Happy to report that the Photon Documentary is progressing nicely. We hope to have filming complete by the end of Spring. Thanks for the plug!!!

@SecretGalaxyTV

3 жыл бұрын

Excellent!

@andy-in-indy

3 жыл бұрын

If you meet the guys from ILTA tell them that Andy in Indy says HI!

@darkseid1975

3 жыл бұрын

I actually really enjoyed the books as a kid. I kinda miss them.

@LukeDodge916

3 жыл бұрын

This is really cool news...

@A_YouTube_Commenter

3 жыл бұрын

I want to see this.

Okay, Reddit: start propping up that Photon stock

@yourmuslimuncle5692

3 жыл бұрын

Um, yes please bring it back!!!!

@hiddenhistoryny129

3 жыл бұрын

🦍🦍🦍 ❤️ 🔫 💎✋$PHOTON 🚀🚀🚀

Mandarr goes hard. He was a great villain. David Stay is the truth. I dig his Stayte of Mind show on KZread.

RIP Jim, Sweetie Squad 4 Lyfe

@thecoofjackson7471

3 жыл бұрын

Were did that rumor start? I don't see any proof he has Passed.

@voctur

3 жыл бұрын

@@thecoofjackson7471 He ain't dead At least not yet...

@ryanmcamis7419

3 жыл бұрын

He does have a cancer that will take him in the next ten years. It's depressing. Jim's black pill content helped me through some very dark days. You're a good man, Jim.

I loved Metokur's streams about this show, absolutely hilarious

@voctur

3 жыл бұрын

Sweety squad rise up

@holysayingsofrobin4055

Жыл бұрын

It was the Aryans! They snuck up behind us with a GAS GRENADE!

@some_guy117

Жыл бұрын

NNRU

@xtort1220

Жыл бұрын

@@some_guy117 🌜🦗

Tivia's actress Loretta Heywood has a Facebook for her music and Mandarr has a channel Stayte of Mind with David Stay if anyone wanted to check them out for the nostalgia. Loretta still looks amazing and her voice is lovely.

Shinji Aramaki, who did the effects has a long career as a designer and director in Japan, most recently he's been one of the big proponents of CGI anime - he directed all three Appleseed movies, Captain Harlock, the two Starship Troopers CG movies, and most recently the Ultraman and Ghost in the Shell TV shows that are Netflix co-productions.

Finally! I thought this show was childhood fever dream

@macariogutierrez9224

3 жыл бұрын

Similar feeling here.

@EricGranata

3 жыл бұрын

Wow. Same! I felt the same way about Jayce and the Wheelies. I had a coloring book for like a week but never saw the show.

@thrashpondopons2776

3 жыл бұрын

A lot of that going around! I couldn't even remember the name! I just called it 'that no-budget show that was a Laser-tag Rip-Off!'.

@MotiviqueStudio

3 жыл бұрын

Same.

@mrgreatbigmoose

3 жыл бұрын

I lived in Canada. Play enough with the antenna and I managed to pick up episodes of Photon from Fargo North Dakota. Saw a few episodes and it never appeared again! Maybe it was all a fever dream? I guess today I found out it wasn't!

As a really little kid I used to love watching this show, mainly because it was the only thing airing on Sunday mornings in my area that wasn't either a political talk show or a church show. I honor it nowadays by naming my ship on Star Trek Online the USS Bhodi Li.

@Weird_dude265

3 жыл бұрын

Was the black ninja princess from the all-female planet as cool as she sounded?

@blackdragon6

3 жыл бұрын

@@Weird_dude265 that's what I want to know.

@larryjackson5120

3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely

@atomicskull6405

3 жыл бұрын

That's why it failed, the station managers would never give it a decent timeslot. Same thing happened with the Dragon Quest anime and the first attempt to bring out Dragonball in the west.

@atomicskull6405

3 жыл бұрын

@@Weird_dude265 Yes.

Doesn't "with lasers" describe about 95% of the 80's?

@Hppyzmbie

3 жыл бұрын

Hell yes it does!

@ADPRadio

3 жыл бұрын

Yes!

@Marshal_Dunnik

3 жыл бұрын

and turbos, Turbo Laser being the ultimate form

@kingedwin

3 жыл бұрын

@@Marshal_Dunnik Oh, you think your Saab Turbo is cool? Well, I drive a Plymouth Laser Turbo!

@TitularHeroine

3 жыл бұрын

@@kingedwin 😂😂

I distinctly remember seeing Photon at Kay-Bee Toys. Right next to the M.U.S.C.L.E.S and GUTS! and across from the Karate Kid figures and Karate Kommandos. I ended up with a Montgomery Moose from the Get-a-Long Gang. I'm old.

@singaporesammy

3 жыл бұрын

@@astormofwrenches5555 When our nearest store shut down I got quite a bit of Spy Tech gear. Many a Saturday morning were spent hiding behind the couch watching TV through my periscope after that day.

@worsel555

3 жыл бұрын

Dude the nostalgia bomb you just dropped was immense as I too have a Montgomery Moose.

