Tiviachick Loves Laser Tag

The Hidden Gem in Jersey

I always like to be the first to share cool things with the laser tag community. Over the weekend I was traveling through New Jersey (OK, who had “back in NJ again” on their bingo card?) and I had asked Gordy from Laser Storm if he had any arenas he could recommend for me to check out along the way. He pointed me towards BB Grand Slam in South Plainfield, NJ, which may be the most unique hidden gem I have stumbled upon in quite some time. It is not specifically the laser tag itself that is so intriguing, but rather the fact that this has somehow gone under the radar of the tag community…up until now.

Now, this business has had been operating with Laser Storm in their laser tag arena for over 20 years, so the fact that nearby laser tag enthusiasts were asking me how I found this site speaks more to their prominence as a baseball club and training site with a focus on skills improvement, batting cages, athletic courts and one of the largest baseball pro shops in state of New Jersey. They even offer baseball and softball lessons with Bobby Bonds, brother of Barry Bonds. This place has a lot going on! However, with an arcade, VR pods, adventure climb and ball pit they are a prime location for birthday parties, which is really where the laser tag factors in the most.

The owner, Gary, told me that laser tag is included in every birthday party package, which makes up the majority of their laser tag business. He says they do overnights and take the occasional walk-ins, but mostly the laser tag is offered to planned party groups. So, in this case by walking in for an individual game I was the exception, not the rule. However, they were incredibly accommodating to allow me to play some tag in the approximately 1000 square foot arena and I had a fantastic time experiencing the game!

I had a 1v1 game with Paul and that was actually perfect for the space and situation. The arena is sized well for kids parties, and has a retro vibe that I really like.

This is an undivided arena with each team’s energizer positioned in an opposite corner.

There are barrels and barrier walls at comfortable heights. Wilsoning for me just meant crouching down behind the wall.

And I liked that you could take up to three hits before energizing (as in tournaments we typically take two, so this kept me in the game significantly longer).

Gary was incredibly complimentary about his experience working with Laser Storm, telling me he feels it is effective and reliable. This business switched from another laser tag manufacturer in roughly 2003, so that speaks well for the longevity they have experienced with Storm.

I posted a couple of teaser photos from my visit online and immediately got response from other laser tag players wanting to know more. That doesn’t happen all the time, but in this case they were asking how it was possible that there is a laser tag in their backyard that they didn’t know was there. That’s why I feel this truly is a hidden gem (in plain sight) and I am delighted to be the first in my laser tag community to be able to share it.

Comments or Questions?

Monday, October 14, 2024

Another Museum Collection Photo Challenge

Museum Collection Monday is back with a little photo trivia. Do you know which laser tag system etched the logo of the site using their gear directly onto the phaser? Here’s an example.

The answer can be found at https://lasertagmuseum.com/exhibits/noteworthy/

Comments or Questions?

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Packing a Lot of Fun Into a Little Time

I was playing beat the clock by the time I made my way to Owynn’s World of Adventure in Litchfield Park, AZ. I wanted to fit in one more laser tag experience before calling it a day and meeting up with friends for dinner. If I was going to be on time for our dinner gathering, I knew my time was tight. That’s why I especially appreciate that the team at Owynn’s got me into a game right away, playing Delta Strike Genesis for the third time in the last 24 hours.

This is a cute little arena. The theming is fairly simple, with a rocky atmosphere creating the setting of a mountaintop, with images of plains flying nearby.

The concept of bringing players into a higher elevation is augmented by having a raised center platform serve as an upper level, accessible by ramps.

This was the second time in two days that I was particularly aware of what seemed like a significant amount of extra targets in the arena. I found myself echoing my earlier sentiment that if I had gone in alone, I would still have had plenty of elements in this arena to tag. As I was playing a one V1 versus a staff member who does not play very often, I was trying deliberately not to go hard on player to player tags, so I focused more on finding all the smart targets scattered about.

I actually really like when I see lots of bonus targets in an arena. What I would like to see more of is the incorporation of these targets into arena props. However, I enjoyed seeing so many of them throughout this game. This was a lot of fun…and so far I was still right on schedule!

When I was done playing laser tag, I could have simply been on my way, however I noticed that this location also offers Verse Immersive holographic experiences and I was really interested in trying this “out in the wild”. I had sampled Verse during last year‘s IAAPA and, even though I was pressed for time, this seemed worth taking a few extra minutes out of my schedule to try it out.

