2008 Stock Soaker Findings

[SSCBen]

Normally I'd post this on my own forum, but it's down right now because they upgraded everything to PHP5. Some of the site scripting doesn't work too, but I don't think anyone will notice.

For 2008, we already know about the Water Warriors Raven, a renamed Wasp. Other changes we don't know about.

From Super Soaker, we know nearly nothing until a little research is done. Hasbro sends some information to online retailers early. What I can gather is no changes to the Super Soaker line aside from the addition of the Super Soaker Quick Blast and what appears to be a new Super Soaker video game.

http://www.amazon.com/Super-S....sr=1-18
http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodi ... r=HSS63648

* High-powered water blaster delivers a soaking stream of water with every single pump!
* Take on your toughest opponent with this awesome water blaster!
* Just fill the water tank and pump the handle for a soaking stream that¿s sure to blast the competition away
* And because the tank has a huge water capacity, you can unleash a massive H2O attack and leave your opponents all washed up!
* Holds up to a liter of water!

High-powered water blaster delivers a soaking stream of water with every single pump! Take on your toughest opponent with this awesome water blaster! Just fill the water tank and pump the handle for a soaking stream that¿s sure to blast the competition away. And because the tank has a huge water capacity ¿ holding up to a liter of water! ¿ you can unleash a massive H2O attack and leave your opponents all washed up!

Finally, more soaking with less work! The Quickblast Super Soaker Water Blaster lets you soak your friends without all the pumping. Simply slide the handle back, and enjoy a quick blast of water that goes up to 30 feet! The water bottle holds 32-ounces of liquid (we advise you use water and not other, far more unpleasant liquids) for younger kids and adults needing a quick weapon for water battles anywhere, any time!

This water gun sounds interesting. Because it's a new concept, I can't say how useful it would be.

[isoaker]

Interesting find and the Quick Blast does sound interesting, though to me, it says it unleashes water with every pump making it sound more like a Power Soaker or they took the pump system from old Storm Guns and put it into a Power Soaker such that forward and backward motions result in stream power. It'll be interesting to see how it actually looks and performs, but time will tell.

Thanks for sharing the findings! Any idea when SSC forums will be back up?

[SSCBen]

You know what, that does sound like a Power Soaker! I was thinking you pulled the handle back, waited for someone to come by, and let go. My idea was something that used a spring. Maybe I interpret anything new as a change from the norm.

Hasbro seems to be starting the two-year cycle again. Very few changes have been made. Perhaps this indicates that Hasbro will release something more substantial in the future.

The SSC forums are back now too.

Edit: Now that I think about it, it sounds very similar to the Vaporizer from a few years back.

Edit again: With all this being said, Hasbro, or any other company, I'd really like to see a simple spring powered water gun. Power doesn't need to be high because the fast reloading should be worth the lack of power. The combination of low output, long shot time, and fast reloading is advantageous if you use it right.



Edited By Ben_ on 1193942717

[HBWW]

Sounds like something similar to what nerf uses, and goes along with one of my strange ideas I had earlier of pulling on and expanding the PC directly isntead of pumping.

[cobralex297]

In my interpretation they both seem like either Power Soakers or Piston guns, too bad. This doesn't mean that these will be the only new guns though, I'm sure. (I hope.)

[cobralex297]

Is it likely that next years Soakers will be a reissue of this year or past years' soakers?
Has this happened before?

[SSCBen]

Super Soaker used to do a two year cycle with new line ups on even years and little or no changes on on odd years, so this has happened before. They seem to be returning to the two year cycle, just with nothing new on the even years and new guns on the odd years. Or perhaps they're going to continue making water guns like the current batch for more years to come. We can only speculate about that right now.

[Aqua_Flash]

Entertainment Earth now have a picture of the gun.

I admit the colour is nice, and it also looks quite simply built as well so it could possibly be quite durable too, however I probably won't buy it. I'm just wondering how big the nozzle is, from what I can see it looks quite large perhaps around 5x ish size, which may explain its 7m range you can see on the box, and also a 'Powerful soak with every pump' part as well, but I'm just speculating and I'm probably wrong.

Looks like Super Soaker have a new motto now too as it says 'Soak Up The Fun! underneath the logo.



