Date: Fri 19-Jul-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

park-rec-camp-laser-tag

Full Text:

with photos : Park and Rec Campers Try Their Hands At Laser Tag

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

About 20 or so Parks & Recreation campers from Newtown traveled to Fun Station

USA in Danbury July 11 for a day of roller skating, video games and the one

amusement they were all talking about...laser tag.

With the Star Wars soundtrack blaring in the background, the middle school

students strapped on their headsets, buckled their energy packs and energized

their phasers last week in preparation for battle.

The laser tag action takes place in a "back-lit" arena about 60 feet long and

40 feet wide. Teams are split up into two groups and once the action begins,

players engage in a game of hide and seek, looking to "tag" their friends when

they are not looking.

The futuristic team game brings cowboys and Indians to life as kids no longer

have to argue over who shot who first.

There's no physical contact involved, players fire beams of light at one

another. If you are hit, a light on your headset illuminates and a loud noise

goes off. A direct hit causes no pain and usually illicits giggles from the

victim.

The game lasts about 15 minutes with a computer tallying the final score.

Afterwards, the campers talked about their experience.

"It was a lot of fun," exclaimed Dane Iovino. "You get a real adrenaline

rush."

"It was awesome," agreed Joel Weinstein. "Laser tag is the best."

"It's cool to hit someone with a laser," Shawn Rosenthal explained.

According to Tammie Tanner of Fun Station USA, laser tag has been a big hit

ever since the Mill Plain Road establishment opened for business 18 months

ago.

"It's a fun game," she explained. "People are always coming in and asking

`what's this laser tag all about?'"