In a world dominated by pump action water guns, it’s refreshing to see a battery operated Super Soaker, especially one that looks like a MAC-10! The New Super Soaker Thunderstorm has a motor-based pump which allows you to simply pull the trigger to blast out the water.
The Super Soaker Thunderstorm is powered with four AA batteries. This may be considered a downside to parents who are tired of constantly replacing batteries, but the benefit of having a happy child may be worth it. Since there is no pumping, the Thunderstorm is also a good water gun for younger children.
Like the Super Soaker Tornado Strike, the Thunderstorm uses the same water clip system and the same clips can be used in both water guns. The water clips hold about 10 ounces of water. This means that clips need to be refilled fairly often during intense water battles. A convenient release button, however, makes swapping water clips only take a few seconds. The Thunderstorm is sold with one water clip but extra clips are sold for around $4 each. Extra water clips can be fastened securely with a belt clip. They also fit well into cargo pants pockets.
Since the Thunderstorm is both lightweight and motorized, a Thunderstorm could be held in each hand and fired at the same time (like you’ve always wanted to do!). A steady stream of water will shoot from the gun as long as the trigger is depressed and water is in the clip. As is typical with most motorized water guns, the water stream tends to be a bit thinner and it doesn’t have the raw soaking power of a high capacity super soaker, but the Thunderstorm still has a good shooting range of about 20 – 25 feet. If total soaking power is your objective, than you may be interested in the new Super Soakers Hydro Cannon.
The Super Soaker Thunderstorm is splash proof and constructed from durable plastic. A common fear about battery operated water guns is water leaking into the battery compartment. The battery compartment is completely enclosed and has a rubber seal that works well to keep water out. We’ve put plenty of water rounds through the Thunderstorm without any leakage issues.
The only downside to the Thunderstorm is that the motor runs loudly, but this is a plus to some water gun fans. In an outdoor environment, the motor noise isn’t a serious issue. This water gun is compatible with other Nerf accessories including various shoulder stocks and N-Strike components.