The Nerf Super Soaker is the water half of the Nerf story, the same pick-it-up-and-play engineering with a tank instead of a clip. This page pulls years of our coverage into one place: where the line came from, every model we reviewed with its stated capacity and range, the water games worth playing, and which style fits the fight you are planning. It is for anyone arming a summer battle, comparing soakers on capacity and range, or trying to work out which reviewed models are current and which are collector-era.
What is on this page
Where Super Soakers came from
The Nerf Super Soaker exists because water guns before 1990 were weak. Most of them managed a couple of feet, and nobody expected more. Then in 1982 Dr. Lonnie Johnson, a nuclear engineer developing spacecraft systems at a jet propulsion laboratory in California, was at home working on a heat pump idea. He hooked a nozzle up to the sink, and it shot a stream of water across the room. He recognised what he was looking at.
His prototype was built from Plexiglas and combined a piston, an air pressure compartment, a water chamber and a release valve. You compressed the air by hand, and releasing it fired the water. That is still the basic recipe inside a pump-action Super Soaker today. His young daughter and her friends loved it, because it shot faster and further than anything else on the block.
Getting it manufactured took eight years. A contract with Daisy, the BB and pellet gun company, ran from 1985 to 1987 and went nowhere. Entertech, which made battery operated water guns, went bankrupt in 1989. In between, Johnson refined the design so the water sat in a separate soda-bottle-shaped reservoir on top of the gun, which is both the iconic Super Soaker silhouette and the change that made it easy to produce.
Larami Toys took interest in 1989. The blaster reached stores in 1990 under the name “Power Drencher” and sold poorly, because the marketing was poor. Renamed the Super Soaker 50 and relaunched with a television campaign, it sold two million water guns in 1991 alone. Hasbro’s Nerf line merged with Larami in 2002, and in the years since there have been more than 170 versions of Johnson’s invention. Johnson never stopped inventing either; his companies have gone on to work on rechargeable battery chemistry and JTEC thermal-to-electrical conversion.
The wider brand timeline, dart side included, lives on the Nerf history page.
The standout soakers we reviewed
Capacities, ranges and prices for every Nerf Super Soaker here are the figures stated in our own reviews, which usually means the advertised number off the box, recorded when the model was current. Treat ranges as a ceiling, not a promise, and treat prices as history.
| Soaker | Type | Capacity and range as stated | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microburst | Pocket pistol, fires with every pump | 2 fl oz, up to 20 feet stated, ours reached 30 | Fewest moving parts of anything here, so it survives a book bag |
| Tidal Tube | Piston pump, no trigger, shotgun styling | 10 oz, about 25 feet | Capacity and range in one package, and nothing to break |
| Alphafire | Triple nozzle squirt gun, no pumping needed | Just over 7 oz (202 mL max), up to 20 feet in a triple stream | The first squirt gun Nerf ever made |
| Point Break | Air pressure pistol, pump action | About 6.5 oz (200 mL), 15 feet level, up to 30 angled with heavy pumping | Sold as the High Tide in Europe, and the first blaster ever shown in Zombie Strike |
| Freezefire | Pump action blaster, ice-cube reservoir | Double the reservoir of most models its size, average range | The opening is wide enough to load ice |
| Flash Blast | One pump, one shot sneak attack soaker | 3.7 oz, up to 29 feet stated | Longest reach of the small soakers, and you get about one blast for it |
Two picks worth calling out from the Nerf Super Soaker range. The Microburst is the one we keep recommending: pump-to-fire mechanisms have fewer parts than pressure-holding designs, so they survive being stuffed in a bag, and at its original price you could buy a handful. And the Point Break is the trivia answer, the soaker that crossed over to become the first blaster shown in the Zombie Strike line.
Every Nerf Super Soaker we reviewed, model by model
Fifteen Nerf Super Soaker models got a full review on this site. They are grouped below by how they actually work, because that is the decision that matters more than the name on the box: squirt guns you just fill and fire, pump action blasters that build pressure, and motorized soakers that run off batteries.
