Water-squirting gimmick

Gaston! A bucket for monsieur!

Water-squirting is a gimmick that involves designing a toy so that it can shoot water out of its gun or by another means (e.g., the beast mode mouth). Most commonly, filling the gun requires submerging a soft bladder in water, then squeezing and releasing it so it draws in the water until it is full. Squeezing the bladder again expels the water in a stream or spray. This can simulate a laser gun more than a projectile weapon would.

This gimmick was first used in the Generation 2 Color Changers and was later carried into the Beast Wars and other succeeding toylines. Due to the gimmick's use of water, it is sometimes combined with color changing, which can be water activated.

Fiction

Generation 2 toy bios

Both Autobots and Decepticons have integrated water weapon systems into their Color Changer, Aquaspeeder, and Stormtrooper subgroups. These groups can use their water weapons equally effectively in vehicle and robot modes. These systems are known by various names, such as: Aqua power, water power, water defense power system, water weapon, and water fire power. It is unknown if these different names represent subtle differences in the application of water weapon system technology.

Toys

Generation 2

• Inferno(Autobot Hero, 1993)

Color Changers (1993)

Autobots

• Drench
• Gobots

Decepticons

Color Changers

• Deluge
• Jetstorm

Generation 2 Europe

Autobots

Aquaspeeders (1993)

• Aquafend
• Deluge
• Jetstorm
• Speedstream

Decepticons

Stormtroopers (1993)

• Aquablast
• Drench
• Hydradread
• Rage

Beast Wars

Maximals

• Cheetor and all of his repaints/retools (Deluxe, 1996)

Predacons

• Megatron (Mega, 1996)
• Jetstorm (Deluxe, 1997)
• Quickstrike (Basic, 1998)

Beast Wars II

Maximals

• Tonbot (Deluxe, 1998)

Beast Wars Neo

Maximals

• Cohrada (Deluxe, 1999)

Animated

Autobots

• Optimus Prime (Voyager, 2008)

Notes

• While the gimmick itself is a fairly common addition that has appeared throughout many kids' toy lines, most adult collectors do not employ its use due to the risk of the water causing any metal pieces on the toys, including pins, screws and bolts, to rust. There is also the underlying fear that a bit of water-squirting in the wrong direction will destroy another figure's precious electronics.