15 October 2013

REVIEW: Nerf Mega Centurion

Hail Caesar!

We're building up a pretty good stock of Nerf blaster reviews now, and with the exception of the Jolt they seem to be getting bigger and bigger. We fear we might have maxed out on size with our latest product test however, as the Nerf Mega Centurion is the the company's largest blaster to date and boasts the longest range. For the good of the general populace (and because we love shooting rubber tipped darts at one another at point blank range) we got to grips with the new super gun to see what all the fuss is about.


One thing we love about Nerf is the boxes the blasters come in. Nothing reminds us of more of Christmas morning back in those halcyon days of childhood innocence than a giant box o' Nerf. And because the Mega Centurion is a massive gun (assembled measuring 41 inches) the box is pleasingly large and made us feel like kids again.


Inside, the gun comes in two sections: the main blaster and a barrel extension. Unlike the Retaliator which also features a barrel you have to assemble yourself, the Mega Centurion locks together to become an extremely sturdy unit with hardly a trace that assembly was required. In fact we can't see an easy way of removing that barrel and it seems that once it's on, it's on.

Also in the box is a removable bipod which slots neatly onto the tactical rail on the underside of the barrel. Thankfully the two legs fold up both ways (both toward and away from the operator) which means there is still plenty of room for a hand to grip the barrel. We quite like the bipod and it further adds to the notion that this is a sniping blaster. It isn't heavy, so keeping it attached while dashing around won't make the Centurion feel extra bulky.


The Mega Centurion also features a new kind of ammo. Six Mega darts are included with the blaster, along with a new large clip to accommodate them. Mega darts are almost twice the size of the standard elite dart and we assume this is to aid in reaching the reported 75 feet distance the Centurion can achieve. The darts themselves actually feel softer than the elite darts, with the rubber tip seeming to be spongier. That said, being hit by one at close range will still leave a mark. Trust us, we know.


Slapping in the Mega clip is a joy as everything about the Centurion feels solid and robust... except for the cocking mechanism. To ready the blaster one must draw back the priming arm an entire foot! This is quite fiddly and forces the shooter to change their position around the blaster. Also, there doesn't seem to be much tension in that arm and that got us wondering if a shorter, more firmer, cocking mechanism could have been installed.

Still, once primed the Mega Centurion is ready to fire. We should point out that when one does pull the trigger the dart doesn't immediately launch. There is a slight pause before the dart appears and a weird scraping sound from within the blaster afterwards. We were a bit distracted by this at first and totally missed where our dart landed. Speaking of which...

Nerf really have not fibbed with the 75 feet range boast. Over several sessions in The Test Pit firing range (the drive of our house) the Mega Centurion averaged just over 80 feet in still, windless conditions. That long barrel is clearly helping with accuracy as well, as the vast majority of our shots landed roughly where we wanted them to. Interestingly, unlike the other Elite blasters we've reviewed, the Mega Centurion's barrel is not rifled. Interesting, eh?


So yeah, we love yet another Nerf blaster. Several of our number (the sneaky ones who enjoy hanging at the back and sniping) would definitely make the Mega Centurion their first choice of weapon in a Nerf shoot-out. But the sheer size of the thing may put some people off. Seriously, how are children going to wield it? We'd love to see that day at nursery school.

With incredible range, a solid build and an interesting new ammo type, the Mega Centurion is a worthy addition to the Nerf range, and one that might highlight the shape of things to come.

Around £39.99

Visit www.hasbro.com/


The draw-back primer. Seriously, its about a foot long!


'The Nerf Mega Centurion: About as big as the average British kitchen counter.'

There you go Nerf, you can use that in the advertising campaign.
Always happy to help. 



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