Nerf N-Series Agility review: "The perfect all-rounder"

If there was a frontman for the range, it'd probably be the Nerf N-Series Agility. Thanks to an aggressively reasonable price-point, a manageable size that'll work for pretty much everyone, and the same unerring accuracy as other blasters using N1 darts, this thing is made up of green flags.

And honestly, I'm not against that. A few weeks mucking about with the Nerf N-Series Agility proves that it's a superb toy, and one of the best Nerf blasters overall – if not the best for most people. Want a jack-of-all-trades? Here it is.

Nerf N-Series Agility features & design

• Six-dart rotating barrel
• Pull to prime
• No hammer trigger

As a spiritual successor to the Nerf Elite Commander RD-6, this blaster packs a revolving, six-dart barrel and a simple pull-to-prime mechanism. Then it's just a case of squeezing the trigger to fire.

Still, it's not a like-for-like replacement. A feature that didn't make the jump was the RD-6's hammer trigger. This allowed you to hold the trigger down and fire repeatedly after you'd primed your blaster, unleashing a torrent of darts in short order. Agility doesn't share that ability. However, its absence is understandable because you have to prime before every shot here. The idea simply wouldn't work with this blaster's mechanism.

So far as looks go, this isn't the smallest or largest blaster from the range. It weighs in at around one foot long and is satisfyingly chunky, like Hellboy's revolver from the Guillermo Del Toro movies – albeit in striking blue, white, and orange. That bulk means it can be used one handed by older Nerf warriors or with two by younger fighters.

Performance

• Very satisfying to prime and fire
• Good accuracy
• May be harder to prime for young kids

Looking for a good all-rounder? This is it. The Nerf N-Series Agility occupies an enviable spot in terms of performance, price, and accessibility. It's not too big nor too small, it's reliably available for $10 / £10 or less, and packs enough darts to avoid pausing every couple of shots to retrieve ammo. There's something very satisfying about the kuh-CLICK of the priming mechanism as well. It sounds much weightier and more complex than it actually is.

Like all N-Series blasters (from the Nerf N-Series Pinpoint to the smaller dual-pack), the Agility is also more accurate than its predecessors. This is down to the N1 darts that have been specifically designed to fly further, faster, and truer. Having been hands-on with multiple N-Series blasters now, I can confirm that this seems to be the case.

My main concerns revolve around how easy it would be for smaller kids to prime, and the lack of dart storage. The latter isn't a big deal, but the former gives me pause for thought. Priming the Agility requires a little effort (I wouldn't call it hard, but it's not a breeze either), so kids who lack the arm strength may find it tricky or tiring after a while.

Still, it is recommended for ages 8 and up, and I suspect most in that bracket will be OK with the blaster. If anyone younger wants to join in, I'd point them towards the Nerf Elite Jr. range too. It was designed precisely for that reason, so should be a better fit.

Should you buy the Nerf N-Series Agility?

There aren't many blasters in the N-Series range that strike a better balance than the Agility. It's simultaneously accurate and satisfying to use without being as bulky as the Pinpoint or Infinite. It carries six darts at once so you don't have to endlessly root around for ammo mid-game. And it's aggressively affordable. What more could you ask for?

Not much, in my experience. While there are 'better' Nerf blasters out there, this is the best all-rounder I've seen.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How we tested the Nerf N-Series Agility

I spent a couple of weeks firing the Nerf N-Series Agility at targets and in tandem with other N-Series blasters so that I could get a better sense for its comparative performance.

For more on our testing process, see the GamesRadar+ hardware policy.

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