Blast from the past

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If you think you know all about playing laser tag, which has been around since the 1980s, maybe you should think again because Rob Douglass, owner of Ultra Blast Laser Combat Center in Inverness, believes his facility offers a new, more enjoyable version of the game.

“We call it laser combat,” Douglass said. “What I did was try to think of everything that could be improved about the way laser tag is played.”

Ultra Blast, which opened in November, combines aspects of team play derived from paintball with a large arena and state-of-the-art technology to offer a more exciting experience than the old versions of laser tag, Douglass said.

Laser tag has been based primarily on individual scoring, whereas in paintball, “you work as a team to achieve goals, like capture the flag,” Douglass said.

As a consequence, he believes paintball is often “more fun and exciting” than laser tag.

“What I tried to do is take the fun game-play aspects of paintball and translate that into laser tag, which is indoors, air-conditioned, and less painful and less expensive than paintball,” he said.

For example, laser combat allows teams to adopt a variety of strategies to win a game, such as working together to attack and capture a neutral tower base.

Douglass said he made this “fusion” work by building a two-level, 9,000-square-foot arena, which he said is twice the size of any other laser tag facility in the Birmingham area, in order to create a good experience for adults as well as kids and teens.

The design of the arena has also been improved, according to Douglass. “The layout is a bit more open and less maze-like, so you are able to shoot longer ranges,” he said.

In another attempt to make the game more fun, Ultra Blast features “real-time scoring inside and outside the arena” with a score screen, Douglass said. “We have an observation deck inside the arena, and people who are not playing can cheer on their team,” he said.

Ultra Blast also features new, up-to-date gear, including laser tag equipment with “really accurate shooting and hit registration,” phasers with “multiple fire modes,” more visible lasers and better sound effects, Douglass said.

There are also different game formats available when using the newest laser-tag equipment, according to Douglass. “One of the capabilities of this new system is that we can do games like zombie attack and capture the flag,” he said.

Ultra Blast offers players a full fantasy ride, allowing them to take part in human or alien teams and to join one of a half-dozen “factions,” such as the “animalistic glowing mutants” of the Regicide faction and the “all-around warriors” of the Zulkaz faction, according to the facility’s website.

Douglass said he wants to continue improving the user experience. For example, he plans to hold competitions. “Our team-game concept is set up for tournaments, which is why we have the observation deck,” he said. “A tournament would not be fun if you can’t watch it.”

Douglass, who lives in Inverness, served with the U.S. Navy in the first Gulf War and earned a degree in management from Auburn University. He has worked as for a large company in Birmingham for many years. He is a first-time business owner, even though he long had the ambition. “I have always wanted to try it — the classic be-your-own-boss thing,” he said.

Running a gaming facility seemed like a good fit for Douglass, given his interests. “I did a haunted house in my basement for years,” he said. “I just like to see people have fun. If I can make a living doing that, it is very rewarding.”

Ultra Blast Laser Combat Center

  • WHERE: 157 Resource Center Parkway, Suite 109, near U.S. 280
  • HOURS: Tuesday-Friday, 5-9 p.m.; Saturday, noon-10 p.m.; Sunday, noon-8 p.m.
  • COST: $9 for one game; $16 for two games; $21 for three games; $26 for four games (each game includes 10 minutes of combat). Group and birthday party rates available.
  • CALL: 968-1740
  • WEB: lasercombatcenter.com