Verse Immersive is a kind of VR, but unique in that you can see your environment through the headset, so you are not completely removed from having some real world vision. That is one of the things I like most about it. I have real trouble with traditional VR in general because I feel unsettled when my vision is cut off by the headset covering my eyes. This, however, is different. Once I had the Verse Immersive headset on, I could see the interactions in the game as well as the open floorplan of the black box style room where I played my experience right alongside other people having completely different experiences at the same time.

I have yet to try any VR where the experience has been flawless. I won’t pretend that this was a completely smooth encounter, but there are definitely enough positives to make this both enjoyable and unique. It actually worked out well because I had a chance to sample several of the experiences for a few minutes each. I started with “Primal Ranch” where the program began with me training a dinosaur. Well, we all know I’ve been there and done that before! (Any excuse to bring up my little lizard…aka my tiny dinosaur)

The dinosaur images in this one were truly stunning. However. I did encounter a small glitch and rather than starting fresh, I was offered the opportunity to sample a different experience, so I went into “The Unreal Garden”, which I had previously tried at IAAPA.

There are a lot of cool creatures portrayed in this one. I think the poetry and narrative may be especially appealing to younger players. The imagery, however, is once again stunning. I was quite impressed with the visuals. With five minutes before I had before I had to get back on the road I got a quick sample of the Art of the Future.

This one was right up my alley. It did not require anything but exploration and appreciation for the artistic images all throughout. In a way it was a bit like a self guided tour. Seeing how beautifully the images came to life in the headset was worth taking the extra time to experience Verse Immersive in a proper space. Trying something at a trade show is very different from experiencing it in a real world environment and this was worth taking the extra time to experience.

My thanks to the team at Owynn’s for packing so much into my very short visit to this location. Next time I am in Arizona, I would love to stay a bit longer. However, it was time for me to make my way to Phoenix for a very well needed time away to visit with my friends. What a great way to end the tag part of this trip!

Comments or Questions?

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Dragons and Castles and Phasers, Oh My!

I was seriously impressed with my experience laser tagging at Golfland Sunsplash in Mesa, AZ.

This is probably the coolest arena in which I have ever played Lazer Runner. Yes, that is a very specific statement, but it is also incredibly accurate.

My impression of this center began to take shape as soon as I walked up to the entrance of this giant castle.

I arrived just in time to join a group that was heading up the stairs to the second floor arena, where I encountered some interesting things. First, it was unique compared to many of the Lazer Runner experiences I have had in a couple of ways. This is the first time I can ever recall actually seeing a Lazer Runner briefing video. That may sound like a small thing, but what are the odds that it would have taken this long for me to see it?

Also, this was the first time I have ever had a code name assigned to a Runner pack. Clearly the capability is there and most arenas must simply not be putting in the extra effort. Meanwhile, this center is doing it right!

The equipment was clearly the newer gear and it played very well for a smooth and enjoyable game experience.

I joined up with the group and after vesting up in one designated corner of the room, we made our way into the arena space. It is a single level space with a lot of cool things going on…and a few surprises!

I was told the medieval themed artwork on the inner maze walls was done by their staff and the arena was fully redesigned about six months ago. They did an impressive job!

There is an unusual, freestanding staircase positioned on one side if you are inclined to want to get some height. I question whether there is much practicality for this, but it is definitely unique and not something I come across often.

The outer walls have beautifully done mural-style art reflecting the overall theme. One wall in particular caught my attention.

This wall literally pictures the king and queen of the castle, the owners of this facility. I absolutely LOVE personalized touches like this and I think the idea was incorporated really well!

The music was upbeat and really energized the game. And every now and again…WHOOSH!!!!! A loud blast of air would blow downward and hit you from above! This is a VERY surprising and effective way to give players an unexpected jolt periodically throughout the game. This was one of the most memorable takeaways for me that keeps the adrenaline pumping and it definitely made me jump every time!

The dragon is the real showpiece of this arena.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it he experience and we gathered for a group photo at the end.

The concession area had a nice variety of options (fried avocado…YUM!!!) and I ordered a combo so I could take home this cool souvenir cup.

This was a really memorable arena and I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed this visit to Golfland Sunsplash and their festive castle!

Comments or Questions?