Back in the mid to late 2000's Buzz Bee was nowhere near as we know them today. They never made high powered Sentinels and whatnot like they do now. They tried cramming shell ejection into every possible blaster they could think of, which of course never ended well. They didn't discover the concept of ergonomics yet, and the grips on their blasters were best suited for someone missing two of their fingers. Oh and of course there was the Tommy 20, pretty self explanatory at it's best. But even in the sea of shit they were producing for years on end, there were a few rare gems. One of those is the Berserker, a hybrid blaster that takes a high capacity revolver and a rocket launcher and fuses them into one. But how good was it exactly?
Size compared to a Rotofury.
The Berserker is essentially a fusion of the high rate of fire and capacity of the Belt Blaster with the long range capability of the Big Blast. There really aren't many hybrid blasters like this and the closest one I can think of from Nerf is the Demolisher 2-in-1. First of all the Berserker is massively front heavy because of the 20 dart turret. The pump grip on the front feels a little short and the actual grip... oh god. This thing is baby hand tiny and the lower part of it digs into your lower fingers. Plus the firing trigger for the main gun is so far recessed into the grip itself that it's just uncomfortable to use. It's most definitely going to get replaced when I mod the thing.
Turret detail.
Apart from the glaring issue of comfort the Berserker is a very versatile blaster, at least on paper. The 20 dart turret accepts Elites without any issue and it's capable of slam fire although I don't know if this was intentional. The launcher in the middle can accept anything from arrows to the Demolisher rockets. Again, this setup is very front heavy and with how awful the grip is, it's even worse.
It's not as bad as it seems.
Performance is average to say the least; about 35 to 40 feet with the main gun and about 30 feet with the launcher which basically makes the rocket launcher part in it's stock from pretty pointless. Open the blaster up and you find a smallish direct plunger tube with a pretty beefy spring and a new style Big Blast tank. Part of the reason why the blaster shoots pretty sub-par is that Buzz Bee's barrel setup is pretty shitty and it limits airflow severely. I will note that older Berserkers have the old style Big Blast tank which has more air volume but more prone to breakage. All later models, including the Ultimate Berserker and the Maniac have the new tank. Nevertheless, modded Berserkers are pretty underrated in my opinion because the main gun is capable of around 70 to 80 feet if properly modded and the rocket launcher can break 100 feet easily. It's a rushing weapon and a sniper in one front heavy, uncomfortable package. I'd replace the grip if I were you.
The Berserker is an interesting blaster whose kind is rarely seen on the market. It's not exactly powerful or comfortable but it's sheer versatility and modability make up for what is otherwise a pretty average blaster. There are much better stock options on the market right now that eat this oddity alive in terms of performance but like I said, a well modded Berserker can prove to be an effective all situations blaster. It's worthy of a 6 out of 10 in stock form, one of the much better Buzz Bee blasters of the late 2000s era and with some elbow grease, it can still hold it's own today.
Size- Similar in size to a Rotofury but with much more frontal bulk.
Reliability- No major issues apart from possible tank leaks.
Ammo- 20 Micro Darts, 1 Buzz Bee Rocket
Modding- Loads of potential, rebarreling both guns can have great results.
Value- At $20, you got a fairly versatile blaster with plenty of potential.
Is It Better Than?
Demolisher 2-in-1- Depends, the Demolisher has a better main gun and it can be more easily modded in ways that can outperform a modded Berserker's main gun. However the launcher on the Demolisher is pretty much crap whereas the Berserker's can be modded to shoot absurdly far.
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