Ghostbusters Plasma Series Neutrona Wand (1984), Premium Collectible Proton Blaster for Role Play, 14+

I've been a huge Ghostbusters fan since the 80s and have always wanted a replica proton pack but the costs involved have always kept me from owning one (seriously, custom 1:1 hero replicas can go upwards of $3000) and unfortunately I missed out on the HasLab pack and am hoping against hope they'll offer an '84 version like they did with this neutrona wand but anyway this review is about the wand itself.Right out of the box it's impressive. While the construction is all-plastic it does have a little heft to it, especially after you've installed batteries. The startup sequence is faithful to the "canon" and hearing it power up is just awesome. The built-in motor makes it vibrate and you can turn the knob on the top to increase the intensity of both that and the sounds. Powering it down gives the appropriate sound effect.The additional modes are a very sweet touch, and if you're unfamiliar with where they come from, play the 2009 game. Seriously, if you're a Ghostbusters fan and somehow have never played it, you absolutely need to. It was written with help by Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis as the third movie we never got (prior to Afterlife), and brings back almost the entire cast to reprise their respective roles. Some of the stuff even made its way into the franchise down the road.Back to the review, there's a lot to like here but there's a few quibbles I have with it. Don't get me wrong, I really like this replica but it seems like most people give it glowing reviews and never mention anything else. To balance it a bit I want to mention those things to give potential buyers a clearer picture of what they'll be getting, both the good and the lacking.First and foremost is the bar graph. It's disappointing. Rather than going with an actual LED bar graph they put a row of 5 large round LEDs behind a plastic lens with printed lines to simulate one but it doesn't really work. The LEDs animate while firing and will go up and down in response to turning the intensity knob but it's the biggest visual flaw in an otherwise nice package. Mods exist to replace the LEDs with an actual bar graph but it's a somewhat involved process.Another issue is the barrel. They lined it with a diffuser material to hide the LEDs inside and spread the light out but it makes it visually inaccurate. The barrel is supposed to be clear, not solid white. Mods to fix this seem to be common and from what I've read the LEDs actually look nicer without the diffuser. And there's also the obvious orange safety tip that everyone hates. This is easily remedied with some paint, however.The third thing is the vent light on the top. While the vents as molded are actually open, there's a white semi-translucent plastic piece inserted into them from the inside. This means while you'll see the vents light up, they won't look screen-accurate. This is another thing that people have modded, removing that piece to open the vents and let the light be directly visible, as it should be.Finally, two smaller issues. Firstly there's the auto shutoff. While this is great for saving batteries, it's not so great if you're wearing the thrower on your belt or a pack and want to keep it lit up. After about 20-30 seconds or so with no activity it shuts off. This is (of course!) another thing people have modded, but like the bar graph it's a more complex one. Secondly the stand. It LOOKS good, but honestly it's not that great. It functions, and that's about the most you can say about it. The plastic is a little too soft and has some flex which is not ideal for something supporting a somewhat pricey collectible. And the middle support is kind of embarrassing. It comes with a plastic wedge that you slide into the V-hook and on the back it has a peg. So you'd expect the matching stand support to have a peg hole for it to slide into, right? Nope. The middle support is completely open at the top giving you nothing to actually slide that peg into securely; instead it just sits into this (relatively) huge hole. Update: With some time the stand supports are leaning progressively more and more to the point where I'm afraid it'll dump the thrower and until I can get a solution for it have put something under it to keep it from falling off. It's a stand, it has ONE job, and it's failing at that. That's pathetic, Habsro. You don't use soft plastic to support a pricey collectible. You saved probably what, a penny per stand over using a sturdier plastic?With all of that said, this is the best and most accurate commercially-produced replica to date, so you can take it and enjoy it as-is, or if you want to mod it to be more screen-accurate you can. What you do is up to you and your skill set.

My son loves this I’ve spent double on less quality prouducts.This is wellMade. Great price, works well and durable, and entertaining! Perfect

The media could not be loaded. I bought this 1984 wand for my current pack build. I already have the Spengler wand on my last pack, so this one was a no brainer. These wands really are a great replica, and when you're build or modifying a pack, they are a bargain. I am currently modding this one for my new pack. I am 110% satisfied with these Haslab wands. It's really not a toy for a child. It's a good toy for big kids AKA adult kids.

Super realistic my kids love them.

I love it. I needed this one to give it the frozen empire look. I have the other one. Money well spent.

In good condition nothing broke box was a bit beat up that's all though.

It’s a great replica molded from the actual movie prop. Haslab makes some amazing things. It hooks up to their proton pack and the hand grip feels better without the padded wrap. It comes with a display rack to assemble. It’s lightweight and has 4 different sounds (proton stream, slime, stasis, & meson collider) from the video game. Functions: moving switches, 2 buttons, pressing the green lever elongates the wand’s barrel.

Great for the price. It's not very heavy and feels like a cheap knock off. I fit it under 100 so I'm happy.