There are few game franchises that know how to merchandise like Halo. From the Mountain Dew Gamer Fuel that accompanied the Halo 3 launch, to shoes, t-shirts, and collectibles, gamers tend to go gaga over just about anything with Master Chief’s face on it. It was in this vein of product hysteria that Jasman Toys launched the Covenant Plasma Pistol and Covenant Plasma Rifle Laser Pursuit Gaming Set.
Aside from being an unwieldy name (Lazer Tag is a trademark), the replica Covenant weapons are designed to make you feel like you are right in the game, and you’ve happened across the corpse of some unlucky grunt whose weapon hasn’t yet been poached. In fact, for added fun, when you start up a game, scatter the guns around the playing area and let the players find them. Just like in a real war, if you can’t secure a firearm, then you aren’t going to last long.
The weapons look and sound just like the real thing, with careful attention paid to every detail. The guns are made to scale, leading you to believe you’re holding the real thing, and each of them carries significant weight, creating a sense that this is more than just a plastic toy; if you aren’t careful it may just discharge and put a giant hole in the side of the house. Furthermore, the sound effects used when firing the gun are authentic to the game, so when you hear the familiar buzz of the plasma pistol readying a charged shot or the rapid zaps of rifle fire, you’ll know it’s time to get to cover. The design of the pieces, as well as the recoil after each fired shot, make these replicas feel more realistic than most would imagine.
Other aesthetic touches have been added to the weapons to up the coolness factor, including lights, an LED ammo display, and pop-out pieces for when the gun overheats. That’s right: just like in the game, if you pour out too steady a stream of bullets from the rifle or loose a charged shot from the pistol, flanges will pop out and the gun will refuse to fire until you pop them back in place. It’s a neat touch that lends authenticity, and also prevents anyone from winning a match by simply holding down the trigger at all times.
Each gun also comes with a target to be clipped onto the belt when playing so as to determine which shots hit their marks. Each player is given five dots of “shield,” and once they are totally depleted it’s game over. However, just like in the game, if you manage to get to cover and avoid damage long enough the shield recharges, letting you go back on the offensive.