Air Storm Firetek Bow Zing Toys - F2A Heads up! (Review)

Zing - Air Storm Firetek Bow
By: Vas The Stampede
Foam From Above

Price: $29.97 - Wal-Mart Exclusive
Range: Up to 145'
Includes: 
Firetek Bow x 1
"Zonic" Blaze Arrows x 3
Available now: Red & Green colors (Red sample provided by Zing Toys)
Ages: 8+

 A design similar to the Z-Tek Air Storm Bow, the Firetek Bow is another entry from Zing Toys into archery and outdoor play. Like the Z-Tek, this bow is a bit smaller than the popular Zcurve bow and may not have as much range. I could hit upwards of 200'+ with the right angle and draw on a Zcurve, the Z-Tek came close but not quite. From some of the first shots I took, it is definitely look

The big feature here is unlike the Z-Tek bow, the Firetek bow has a button in the grip that turns on lights in the colored portions of the bow arms; similarly the "Zonic" arrows have a switch just under the arrowhead that turns on a light inside the arrow shaft. So these arrows are a bit thicker feeling than past arrows; and the plastic shaft may feel a bit fragile. 

However, the arrow tips are a thick foam again as with most Zing products so the arrows should definitely be able to take a beating. I haven't performed a stomp test on these arrows though as I don't know if they will have separate ammo packs available. Therefore, I want to keep my Zonic arrows mostly in good condition.

The effect is pretty neat, and watching your arrow zip through a darkened sky is a different kind of experience. The lights even help see where the arrow loops are in the dark, making night shooting a little easier. The lights on the arrows also obviously made finding my shots in the dark a snap. Dare I say it was easier to find these than green colored Zartz in grass. One other feature is I was able to reach my thumb from the grip to the switch on the arrows as the arrow was hooked in, which was nice if I needed stealth. I don't know if smaller hands could do the same, but I don't see it as being impossible. Unlike the z-Tek, this now doesn't have arrow holders, users are going to have to use pockets or something else to carry around extra rounds.

In a pinch, the Zonic blaze arrows and even the bow could be used as a flashlight, but I wouldn't recommend counting on either as a replacement flashlight. They illumination is impressive, but definitely not advisable if you have other sources of light available.

I do see some great possibilities for using this particular gimmick, too. Say in a specific scenario you had to fire a signal flare in an evening gametype, or in another you had to hit a target from a distance in low light. In the right gametype this would be a fun accessory to spice things up.

As this is a Zing bow product, the real fun of this product is outside where high power and ranges are better suited to cut loose. I wouldn't recommend using this in a house or in close quarters - if you can control your draw power well enough then I leave that decision up to the player. This is definitely more for the wide open spaces, though.

So yes, the Firetek Bow has a very familiar feel to it, but the ability to test your aim in low light conditions with only these as your only light source may be enough to pique the interest of the archer in your family. I hope extra arrow packs become available as well, the idea of more than a few "flares" is something I would like to play around with and what game types may come out from that. The price is a bit high, but considering the electronics and the solid construction that isn't entirely unexpected.