Squirt guns and pocket soakers
Nerf Super Soaker Microburst. Two fluid ounces, stated up to 20 feet, and our reviewer measured 30. Nine inches long, the smallest and least expensive blaster in the series, listed at $5.99 in the 2013 lineup. It fires with every pump, so there is no pressure chamber to hold or leak, and the screw-on cap does not weep. The honest standout: fewer moving parts is the whole argument for it, and it is the model we own multiples of. The tradeoff is obvious, two ounces empties fast, though it is small enough to refill with a quick dunk.
Nerf Super Soaker Alphafire. Just over 7 ounces, a maximum of 202 mL, up to 20 feet. No pumping at all: fill the tank, pull the trigger, and three nozzles arranged in a triangle throw a triple stream that covers a wider patch than any single stream. Rated ages 6 and up, small enough for small hands, sold singly or in packs of four. The honest standout: it was the first squirt gun Nerf ever made. The catch is that three thin streams get pushed around by wind more than one fat one does.
Nerf Super Soaker Zipfire. Around 3 ounces, up to 20 feet, compact and ergonomic, standard colourway green and orange. The trigger fires in rapid succession, which is the point of it. The honest standout: it holds less than half what the Alphafire does, so it is a backup rather than a primary, and its flat outer shell is the easiest surface in the line to repaint if you want a custom look.
Nerf Super Soaker Flash Blast. 3.7 ounces, stated up to 29 feet in our model review; the 2013 seasonal roundup listed it at 4 ounces and 25 feet, so treat the exact numbers as approximate. Pump the thick barrel once, pull the trigger, done, which is what makes it quick in close quarters. The honest standout: it reaches further than anything else this small, and it empties after a handful of shots, so it is a sidearm and nothing more. Its pistol silhouette, with the fat barrel and the extended base past the trigger, is also the closest thing in the line to a science-fiction prop if you are painting one.
Pump action blasters
Nerf Super Soaker Point Break. Roughly 6.5 ounces (200 mL), reliably about 15 feet level and up to 30 feet angled with heavy pumping; the 2011 and 2013 roundups both quoted 16 feet as the realistic working number. It weighs 9.8 ounces empty, has a screw-on cap on a tether so you cannot lose it during refills, and carries a tactical rail that takes standard Nerf attachments.
Released in 2011, sold as the High Tide in European markets, and later re-released under Zombie Strike as the first blaster shown in that line. The honest standout: the pumping is genuinely smooth and the thing is close to unbreakable, but the stream disperses right around 15 feet and the chamber is small, so it works best as the blaster you carry back to the reservoir to reload your primary.
Nerf Super Soaker Freezefire. Pump action, nicely styled and comfortable in the hand, priced around ten dollars when we reviewed it. The reservoir is fixed at double the capacity of most models of this type, with a large opening intended for ice cubes, closed by a snap cap with a rubberized inner layer. The honest standout: that ice opening is the reason to buy it. Against it, the pump lags when you try to fire rapidly, the pump housing has shallow ridges so it gives less grip than other models, and the grip and trigger are part of the reservoir, which makes them flex more than a solid frame would.
Nerf Super Soaker Tidal Tube. Ten ounces, about 25 feet, and no trigger anywhere on it. You load it by holding it underwater and pushing the tube outward, and you fire it by pulling the spout back, which is about as simple as a water gun gets. The silhouette is a shotgun: long slender barrel, plastic handle at the base. The honest standout: medium capacity plus average range makes it a genuine middle-of-the-line blaster, which is exactly what most people want. It holds the same ten ounces as the Shotwave and differs mainly in shape.