@RandomStuffGarage619

3 жыл бұрын

I had karate kid figures!!!

@RandomStuffGarage619

3 жыл бұрын

I also stole a M.U.S.C.L.E. from a girls desk in 3rd grade. Thats how we met and "fell in love".

@REPVILE

3 жыл бұрын

Muscle was great, I loved the Championship belt/wrestling ring

Brings back all the memories - as a kid I used to play Photon in NJ and Long Island. Used to have a Photon lunchbox, novel and watched the silly show!

@nororengo286

3 жыл бұрын

same here, lived in NJ and they had a Photon center. I had laser tag and Photon as a kid. there was another tv show or VHS system that interacted with guns or toys also. forgot the name. I dont think it was captain power tho, but it might be.

@edrice2621

3 жыл бұрын

@@nororengo286 I think that toy/game you were thinking of was titled "Action Max." It was essentially similar to Captain power, but it had a laser pistol with a set-top box and a few live action VHS tapes with targets that you could shoot on screen. One scenario was a Top Gun or Iron Eagle style jet fighter show and another was a wild west adventure, if I recall.

@swampdonkey4919

2 жыл бұрын

It makes me sad that I was too young and there were no Photon places where I grew up! Then when someone opened a throwback Photon, it went out of business within a month or two...

@CoinOpTV

2 жыл бұрын

@@swampdonkey4919 it was def a fun experience as a kid tho short lived!

@swampdonkey4919

2 жыл бұрын

@@CoinOpTV you'd think with the cult following and the overabundance of lackluster laser tag arenas, there would be more interest in bringing back the photon experience. I'm sure the equipment is heavy and primitive by today's standards, but the new stuff feels like cheap plastic toys. The modern phasers and packs are temperamental and confusing--what are all those noises supposed to mean, and how can I tell whether it's defective or just disrupted? The older tech was simple, straightforward, and effective. The heavier stuff felt realistic and put you in the game. The "upgrades" only made the game complicated and less enjoyable IMO, and the places they pass off as arenas are just spraypainted plywood in an old supermarket.

Fountain Valley Photon was the best ever. Went so many times in the summer of 87. Great memories!

I'm from Dallas. I played this in the Garland facility back in the 80s.

@markshadows3667

3 жыл бұрын

Same! Good times

@dragonmarsh2289

3 жыл бұрын

I played out of the Fountain Valley facility, great workout! 8 months after they closed, I ran into a fellow player. "Nice beer gut Spaceotter" I said. "You should talk Dorsai" he replied. I sighed & we both said at the same time, "I miss Photon"..

@jonlowrey

3 жыл бұрын

Same. Our class got to take a field trip. That Xmas was all bout Photon. ✌️

I was a regular on the leader boards at my local Photon arena. Those were the days.

Thanks Dan this is great! I can assure you that all 26 episodes remain. I was involved with a group that worked to reopen the company from 1997-2001. The shows and books were part of the plan to reopen. Disney had recently bought DiC at the time. We worked on restoring the series for a DVD/VHS release. Like you mentioned, the music has always caused the hang up. Maybe one day it will get a true release! Fan following is definitely growing!

I love this show. When I started to use KZread. This was one of the first things I looked up.

i still have my Photon ID card from Wildwood, New Jersey. I wouldn’t even bother going to the beach, and spent all day and night playing. Those were great times.

"You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with ficken photon beams attached to their heads!"

For my 12th birthday, my father took me and some of my friends to Photon Garland TX Arena. Had a blast, but did kind of get annoyed with the fans shooting you, which one was my father. Thanks Dad. Great memories.

@k.h.1587

Жыл бұрын

Ob deck phaser stations did not deactivate players in the games.

I remember asking for Lazer Tag for Christmas when I was a kid. My brother and I got Photon instead. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't the "cool brand" of Lazer Tag, but we had a lot of fun with Photon.

@BayushiGemma

3 жыл бұрын

Same here I always wondered if Lazer Tag was much better? Oh well those guns didn't last with me and my brother, for a month or two. LOL

@timothyarnold1679

3 жыл бұрын

That laser tag rifle was a complete game changer (other than being bright white). Much longer range, burst and full auto, and a basic optical sight.

@captainwohop

2 жыл бұрын

@@BayushiGemma I had both. Lazer tag had a cooler gun and sound effects but that was it. The Lazer Tag story was kinda lame and the tale of Bhodi & Friends got me hooked. In the early days of eBay I was able to buy both green and red helmet sets and it was glorious.

@BayushiGemma

2 жыл бұрын

@@captainwohop So I didn't totally miss out, cool thanks.

@dmjac77

Жыл бұрын

I remember asking for Lazer tag for Christmas in 86 I believe and I ended up getting something called Laser Combat instead. The Cool thing about it is a few years ago I came across the Laser Combat toy gun and it still works.

A few years ago we went to a laser tag place for my mates birthday. The guns looked more like stormtrooper blasters. The whole thing was outside so it felt like the battle of Endor. Loads of fun until one of our group stepped in a rabbit hole and broke and dislocated his ankle.

