetooth. Other than that we have had no connection issues and have played until our first set of batteries ran dry (roughly ten hours of gameplay).
​Our main blaster has been the Alphapoint (pictured above), based on a large pistol design it feels sturdy in the handy without being unwieldy for younger players. Thanks to a double pack option this is a fantastic starting option as you are able to jump into combat in no time at all. The larger Deltablast (pictured below)  is a 3 round burst rifle that has a digital display and haptic feedback giving a better experience but at a premium cost. Both options feel great value for money in what they offer and a lot of your choice will come down to personal taste and finances.
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As a parent I like the idea of the Laser Ops Pro for a number of reasons, firstly is no dart collection. We love using nerf blasters in all their forms from Vortex Discs to Mega Darts the trouble is collecting the projectiles after a game can be a rather drawn out affair. With the Laser Ops option, you don't have this as a drawback. Secondly and more importantly is there more universal usage options, we took these to the park and ran around with glee with no fear of hitting a bystander and thanks to the dedicated daylight mode had a tonne of fun. With a regular projectile blaster, this is not as a much of an option though we still enjoy outdoor play in a more controlled environment. Thirdly is safety eye protection is mandatory whenever we play with blasters as although the likelihood of eye damage is low it is still a concern. This small issue is negated with this system making it a well-rounded choice.
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​The main drawbacks are small, they are noisy this is mostly so others players can be alerted when you are defeated. However, I would have appreciated a volume control for in-house play. The other issue is cost, the Alphapoint dual pack is around forty-five pounds which I excellent value for all you get but as stated above for full immersion Smart devices are required. This though leads back into Laser Ops Pro main advantage you do not need to use a phone to have fun and that helps escalate the system above many others on the market.
​Overall we will still be using regular Nerf Blasters but now have a different play option in the form of Laser Ops Pro. They are a great value product with high design and construction but most of all they are a Blast to play with.

Hot Wheels RC Bladez Drone Racer, Review

16/2/2018

 
Review by Zach and Paul Fiander
​When it comes to drones there is a question mark over their suitability for use by youngsters. The nature of the four blades can make them difficult to control and a bit on the fragile side. This last point is often negated by a protective cage around the blades but the extra weight can and will decrease flight time. The problem then becomes how to learn to use a drone if you are worried about it breaking? 
With the Hot Wheels RC Bladez Drone Racer we have a novel way around the issue due to its dual form factor. The Drone itself has all the issues you associate with drone use however it does have a trick up its sleeve,its integration with the supplied car. This allows the user to get to grips more with the idea of increasing the drones speed at a safe rate and maintaining control. I feel this is the biggest issue with any drone as the user needs to reach that critical momentum in order to take off and without it you just a nice looking fan. However once you hit the necessary rotation speed the drone will take off which can catch you off guard. The car feature allows for the user to see this movement in a safer environment as when you get close to critical speed the drone pivots forward on the car and give you a big wave of here I am and I’m ready to go. We use this visual cue to highlight the difference in critical to non-critical speed. One phrase I feel everyone who uses a Drone should learn is easy up and easy down in regards to the throttle.  
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​​Now for the fun stuff, the drone itself is ridiculously fun to play with in both forms, though thanks to the supplied ramps I would give the edge to its land based form. It is quick and nimble with the drawback of needing quite a bit of space to run effectively. It is made of plastic and although we have given it a vigorous play test it has yet to break, this of course is not a licence to crash it willy nilly but the fact it has held up makes me confident that it will hold up to normal play with the odd occasional bump. With this is mind it’s time to talk about the controller.
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The supplied controller is reminiscent of that supplied with a games console. It has two joysticks with the left responsible for the throttle and the right stick the turning. One of the fun tricks with drones however is the ability to use the throttle to make turning sharper as you supply more energy to one set of rotors using the left stick. This works well in both modes and allows you turn quite neatly in car form.The controller itself is quite bulky as it houses the required 3 AA batteries for the device. The drone itself comes with an integrated rechargeable battery which lasts around 10 minutes after a one hour charge. This is a usual flight time for drones of this size as you have to power four motors from one battery. The synchronisation is very easy and explained along with the controls in the supplied manual.
​The flight mode is as easy (or hard depending on your outlook) as the general population of other drones This consistency between devices allows for you to jump to and from devices with only a short learning curve. This also gives the Bladez a genuine place as an entry level device that will give even those fearful of flying the drone indoors a sense of effective operation.

We are generally impressed with this little gem of a drone. The most important factor that I can see is the safe initial use of the drone as getting used to it if it's your time can be a little tricky. If this is the case though then the Car mode is a perfect place to find your feet in the whirly world of drones. The great thing is we still have more to explore with the Bladez Drone Racer and we will be bringing you a closer look at its operation in the coming weeks.
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Nerf Rival Kronos XVIII-500 blaster, Review

5/2/2018

 

This Product has a 14+ years recommendation for use. 