Nerf Super Soaker Shotwave. A ten ounce detachable water clip, spray range over 25 feet, a few pumps to pressurize. The clips carry a belt tab, so you can hang spares on your waist and reload without walking back to the tap; extra clips sold separately at $3.99 against the blaster’s $14.99. Compact enough to carry discreetly, which our top 5 list liked it for. The honest standout: the belt-mounted clip is the feature, not the range, and it matters most in games where water is rationed or guarded.
Nerf Super Soaker Double Drench. A 27 ounce tank, up to 30 feet, double-barreled pump action that throws six streams of water with every pump. Almost the entire interior is reservoir, so it is very light once it is empty. The honest standout: it is built as a sidearm and priced like one, but the pump generates enough air pressure that the range holds up against much bigger blasters. Two of them is the sawed-off-shotgun look it is obviously designed for.
Nerf Super Soaker Barrage. Our reviews state the tank two ways, 84 ounces in the 2014 lineup writeup and 88 ounces in the model review, which works out to roughly 67 shots per fill either way. Pump action: it fires the moment the pump is pulled all the way in.
Three nozzles, each with its own job. Distance reaches about 35 to 38 feet, flood spreads a heavy stream out to 15 to 20 feet, and scatter fans a mist about 8 feet for close work. Around $20. The honest standout: the tank is enormous for the money, and our reviewer still called it low to mid tier, because other blasters at the same price offer better range and more features.
Nerf Super Soaker Tri-Strike Crossbow. Forty fluid ounces, up to 38 feet on a single stream, fast pump action. A slide switch on the fore-grip deploys two more discharge ports in a crossbow layout, giving you three streams for close-range spread. The reservoir is the buttstock itself, which keeps the whole blaster slim with no detachable parts to lose, and lets you shoulder it, hold it mid-torso or fire from the hip. Rated ages 6 and up. The honest standout: at the time we reviewed it, this had the longest range and the highest capacity of anything in the Super Soaker line.
Nerf Super Soaker Tornado Strike. Ten ounce water clips (one of our reviews lists nine), up to 20 feet, about 10 to 12 shots per clip and roughly 36 shots if you carry three. Pump action, and the barrel spins as it fires, which produces the twisting double-helix stream the name refers to. It also has tactical rails and a detachable stock you can adjust to your reach. The honest standout: our top 5 list put it at number one for being light, easy to handle and quick to reload. The complaint is consistent across reviews, the pump and trigger are stiff compared to the Scatter Blast or the Microburst.
Motorized soakers
Nerf Super Soaker Electrostorm. A compact motorized pistol, up to 25 feet, no pumping at all: pull the trigger for a steady stream, hold it for continuous fire. Rated ages 6 and up. Be aware that our own reviews state its capacity three different ways, 2.7 fluid ounces in the model review, about 5 ounces in a comparison, and 15 ounces in the 2013 seasonal roundup; the pistol-sized 2.7 figure is the one that matches the blaster in the photos, so check the box before you plan a game around it. The honest standout: it fires one-handed, which means you can carry two.
Nerf Super Soaker Thunderstorm. Ten ounce water clips, up to 25 feet, fully automatic on a waterproof battery pack, listed at $14.99 with spare clips at $3.99. The stream is thinner than a pump blaster’s, and the clip system plus no pumping is the entire trade you are making. The honest standout: because there is nothing to pump, small hands can use it as easily as adults, and you never have to break cover to repressurize.
Nerf Super Soaker Lightningstorm. A 37 ounce, 1.2 litre water drum, the largest capacity of any Super Soaker we reviewed, with a 25 foot range and a motor that runs on four AA batteries. It ships with a blast shield to deflect incoming water, takes a detachable stock, and its clip system accepts the smaller clips designed for other soakers, so one belt of drums arms your whole arsenal. Around $24.99. The honest standout: nothing else we reviewed carries this much water. Filled to 37 ounces it is genuinely heavy, which is the reason to think twice about it for younger players.
