Toys R Us NERF N-Strike Christmas Bonus Packs Summary

While I am glad to get first hand acquisition of the latest NERF N-Strike foam dart firing blasters of my choosing, I do feel a twinge of acquisition remorse when retail stores later repackage the NERF N-Strike blasters into bonus packs. This year Toys R Us will sell a variety of NERF blasters released earlier in year. Each one will include a bonus accessory worth a few dollars that are sure to be a great value. Had I known better, I might have just held off and waited for these releases. But it is always necessary to be prepared in case of an impromptu NERF War that may occur in the office or among friends.

NERF N-Strike Barrel Break IX-2 with Tactical Light

As one of NERF's more unique projects, the Barrel Break IX-2 is a NERF blaster that looks like and functions like a double barreled shotgun. It originally cost $19.99 on its own and was already a Toys R Us exclusive. But by the Christmas holiday Toys R Us will sell it as a bundle that includes the blaster and a tactical light. Combined the two will cost $16.99.

This is not exactly the best pairing. The Barrel Break IX-2 already has a tactical rail accessory-its dart holder-and it is one of the best thing for the blaster since it lacks clips or a revolving cylinder to store its included eight darts. Replacing the dart holder with the tactical light makes it harder to conveniently and safely store the Sonic Micro darts. Darts can bend and get damaged in pockets. If the tactical light actually was more useful than decorative, it might have been a good strategic substitute.

NERF N-Strike Deploy CS-6 with Flip Clip

The Deploy CS-6 is a $19.99 Clip System blaster that deploys from a flashlight mode at the push of a button. True, the flashlight mode is not very convincing nor does the light function very well. But the transforming gimmick does feel a little spy-like if in the right mindset. The Flip Clip is gray plastic accessory that connects two NERF clips into one stack. It conveniently allows users to use up one clip, release it from the blaster, flip it over, and insert the loaded attached clip in one smooth motion.

The Flip Clip on the Deploy CS-6 is rather ridiculous looking since the now extended clip will stick out like a sore thumb. Disregard the actual Flip Clip and you have two separate six-round clips and darts for both for a total of 18 darts and three clips in the package. That is enough for a NERF war scout and so this $16.99 package is recommended.

NERF N-Strike Raider CS-35 with Extra Drum Magazine

The slam firing Raider CS-35 is one of my favorite manual rapid fire NERF blasters for covering fire. The main complaint is having to load each of the 35 darts into the drum magazine after emptying. Currently NERF does not sell an extra 35-round drum magazine separately so bundling an extra drum magazine with enough darts for both-70-is definitely a good buy for any NERF player who wants to lay down enough darts to hit anything. The Raider CS-35 on its own costs $34.99 at Toys R Us, but this bundle costs $29.99.

NERF N-Strike Longstrike CS-6 with Bandolier Kit

The Longstrike CS-6 has the visual aesthetic of a sniper rifle without the range. As the longest Nerf blaster that measures over a yard in length-by an inch-this toy is a pain to carry. The bandolier kit alleviates that problem by being a nice strap that allows you to sling the Longstrike over the shoulder or across the chest. It also contains elastic loops to hold up to six clips and 12 individual darts. The bandolier kit also includes two extra clips and 12 darts for extra mock sniping. And the whole thing costs $29.99. This bundle almost makes the Longstrike worth the purchase. Almost.