Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    Banner
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • Shows by Decade
        • 1950s Television
        • 1960s Television
        • 1970s Television
        • 1980s Television
        • 1990s Television
      • Shows by Genre
        • Comedy
        • Drama
        • Kids TV
        • Variety
        • News & Sport
        • Advertisements
      • Shows by Country
        • UK TV
        • USA TV
        • Australia & NZ TV
        • Canada TV
        • Europe TV
        • Japan TV
      • Shows A to K
        • Shows A
        • Shows B
        • Shows C
        • Shows D
        • Shows E
        • Shows F
        • Shows G
        • Shows H
        • Shows I
        • Shows J
        • Shows K
      • Shows L to Z
        • Shows L
        • Shows M
        • Shows N
        • Shows O
        • Shows P
        • Shows Q
        • Shows R
        • Shows S
        • Shows T
        • Shows U
        • Shows V
        • Shows W
        • Shows X
        • Shows Y
        • Shows Z
      • Shows 0 to 9
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • 1950s Music
        • 1960s Music
        • 1970s Music
        • 1980s Music
        • 1990s Music
      • Music A to K
        • Music A
        • Music B
        • Music C
        • Music D
        • Music E
        • Music F
        • Music G
        • Music H
        • Music I
        • Music J
        • Music K
      • Music L to Z
        • Music L
        • Music M
        • Music N
        • Music O
        • Music P
        • Music Q
        • Music R
        • Music S
        • Music T
        • Music U
        • Music V
        • Music W
        • Music X
        • Music Y
        • Music Z
      • Music 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • 1950s Movies
          • Movies 1950
          • Movies 1951
          • Movies 1952
          • Movies 1953
          • Movies 1954
          • Movies 1955
          • Movies 1956
          • Movies 1957
          • Movies 1958
          • Movies 1959
        • 1960s Movies
          • Movies 1960
          • Movies 1961
          • Movies 1962
          • Movies 1963
          • Movies 1964
          • Movies 1965
          • Movies 1966
          • Movies 1967
          • Movies 1968
          • Movies 1969
        • 1970s Movies
          • Movies 1970
          • Movies 1971
          • Movies 1972
          • Movies 1973
          • Movies 1974
          • Movies 1975
          • Movies 1976
          • Movies 1977
          • Movies 1978
          • Movies 1979
        • 1980s Movies
          • Movies 1980
          • Movies 1981
          • Movies 1982
          • Movies 1983
          • Movies 1984
          • Movies 1985
          • Movies 1986
          • Movies 1987
          • Movies 1988
          • Movies 1989
        • 1990s Movies
          • Movies 1990
          • Movies 1991
          • Movies 1992
          • Movies 1993
          • Movies 1994
          • Movies 1995
          • Movies 1996
          • Movies 1997
          • Movies 1998
          • Movies 1999
      • Movies A to K
        • Movies A
        • Movies B
        • Movies C
        • Movies D
        • Movies E
        • Movies F
        • Movies G
        • Movies H
        • Movies I
        • Movies J
        • Movies K
      • Movies L to Z
        • Movies L
        • Movies M
        • Movies N
        • Movies O
        • Movies P
        • Movies Q
        • Movies R
        • Movies S
        • Movies T
        • Movies U
        • Movies V
        • Movies W
        • Movies X
        • Movies Y
        • Movies Z
      • Movies 0 to 9
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Pop Culture»Toys & Games
    Toys & Games 2 Mins Read

    Super Soaker

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    Created by prolific patent-holder and NASA scientist Lonnie Johnson in his basement during spare evening hours in 1982, this revolution in water gun culture was actually born out of Johnson’s attempts at creating a new kind of cooling pump technology for refrigerators and air conditioning units that used water instead of Freon.

    He shopped around the humble prototype – a hodgepodge built out of a two-litre soda bottle, plexiglass and PVC pipe – for several years until finally catching a break with promising toy company Larami.

    When it officially launched in 1990, the Super Soaker didn’t bear the now-recognisable moniker, but instead, the less-appealing ‘Power Drencher’ label. But poor sales and a name conflict with another inventor led to a full rebranding and relaunch in 1991.

    This, coupled with a memorable TV advertising campaign, resulted in more than two million Super Soakers being sold that year alone. Whether it was the line’s signature neon colours or the strong, reliable H2O tech, the new outdoor play device was a massive hit.

    Some of the first Super Soaker water guns released were the SS30 (orange and yellow), the SS100 (blue and yellow) and the bestselling SS50 (yellow and green). It was this last model that earned Super Soaker an official nomination for the National Toy Hall of Fame.

    With the introduction of Larami’s CPS (Constant Pressure System) in 1996 came the infamous CPS2000, a revered model that arguably remains the most powerful stock water gun to ever hit store shelves. It even came with its own health and safety warning: “Use with adult supervision. Do not shoot at anyone’s face or eyes”.

    By Super Soaker’s 10th anniversary, more than 200 million guns had been sold, to the tune of $400 million in sales revenue.

    Toy maker Hasbro absorbed Larami in 2002, but they continue to crank out new Super Soakers every year under the Nerf product line. Since their introduction over 20 years ago, there have been approximately 175 Super Soaker models released, giving kids and adults alike a variety of ways to wage watery warfare.

    Related Posts

    • Donkey Kong
      Donkey Kong
      The video game Donkey Kong was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and is owned by Nintendo. It follows the adventures of…
    • Little Professor Calculator
      Little Professor Calculator
      Calculators became portable during the 1970s following a breakthrough that enabled their development with just a few low-powered chips. In…
    • Action Figures
      Action Figures
      What??? A boy playing with a doll??? Are you insane? These weren't dolls, they were 'Action Figures'. There's a big…
    • Yo-Yo
      Yo-Yo
      A playground favourite for millions of schoolchildren the world over, the Yo-Yo is actually, according to some historians, one of…
    • Video Games
      Video Games
      Encouraged by the success of Atari, other companies tried dipping their joysticks into the home video game market in 1976. Coleco…
    • Major Matt Mason
      Major Matt Mason
      "Mattel’s Man in Space!" Space exploration was the dream of many a young mind in the late 1960s, and Major…
    • Planet of the Apes figures
      Planet of the Apes figures
      Few science-fiction concepts were as durable as the one that fueled Planet of the Apes. The success of the first…
    • Outlaw
      Outlaw
      Released in 1976, Outlaw wasn’t the first arcade game to explore the Old West tradition of the shootout (Midway/Taito’s Gun…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleNight of Fear (1972)
    Next Article Nobody Ordered Love (1972)

    Comments are closed.

    NC Radio Player
    Search the site

    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love since 1998. The site carries no advertising, and I rely on donations to help with running costs and to keep the site running for your entertainment and education.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small. 

    Thank you so much.
    Enjoy your trip in the time machine!

    You may also like

    • Mego Super Heroes
      Mego Super Heroes
      Starting in 1972, the cream of the crop from DC and Marvel comics worlds joined Mego’s 8" range of poseable,…
    • Super Mario Bros.
      Super Mario Bros.
      In his first two video game appearances, Mario had to play second banana to two starring gorillas, Donkey Kong and…
    • Game Boy
      Game Boy
      Gaming companies had launched primitive and clumsy portable consoles in the past, but it was the arrival of the Nintendo…
    • Donkey Kong
      Donkey Kong
      The video game Donkey Kong was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and is owned by Nintendo. It follows the adventures of…


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.