Happy National Laser Tag Day!

As we've recently got back into playing the great game of Laser Tag I was doing some searching online and found out that today - Saturday 26th March 2011 - is National Laser Tag Day!

The day has been created by the International Laser Tag Association (ILTA) to celebrate the opening of the first-ever Laser Tag Centre in 1984!

I wish every Laser Tag Warrior a Happy National Laser Tag day. Whether you're a RED, GREEN, BLUE, or even a YELLOW, have a good one :-)

Laser Tag Rankings - at 12th March 2011

Since January 2011 a bunch of us having been playing a fair bit of Laser Tag on our travels.

In the Eternal Laser Tag War that rages between the forces of the REDS, BLUES, GREENS, and YELLOWS(!?) we've all taken part in Laser Battles in such far-flung places as Birmingham, Hemel Hempstead, Bristol, London, Peterborough and Crawley.

Currently the "Top Gun of Top Guns" is Oliver 'The Machine' Florence, with a 100% win-loss record and four-wins from his three battles as a RED and one-win as a GREEN.

In tied second place are me and Emily, with Emily picking up three wins from four appearances as a RED, and showing true loyalty to her army. I have collected three wins from my five appearances as a RED/BLUE/GREEN (but not a YELLOW).

Click to enlarge ranking list

Nobody has yet made an appearance for the YELLOWS.

Other Laser Tag Blog Posts:

Laser Tag in Birmingham and London

Laser Quest in Bristol - The Minigolfers Challenge

Harry's Buttons in Bristol and a Closed-Down Quasar!

'LaserForce' Laser Tag in Peterborough

Quasar Elite Laser Tag in Hemel Hempstead

Quasar Elite Laser Tag in Hemel Hempstead

Today Emily and I headed to Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire to play a game of Quasar Elite.


An intersting 'Laser Tag Fact' is that the Hemel Quasar centre is the world's only multi-theme Quasar Elite arena, with five different zones!


The battle between the Blue Team and the Red Team saw me and Emily face-off against each other in opposing sides in the 31 player game (comprised of two kids birthday parties and us).

The battle was won by the 15 player Red Team with a score of 1055, with Emily ranked 3rd within the team. The Blue Team scored 681 points, and I was the team's Top Gun! I was very surprised at this due to Emily and her team's tactics of sending three girls to constantly target (chase) me throughout the battle!

(The scoreboards only count up to three digits, so the score of 1055 is shown as 055!)

The centre is pretty cool, with a large arena to battle in. We will be returning for another match soon.

As a Quasar Elite Champion I treated myself to a piece of Merch - a fetching red Belt Pouch/Man-Bag. When we left Emily refused to hold it, even for a while, as she said "...it would ruin my street cred."!





Other Laser Tag Blog Posts:

Laser Tag in Birmingham and London

Laser Quest in Bristol - The Minigolfers Challenge

Harry's Buttons in Bristol and a Closed-Down Quasar!

'LaserForce' Laser Tag in Peterborough

'LaserForce' Laser Tag in Peterborough

We were visiting friends in Peterborough today and found out there was a LaserForce Laser Tag Live Action Laser Games Arena in the City.


In the last month we (I!) seem to have become addicted to playing these futuristic warfare games! They're quick and easy to play, and great fun at a good price.

In this edition of the eternal struggle between the RED and GREEN Laser Tag teams, the GREENS were triumphant. Our team, the REDS, scored 33,653 to their 40,455.


I was the RED team's 'Top Gun' with a score of 8703, which was good enough for third place overall. Our friend Rebecca 'The Fen Tigress' Evison was third in our team on 3801, while Emily '9 Lives' Gottfried was fourth in the RED team with 3753.



The LaserForce in Peterborough was set over two levels and had some great theming. There were also eight bases/targets for players to hit, as well as a 'friend or foe' non-player-character in the battlezone known as 'The Navigator'! There is also a LaserForce in Leicester which we'll have to check out next time we're there.


