The Water Warriors Cross Fire appears to be Buzz Bee Toys' cousin to Hasbro's Super Soaker Helix. While both blasters are piston-based and feature spiralling nozzles, the similarities end there.

The Blaster ::

Nozzle / Firing Chamber ::

The Cross Fire features dual nozzles on its front, powered by pump action. The nozzles, themselves, are not particularly large nor small and can produce fairly laminar streams. Unlike the Super Soaker Helix, the Cross Fire's nozzles are fixed forward-facing in direction and the angle between the two nozzles cannot be adjusted. However, what can be toggled is whether the nozzles spin or not when pumping. The choice is made by sliding a switch found on the right side of the blaster to either stream or spiral setting.

In stream mode, the Cross Fire behaves like a dual-nozzled, light, pump action soaker. Dual, parallel streams offers some benefits in that a hit covers more area than a single stream. In 'cross-fire' stream mode, the nozzles spin as the pump is retracted. As the nozzles are fixed forward, the spread from the streams is minimal and definitely does not cover as much area as the Super Soaker Helix. However, at the cost of spread, the forward facing nozzles do give a slight advantage in the range statistic (to be measured).

Pump ::

The pump for the Cross Fire is a decent, semi-tracked pump. The pump, itself, is mounted on the lower half of the front of the soaker and does extend beyond the nozzles when filling with water. As the Cross Fire has two stream modes, the pump has two different feels depending on the nozzle setting. In stream mode, the pump glides smoothly and freely, allowing a good amount of force to be applied to increase effective stream range. In 'cross-fire' stream mode, the pump has slightly more resistance as some of the pumping energy is used for making the nozzles rotate. In general, the pump feels quite solid and performs well, though its capacity is perhaps a little less than one would have preferred for a pump-action blaster.

Triggers / Grip ::

The trigger and grip area on the Cross Fire is functional, though minimal. The trigger, itself, is purely cosmetic and serves no particular function apart from looks and as a place to rest one's index finger. The grip region is more-or-less in line with the pump, allowing one to exert a good amount of force when pumping in order to generate good stream power.

The Reservoir ::

The reservoir on the Cross Fire is top mounted and features a minimalist snap-top tethered cap. While it is possible to completely fill the reservoir with water, the mid-portion of the reservoir is slightly above the cap area when the blaster is level, thus if the cap is not attached securely, there will be some minor dribbling. Additionally, the snap-cap is not as water-tight as standard screw-caps and may also dribble if the blaster is left on its side. The inside of the reservoir is nicely moulded with the intake for the pump at the bottom of the reservoir with the rest of the inside sloping towards the intake. This design allows for virtually all water within the reservoir to be used.

Overall ::

As a whole, the Water Warriors Cross Fire is a unique 'twist' on a spiralling-nozzle soaker (*corny pun intended*). The two stream modes offers good flexibility on the field depending what the situation calls for. Being a smaller-sized soaker, the Cross Fire would make a great back-up blaster or even serve as a primary blaster during light skirmishes. However, as it is pump-action based, shot times are limited, but this also extends the life of the reservoir contents. Capable of handling most other light air-pressure soakers, one should be more cautious if up against a larger air-pressure soaker and particularly on-guard against CPS-class blasters.

Pros

Simple design, light, clean lines, and good solid feel to the soaker. Two stream settings easily toggled by sliding switch offers good flexibility on the field.

Cons

Pump based; no continuous firing possible. Pump volume limited. Minimal stream spread in the 'Cross-Fire' nozzle setting. No strap.

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Related Content .:

 Product Listing Page | Water Warriors Product Evolution Tree 

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