Firing Mechanism: For years, pretty much every NERF Blaster was fired using a traditional trigger setup, though in more recent years the Hasbro-owned outfit has introduced a variety of lesser-conventional Blasters that sport a myriad of different firing mechanism configurations. Weapon Style: As briefly touched on directly above, modern NERF Blasters come in a humongous variety of different shapes and sizes, from pistols to compact SMG-style items to snipers to NERF-style assault rifles — all of which have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. There are also non-traditional NERF Blasters such as the brand’s Gelfire lineup.

Nerf Elite 2.0 Turbine CS-18 | BIG W Nerf Elite 2.0 Turbine CS-18 | BIG W

Loading System: Just as diverse as NERF’s wide range of firing mechanisms is the brand’s array of loading systems. These range from breach-loaded setups to belt and mag-fed items to paintball-style hoppers. Quite a few contemporary NERF Blasters also come equipped with onboard ammo or magazine storage.