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Go-Karts, Go Tag!

Two laser tag arenas located inside multi-attraction FECs in the Houston area are part of the same company, but offer two distinctly different tag experiences using Zone Helios CE.

My first stop was to Speedy’s Fast Track. I met Josh Derrick, the company VPO who told me he co-designed this arena. He put together a game for me to check it out.

The neon artwork in the vesting room gave an indicator of the design style that was right around the corner when we started the game.

This double level arena is all about the pop culture references, from Pac-Man to minions and other cool accents painted throughout both floors.




I got to play a game with Josh’s son and a few of his friends and I give them big props because those kids threw down for this game! I could tell that they are accustomed to playing together and “running the arena” so I didn’t hesitate to challenge them right back. At one point three of the boys triangulated around me to try to keep me from taking the blue base on the lower level. However, base cracking is not new to me and after a few go arounds I deactivated them all and took the base, to which the game master let out a whoop to see me pull that off. :)


From there I headed up a steep ramp to the second level where I had a much easier time taking the green base and getting my tag and target points. I could tell those boys did not expect me to keep up, but a good challenge is what makes a great game and I appreciate that this is exactly what I got at Speedy’s Fast Track.

Later in the day I experienced their sister location, Go Kart Raceway. This arena was completely different and thoroughly impressive!


As I made my way to the stairs leading up to the arena I could tell this was my kind of place. :)

This arena was a multi-room style, single level game space designed to look like a variety of locations in an old-time town.

Rooms included a candy store…

A library…

A general store…

And even a jail for the base!

I love arenas like this where a creative theme is executed really well. However, there was one feature that trumped everything else as my favorite element of this arena. Whenever I playing arena I look around for what makes me say “wow! Crossing right across the middle were two intersecting wide green light beams, similar to those you would find in a Laser Maze. This is really memorable!


I would love to see more of this in use. I was so impressed (and unsure whether the beams would turn off at the end of the game) so in the middle of the game I asked the game master if he would take a couple of photos of me standing between the beams.

He agreed, but also told me he couldn’t take too long doing that because he had to keep an eye on the game. I can’t tell you how much I respect how this young man took his responsibility that seriously! I am impressed that he was more concerned with monitoring for safety and I salute him for being that responsible. I wish I had gotten his name to shout him out for having an excellent work ethic and for doing exactly what a good staff member should when a laser tag game is in progress.


Ultimately, I was very pleased with both of my laser tag experiences. Sometimes at FECs like this you find the laser tag treated like an afterthought, but both these locations offered me an excellent game experience in two distinctly unique arena settings.


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