First, let me say how much I've enjoyed reading this message board for the past few months.  Reading your posts has brought back memories that I had almost forgotten (reminds me a bit of that eBay commercial, where a boy loses his toy boat at the beach, only to see it years later on eBay as a stunned, grown man).

Did any of you ever play Photon back in the 80's?  Photon was a laser-tag game that was popular back in the the 1985-87 time frame.  I can remember spending almost every free dollar I had back in 8th grade at the Photon arcade.  Before each game, you would "suit up" with a helmet, battery pack belt, and gun.  This was done in an "airlock".  There were two teams, a red team and a green team.  Players would attempt to shoot members of the opposing team while running through a dark, split-level maze that was shrouded in fog.  You got points for shooting other players, and bonus points for shooting the "base" of the opposing team.  Conversely, you lost points for being shot (it was possible to end up with a negative score).  I remember absolutely loving this game.  I think that all Photons eventually went out of business, due to the wear and tear on the equipment, and the high cost of replacing it.

First, let me say how much I've enjoyed reading this message board for the past few months.  Reading your posts has brought back memories that I had almost forgotten (reminds me a bit of that eBay commercial, where a boy loses his toy boat at the beach, only to see it years later on eBay as a stunned, grown man).

Did any of you ever play Photon back in the 80's?  Photon was a laser-tag game that was popular back in the the 1985-87 time frame.  I can remember spending almost every free dollar I had back in 8th grade at the Photon arcade.  Before each game, you would "suit up" with a helmet, battery pack belt, and gun.  This was done in an "airlock".  There were two teams, a red team and a green team.  Players would attempt to shoot members of the opposing team while running through a dark, split-level maze that was shrouded in fog.  You got points for shooting other players, and bonus points for shooting the "base" of the opposing team.  Conversely, you lost points for being shot (it was possible to end up with a negative score).  I remember absolutely loving this game.  I think that all Photons eventually went out of business, due to the wear and tear on the equipment, and the high cost of replacing it.
This sounds like Laser Tag, but I never knew it was an 80s game, as a matter of fact, the laser tag place just went out of business here. I played it not 3 or 4 months ago.  It sounds exactly like you describe, you belted on this semi-heavy shoulder apparatus and had sort of a Boba Fett type weapon that fired red tracer beams, you had to aim at sensors on your opponents arms, shoulders, back, etc.  I had a hard time in there because most of the kids would blast me because I was an adult sized target and I guess couldn't move as fast as the teens and younger kids.  Anyway, I would hide in the dark and blast the buggers whenever possible ;D  There were no teams, though, it was everyone for themselves, and you got a scorecard at the end of the game showing how many hits you made and who you got.  Was it the same in Photon?

I remember Laser Tag, it was fun to play.

This sounds like Laser Tag, but I never knew it was an 80s game, as a matter of fact, the laser tag place just went out of business here. I played it not 3 or 4 months ago.  It sounds exactly like you describe, you belted on this semi-heavy shoulder apparatus and had sort of a Boba Fett type weapon that fired red tracer beams, you had to aim at sensors on your opponents arms, shoulders, back, etc.  I had a hard time in there because most of the kids would blast me because I was an adult sized target and I guess couldn't move as fast as the teens and younger kids.  Anyway, I would hide in the dark and blast the buggers whenever possible ;D  There were no teams, though, it was everyone for themselves, and you got a scorecard at the end of the game showing how many hits you made and who you got.  Was it the same in Photon?


Laser Tag was the successor to Photon.  I think that Laser Tag arcades survived longer than Photon, b/c the equipment was less bulky and also sturdier, so it didn't break down as often.  I played Photon in my youth, and played Laser Tag in my mid-20's, when I was doing volunteer work through the Big Brother program.  It's funny that you should mention feeling like a giant target compared to the kids -- I felt the same way when I was playing!  Those kids would alway beat the snot out of me (score-wise), because they were so fast and nimble compared to me.

In Photon, I think that the only targets you could hit were the helmet and gun (remember, this was mid-80's technology).  I remember there being more of a sense of "immersion" when playing Photon, like you were really a soldier in some sort of futuristic battlefield.  The worst feeling you could have was getting shot multiple times, and not having a clue where the "sniper" was firing from.  I also remember the Photon arcades playing space-age music such as Jean Michel Jarre during the games.  The smoke machines added a lot to the environment as well, since you couldn't see either the maze or your opponents clearly.  I guess that today's online games (e.g., Battlefield 1942, World of Warcraft, etc.) have taken over the laser-tag games.  I feel sorry for today's kids that they probably won't be able to enjoy the experience of Photon/Laser Tag.

remember the strobe light attacks that would cause HUGE point lossage if you got hit?  i can recall throwing my little brother to the ground trying to reach a safe "dark" corner.  PHOTON was such a rush, hehe.

remember the strobe light attacks that would cause HUGE point lossage if you got hit?  i can recall throwing my little brother to the ground trying to reach a safe "dark" corner.  PHOTON was such a rush, hehe.


The Photon arcade I played in didn't have this particular variant.  That's funny that you should mention running over your little brother -- I can remember running through the maze at top speed, and colliding head on with someone who was just around the corner.  I'm sure that incidents such as this are the reason why the equipment didn't last very long (and why Photon eventually went out of business). 

I absolutely loved Photon back in the 80's.  Got to play Laser Tag in the 90's, when I was doing volunteer work through the Big Brother program.  Those kids would kill me -- I was tall, while they were short and much more maneuverable (very difficult to hit).  Still a lot of fun (but NOT the same intensity as playing Photon). 

Perhaps with the 80's coming back in style, someone will resurrect Photon arcades with updated technology (of course, one of the neat things about the old Photon was how heavy the equipment was -- it really gave you the sensation of suiting up for combat, with that heavy belt, harness, gun, and helmet).

I played Lazer Tag instead of Photon.

Some companies have brought out more generic versions of Photon in recent years though. I've seen 'em at Toys R Us.

Yes I played Photon. It was the poor kids laser tag. Photon is actually still being sold. I saw em at Target yesterday.