NERF (or sometimes Nerf) is a type of toy, created for safe indoor play, that either shoots or is made of foam-like material. Most of the toys are weapons, but there were also several different types of NERF toys, such as balls for sports like football, basketball, and others. The most famous weapons are the "dart guns" (also known as blasters) that shoot projectiles made from NERF foam. Since many such items were released throughout the 1990s, they often featured bright neon colors and, of course, soft textures similar to the flagship NERF ball. The product slogan frequently used in advertising was "It's NERF or nothing!" Nerf is a foam used in the construction of toys, and can also refer to toys constructed of or using this foam. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Look up Football in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the sport. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Look up slogan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Advert redirects here. ...

Origin of the term

The exact origin of the term "NERF" is unknown. It is rumored to have been inspired by Star Wars creatures called "nerfs", but this is not possible, as the NERF brand was created in 1969, eight years before the release of Star Wars.^[1] It has also been mentioned that NERF stands for "non-expanding recreational foam", but it has not been verified.^[2] This article is about the series. ...

NERF material

NERF is made from a solid, spongy cellular material produced by the reaction of polyester with a diisocyanate while carbon dioxide is liberated by the reaction of a carboxyl with the isocyanate. Polyester resin reacts with a compound while CO₂ is simultaneously released by another reaction. It is this gas that creates open pockets within the polyurethane that, in turn, makes the material soft and light.^[3] SEM picture of a bend in a high surface area polyester fiber with a seven-lobed cross section Polyester is a category of polymers, or, more specifically condensation polymers, which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. ... Isocyanate is the chemical group of atoms -N=C=O (1 nitrogen, 1 carbon, 1 oxygen), as opposed to cyanate, -O-C≡N, which is formed from cyanogen in the normal -ate manner. ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. ... A carboxyl or carboxylic group is a functional group consisting of a carbon atom and an oxygen atom doubly bonded to each other. ... Isocyanate is the chemical group of atoms -N=C=O (1 nitrogen, 1 carbon, 1 oxygen), as opposed to cyanate, -O-C≡N, which is formed from cyanogen in the normal -ate manner. ... Polyester Resin - Unsaturated Polyester Resin. ... A polyurethane is any polymer consisting of a chain of organic units joined by urethane links. ...

History

Original NERF Ball Developed by Parker Brothers

Parker Brothers originally developed NERF, beginning with a four-inch polyurethane foam ball. In 1969, a games inventor came to the company with a volleyball game that was safe for indoor play. After studying the game carefully, Parker Brothers decided to eliminate everything but the foam ball. In 1970, the NERF ball was introduced as the "world's first official indoor ball". Marketed that one can "Throw it indoors; you can't damage lamps or break windows. You cant hurt babies or old people."^[4] The ball filled a strong consumer need since by the year's end, and more than four million NERF balls had been sold.^[5] The four-inch ball was followed closely by a large version called "Super NERF Ball". Shortly after, in 1972, a basketball game called "NERFoop" and the NERF football joined the family. The football fast became the most popular NERF ball. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Parker Brothers logo. ... A polyurethane is any polymer consisting of a chain of organic units joined by urethane links. ...

The company continued to add to the NERF line until they handed the "ball" to Kenner Products, a sister company, in 1991,^[6] when Hasbro acquired the NERF line through the acquisition of the Tonka Corporation.^[7] Over the years, the company has continued to expand the line, adding new looks to existing products. The current line of NERF products range from various sport balls, blasters with both dart and ball ammunition, and, now, onto even video game accessories.^[8] Kenner Products was a toy company founded in 1947 by three brothers, Albert, Phillip, and Joseph L. Steiner, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and was named after the street where the original corporate offices were located. ... Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is an American toy and game company. ... For the rocket fuel, see Tonka (fuel). ...

