A few months ago, I devised a Nerf killcam using a Looxcie HD mount and an iron sights attachment from my Nerf Longstrike. It was effective, but basically cobbled-together and expensive. A $200 action camera and an attachment for a $40 Nerf gun make for a pricey toy add-on. Fortunately, Hasbro has released its own official answer to my high-definition killcam: the Nerf N-Strike Elite Battle App Tactical Rail Mount Accessory. It's a clip-on holder for your iPhone or iPod Touch that turns it into a digital scope and camera with a free app. At $14.99 (list) it's a fun little accessory if you like Nerf toys and you have an iOS device, but as an Android smartphone user I feel left out.
The Mount
The rail mount is the same dark blue plastic found on most Nerf N-Strike Elite guns, with gray accents, a white stripe, and an orange lever for the iPhone enclosure. The enclosure is a two-part clamshell case for the iPhone (4th, 5th, or 6th gen) or iPod Touch (4th or 5th gen), with rubber mounted on the insides to cushion the device. The mount comes with a smaller gray plastic sleeve that fits inside the enclosure so you can use your iPhone 4/4S or fourth-generation iPod Touch (the mount fits the iPhone 5 and 5th-gen iPod Touch without the sleeve). The orange lever flips up and closes securely to fasten the two sections together, and the rubber is molded to ensure your device won't shake or fall out of the enclosure when it's closed. There are no holes for the 30-pin or Lightning connector, or any of the side buttons, only a cut-out for the front Home button and a cut-out for the camera lens on the back. The mount clips onto any Nerf accessory rail, and leaves enough room to open the enclosure completely to insert or remove your device without taking it off your gun.
The App
You can use your standard iOS camera function in video mode as a killcam, but Hasbro intends for the mount to work with its free Nerf Mission App. The app integrates a camera function that can record 5-, 10-, or 15-second clips or bursts of 1, 3, or 5 photos into a sci-fi-themed interface that turns the screen into a digital scope when not recording. The app also includes a guide to hand symbols for Nerf warfare, and has rules for a few games like Capture the Flag and Base Defense. These are all minor features that aren't particularly useful or fun. The big plastic bezel on the mount and tiny icons on the app make it difficult to navigate with the iPhone or iPod Touch, so unless you really like the sci-fi-themed digital scope you should probably just use the iPhone's Camera app.
The Video
While the camera position in the mount is slightly to the left of the barrel, the lens is wide enough and angled just right that you can't really notice that it's offset; the picture looks just like your view would be from the top of the mounted gun. The mount is too high to get the barrel in frame, even for larger rifles like the Rapidstrike, but you can get a good view of darts flying when you shoot. As you can see, I shot some videos of Nerf guns in action through the mount, and it worked very well.
At $15, the Nerf N-Strike Elite Battle App Tactical Rail Mount Accessory is an affordable accessory to your Nerf arsenal if you already have an iPhone or iPod Touch. For an office-warfare camera, it's a fantastic toy. And it's simpler and sturdier than my own homegrown killcam, and it lets you shoot people while you shoot them.
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