​The second generation of the Nerf Rival has brought about a rather interesting change. Gone are the two colours for blasters and instead we have the Phantom Corps, the black and white paint scheme fells more polished and right down the Rival alley. More importantly though though is the fact that we finally have a Hasbro Created High Impact Round (HIR) sidearm in the form of the Kronos XVIII-500 and I for one could not be happier.

I love a pistol in Nerf not only as a backup but for some game types I will just field pistols as I feel they give me more mobility. Before now my choice has generally been the Hammershot with the Strongarm coming out as a backup. Though both great balsters the lack of Rival initial velocity especially at close range has become a bit of a disadvantage. Enter the Kronos, with a similar feel to the strongarm in terms of the slide priming mechanism you could be forgiven for thinking of the smallest of the Rival blasters as a bit of a reshell. 
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​Instead we have a breech Loading beast with a 5 shot internal magazine, this is very easy to load as you just the flap shown in Picture one and load away with the slide pulled back. This though can be tricky when in stock form the Kronos can get around 90fps meaning the internal spring is pretty strong. Even with the 14+ age limit of the Rival blasters some users may still find the prime an issue, so it’s best to check before you buy.

The Kronos has proven to be a very capable Nerf war blaster, I have used it at the two most recents events organised byGames of Foam. Both times it has been a very reliable sidearm and in the Battlezone event I even ran it alone and was able to have a few productive rounds. It’s ability to be holstered is a big plus on the practicality side and I honestly felt that reloading from a dump pouch on my hip was quick and easy. One drawback is that the slide has to be back to load. So if you have primed the Kronos you have to either fire the round in the chamber in order to top up or wait until your next engagement.
​The Kronos does come in another iteration the Deadpool Edition, this was provisionally slated as a Gamestop exclusive so those outside the US had to look and drool or play some ridiculous prices on eBay to buy them. (Seriously I saw them for over £200 plus posting at around £50) now though they are up for preorder on Amazon and I already have my name down for a set.

The Kronos is the blaster the Rival range was lacking together with the Artemis I feel complete. Then for the Flywheelers out there the Kronos would be a great companion on your leg to the Nemesis. Overall though this is just a great weapon to add to your loadout for hours of Nerfing fun.

Amazon Purchase Links

Toy Fair 2018; The Future of Monopoly

30/1/2018

 
When it comes to board games there are not many that can compete with my undisputed champion of the world in Monopoly. Obviously this is a personal preference but the property trading game has been a staple table top experience for most of my life.

Even though we now have junior editions of the game I started my son young on Monopoly, we have a Disney set among others and he immediately recognised the characters from his favourite films. This allowed him easy access into the game. The reason I love playing the game with him is the lessons it teaches. When other children in his class were struggling getting to grips with larger numbers he already had a handle thanks to the game. In this regard I much prefer the paper money versions.

So to the future of Monopoly Winning Moves had an impressive booth at Toy Fair complete with various titles but two stood out to Top Trumps and Monopoly. 
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I'll cover Top Trumps in a separate piece but for now it is time to look a few of the Monopoly Sets they had available or coming soon. The former property trading game has evolved into a genre hopping phenomenon. I have mentioned my Disney version of the game but we also had a World Cup edition from 1998 and the Pokémon Kanto region version of the game. Among the sets jumping out at me like the Football editions featuring Man City and a Zelda edition was the above pictured Uncharted Edition. This had me intrigued, knowing the adventures of Nathan Drake like I do I could not help but be excited to hope for a board mixed with exotic locations and mysterious treasures. The property may be a little older to rasp for some younger players but I hope it will serve to help gravitate players of all ages back to the dining room table.
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The second set which really attracted me was one associated with pure nostalgia. With its recent high profile addition to Netflix it feels like a perfect time for Friends to end up on a Monopoly board. This rather great piece of partnering from the team at Winning Moves seems perfectly timed to catch both a returning audience as well as a new generation of watchers.

​This article is called the future of Monopoly and as far as I am concerned the future is bright for our favourite Top Hatted entrepreneur. The ability of the Winning Moves team to attract varied and intriguing properties has seen some rather funky boards hit our shelves but this kind of active partnering can only help to raise the brand to even greater heights.

In this world of digital games there is still a place and indeed a need for the tactile and social interaction of board games and Monopoly surely is sitting on top of the world at the moment.

Preview; Nerf N-Strike Modulus Mediator

24/1/2018

 
The Modulus Range has been a breath of fresh air into the sometimes overly serious world of Nerf. The principle behind Modulus is to create additions to blasters that are functional but most of all something unique. The Tri-Strike is a great example of this with it's Mega front attachment and Rocket Launcher stock.

