Laser Tag - You're It!

Shanghai’s got go-karting, bowling, paintball, but what about laser tag? Check! Recently opened Australian-owned X Club is located underground in a rather plain office building in Xujiahui. The fluorescent black lights and neon signs direct you down an eerie walk into a basement of carpeted floors in psychedelic swirls and spacecraft-esque sliding doors. At the entrance you are greeted by a life-sized Transformer with laser beaming eyes – it’s like walking into a real-life video game.

X-Club is an entertainment multi-complex, with other leisure activities like karaoke and billiards, but the main attraction is, of course, being able to shoot your friends with lasers. To ensure that the space-age competition is Shanghai-suitable, they’ve also tacked on a full-on bar that offers reasonably-priced bottled beers, drafts and cocktails, not to mention the practically mandatory pre-game shooters. If all that zapping has worked up an appetite, X-Club has that covered as well, with tapas of small pizzas, pastas and all manner of fried foods on the menu. The televisions above the bar offer the perfect action for drinking games – a live feed of your friends and opponents fighting their way across the battleground.

The war zone is a dark, spooky field of walls, platforms and barriers that create an indoor maze. Ramps can help elevate those who have their guns ablaze and the many holes in the neon-painted walls allow cunning snipers to peer through and attack their prey. It’s an urban jungle where only the fittest will survive.

One round of laser tag lasts 15 minutes and costs RMB 50, but the better deal is the RMB 100 package that comes with three games. If you’re feeling adventurous and want to try something new, grab a couple of friends or co-workers and head on down. Forget hitting the gym for cardio – you’ll get a full workout in-zone chasing around friends and foes alike!

B1F, 366 Zhaojiabang Lu, near Xiangyang Nan Lu. Tel: 400 666 8023

Compete at the 2011 Laser Tag World Cup

Think you have what it takes to be a laser tag champion? Well, here’s your chance to find out! X-Club is hosting the 2011 Laser Tag World Cup this month. A preliminary round to weed out those who aren’t up to snuff will happen 17 – 18 September, and the winners will move on to the Elimination and Championship Round on 24 September. Besides bragging rights and immortalisation, the winning team will take home RMB 5,000. To enter, contact email [email protected].