Shadowland Laser Adventures

I was baby-sitting an 8 and 10 year old who have a week off before their summer camps start. Everything I suggested doing it seems they had already done that week, or they didn't like, or didn't feel like doing. When they suggested laser tag I was kind of like, "I will take you people anywhere if you stop saying you're bored." I thought I could drop them off for 3 hours and spend the time reading. Wrong.

We came here because it was the only place open at noon-- others had summer hours but the summer hours hadn't started yet. Luckily, there was a big group of 10 people waiting to play so the kids would have people to tag. Unfortunately, they were all mid twenty year old men which scared the kids and they insisted I play too or else they wanted to leave. So much for a break.

The cashier told us to all sign waivers, which unless you have combat related PTSD is a little unnecessary, but whatever, we did what they told us. I got to choose a game name which I thought was cool, and a man came up to me and told me I needed to do an orientation which lasted all of 1 minute. "The front and back buttons are to shoot, and you need to press them both," he told me.

"Why just not one button then?" I ask.

"Because then people walk around like this," he said, and demonstrated a gangster shooting swagger one armed shooting moves. Basically, it keeps the game from getting something like *real* to keep two hands on the laser, which I thought was a great idea. Then the lesson was over.

Everyone was caroled into the room and the rules were issued and nuances to the game were explained. There were basically "gems" on the walls that could shoot you and you could hit a gem and become invisible as well. Then for 18 minutes we were allowed to run around and try to tag each other. Then it was over.

I played a couple games until the kids got comfortable with the other players, and walked around the third game. In the back there is an arcade, which was the craziest arcade ever. If you enjoy acid trips, you will like it back there. Otherwise, the unusual unsynchronized blinking lights and jarring noises emanating from all the machines will most definitely bring on a migraine and or/ nausea.

I didn't expect to like laser tag, and I didn't. But it wasn't as bad as I thought. I liked that the shooter thing shows your standing and points, who hit you, and who you hit as it happens. I also like that they give you a print out with everyone's points and final standing. It seems like a good place to go with a big group, or you take your chances that there will be no one to play with. The more players the better. For food, it's kid stuff- pretzels and pizza. There is also popcorn which gives the place a weird smell. But it's overall very organized and clean.

My boys and their friends had a great time at this facility.  The laser tag arena kept them entertained throughout our allotted party time. There was a little disorganization with the staff and getting our room ready but the staff was so nice and helpful in all other areas it made up for the hiccups.  The experience was so good that a couple of the parents thanked us for introducing this place to them.

1st, please keep in mind what type of place this is.  There were or it seems like 100 children running around from the food stand to the party rooms to the game center.  It smelled like a bunch of wet puppies in there and I quickly found out why this was.  After our weird breifing we went into the gear room to load up and after running around in that maze I was sweating like a HOG!  There were some who just sat in one area and waited for people to come by and shoot them but, that just wasn't fun.  The fun part was running around, excuse me walking around and capping folk.  This wasn't a hostile area and everyone there wanted to have fun and this we did.  Sorry, we didn't eat there so, I can't tell you about the food.  We went to Shiro in Kingstown Plaza for my daughters B-Day party.  Forget Ruby Tuesday they are rude!!!