Review of Factory Entertainment’s TNG Phasers
The standard edition (left) and the Season 1 limited-edition variant. Image: TrekCore
JANUARY 30, 2023 – They only appeared a few times in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but if you’ve been thinking about adding a pair of Type 1 hand phaser replicas to your collection, TrekCore has a review to help you make your decision.
Coming from Factory Entertainment, the same folks who brought out the TNG medical kit last year, the two phasers are versions of the same weapon as seen in season one and then as slightly altered for future seasons. They are the small, “cricket” style phasers, and each “features identical electronic light and sound integration, controlled through the two copper-colored beam intensity buttons. Once powered on — by holding down the left beam button for a few seconds — this allows users to raise the phaser’s strength from a low-level stun setting (Level 1) to a high-powered vaporization setting (Level 8) with a simple press of either button.”
Additional features include a power overload (yep, you can “detonate” your weapon) and the “Crusher Mode” as seen in TNG’s season five’s “The Game.” The replicas are each powered by four LR44 batteries, measure about 3.5 inches, and come in wood and glass cases.
For much more on the Type 1 phaser replicas as seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation, including images and a six-and-a-half minute review video, head over to TrekCore.
David is a contributing writer for Daily Star Trek News on the Roddenberry Podcast Network. He is a librarian, baseball fan, and book and movie buff. He has also written for American Libraries and Skeptical Inquirer. David also enjoys diverse music, but leans toward classical and jazz. He plays a mean radio.