Models we covered in the seasonal roundups
These Nerf Super Soaker models appeared in our summer lineup posts and our all-time list without getting a review of their own. Figures are as recorded at the time.
- Scatter Blast, 22 ounces, five nozzles firing at once for a shotgun effect, up to 25 feet, with a flip-up sight and a tactical rail. Around $9.99 to $15.
- Hydrostorm, 25 ounces, motorized and trigger operated, up to 30 feet, continuous fire while you hold the trigger. No clip system.
- Arctic Shock, a 25 ounce Ice Drum you can fill with ice as well as water, up to 30 feet, pump action, and it accepts other Super Soaker clips. Around $19.99.
- Switch Shot, 20 ounces in a banana clip and four nozzle modes on a twist selector: JetStream to 30 feet, Triple Shot to 25, Scattershot to 25 across five streams, and Atomizer, which fans roughly 20 feet long by 6 feet wide to catch several people at once. Around $29.99.
- Hydro Cannon, one of the larger 2011 releases, up to 35 feet with about 20 pumps, with a detachable water shield mounted on the side. Around $25.
- Super Soaker 50, the relaunched original from 1990 that started all of it.
- CPS 3200, the backpack fed monster, discontinued in 2001, two gallons of water carried on your back and four nozzle settings. Light in the hand because the weight is behind you. Our all-time list ranked it fifth and it is the “they do not make them like this anymore” pick, secondhand only.
Discontinued or current? The honest framing
Be clear-eyed about what this page is. Most of the individual models above date from the early 2010s and have since rotated out of production, which is normal, because the Nerf Super Soaker lineup refreshes nearly every summer.
The brand itself is alive under Hasbro, so the buying rule for any Nerf Super Soaker is simple: use these reviews to understand the types, pump-to-fire versus pressure-held versus free-pour squirt guns versus motorized, then check what the current season actually stocks. If a specific older model matters to you, it is a secondhand hunt, and the prices quoted here are historical.
Water war games worth playing
A Nerf Super Soaker fight benefits from structure the same way a dart war does. Seven games below have run well for us, ordered roughly from least to most setup. For the full playbook of modes, rules and hosting advice on the dart side, most of which transfers straight across, see the Nerf war games page.
1. The traditional water gun fight
Arm everyone with a Nerf Super Soaker, preferably something that holds a decent amount, and let them go. The only real planning is water: put out enough taps and refill buckets that nobody spends the game queueing. Split into two teams with agreed rules, or run it as a free-for-all.
2. Target shooting
Works for every age and every Nerf Super Soaker in the box. Knock plastic cups off a rail, spray ping pong balls off the necks of soda bottles, or blast toy army figures off a ledge. Add a time limit or a shot limit and it turns competitive fast, with the most accurate player winning rather than the wettest.
3. Tag and freeze tag
Same rules as always, except you tag with water. In standard tag the sprayed player becomes “it” and takes the blaster. In freeze tag the sprayed player is frozen where they stand and can only be thawed by a teammate crawling under their legs; if “it” freezes everyone, they win and pick the next “it”. Set clear out-of-bounds markers first, and one or two referees on the sideline keeps it honest.
4. Beach ball racing
More competitive than it sounds. Mark a track around 100 feet long with a start and a finish, and give every player a filled Super Soaker and a beach ball. On “go”, everyone pushes their own ball down the track using water pressure alone. No kicking, no touching any ball with hands or feet, yours or anyone else’s. Spraying your rivals to slow them down is entirely legal. First ball across the line wins.
5. Fill the bucket
Half relay, half target shoot. Mark a shooting line and a spot for the bucket holder, about 25 to 30 feet apart, adjusted for the range of the blasters in play. Each team needs an identical bucket or bowl, not too large, and a small-to-medium soaker per player, plus somebody keeping time. The bucket holder stands on the spot holding the bucket against their chest or on their head while teammates line up behind the shooting line. Each shooter gets 30 to 60 seconds to put as much water in the bucket as they can, then swaps with the holder and the next shooter steps up. First team to fill their bucket wins.
