Lazer Tag toy teaches teamwork and problem-solving in a fun
Hello this is my first review of an item on Amazon.com. To start off I will simply go through the categories the stars highlight then move on to a broader review.
Fun: I am 23 years old and am not afraid to admit that I bought this stuff mainly for myself... I have 24 sets which is the maximum number of players in the programmed games. Every game I have played has been a blast in environments ranging from a large wooded backyard to a very large woodland park to a privately reserved coastal fort battery :) The main thing that makes this gear fun game after game is that it has so many different modes of play available. There are straight up free-for-alls team based games Protect the leader games "King of the hill" (Zone) games and even a couple "Hide and Seek" games that have you chasing the rival team 1 minute thun running from them the next (Great cardiovascular workout by the way just program a 20 minute Hunt/Seek game in close quarters)
Educational Value: I gave it a 5 because of 2 key areas of experience it gives which are invaluable throughout an entire lifetime. First in the team oriented games the players on the team which can communicate and work together effectively will be able to win over a team that bickers and quarrels. By encouraging random team formations the game "leaders" can force the players to learn to put aside their differences and work together for a victory. Secondly when the players on one team find themselves in a bad spot compared to the other team they will quickly learn to improvise and will develop problem solving skills to allow them to escape from even the most awkward situations. This type of game will probably allow even quicker problem solving than "pen and paper" practice due to the immediate incentives of victory and admiration from teammates and opponents alike.
Durability: Flat out 5. This is not to say that you can use the guns to pound a nail into a 2 by 4 but I HAVE taken several tumbles down hills and tripped over several roots while playing and even landed tagger first a couple times but none of my gear has sustained anything but minor cosmetic damage. I have also played in light rain conditions without any problems although I wouldn't recommend this gear to be used in full rain as the type of buttons on it would be susceptible to allowing water inside. If you are the parent of a player who DOES get their gear wet and comes complaining to you the best thing to do is remove the batteries and let it sit for a couple days in a dry place. It will most likely resume normal functionality after it is dry.
OK so that takes care of the ratings Amazon asked me to provide. Now here is something extra I would like to add in. Don't think for a second that this gear is "just for kids" I have been an avid laser tag player since I started picking up gear off of ebay in 1999 and this is the best I have seen. I play with a group of people in the Puget Sound area of Washington that range in age from 8-80 as one member put it (I am too polite to ask exact ages) I will be moving home soon and plan on forming a club in Central Illinois. I will be sticking with this gear as our main equipment and hope to see more groups spring up across the country. It is high time Lazer Tag gets the attention and popularity it deserves and I think this gear will be what turns the key in that lock.More detail ...