Products

Example of a NERF Reactor Gun made by Hasbro

NERF has a wide range of foam balls that are molded to look like various sports balls. The are designed with different color schemes and features, and are less likely to cause damage since they are made from NERF material. The company also makes NERF Blasters, which are toy guns used to shoot ammunition made of the NERF Material in ball and dart form.^[9] These can be used for NERF wars, which is similar to paintball or laser tag games, but use NERF blasters instead.^[10] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Ammunition, often referred to as ammo, is a generic term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ... A woodsball player firing at opponents from behind cover. ... Soldiers of the 2e REI training with laser tag equipment. ...

NERF also has video game accessories for the Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS Lite and The Nintendo Wii.^[11] NERF worked with Pelican Accessories to create a light, soft controller for the Playstation 2,^[12] for the Nintendo DS Lite, a protective case ^[13] and for the Wii Remote a protective case, ^[14] and other attachments to resemble sports equipment.^[15] Computer and video games redirects here. ... Sony Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue of $66. ... PS2 redirects here. ... The Nintendo DS Lite ) (sometimes abbreviated DSLite is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. ... Nintendo Company, Limited (任天堂 or ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 usually referred to as simply Nintendo, or Big N ) is a multinational corporation founded on September 23, 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. ... The Wii (pronounced as the pronoun we, IPA: ) is the fifth home video game console released by Nintendo. ... The Pelican Accessories logo. ... The Wii Remote, also nicknamed Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendos Wii console. ...

In popular culture

NERF has been featured on several television series, including Inside the Actors Studio, The Simpsons, and Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. On Inside the Actors Studio, Robin Williams compared having "an honorary degree from Juilliard" to "having a NERF vibrator". Homer, on a The Simpsons episode, described a car of his design as "powerful like a gorilla, yet soft and yielding like a NERF ball". In the children's show Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, Ned shoots the school's security cameras with a NERF revolver. Also, on the VH1 special I Love Toys, NERF was ranked as the number 23 toy out of 100. Inside the Actors Studio is the Emmy-nominated, longest-running original series on the Bravo cable television channel, hosted by James Lipton. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Neds Declassified School Survival Guide, sometimes shortened to Neds Declassified or Neds, is an American live-action situation comedy on Nickelodeon that debuted in the channels Sunday night TEENick scheduling block on September 12, 2004 in The United States of America. ... Inside the Actors Studio is the Emmy-nominated, longest-running original series on the Bravo cable television channel, hosted by James Lipton. ... For other persons named Robin Williams, see Robin Williams (disambiguation). ... The Juilliard School is a performing arts conservatory in New York City, informally but definitively identified as simply Juilliard, and most famous for its musically-trained alumni. ... For other uses, see vibrator. ... Homer Simpson is also a character in the book and film The Day of the Locust. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Neds Declassified School Survival Guide, sometimes shortened to Neds Declassified or Neds, is an American live-action situation comedy on Nickelodeon that debuted in the channels Sunday night TEENick scheduling block on September 12, 2004 in The United States of America. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently part of the MTV Networks division... I Love Toys was the eighth in VH1s series of I Love… nostalgia shows. ...

NERF has also been mentioned by stand-up comedians, such as Ray Romano, who suggested that cars should be made from the material to prevent injuries in accidents. There is also a "Snurf"-gun mentioned in the User Friendly comic strip, which has been said is a reference to a NERF-gun. Nerf guns can be modified to shoot over 175 feet. B. J. Novak in a stand-up comedy routine at Olde English sketch comedy in June 2007. ... Raymond Romano (born December 21, 1957 in Queens, New York) is an Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated, American actor and comedian best known for his starring role on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. ... For the concept in software engineering, see user-friendliness. ...

See also

• Nerf Arena Blast, a video game based on a NERF war
• Nerf (computer gaming), a gaming term that came from the NERF toys

Nerf Arena Blast (or NAB and sometimes Arena Blast) is a first-person shooter developed by the now-defunct Visionary Media Inc. ... A nerf is a change to the rules of a computer game that weakens a certain object(s). ...

References

External links

• Hasbro's NERF website