Toy Review: Hasbro Lazertag Battle Set

Laser tag has come a long way in the past decade. No more feeble beams that don’t work outside, or over-sensitive sensors that record random hits. Now they’ve got haptic feedback, head-up displays, shotgun mode and even built-in videogames. Well, actually that last one is a bit crap, but Hasbro’s latest Lazertag
set (around $70) is otherwise a total blast.

Here are some of the cool features that our kids loved:

• Manual reload action, with a "magazine" that pops out at the bottom of the handle. A very satisfying whack puts you back in the action.
• Green light dot in the scope looks cool, might actually help aim.
• Female voice sounds like Cortona in Halo.
• Fifteen-second shield allows you to dash through the open with impunity, forcing foe to expose their positions (before they hear the shield sound). Suckers!
• Every time you fire, the gun shudders and parts ratchet around with useless but cool action.
• Pump the shotgun part, and you’ve got a wide angle blast that can hit multiple foes.

And here’s the bit they’ll never play again:

• SNES-era lightgun game with awful accuracy and graphics that are as ugly as they are low-rez. Only worked on one of our two TVs and totally bored our Xbox 360-spoiled kids.

Hasbro wisely doesn’t show much of the game on its site, but this screenshot says it all:

Bottom line: tied with the awesome Nerf Maverick
for the best household combat gear ever. It’s Enders Game all the time at our place!

Wired: Great electronic and haptic details add depth and cool quotient. Works like a charm.

Tired: Effort to tack on a 1980s videogame laughable to 21st Century kids.

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