Lazer Tag Archives - Retro Ramblings

I’m sure we can all wax poetic about all the cool toys we had when we were kids and all the hours of fun they brought us. But on the other side of that coin are all the things we wished and hoped for, but never had for whatever reason. Well, here I’m discussing those things. The things we would salivate over, plot and scheme to try to get, yet always came up short. I hope some of you out there reading this had these things so you can fill me in on all the fun I missed out on by not having them. So, if you DID have any of this stuff, please drop some memories in the comments, because I want to hear that they were as awesome as I always imagined they would be.

G.I. Joe U.S.S. Flagg Aircraft Carrier

This single toy was, and still is, my Holy Grail. Never was there another toy that came before GI Joe in my eyes. It was the grand daddy of ’em all. I had most of the figures, the vehicles, the play sets, the action packs, and nearly anything else tied to the GI Joe toy line. But the one thing that always eluded me was this aircraft carrier.

When fully assembled, this toy was a whopping six feet in length! That goes beyond the realm of toy, and into the realm of something more like a coffee table. It was released in 1986 with a hefty retail price of $89.95, so it was definitely not to be found in my house. My dad would have had an easier time giving birth to one than actually paying that much for a toy.

But for years I would sit and think about all the cool battles that could have been had featuring the Flagg at the center of the action. It was so big, you could have incorporated many planes and helicopters on it’s deck. You could have loaded it with fifty or more figures without cramping things too much. Even while typing this, my mind is drifting away to endless assaults on Cobra Island with this thing as the center piece.

As an adult in the early 2000’s, I tried again to acquire one. Searching on eBay, I found dozens of them, but none complete. The incomplete ones there were going for several hundred dollars. I actually did see one in a comic book shop one time, still sealed in it’s original box, but with a price tag of $1500. If I could have ever decided which child to sell, I may have ended up with it.

But who knows, maybe one day I’ll run across a good deal on a complete one and be able to purchase it. Then my friends, the battle for superiority of the bedroom will resume once more.

Continue reading “Things I DIDN’T Have as a Kid” →

“The game that moves at the speed of light.”

If you were a kid in 1986, you probably remember the hype. For months before Worlds of Wonder finally released Lazer Tag, the company built up suspense to unbelievable levels with a series of teasing ads. We knew it was called “Lazer Tag,” we knew it would change the world of sports—heck, even the whole world—but exactly what it was remained a mystery. Slowly it began to take shape: There was a gun (good so far), there was a cat-and-mouse pursuit (still with you), and it somehow involved lasers (sold!).

Lazer Tag finally reached its hungry public in the summer of 1986, and while it may not have lived up to everyone’s imagination (sorry, no death ray), it was still very, very cool. Technically not a laser, the Lazer Tag StarLyte guns actually fired infrared blasts, triggering a signal in the StarSensors players wore on their chests (possibly as part of a StarBelt or StarVest, topped off by a StarHelmet). Each time the sensor was hit, another LED marker would light up in the StarSensor, and after six hits, that player was out of the game. Helpful ads on TV and in comic books showed kids how to play the game, usually set in some kind of futuristic stadium with plenty of obstacles and eerie lighting effects (though any home or playground would do). Continue reading “Lazer Tag” →