It has been a long time since we've seen something new and interesting in the world of squirt guns. Hasbro has come up with a new way of keeping extra water ready for quick reloads when you're in the field, trying to soak your children (or parents, as the case may be) as efficiently as possible. With the new line of Super Soaker water guns you don't need to find a house or go inside to a sink: you simply remove your empty magazine and slam a new one in. It's like a squirt gun action film.

There are a number of guns that use the magazines, and the design is pretty cool. You fill the magazine up with water using a wide opening in the front, and close it with a large, easy-to-grasp screw top. It's easy to open, takes seconds to refill, and is simple to close again. There is a string attached to the top that connects to a porous ball inside the magazine, so the cap can't be lost.

There are two openings at the top of the magazine with a pressure-operated stopper. When the magazines are not in a gun, there will be no leakage, no matter how rough you are. The guns don't need any fiddling to get them to accept a new magazine; you can slam it right in there like you are in an action movie.

In practice, the system works very well. The magazines hold a decent amount of water, aren't very heavy, and you can strap a bunch of them to your belt using the clip on the side. The practical uses of a discrete container of water that can be easily replaced in a water-battle are easy to see, but it's also just plain fun to go dry, grab another magazine, slam it in, and keep firing.

While there are multiple water guns that use this new magazine system, we had a chance to play with the Thunderstorm, which retails for $15, takes four AA batteries, and turned out to be a wonderful toy. The battery-powered nature of the gun means that you don't have to pump, and the water comes out in one steady, strong stream. You can get good distance, soak someone very efficiently at short-to-medium ranges, and at that price, you can afford to get two for dual-wielding.

Keep in mind that when you first begin to fire it takes a second for the water to stream out; it's not instantaneous as with a classical Super Soaker. This is more than made up for by the fact that the stream is continuous until you take your finger off the trigger.

The extra magazines carry a retail price of $4, and it's a good idea to stock up if you want to instill fear in the hearts of all who attempt to douse you on the field of watery battle. There is nothing like being attacked by a man wearing a bandolier covered in extra water cartridges for his fully-automatic, battery-powered water gun. It's a look that says you can't be bargained with. You can't be reasoned with. You don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And you absolutely will not stop, ever, until the other person is completely soaked.