Super Soaker Twister review: "This blaster slaps"

Size doesn't mean everything in a water battle, but it's easy to forget that when the Super Soaker Twister comes out to play. This is an intimidating sight.

Is it one of the best water guns, though? Good looks won't mean much if it falls flat in action, after all. I went hands-on with the Super Soaker Twister to find out, but here's the headline - yep, this blaster slaps.

Features & design

The Twister does exactly what it says on the tin. Firing water through the air in a double-helix thanks to the spinning cylinder at the end of the barrel, it's a unique selling-point that I've not seen from Super Soaker before.

Everything else is tried-and-tested, though. The standard-size filling cap opens to reveal a tank capable of holding 37fl oz (1,094ml). In addition, it's operated like so many other water pistols - a pump system.

The Twister's look is familiar, too; it shares a design language with the Super Soaker Hydra. That means it feels as if it's been pulled from a sci-fi video game, and its oversized proportions give it a lot in common with Fortnite Nerf guns.

Performance

There was a lot of anticipation when loading up the Nerf Super Soaker Twister. The promise of this thing makes it sound really cool, and I was expecting a confusing barrage of water cycling through the air. 

Then I fired it.

Initially, I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it did twist twin jets of water around. But it was a little less spectacular than I'd been expecting. The two streams were relatively small, and I found that the disc wasn't always spinning all the way. Oh dear, I thought.

Except there was a problem - me. I quickly realised my mistake; to make this Super Soaker shine, you have to pull back the pump as quickly as you can. Fire it in rapid succession and the cylinder will whirl into overdrive, sending a far larger blast of water twirling through the air for 20 feet or more.  This does require a degree of force (which means particularly young water warriors could struggle), but it won't make you break into a sweat during battle. I'm catastrophically unfit and was still able to empty the tank without much fuss.

While we're on the subject of tanks, the Twister's capacity is decent. It'll keep you in the fight for a while, and even though water occasionally dribbled out of one hole if I held the gun downward and the barrel's disc was in a certain position, it's otherwise watertight. Or as watertight as water pistols can be - put it upside down or onto its side and you'll get some leakage from the cap.

Sure, the range could be better. But in reality, this blaster's spread is impressive enough to soak a handful of people at a close-to-mid distance. It's almost impossible to avoid spray if you're in the firing line, so the Super Soaker Twister is perfect if you like to run headlong into the thick of the action.

Another huge tick is the price. I'd been expecting this water gun to be a whole lot more expensive than it is, and at under $25 / £25, there's no reason not to grab it.

Overall - should you buy the Super Soaker Twister?

I wasn't overly impressed with the Twister at first blush, but after spending more time with it, I came to do a full 180 - this is awesome. I would have loved it as a kid, and thanks to that price, I have no qualms with recommending Super Soaker's blaster.

How we tested the Nerf Super Soaker Twister

To get a feel for how this blaster worked in action, I spent a few days filling and firing the Twister under a variety of conditions. This included measured range tests like those we put the best Nerf guns through, leak checks, and longevity.