Edited By Aqua_Flash on 1196545356

[isoaker]

Nice find! Thanks for posting up the pic and a link!

Looks definitely like pump-action, but with a potentially larger nozzle than usual for this type of soaker. They're even going for a more "gun"-type styling; interesting change of design. However, not sure I like the handle grip not in line with the pump motion. That just makes it a little less stable when pumping.

[Aqua_Flash]

Looking at the gun again, if that thing that sticks out at the back of the gun is the reservoir cap, which looks quite wide, then it gives good potential for an easy reservoir expansion modification with an empty plastic bottle to heavily boost its capacity and endurance on the field, although it is still too early to determine yet but it is still a possibility.

If that is a possibility though, then the gun could become more useful than first thought.

[isoaker]

@Aqua_Flash: I believe you're right about the reservoir cap. I, too, suspect the entire back piece can be unscrewed. If so and since it is likely not pressurized, expanding it would be fairly simple.

The more I look at this soaker, the more it reminds me of some of the mini toy guns sold with old Transformers / other robots.

[Drenchenator]

The nozzle may look big, but that pump just looks tiny. I am surprised that it has the styling of a real gun. It has sight for one thing, something that I don't think many (or any) soakers have had in the past.



Edited By Lt. Col. Drench on 1196290119

[cobralex297]

I like the way that it looks. You can't go wrong with a well-built piston blaster. I'm definitely buying one whenever it comes out though. Looks great.

[isoaker]

It has sight for one thing, something that I don't think many (or any) soakers have had in the past.

Not many, but some soakers like the SS MDS and XP150 had raised parts on their nozzles that could work as sights were it not for the fact that the reservoir and PCs obscuring the view. The CPS1500/1700 has a sight-like styling, though obviously part of it is the nozzle selector.

The Quick Blast, of course, has much more gun-styling than in previous years. It's too bad that they opted for an odd-shaped pump grip again.

[cobralex297]

Hopefully this variation and return to past styling cues will be the beginning of a general trend in which hang ups are reduced. Unfortunately, nobody will be able to tell any of this until such time as stuff is released. I have no basis to predict anything of course, but I can only hope.

[SSCBen]

The pump volume appears to be disappointing, but I do like the design. Hopefully a trend of similar designs will continue. With luck those designs will perform well too.

Seems powerful and useful piston water guns are hard to come by, aside from the Stream Machines. The Stream Machines aren't very useful though due to the lack of a reservoir. A piston water gun with a nozzle selector, big reservoir, big pump about 1.25 inches in diameter, and solid construction would be a winner. The ZX 1000 was close, but mine started to fall apart after a few years.

[rbertaut44]

If it works any thing like the night finder nerf gun you might be able to atach ruberbands or mini bungi cords to the pump to make it shoot ferther.

[HBWW]

^General piston guns don't store any kind of pressure so that's not possible so far. In fact, the only water guns that use springs (that I know of at least) are the Steady Stream and the Splat Blaster. (and the Steady Stream doesnt have a trigger) On a side note, the Splat Blaster has an oddly similar design style to the Rapid Fire Rifle. (one of BBT's dart shooters)

Most of the piston's I've seen have been the same old weak-streamed guns. Something like a Stream Machine with a reservoir would be ideal, yet hasn't been done before. (that I know of at least)



Edited By C-A_99 on 1196456014

[isoaker]

@C-A_99: actually, the ZX 1000 Yellow Jacket is pretty much a Stream Machine-type soaker with a backpack reservoir. If only it didn't leak out the nozzle when filling and was better built, it'd be a rather formidable blaster. The Power Soaker Mini Cannon and Power Soaker Mighty Cannon are also similar to Stream Machines with a built-in reservoir. However, their relatively small nozzle size and pump volume limit their max range and power. If only they made a reservoir for the Super Soaker XP Pool Pumper Cannon; that soaker works quite well.

[wetmonkey442]

Well this certainly looks intriguing, but I can't help reiterating some of the concerns voiced by other members. First off that handle...At least it would be relatively easy to modify. And second, the pump volume seems pretty small, but again, easy to modify. I'd say this gun would be an attractive base from which one could perform a few relatively safe and powerful alterations. I also agree with what has been said about the design. Hasbro definitely seems to be stepping in the right direction there.