Gallery: How Nerf Became the World's Best Purveyor of Big Guns for Kids
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__Left:__ Original Nerf Ball Debuts 1970; __Right:__ Nerf Elite Dart Debuts 2012 *Photo: Robin Broadbent*
Image: Rhett Allain. An Infrared image of a ceiling fan. The brighter parts are warmer.02ff-nerf1b-ss
Nerf Blasters: A History ------------------------ Hasbro has released an arsenal of Nerf weaponry over the years. Here are some of the highlights.—Cameron Bird __Blast-A-Ball, 1989__ Push the handle in and air pressure fires 1.5-inch-diameter Ballistic Balls up to 40 feet. *Photo:Ariel Zambelich*
Image: Rhett Allain. An infrared image showing my shirt with a little bit of water in the shape of an A. The darker areas represent cooler temperatures.03ff-nerf2-ss
__Bow 'n' Arrow, 1991__ Plastic tube upgraded with bow and 11-inch-long foam "arrows." *Photo:Daniel Salo*
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__Sharp Shooter, 1992__ The first Nerf blaster to fire darts, 1-inch-wide hollow foam tubes with plastic plunger tips. *Photo:Daniel Salo*
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__Rip Rockets Blast Hammer, 1993__ Uses a simple pull-and-release mechanism to launch streamlined projectiles called Micro Darts. *Photo:Daniel Salo*
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__Nerf Action Ballzooka, 1994__ Five rotating chambers allow this bad boy to fire 15 Ballistic Balls in less than six seconds. *Photo:Daniel Salo*
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__Max Force Manta Ray, 1996__ Part of a blaster series named and modeled after predators: Gator, Rattler, Stinging Scarab, etc. *Photo:Daniel Salo*
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__Cyber Stryke RotoTrack, 1997__ The Cyber Stryke line featured a range of gear designed to look like cyborg upgrades that merge with your body. *Photo:Daniel Salo*
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__Hyper Sight Expand-a-Blast, 1998__ Pulling the black handle extends the stock and barrel, nearly doubling the blaster's length. *Photo:Daniel Salo*
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__Airjet Power Plus SplitFire, 1999__ Dual barrels and dual triggers allow for double firing. Clear casing reveals the sophisticated inner workings. *Photo:Daniel Salo*
Photo: Cait Newport11ff-nerf10-ss
__Power Nerf Ballzooka MP150, 2000__ This update of the venerable Ballzooka was a battery-powered blaster of Ballistic Balls. 2003 *Photo:Daniel Salo*
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__Atom Blasters Cyclotron, 2003__ Hand-cranked blaster fires six Ballistic Balls in a couple of seconds. *Photo:Daniel Salo*
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__Action Blasters Big Bad Titan, 2003__ Fires foot-long Mega Missiles. Later given the more militaristic name Titan AS-V.1. *Photo:Daniel Salo*
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__N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25, 2008__ Chain-fed battery-powered machine gun that fires screaming Whistler Darts. What's not to like? *Photo:Daniel Salo*
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__Dart Tag Furyfire, 2009__ Designed for official Nerf Dart Tag League competitions. The 2011 World Championships took place at the ESPN complex in Florida; winning teams were awarded $25,000. *Photo:Daniel Salo*
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__Vortex Proton, 2011__ Uses a new type of ammo called XLRs, which are essentially 1.5-inch mini-Frisbees. XLR discs can travel 60 feet. *Photo:Daniel Salo*