Other Ham & Egger File Blog Posts about Laser Tag Games:

Laser Tag in Birmingham and London

Laser Quest in Bristol - The Minigolfers Challenge

Harry's Buttons in Bristol and a Closed-Down Quasar!

The Laser Games Arena also had a fine selection of Arcade Machines - including a fantastic and quite rare Boom-A-Rang 'Crazy Air Squash' Air Hockey Table!


Back in August 2010 we contested The Undisputed International Worlds Crazy Air Squash Championships on a similar Air Hockey Table in Hastings. This time we played the Peterborough Boom A Rang Air Squash Championships - full report to follow...

Harry's Buttons in Bristol and a Closed-Down Quasar!

Following the Laser Quest Challenge in Bristol we headed over the road to Harry's Amusements, where the neon sign outside said there was a Quasar Laser Tag inside!


However when we enquired, 'Harry' told us that the Quasar there closed four years ago!


Instead we played some old retro arcade machines, had an Air Hockey tournament and played a Table Football competition - this resulted in a ten-nil victory to the Richard-Richard/Gottfried-Skeggs Combination!

In 'Harry's Air Hockey Tournament' Oliver beat Richard G 7-3, Richard S beat Marc 7-2 and in the Grand Final Richard S beat Oliver 7-2 (or possibly 7-3).

Laser Quest in Bristol - The Minigolfers Challenge

Following the BMGA Rumble in the Jungle Minigolf Tournament me, Marc Bazeley, Oliver Florence and Richard Skeggs headed to Bristol's Silver Street and the Old Fire Station for a Laser Quest Challenge!

Oliver and Richard had beaten us to it and by the time Marc and I arrived they had scouted out the 'course' and already played one game! With 'Ice Man' Richard Skeggs runner-up at a seven-year-old's Birthday Party!


In the following match-up the 'Ice Man' stuck with the RED team, while the rest of us joined the mighty GREENS.


The Individual Rankings:
3rd Overall - 'Squire' Richard Gottfried
5th Overall - 'Ice Man' Richard Skeggs
6th Overall - Oliver 'The Machine' Florence
14th Overall - Marc 'Snag*' Bazeley

* Marc actually gave his nickname as 'Snake' lol!?

Website of Laser Quest Bristol.

Laser Tag in Birmingham and London

In the last week we've played two games of Laser Tag. The first at Laser Station at Star City, Birmingham, followed by the Star Command Laser Tag at The Trocadero in London.

Both were great fun and reminded me of playing Quasar and Laser Quest years ago in Oxford, Minehead, Bognor Regis and Barry Island.

The last time we played the Laser Station in Birmingham Emily defeated me, Mark Swain, Craig McAllister and Angela McAllister. This time out I was the 'Top Gun' amongst the Minigolfers. At 'The Troc' yesterday I was runner-up.



The players in The Trocadero Laser Tag Briefing Room


Richard & Emily post-battle.


The weapons at the Star Command Laser Tag in London have a number of different Ammunition types which add a whole new dimension to the 'sport'.

I've also heard there's a Quasar/Laser Quest in Hemel Hempstead, and remembered there's one in Bedford too. Not too from us here in 'Parts Unknown' (Luton). Plans are also afoot for a re-match from the Star City Contest amongst members of the BMGA Tour when they head to Bristol soon.

We're also big fans of Shooting Shacks here at The Ham & Egger Files, and whenever we head to Blackpool we always head for the Pirate Flyer Indoor Laser Game Monorail at the Coral Island Amusement Arcade.

The Pirate Flyer - Laser game monorail at Coral Island in Blackpool

While competing in minigolf tournaments around the country, and visiting Mini and Crazy Golf courses on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, I do enjoy passing the time in Amusement Arcades playing games such as Hillbilly Shooting Shacks, Bowlingo, Arms Champs, the penny falls, and Crazy Air Squash.


However, of all these games the best 'Amusement Arcade Sport' I have found to date is The Pirate Flyer - a Laser game monorail ride at Coral Island in Blackpool!

It's great fun!

Link:
- Coral Island Amusement Arcade in Blackpool