The Nerf Super Soaker Hydro Cannon is the largest Super Soaker released for 2011. It is also the largest Super Soaker released in a number of years, the last large blaster being the Super Soaker Aquashock Hydro Blitz back in 2007. This blaster is roughly the same length as a Super Soaker CPS 2700, but with leaner, meaner, more rugged styling.

The Blaster ::

Nozzle / Firing Chamber ::

The Nerf Super Soaker Hydro Cannon features a single, large nozzle that is controlled by a large ball valve not too far from the nozzle wire mesh. The nozzle's size and styling is very similar to the "flood" nozzle on the Super Soaker Flash Flood. Unlike the Super Soaker Flash Flood, the Nerf Super Soaker Hydro Cannon's ball valve is directly controlled by the trigger and does not make use of Max-D trigger-valve technology. This allows the nozzle to be opened more slowly, if desired, altering the possible spray patterns slightly. However, like the "flood" nozzle, this blaster does not produce much of a stream; rather, it blasts out a large burst of water with a noticable recoil felt when firing. However, despite this blaster's large size, the firing chamber, itself, is actually on the small side, even smaller than that of the Super Soaker Flash Flood. It does seem to have a little more force than the Super Soaker Flash Flood.

Pump ::

The Nerf Super Soaker Hydro Cannon features a tracked pump, but its pump grip includes a long vertical extension, bringing one's pumping hand in-line with the trigger-grip area. While this adds to the styling and should make pumping a little smoother in some sense, the fact that one is applying force below the actual pump rod causes a little bit of awkwardness when pumping. Nevertheless, pumping is smooth; in fact, a little too smooth in that there does not seem to be any significant change in resistance when pumping even when the firing chamber is filled with water. This can result in unnecessary pumping, but then again one does not get suddenly startled when some pumps just lock in place when their PCs are filled.

Triggers / Grip ::

The trigger and grip area on the Nerf Super Soaker Hydro Cannon, like the rest of the blaster, is well moulded and quite comfortable to hold. It appears that Hasbro Inc. spent a good amount of time refining their triggers and grips. There even appears to be a place where a strap could be tethered through, though the blaster does not come with a strap.

The Reservoir ::

The reservoir on the Nerf Super Soaker Hydro Cannon is located at the back portion of the blaster. The reservoir actually occupies around half of the blaster, but due to the shape and styling of the blaster, its capacity is rather limited. As well, because of its longer shape, one cannot rush too much when filling the blaster otherwise one will end up spilling water even though the actual reservoir is not completely filled. The Nerf Super Soaker Hydro Cannon also suffers from a little bit of "Orca" issues; as the fill cap is positioned on the side of the blaster and reservoir, as water is drawn from the reservoir into the firing chamber, air entering through the cap burbles a bit. While not a significant problem, it just seems a little odd why they opted to position the cap on the side when there appears to be plenty of room on the top side of the tank.

The Shield ::

Of course, one cannot talk about the Nerf Super Soaker Hydro Cannon without making note of its detachable shield accessory. While the shield, itself, is not particuarly large, its shape and colouring simply add to the style of this blaster, increasing its sheer intimidation value. Though the shield it not likely going to protect one significantly in battle, it still may e of use, particularly as it is made of transparent plastic so one can theoretically try aiming through it, protecting one's face when firing. Granted, to do so would involve holding one's head fairly low or holding the blaster up in a more awkward position for firing, but that is beside the point.

Of course, the tactical rail can also be used to attach other accessories that are available for a variety of Nerf guns.

Overall ::

As a whole, the Nerf Super Soaker Hydro Cannon is a solid blaster with good power behind its nozzle. Its strength is also its weakness in that its blasting shots cover more area, but shot time is exceedingly short and blaster range ends up shorter than were it to produce a coherent stream.. Thankfully, being CPS-based, the Hydro Cannoncan still easily compete against the majority of air pressure and small CPS-type blasters out there. Just be wary if facing off against significantly more powerful soakers that feature 5x or larger true stream nozzles.

Pros

Intimidating styling, sturdy build, and smooth pump. Nozzle blasts rather impressive, able to cover a good area. Detachable shield mountable on left or right side.

Cons

Dry weight of blaster on the heavy side. Very short shot time, then requires several pumped before another shot can be taken. Reservoir size on the small side, slightly awkward to fill, and burbles a bit during pumping.

Submitted Reviews:

By: martianshark | Posted: 20110203 | Edited by iSoaker.com

Manufacturer:Hasbro Inc.
Number of Nozzles:1

This is definitely the best water gun Hasbro has released in quite some time. It shoots like a Flash Flood's flood nozzle, and it looks really cool. I decided to write a detailed review on the Hydro Cannon, with a paragraph or two for every detail on this blaster.

The Nozzle

The nozzle is large, and shoots a large burst of water like the Arctic Blast or Flash Flood. There is a screen over the nozzle, which is probably there to stop stuff from getting into the nozzle. It probably would have been better if they used a smaller nozzle. Then you wouldn't have to use all your water in one burst. Shot time is important.

The Pump

The pump is tracked and shaped like a horizonal grip. Not very many water guns have this, but it is pretty comfortable. It takes about 22 pumps to fully prime it, which is tiring after a while, since you shoot all the water in one burst, and then you have to pump it up again. Once again, I wish the shot time was greater.

Trigger/Grip

This has the biggest trigger I've ever seen on a blaster. It's a bit uncomfortable, but it's not that bad. The large trigger was probably necessary for pulling open the valve because it doesn't use the Max-D system. It's a good thing that it doesn't use the Max-D trigger system because it's unreliable and is desgined to break after a while. Did I mention this doesn't use the Max-D system? The grip also has a thing on the bottom that you can connect a strap or something to.

The Reservoir

The reservoir isn't great. :/ It's strangely shaped - Part of the reservoir is in the back, and part of it is in the middle of the gun. This makes filling it up all the way kind of hard to do. It's also a bit difficult to empty it. And the reservoir cap is on the side, which gives it the same problem the Water Warriors Orca had (although it's not as bad since it releases all its water in one burst anyway). The cap is tethered.

The Shield

This blaster comes with a shield. It's a tactical rail accessory that connects onto the gun's tactical rails. Howver it connects diagonally. The Hydro Cannon is the only gun that has diagonal tactical rails, so it looks goofy on any other nerf gun. It isn't very useful, but it does look cool.

Looks

This thing looks awesome! It has awesome detailing, and it just... looks awesome. This has got to be the coolest-looking gun ever made. The shape is cool, the color scheme is cool, blah blah blah...

Price

This blaster is a bit overpriced - $25. That's five bucks more than the Flash Flood, but then again, it's better than the Flash Flood in some ways. The flood nozzle is activated with a regular trigger, so you don't have to reach for a trigger on the top of the gun. It also doesn't use the Max-D system, and it looks way cooler than the Flash Flood, and it has a shield. Plus it's easier to open than the Flash Flood - since the pump is tracked, you don't have to worry about a pump cap.

Overall

Overall, this is the best blaster Hasbro has made in years! It's almost as good as a Flash Flood - or maybe even better depending on how you look at it. Although it's a bit pricy, I would recommend getting at least one.

Stats

Output: 10/10
Shot Time: 2/10
Pumping Time: 3/10
Comfort: 7/10
Looks: 10/10
Weight: 5/10
Price: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Related Content .:

 Product Listing Page | Nerf Super Soaker Product Evolution Tree

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