Tiviachick Loves Laser Tag

https://open.spotify.com/show/0xzXT3aqGa2edIlXpcaJBS

Friday, October 3, 2025

Tag Talk from the Ultrazone Fort Wayne 30th Anniversary

On this week’s episode of Laser Unfocused Tag Talk, while attending the 30th anniversary celebration of Ultrazone Fort Wayne I had the chance to sit down and talk with owner Pat O’Connor, his daughter Mary O’Connor and general manager Paige Herman about this legacy laser tag arena celebrating three decades of making memories.

ON SPOTIFY:

ON APPLE PODCASTS:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/laser-unfocused-tag-talk-with-tivia/id1632442213

ON YOUTUBE:

https://youtu.be/UfIVJuxV6rU?si=GoHpVY_ak1pwGs_U

Comments or Questions?

Thursday, October 2, 2025

Security! Security!

I was not calling for security because there was any problem. Quite the opposite. When I arrived (literally running) to Clarksville Strike and Spare in Clarksville, IN it was nearly closing time. Ever try to pull a laser tag game together at 11:45 when the business closes at midnight? Well, with HUGE thanks to manager Heather, staff member (and impromptu game tech) Kaylin, and security guard Chris I was able to play one final game of the night and not miss being to say that I had literally tagged from one corner of Indiana to the other over the course of this one single day!

Now you see why calling “security!” was simply so I would have an opponent to play against for this late night game of Lasertron. :)

As Chris was formerly in the marine corps you can believe he was good competition. He really brought it! Plus there is much more of an air of “seriousness” when you are playing against someone in uniform.

So we got ready to enter the laser tag with Kaylin restarting the system (as they were quite reasonably ready to shut it down for the night).

We opted for a free for all game. I headed over to my recharge station as Chris headed to the opposite side.

The arena is a single level space with a traditional Tron-tube build.

I was a bit surprised to play FFA with our vests lit up in opposite colors (as opposed to flashing the same). Mine was green.

Otherwise it was a typical game (although for a hot second I thought we may have to get one of the Plausibles on the phone as they were setting it up for us).

This was the end of a LONG day of travel (or the beginning of the next long day, depending on how you look at it). It is not always easy to plan a travel route that gets me to every arena I want to see during optimal public-play timeframes. That’s why I am always so appreciative when the businesses I visit are willing to accommodate an oddly timed game or find someone to jump in for an unexpected 1v1. What I will remember most from this visit isn’t the game itself, but rather that it is the first time I have had security called in to play against me! :)

Comments or Questions?

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Is There An Elephant in the Arena?

I thought I had seen it all. Over the years I’ve played in laser tag arenas where I have found dinosaurs, flying cars, giant animatronic spiders and I can’t even count how many Statues of Liberty I’ve tagged around. However, this was the first time I can recall walking into a game and thinking “Is there an elephant in the arena?!”

It was a delightful surprise to find a really stunning, jungle themed arena at Fun Blast in Seymour, IN hidden behind this attention-getting entryway.

We’ve had discussions about how to draw customer eyes and attention to your laser tag attraction and this is EXACTLY the right way, with bright, vivid graphics, a peek into the experience with a window into the briefing room (showcasing the brightly glowing Laserforce Gen 8 packs) and above all, HUGE lettering to let you know you have found the LASER TAG!

I do notice the big things. I also tend to notice the little details that make a big impression, like this custom carpet.

I was joined by Cayla and Ana (and one other delightful player) and was very impressed with this single level space. Now, no getting around the elephant being the focal point!

But there are also some additional cool aesthetic elements throughout the arena, like this cheetah perched above an archway.

And the next most prominent prop would have to be this gorilla…inside a shark’s mouth?!

Now, two things make me step back and say “Art Attack” and those are the vibrant graphics on fabric decorating the walls.

And…the bridge. Always the bridge.

But the arena is impressive! They’ve made a small-to-medium size space play well and we had such a great time! I’m delighted that I will be able to earn a traveling achievement from this stop. And, considering I walked in about a half an hour before closing, I was just thrilled that I didn’t miss my opportunity to have a blast playing laser tag at Fun Blast!

Comments or Questions?

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Aruba, Jamaica, Indiana…Tagging Down In Kokomo

There are a few things I wanted to do while traveling through Indiana. The ones I allowed myself to enjoy this trip included visits to three more laser tag arenas after I left Fort Wayne, starting with a detour that took me “…way down in Kokomo” to The Zone Sports and Event Complex in Kokomo, IN. And believe me, I was singing the refrain to that Beach Boys song the entire way!

I am incredibly appreciative to Kalyn for working with me on accommodating a last minute visit and coordinating a unique opportunity for me to play with some Battle Company gear I don’t stumble across every day.

Here is why I call this experience unique. When we walked back to the briefing room I got to see the “armory” with a nice rack of Battle Rifle Pro taggers.

There was a poster hanging up to explain the features, which I noted because I’m not sure I have ever seen this image displayed in other arenas before.

Now, playing with the Battle Rifle Pro is not uncommon for me at all. However, what was intriguing here was the offer “would you like to use these or THESE?”, indicating to a rack of BRM metal-hybrid taggers. Now, THIS is interesting to me, as I believe this may have only been my third time ever getting to play using the BRM style. Yes, please!

There are a few things that make this a different experience from the Battle Rifle Pro. Most notably is the reload, where you physically remove the clip, as well as the “kick” I felt when tagging with it. Did I need to reload every time? Absolutely not. Did I choose to? Yes! Because at this point I was finding the gear to be a novelty that I wanted to fully experience.

Kalyn and I entered the two-story arena and I explored the various nooks and alcoves of the entry level first.

But where was this second floor? Actually, it was downstairs. Who would have guessed I had entered on the top floor?

Honestly, the lower level was a bit dark and with only two of us in the game I didn’t feel like we needed to spend half the game looking for each other, so I opted to stay up on the primary game field. If we had been playing with a group it would have been a different story (literally), but for this game I already felt like I had an upper hand, as Kalyn opted for the BR Pro and I was feeling quite badass with my BRM. :)

But there was plenty to work with on this level, with lots of boxes, barrels and other obstacles shaping the field. And traversing the space, tagging a successful game felt really good. This arena has an overall vibe that I like.

It was really nice to get to experience The Zone!

And I loved being able to take home a souvenir t-shirt, as you know I love my “tag swag”. I think this one will be perfect!

I had such a great time checking out this arena. It was also in an ideal location for a stopping point at this stage of my trip. I enjoy the home-grown atmosphere and the customer-focused attitude I observed and experienced. They also offer Gellyball and Nerf Wars, so their space is a multi-purpose venue that seems well-suited to serving parties in this community. But of course, the laser tag was and will always be the most appealing attraction to me. If I am passing through Kokomo, IN again I would definitely pay a return visit to The Zone Sports and Event Complex!

Comments or Questions?