6. Alka-Seltzer fighters
Simple to play, but it needs prep. Every player wears a necklace made by threading one to three antacid tablets onto a loop of string, holes drilled with a needle, which is an adult job. Everyone gets a soaker, the boundaries get marked, and on “go” each player tries to dissolve everyone else’s tablets while protecting their own. Last intact necklace wins. Nobody drinks anything, the tablets are targets.
7. Run the gauntlet
Set up a path 30 to 60 feet long with a bucket at one end and a pile of small objects at the other: rocks, clothespins, plastic toys. One player is the runner and gets a target of shaving cream sprayed on the front of their shirt. Everyone else takes a pistol or small-capacity soaker and stands along the path, two or three feet off it. The runner ferries objects to the bucket one at a time while the shooters try to wash the shaving cream off. When it is gone, the turn ends. Everyone runs once, with the same amount of cream, and whoever delivered the most objects wins.
If you want a genuinely big target
Nerf Super Soaker play has reached Guinness World Records territory more than once. The largest water balloon fight on record was held by the Christian Student Fellowship at the University of Kentucky in August 2011, with 8,957 participants and 175,141 balloons. The farthest water balloon toss, 120 feet 3 inches, was set by Bipin Larkin and Ashrita Furman in New York in October 2010, and the same pair took most water balloons caught and kept in one minute, at 18. On the dart side, 461 students at Washington University in Saint Louis set the record for the largest toy pistol fight on 20 November 2010,
That attempt ran as two teams facing off across a marked three metre no-man’s-land for more than five minutes, with one blaster and three darts each.
Guinness sets strict conditions for that one: commercially available toy pistols firing soft ammunition only, participants at least 6 years old, a marked no-man’s-land, two experienced timekeepers, and enough witnesses positioned to see the whole attempt. Records get broken, so check the current holder before you plan an attempt.
Where to buy
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Because most of the reviewed Nerf Super Soaker models are out of production, the second link is the practical one: it shows what is actually stocked right now, and the reviews above tell you which type you are looking at.
Frequently asked questions
The Nerf Super Soaker questions we get asked most, answered from the reviews above.
Who invented the Nerf Super Soaker?
Dr. Lonnie Johnson, a nuclear engineer, in 1982. It reached stores in 1990 as the Power Drencher and became the Super Soaker 50 after a rename and relaunch, selling two million units in 1991.
Are Super Soakers part of Nerf?
Yes, since 2002, when Hasbro’s Nerf line merged with Larami Toys, the company that first produced the Super Soaker. The full brand story is on the Nerf history page.
What is the best Nerf Super Soaker?
Of the ones we reviewed, the Microburst for a cheap, durable pocket soaker, the Tidal Tube for balanced capacity and range, and the Lightningstorm if you want the biggest tank. Of all time, our vote went to the discontinued CPS 3200, the two gallon backpack blaster.
How far does a Nerf Super Soaker actually shoot?
Across every model we reviewed, the stated figures run from about 15 feet for the small pistols to 38 feet for the Barrage on its distance nozzle and the Tri-Strike Crossbow. Those are box numbers measured in ideal conditions. Angle matters, wind matters more than people expect with thin streams, and a soaker that claims 25 feet is usually doing useful work at 15.
Pump action or motorized?
Pump action gives you a fatter stream and more range for the money, and it never runs out of batteries. Motorized soakers let you fire one-handed and hold a continuous stream without breaking cover, which matters in a running game. Motorized models also tend to use clip systems, so reloading is a swap rather than a trip to the tap.
Do Super Soakers work in a Nerf war?
Mixing one into a dart battle is a house-rules call, and half the fun. Agree on it before the game starts, the same as any special weapon; the rules framework is on the war games page.
Related pages: the history of Nerf, Nerf war games, and every Nerf gun ever made.