Here in the northern bit of the northern hemisphere, the weather is finally starting to turn from the icy depths of winter to the beautiful rainbow of warmth that is spring. With this change, many computer geeks venture out from their hibernation—blinking against the light—to the great outdoors. What do they want when they make this glorious journey? New Nerf weapons, of course. We have you covered with a review of an exciting new entry into the N-Force line: the newest Nerf swords.

The Nerf N-force

The last time Nerf released a sword, the company came up with an utterly disappointing fencing product with a limp noodle for a blade, and Nerf suggested a sorry game that involved thrusting at an opponent to knock back little plastic flaps. I had a set of these given to me for Christmas, and while they looked great on the package, the actual play was a disappointment. I'm happy to tell you the N-Force Swords don't fall into this trap, as they have only one purpose: to beat the living crap out of someone.

The swords come in two colors, and of course they're only fun if you get the set. At $12 for each one, depending on where you buy, this isn't an expensive proposition. They may look like brightly-colored children's toys, but they hold a secret. Each sword isn't just made out of the soft foam that Nerf is known for; a plastic rod runs down the length of the sword. Swinging one in the air makes a satisfying whistling sound, and swords hit the skin of an opponent with a wonderful *THWAP* sound. They're more than tough enough to be beaten against each other time and time again without snapping in two.

After a significant round of testing with a set of the swords (and my son's arms and legs), I've come to the following conclusions: 1) these swords are a great buy, and 2) he's surprisingly fast. Oh, and also 3) when you get blind-sided by a seven year-old and take the blade square on the face it hurts in the best way. My revenge? Disarming him and giving him an epic two-sword Nerf beatdown, giggling in the grass. Being a geeky dad is just about the best thing ever.

The swords do have a few downsides. I'm sure if you try hard enough, you can break them, but they'll make you work for it. You'll start to see some damage on the foam after the first few good fights. Cats apparently love to tear the blades apart if you leave the two alone in the same room. My first set of swords died because of a kitty, not because of the Jedi duels I routinely share with my son in the park. That speaks highly of the product.

The Nerf N-Force swords are Nerf doing swords right: soft enough that you can hit someone without doing major damage, tough enough that you know when someone slams into you, and without a lame mini-game included. Highly recommended.