Nerf took to Facebook to confirm that the rumored N-Strike Elite series is in fact real.

“Introducing the highest performing NERF blasters ever. Elite Distance, Elite Dart, Elite Design.”

YEEEEEEEAAH! I’m pumped.

The first Elite blasters will hit shelves on 8/1/2012, with all blasters available by 9/9/2012.

I have to admit, I’m more excited for these blasters than I’ve been for any Nerf gun in a very long time. I was skeptical of the 75 feet range, but Nerf has now confirmed it. My God, these things are going to be fun.

I’ll keep you posted as I learn more, but one thing is for certain:  This is exciting news.

Well, that could mean just about anything, and caused a swirl of rumors and speculation.

So far, the most credible rumor I’ve seen comes from the reliable Urban Taggers. They claim to have received some inside intel on the next N-Strike releases, and even managed to get their  hands on a few promotional materials.

The materials are well-done, so if they’re fakes then they’re good fakes (and it’s always possible that Nerf could create fake box art just to hype things up).

What stands out the most to me is that the box art claims that these blasters shoot 75 feet.

While I’m hopeful that this is true, I have to be skeptical. Either these new darts have tiny little bottle rockets installed in them, they’re testing them from the top of a mountain, or Nerf is pre-modding their guns.

Have fun with these rumors. As always, don’t get too excited until the announcement comes from Nerf’s mouth.

Nerf Elite Retaliator

The Retailiator looks like some kind of cross between a Raider and a Recon. As Urban Taggers points out, ’4 Blasters in 1′ probably just means that you can customize its appearance by removing or adding various accessories (shoulder stock, barrel attachment, and bipod).

Nerf Elite Rampage

RAWR.

Once again, the box claims 75 feet ranges. The Rampage has a drum magazine, slam fire mode, and looks a lot like a Raider with a side-mounted drum.

Nerf Elite Darts

Apparently, these are the new darts. Blue foam with an orange whistling tip. Personally, I would like to see all (non dart tag) dart blasters use the same darts, so maybe we’re moving that direction here.

In terms of pure fun, the Rayven is one of the best blasters that Nerf has ever made, thanks to the new glow in the dark darts (they’re WAY better than the old glow in the dark darts that came with the Firefly). The glow in the dark system works amazingly well, thanks to the brand new Firefly Tech Clip.

The Firefly Tech Clip uses a built in LED light to charge the darts so they glow in the dark when fired, and the effect is awesome. In pure darkness, the darts look like little green lasers. I love it. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen from a Nerf gun.

How to Load the Nerf Rayven

The Rayven uses an 18-dart clip system, so loading the blaster will be instantly familiar to you if you own other Nerf clip system guns like the Stampede, Deploy, or Recon.

If you haven’t used a clip system Nerf blaster before, it’s very simple. Just release the clip by pushing a small release switch on the side of the blaster, load it up with 18 darts, and pop it back in.

This Nerf gun is compatible with all N-Strike clips and drums.

How to Shoot the Nerf Rayven

Like the Barricade and Nitron, the Rayven makes use of a flywheel system for shooting the darts. This is how it works:

To activate the flywheel, you have to pull the acceleration trigger near the trigger handle. While keeping the activation trigger pressed, pull the trigger to fire a dart. This is a semi-automatic blaster, so it will shoot a dart as quickly as you can pull the trigger.

Batteries

The Rayven requires seven AA batteries to be used to its full potential. Four batteries are required to shoot the blaster, and three batteries are required to activate the LED lights in the clip.

How Far Does the Rayven Shoot?

In my testing, the Rayven consistently fired darts between 30-35 feet.

Is the Rayven Good For Kids?

It depends on how old they are. Kids under 8 years old may not have the coordination or hand strength to hold down the  acceleration trigger with one finger while they fire with the other, but for older kids this shouldn’t be a problem at all.

Features

The Rayven has two tactical rails, one on the top and one on the right side. These rails are compatible with all N-Strike accessories. There is also space for a barrel adjustment on the front of the barrel.

Packaging

Where to Buy the Nerf Rayven

You can buy the Raven online at Amazon, Target, and Walmart.

Conclusion

The Nerf Ravyen CS-18 is one of the most fun blasters on the market. With semi-automatic firing and an awesome glow in the dark dart system, it would make a great addition to anyone’s Nerf collection.

Disclosure: Nerf provided me with a complimentary Rayven, but it did not influence my review in any way.

The Jolt comes with two whistler darts, which is fine for a single shot blaster. But if you’re thinking about buying this for someone as their first Nerf blaster, you will probably want to pick up some extra ammo as well (2 darts can get lost in a hurry).

