By the end of the night I was playing beat the clock to visit Whirlyball Texas aka LaserWhirld (love the creative spelling on that!) in Hurst, TX.
I did not know what system they were using here and could not even guess from the exterior of the building. I was delightfully surprised to learn I’d be playing some Helios 2.
If you wonder why I say “delightfully surprised” it is because of the eclectic combination of elements that I found at this location. My first impression was that this site seemed a bit old school from the aesthetic. Honestly, those are often times the arenas I prefer, but I don’t always expect to find the latest version of equipment. What I found was that this IS an old school arena that has new tech and that really makes for a very cool experience.
First, let’s discuss the game. Although a party group (half a dozen or so adults in their 30s) was just finishing up, they did not have it in them to go another round, so by the late hour of the night it was going to be a 1v1 between me and the game marshal. He was a good sport and a very good competitor named Braden. He showed me into the two-story arena.
My first thought was “wow, they don’t build them like this anymore!” My second thought was “get him!” as Braden began by immediately showing me he knew what he was doing and would not be holding back. Love it, me too!
We spent the majority of the game chasing each other around the upper level, in and around the barrels and barriers of the space that is built in such a way that the top floor is essentially a loop.
There are some catwalks and ramps that are solidly built and I was told the owner did the design for this arena himself. There is such a difference between playing this kind of space vs the pre-fab mazes that I usually encounter.
Theming is minimal outside of the barrels and a few simple barricades.
However, where the neon cityscapes do show up on opposite upper-level walls they really do pop under the black lights!
What impressed me most about this arena would have to be that it feels like a standalone site even though it is not. Clearly Whirlyball is the main attraction and they do have a nice arcade area, but this feels to me like the kind of place you go when you want to play real laser tag. Unlike a typical FEC, the focus is squarely put right where it ought to be, on the main attractions that are basically spelled out right in their name. These are the kind of homegrown laser tag sites that are becoming more few and far between, but that deserve to have some spotlight because what they do, they do well. New gear, a unique, original arena build and a staff that is willing to accommodate this random blog lady walking in at the end of the night…these are the elements that make this place a memorable winner in my book! :)
Comments or Questions?
Contact: Tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com
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