Now though we have the Mediator and this singles a slight shift in direction for the Modulus line. The base blaster is a horizontal feed spring blaster with a vertical pump action grip. As you would expect from Modulus there are a number of rails attached and a magazine. There though rather surprisingly the package ends. Instead we have two individually sold attachments (pictured below). They are the Nerf Modulus Mediator Stock and Nerf Modulus Mediator Barrel.
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The attachments are both really intriguing and seem highly adaptive to any Nerf loadout. The Stock has a 2 shot Blaster hidden away in the back ready to fire and the the Barrel is a air primed 3 shot shot gun that can be removed from the Blaster and used a s a blaster in its own right. There are other hidden tricks with the Stock such as an integrated belt clip that allows it to function as a holster but I will need to get my hands on it to give you a full run down. One thing is for sure that the Modulus Range is thriving and it really does seem now that the 1000 blaster combination tagline for the series may need to be increased.

Toy Fair 2018

24/1/2018

 
​The Toy Fair is one of the biggest events of the year for the wonderful world of toys. Held annually at London’s Olympia it brings together many of the biggest distributor in the country along with buyers and of course the press. This is all in the name of both informing and influencing the trends of the next year and beyond. The photo below shows a view of the show floor although there is more hidden at the back of the gallery.
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​One of the major trends that seemed to leap walking the show floor was the abundance of outdoor toys available. This is certainly a feature that I love to see in any child’s toy cupboard. The mix of physical and mental stimulation is a key aspect of children’s development and I’m glad to see manufacturers are trying as hard as they can to make outdoor (and indoor) play as active as they can. This is reflected in my top picks below.

Of course there were a number of new ideas in both toys and lines on show however some staples of the industry were on show with new versions of previously loved products. These include things like Monopoly which I am very glad to see expanding into different partnerships and more importantly focusing on paper money and not as much on the idea of electronic transactions.

Although we will be adding more previews and reviews for now I just wanted to look at a few of my top picks from the show floor
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​Ultra Dash

​University games has produced a rather simple but in my opinion awesome little game. The idea is to place a glowing stick into a corresponding coloured base. When you do this the colour on the stick changes and you have to place the tick into the next base. The premise can allow for various game types from one in a park with the bases set a big distance to a reaction based tabletop game. With multiple game modes included as well this certainly seems like a game that will have a long shelf life.

Nerf Surgefire

One of the Toy Fair's heroes this year if Nerf's Surgefire. A Pump Action cylinder feed blaster I was rather impressed with the form factor and solidity of this new blaster. The ease of use of a cylinder is a big selling point as all you need to do is place the darts in the right way and your blaster is ready to fire. Both grips are comfortable and the priming mechanism felt good although not quite as smooth as some of Nerf's latest outings.

Overall though I'm really looking forward to taking the Surgefire through it's paces at a later date.
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Razor

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Two offerings from Razor this year in the form of The RazorX Cruiser and the Razor Turbo Jetts Electric Heel Wheels really caught my eye.

Razor have a reputation for creating some of the best scooters out there and there range keeps on growing.

The RazorX Cruiser is certainly a head turner with a 40 minute run time the handy board uses a remote for acceleration as well as braking. It still needs the rider to kick off and steer so still giving a physical workout. The ability to reach speeds of 10 mph though certainly is something to get excited about.

The Razor Turbo Jetts Electric Heel Wheels much like the Cruiser can reach a speed of 10 mph with a run time of 30 minutes. The ability to clip them to your trainers or shoes is a big selling point as is the ability to whizz by people with ease.

​Pokémon

A brand which is going from strength to strength with new games, films, card decks and of course toys coming at a seemingly unstoppable pace. Toy manufacturer TOMY are making sure Pokémon hunters of all types are getting help in their quest to Catch 'em all.

Although not a new product the Z-Ring is a great way to link the digital world in Pokémon Sun and Moon with the physical world. 

Along with moving the Pokémon brand in to a more realistic vent is the Throw 'N' Pop range (shown below). The ability to throw a Pokéball much like Ash and his cohorts and have your chosen Pokémon ready to battle is a big deal for want to be Pokémon trainers.

On top of these we have more plushes and moulded toys in the future and it really is a seemingly golden age for the Pocket Monsters.
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Review; Paw Patrol Foot to Floor Ride-On Motorbike

18/1/2018

 
I have always been a fan of bikes, from riding through puddles to breathlessly trying to scale hills the freedom and exhilaration they can imbue is second to none at a young age. Recently though a newer phenomenon in the shape of balance bikes have raised their heads and for a while i resisted the temptation to dive into what I thought was a substitute for the bike. Now though I can safely say I am converted in a large degree. I still see a pedal bike as the better option but the balance bike can be a useful stepping stone as well as a extremely fun experience in its own right.