How Far Does the Nerf Jolt Shoot?

The Nerf Jolt EX-1 has remarkable range for such a small blaster. Out of the box, you can expect it to fire darts between 30-35 feet (roughly the same as most larger Nerf guns).

How to Shoot the Nerf Jolt

It doesn’t get any easier than this. Simply load a dart into the blaster, pull the priming handle downwards, and pull the trigger.

Is the Nerf Jolt Good for Kids?

Yes! Thanks to its small size and simple firing mechanism, this is one of the best Nerf guns out there for kids. Plus, at a retail price of $6, it’s not a huge deal if it gets broken.

Where to Buy the Nerf Jolt

The Jolt is available online at Amazon, Target, and Walmart.

Most major retailers in the United States also carry it.

Nerf just announced that they will re-releasing the Big Bad Bow to promote the upcoming Avengers movie.

It looks exactly like the original Big Bad Bow, with the addition of the Avengers branding on the side. I’m doubtful that Nerf will be making any performance improvements, but that’s ok. The good news is that we have another weapon back on the shelves.

I’ve been a fan of Nerf bows since the first Nerf Bow and Arrow came out when I was a kid. Bows may not be ideal weapons for full-on Nerf wars, but in terms of pure fun they’re tough to beat.

The Avengers Big Bad Bow is scheduled for release in March of 2012, just in time for the movie’s release.

Personally, I think that these blasters look awesome in white, and I hope that Nerf continues the trend of re-releasing older guns with new color pallets.

Aside from their appearance, these Nerf guns are pretty much identical to the originals. The only difference is that the blasters in the Whiteout Series seem to be made with a slightly lighter plastic (in terms of weight), which I’m pretty happy about.

Originally, these white Nerf guns were only available at Walmart, but they’re now out of production from what I can tell. If you want one, you’ll need to head over to Amazon or eBay.

Just keep in mind that these are limited edition blasters, so they’re only going to become more expensive and harder to find with time.

Whiteout Longstrike CS-6

In terms of appearance, this is by far my favorite Nerf gun in the Whiteout series. The color scheme really looks nice on this blaster.

Read my Longstrike review.

Whiteout Nite Finder EX-3

The Nite Finder is a classic Nerf gun. It’s highly portable, simple for people of all ages to shoot, and very affordable.

Read my Nite Finder review.

Whiteout Maverick REV-6

The Maverick tends to sneak its way into every special edition line, and with good reason: it’s arguably one of the finest sidearms that Nerf has ever made.

Read my Nerf Maverick review.

Whiteout Deploy CS-6

If you have ever wanted a Nerf gun that can turn into a flashlight and back again, then you’ll get your money’s worth out of the Deploy.

In terms of appearance, this is my favorite Whiteout blaster, behind only the Longstrike.

Read my Deploy review.

Summary

The Whiteout series of Nerf guns is a nice special edition with a great color scheme, but they won’t be around for very long. If you’d want to grab one before they’re impossible to find, head over to Amazon or eBay.

Of course, Nerf is happy to oblige with all requests for ammo purchases, and they have released this ten disc refill pack.

These discs are compatible with all Vortex blasters, including the Nitron, Proton, Praxis and Vigilon.

With that said, if you have the Praxis or Nitron I would recommend that you get the Vortex Tech Kit instead. Not only does the tech kit come with ten discs, it comes with an extra ammo magazine as well. The prices are very comparable, so it’s a pretty good deal.

The discs can be used with all of the Nerf Vortex blasters, but the magazine is compatible only with the Praxis and the Nitron.

If you have the Praxis or Nitron, I would highly recommend the Tech Kit. It’s always nice to have an extra magazine around (especially if you have the Nitron, since the blaster has space for an extra magazine in the shoulder stock).

But if you only have the Proton or Vigilon, you would be better off just getting a disc refill instead.

This Nerf gun combines the functionality of the Swarmfire with the portability of the Sharp Shot, and the end result is a satisfying (but not perfect) experience.

The Speedswarm’s rotating turret barrel can hold up to ten tagger darts, which is awesome for such a small blaster (the Barricade can hold ten darts as well).

The accuracy of this blaster is excellent. You will be hard pressed to find a more consistently precise blaster in any of Nerf’s lineups, and if you’re willing to accept its shortcomings (more on that below), you should be satisfied with your purchase.

How to Load the Nerf Speedswarm

The Speedwarm is a front-loaded blaster. Simply load ten tagger darts into the turret, and you’ll be ready to start blasting. If you’re used to the N-Strike clip systems, this simplicity can be refreshing.

