Sounds like the Halo Needler is finally getting the Nerf blaster it deserves

The Halo Needler is one of the most memorable video game weapons ever designed: an alien rifle that shoots homing spikes of crystalline plasma that explode. While clearly taking some inspiration from The Fifth Element’s “replay gun” in shape and functionality, it’s gained a following of its own. Now, Hasbro has announced a foam-firing Nerf replica of the Needler that might finally do it justice.

The $100 Nerf LMTD Halo Needler follows the company’s Aliens Pulse Rifle and The Mandalorian Amban Phase-pulse blaster in asking the question: what if Hasbro built a cosplay-grade Nerf blaster for its biggest fans instead of something that needs to sell like a toy? The answer is a 10-round fully automatic dart blaster with light-up spikes whose lights automatically wink out as you fire each dart, mimicking how each needle disappears when you play a Halo game.

It’s not a flywheel blaster, either, not the kind that spits out darts by flinging them between two wheels (and creating potentially annoying spin-up sounds). Just resting your finger on the trigger will turn on the Needler’s lights, and pulling it activates the full mechanism at once: a motor-driven series of gears that pulls a spring-loaded plunger back to fire and advance the drum.

That’s instantly so much better than previous attempts at the Needler, like the awkward BoomCo version that required an extra hand to prime a long, uncanonical handle at the bottom, or this quick earlier cash-in from Nerf. It takes 6 AA batteries, and for the substantial price you’ll also get a stand to display it. (You can leave the blaster lit up in display mode.)

You can find it here on Amazon or Entertainment Earth or GameStop or Hasbro Pulse, but know it could take a long time to arrive: it’s not due out till the end of 2022. It’s still in development, though Hasbro showed off an early working version on its livestream today around the 2 hour, 14-minute mark.