For background my daughter who uses the bike in question is three, she has a scooter and a pedal bike both of which she enjoys. In December we purchased the Paw Patrol Foot to Floor Ride-On Motorbike from our local Toys R Us. Before this every time we entered the store this was the first toy she went for and her enthusiasm as well as her ability to zoom around on the toy made it a high certainty product for purchase. There are a few colour and character options but Paw Patrol is a winner in our house and the main bike she wanted.

The Bike itself has a nice sturdy frame. It feels like it can a spot of rough handling especially when it comes to be dumped on the floor after use. This is important as we want things to last and so far it has held up very well to some pretty vigorous testing both from our 3 year old a swell as our 7 year old son.

I think the key to bike though are its wheels They are a chunky affair and allow for a great deal of momentum to be built up without a great deal of lateral movement. This allows the child to gain confidence in their control of the bike, this is also enhanced by having two feet making contact with the ground on regular occasions. Of course this has to be measured with the fact the wheels are plastic and can lose grip on slick surfaces so safety helmets are a sensible idea when riding.

The handle bar control is light and the front wheel can be easily moved without much fuss and the lack of brakes make the whole experience easy to learn for the younger rider.

Overall we are happy with the purchase a sis our daughter, due to the size of the bike it will not last forever as our daughter gets taller but we will report on any future findings we have.

Nerf Safety

6/12/2017

 
First things first; Flinging Foam is a lot of fun however you are firing projectiles at others so before you think about playing it is best to make sure others are happy wt the idea of being hit by at times are rapidly moving object.

Unlike paintball Foam Darts rarely leave a mark on the skin. they can though be very dangerous if aimed at the eye. In this regards the most important piece of safety equipment you will need is a pair of safety glasses. It may seem like an overreaction but this is not Health and Safety gone mad instead it is a way to enjoy an activity even more by removing the biggest risk factor associated with it.
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A quick search on Amazon will find you a number of options to purchase from the region of £6 pounds and upwrads for four pairs. We have six pairs of kids glasses as well as a number of wrap around glasses for adults. The reason for this is so when friends come over we can give them the tools they need to be safe.

Our biggest rule with Nerf is no eye protection no play.

You will find a link to the glasses I use use on the link to the left of this post. There are other options and some may be better or worse but we have found them great for our needs.

Our Rules for Nerf

1. Eye Protection most be work at all times
2. Stop means stop. When the word is shouted everyone stops Immediately
3. Never look down the barrel of a Blaster 
4. No Point Blank Shooting
5. Don't be threatening
6. Play by the rules and have fun

The Joy of Nerf

6/12/2017

 
Suitable from various ages from 6+ depending on strength of the blaster and manufacturers recommendation.
As a child I loved playing with toy guns. From a modular A-Team rifle to a stick, if I could point it at something and say pew pew then I would. I remember one of my primary school teachers telling my mum this wrong (actually my mum reminded me a few years ago about this fact) and in some ways I can see why people would feel this way, I however feel a little differently.

I have found Nerf and other forms of foam flinging devices to be a great way to interact wit my son in a physical way. Of course as with any activity rules and safety need to be implemented but the fun factor and lack of aggression are notable factors within our enjoyment.

For context I have a Son and Daughter, the only reason that I refer to my son in this piece is that at the time of writing my daughter is 3 years old and not able to join in our games due to physical restraints of being able to prime the blasters. Not only that but due to the velocity of the darts fired she falls below the recommended age of the manufacturers involved. She is however desperate to join in our games and as she ages we will welcome her in with open arms.

Below you will find Hyperlinks to posts concerning certain aspects of Nerf including safety aspects, blaster reviews and ways to play the game as well as other pieces.
We hope you enjoy these and come back whenever possible to maximise your enjoyment of Non-Expanding Recreational Foam.

Introduction

6/12/2017

 
Toys are wonderful ways for kids to experience the world, this can be in terms of the physical around them as well as the imaginary world they have the ability to create. Being able to watch your child create a living environment with their imagination and a collection of plastic is one of the best parts of being a parent or carer. Of course entertainment choices for children has grown and now encompasses a huge array of options including toys, games both board and video, tv, films and a host of other activities. 

Within these pages you will find some handy hints, reviews and information on great ways to entertain your kids.

    Kids Entertained

    A section focused on helping parents to better understand the toys they are purchasing for their children and highlights the very best in the world of children's entertainment.

    ​Reviews, News and Deals on the best way to your entertain your kids (big or small).

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