Note: While other types of darts will fit into the turret, I had extremely mixed success. I’d recommend only using the tagger darts with this Nerf gun.

How to Shoot the Nerf Speedswarm

Shooting the Nerf Speedswarm is just as simple as loading it. Hold the trigger down to fire in automatic mode, or tap it to fire in bursts. The trigger feels very responsive, making it very easy to control exactly how many darts you fire in a burst.

Overall, the firing mechanism is very well done, but the rate of fire is a little disappointing when compared to other automatic blasters like the Stampede or Vulcan (my stopwatch tests show that the Speedswarm gets off approximately one shot per second).

The slower rate of fire is a fair trade-off when you consider the size of this blaster (small) with the battery size (AA instead of C), but it is still hard to shake the feeling that it’s slower than it could be.

Younger kids will still be thrilled with the speed, but older Nerfers may be disappointed. It’s all about perspective.

Features

The Speedswarm has spots for a belt clip and a bandolier clip, but aside from that, this is a no-frills blaster. And that’s not a bad thing.

Batteries

All of the Nerf releases these days seem to require batteries, and the Speedswarm is no exception. Six AA batteries are required for operation.

How far does the Nerf Speedswarm Shoot?

My Speedswarm shoots darts between 30-35 feet when held at a slight upward angle.

Is the Nerf Speedwarm Good for Kids?

Yes!

The Speedswarm is one of the best Nerf guns for kids on the market today.

Loading the blaster is really easy, and firing the darts is as easy as pulling the trigger. This is also one of the smaller Nerf blasters out there, making it easy for them to hold and operate.

Conclusion

The Nerf Speedswarm is a great looking blaster that successfully combines automatic firing with a small package.

I would highly recommend this Nerf gun to kids and anybody who is looking for a fun new sidearm.

If you’re in the market for an automatic disc shooter, you won’t be disappointed with what it has to offer.

How to Load the Nitron

The Nitron uses a removable clip system. The clip that comes with the blaster holds 20 discs, which is the largest capacity of any of the Vortex guns.

As with all large capacity clips, there are some trade offs. First, it takes a lot of time to round up all your discs after emptying a clip. Second, it can take a lot of time to reload. Thankfully, Nerf has done their best to address both of these problems by including a space in the stock of the blaster where you can store an extra (not included) pre-filled clip. This is a huge time-saver, and a smart use of space.

How to Shoot the Nitron

The Nitron operates with a flywheel mechanism that fires the darts from the chamber. To activate the flywheel, you have to hold down an ‘acceleration trigger’ found on the trigger handle. This will cause the flywheel to spin, which produces a steady humming sound (if you have the Barricade, the sounds are similar if not identical).

To fire the discs in automatic mode, you just have to hold down the trigger while the acceleration trigger is depressed. To fire single shots, just pump the trigger rather than holding it down.

In fully automatic mode, you can fire approximately 1.5 discs per second. For the sake of comparison, the Stampede fires 3 darts per second.

The Nitron is a very sturdy Nerf gun, and it’s comfortable to hold. The shoulder stock fits nicely against my shoulder, and the overall weight of the gun feels very evenly distributed.

Features

The Nitron has a tactical rail, making it compatible with accessories you may have picked up from other blasters in the Vortex or N-Strike lineups.

The blaster also comes with a unique scope that has some cool visual effects. It’s comprised of three clear plastic plates, and each plate can be lit up with green LED lights. The effect is pretty cool, and it can be controlled by pushing a button on the side of the scope.

Batteries

As with all automatic Nerf guns, the Nitron requires batteries to operate. Six C batteries are required to operate the blaster.

If you want to activate the lit scope, you’ll need two additional AAA batteries as well.

How Far Does the Nitron Shoot?

As with the other Vortex blasters, the Nitron shoots discs between 55-65 feet.

Is the Nitron Good for Kids?

The short answer: it depends.

Younger kids will have an impossible time with this Nerf gun. It will be difficult for them to hold, and operating the dual-trigger system while holding the blaster may require more strength and coordination than they have.

I would recommend the Nitron for children 8 years of age and older. For younger kids, I would recommend the Proton instead.

Conclusion

If you just want an automatic Nerf gun and don’t care what kind of ammo it shoots, you’d probably be better off with the Stampede. The Stampede’s higher rate of fire and superior level of accuracy make it a better all around blaster.

With that said, the if an automatic Vortex blaster is something that you’ve been looking forward to, then you will love the Nitron. It’s a quality Nerf weapon, and a lot of fun to play with.

The decision is yours.