Nerf Super Soaker Hydra Vs. Soakzooka | Water Gun Showdown

By: Jeremy Alden

The Nerf Super Soaker series brings the same blasting power to the water gun experience, offering children and teens a great way to cool down when the weather outside is too hot for anything else.

That being said, there are numerous products out there to choose from when you’re shopping for the perfect water blaster for your child or a relative.

Take, for example, the Nerf Super Soaker Hydra and the Nerf Super Soaker Soakzooka. Which one out of these two awesome blasters is the best option for your money?

In this guide, we’re going to take a closer look at these two products to determine which one reigns supreme!

Nerf Super Soaker Hydra vs. Soakzooka

Style and Design

Upon first glance, you’ll find that both the Nerf Super Soaker Hydra and the Nerf Super Soaker Soakzooka offer a relatively similar design.

Both come with bright blue, white, and orange bodies that really emphasize their Nerf origins and give you a classic feel that any Nerf enthusiast will love.

You might be interested in: Why the SuperSoaker CPS 2000 Was Banned

Of course, the major difference lies in the body of the blasters. The Super Soaker Hydra meets the traditional blaster format, with a handle and a firing mechanism towards the front to deliver massive streams of water at the enemy.

The Super Soaker Soakzooka instead uses a design where the handle is at the top of the blaster and you rely on a firing mechanism towards the top front of the blaster.

Does this affect handling? Absolutely! But we’ll dive deeper into this in our comparison sections later on in the guide.

Water Capacity

When it comes to water capacity, you’ll find that these blasters are relatively similar in nature. With the Super Soaker Hydra, you get 1.9 liters of water capacity, which is ample storage for tons of blasting fun.

If you choose the Super Soaker Soakzooka, you’re going to get 1.6 liters, which is still plenty of firepower in any water war. Regardless of what you’re looking for in terms of water capacity, you’ll find that both of these blasters measure up fairly closely in this category.

Firing Mechanism

We’re all used to squirt guns that either employ a regular trigger or require you to pump extensively to only get a dribble out of your weapon. Fortunately, these Nerf weapons don’t use either of these common firing mechanisms to get the job done.

Rather, both of these blasters use a pump-action mechanism to deliver water from the body of the blaster.

However, the main difference between the two is that the Super Soaker Hydra has a pump-action mechanism that is accessed from the bottom of the blaster while the Super Soaker Soakzooka features this handle on the top of the blaster instead.

When it comes down to it, the weapon that you choose will ultimately depend on personal preference.

Additional Features

Although there are no extra features that define the experience, we should discuss one of the most important aspects of your Nerf blaster: the location of the cap.

Refilling water guns can get messy, and the worst part about having to reload a water gun is having the water spilling out when you’re trying to get the cap back on.

This is especially difficult when water guns decide to put their caps on the side of the weapon and hope that it holds when the blaster is upright.

What We Like About the Hydra and Soakzooka

Because these blasters are more similar than different, the highlights of these two tend to fall into the same category. Some of the highlights of both of these weapons are:

• Adequate Water Capacity: With 1.9 liters and 1.6 liters at your disposal, you’ll find that both of these blasters offer plenty of water to help you take down the competition and have a blast. True, more water is always a great thing. However, both of these tanks offer sufficient water and can be handled by both children and teens.

• Ease of Use: The more features you pile onto a blaster, the harder it becomes to use. With just a pump at the front of the blaster, it’s never been easier to fill your water blaster and start blasting almost immediately!

• Simple Design: The simplicity of the design lends itself to greater functionality. If you want a water blaster that’s simple, you’re going to love both the Super Soaker Hydra and the Super Soaker Soakzooka.

What Can Be Improved on These Water Blasters

• The Hydra Could Have a Better Design for Setting Down the Weapon: If there’s one thing that kids are bound to do when handling such large blasters, it’s setting them down. Unfortunately, doing this with the Hydra means having to set it on its side as it’s not built to be set down as the Super Soaker Soakzooka is. When you do set it down on its side, it often ends up leaking some of the water, which can be a major problem once the player picks it back up and goes to use it. This doesn’t necessarily compromise the quality of the blaster, but it is a downside to an otherwise great weapon.

• The Handle on the Hydra Can Be Awkward to Use: Different firing mechanisms offer different pros and cons for different players. Some may find the firing mechanism on the Super Soaker Hydra to be convenient. However, the weight of the body and the close distance between the handle and the pump may be awkward for some users. This is just something to keep in mind if you’re considering purchasing this blaster.

• The Soakzooka Could Increase Its Water Capacity: The Super Soaker Soakzooka is built like any Nerf blaster designed to have a massive ammo capacity. However, we find that it only offers 1.6 liters. As we’ve established, this is a good water capacity. But with the convenient body of this water gun, we expected a bit more. Nothing can be done about this, but if you’re looking for something greater than 1.6 liters, the Super Soaker Soakzooka likely isn’t the gun for you!

• The Hydra Could Take Better Care About Cap Placement: The Super Soaker Soakzooka places the cap perfectly in the middle, which ensures that it’s easy to access and won’t leak when the gun is tilted back or set down. The Super Soaker Hydra, on the other hand, features the cap on the back. This is very accessible, but it does create problems if you decide to accidentally tilt the gun forward or backward during gameplay.

Our Verdict: The Nerf Super Soaker Soakzooka Is the Clear Winner

Although the Nerf Super Soaker Hydra has a bigger tank, the Nerf Super Soaker Soakzooka is the superior blaster.

With a flatter body that can be set down on the ground, excellent cap placement, and both a handle and a pump-action mechanism at the top of the blaster’s body (which makes for much better handling and eliminates some of the awkwardness of the Hydra), the Super Soaker Soakzooka is a water gun that any child would have a blast firing!

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