My uncle bought a creepy old farmhouse in the late 80s/early 90s. The place seemed to have a thousand doors. Like, every bedroom had a door to the outside. In addition to a door into the hallway, of course, every bedroom has a door into the adjacent bedroom. It as like something out of a Scooby Doo chase scene. Anyway, in the basement we found an empty Photon pistol box. Who were the weirdos that lived in the house before him, that somehow had enough cash to be into Photon, too? I had hoped they had left it behind somehow, but no such luck.

@TitularHeroine

3 жыл бұрын

Even that much is a very, very cool story.

As a kid I always got Photon and Captain Power confused with each other. I loved the Captain Power show but always called it "Photon" (I didn't like the Photon show, all that green screen was disorienting). After the Internet became a thing I would Google "Photon" but the results wouldn't be what I expected so I thought I imagined it all until Toy Galaxy cleared it up, and now confirmed I wasn't losing my mind (as much) with THIS video. So thank you TG! 😜

Funny enough, a basic VCR remote control be used to zap the Photon sensors.

@ventarfield7115

3 жыл бұрын

Awesome. It would be funny to trigger an emitter that just hit every player every time you hit it. Like people did with the TVs at tech conventions.

@pataker7875

3 жыл бұрын

Time to stock up on vcr remotes!

@twitchunlimited7450

3 жыл бұрын

We called them cone grenades.

@shaider1982

3 жыл бұрын

Our eyes are photon sensors.

@greenlanternhg5141

3 жыл бұрын

😲...soooo...can you build me a Photon Gun? 😃

This show, laser tag, and the Mr Roboto music video are one big 80s sci-fi mush in my head.

10:19 "Brian Austin Green LOL" LMMFAO 😂🤣😂 It's just hella funny that you pointed that out. I fuckin remember that commercial too

It takes two phasers to tag lasers.

@RandomStuffGarage619

3 жыл бұрын

Foreals can we get this on a shirt in the toy galaxy teespring?

I still have the books, they definitely rose above the source material thanks to Peter David

@jwd0503

3 жыл бұрын

I bought them specifically because they were Peter David, but I’m wondering now how I knew that back in the pre-Internet era? I don’t think I figured it out based on his own name, I was a pretty dumb kid. And I agree, I remember them being a cut above similar tie-in novels.

Toy Galaxy: "LJN" * AVGN twitches *

I'm from Earth. Can confirm that this is the ultimate game on our planet.

I played at the Photon in Virginia Beach around '87 too. Most recently I played Photon in Falls Church, Va, in the early 2010s.

@k.h.1587

Жыл бұрын

You sure that was photon? Never heard of a photon in VA in 2010s. Pretty much just the Laurel MD which was only photon for about a year or 2 before becoming XP lasersport in 98 or 99, and broken arrow OK which lasted less than 2 months in 2009 I think. Did you wear a vest or a helmet/chest pod?

I love playing at the Photon arena at the Harvey, Illinois location back in '87 and' 88! Some of the best fun of my teens, and got me ready to play with MILES gear. 😁

Where is my boy Mandarr? Needed at least 2 minutes to explain who the bad guys were, since that's a funny story all in its self. Bohdi's arch rival! The good guy's coke to the bad guys Mentos! Good vid. Blast from the past.

The weird thing is I just found my Photon I.D. card yesterday from 1986!!!

@RandomStuffGarage619

3 жыл бұрын

For the love of God, FRAME THAT THING.

You guys are like time lords of my youth! I really appreciate are the hard work yall put in to educating me on the products that shaped my life! Thank you!

I always get such wonderful tidbits from your show. I had no idea it was originally a stadium style game first. Memories, memories..awesome episode!

God I miss the old Photon arenas. Those things rocked back in the 80s.

I believe this is what Tom Hanks is playing in Big.

@Toddbo

3 жыл бұрын

I was just about to comment about this. I was super jealous of him being able to play with it!

@bleeneo101

3 жыл бұрын

Shameless plug lol always thought about that 👍

Still remember watching the Photon live-action show early Saturday mornings at 7:30 am here in Philadelphia on channel 57. Ahhh, the 80's.

@JAYEL236

3 жыл бұрын

Channel 57 cartoon block is one of my fondest memories of growing up in the 80’s. Also I had a huge crush on Tivia.

I loved Photon. I lived 10 minutes from the original arena and always went there all the time. My friends and I all had the home sets also. The 80's had the best toys.

Let the Darkness Grow! Shout out to Uncle David Staye over at Stayte of Mind TV

I loved Photon as a kid. I was legit hooked on the show and thought it was the coolest thing ever.

This was absolutely my jam when I was 3. It is one of the few things I remember from my earliest memories, besides Star Wars.

Owned the guns. Owned the novels. Watched the show. Played in a Photon center in Jersey. It was awesome. This brings back good memories.

@ChrisSztybel

4 ай бұрын

Was it on Route 22 East in the Springfield area?

@YETTheShow

4 ай бұрын

@@ChrisSztybel yup Route 22 in Kenilworth!

Photon Lazer tag and roller skating! I still remember those fun days of being a kid and saving the universe!

I had the green one!!! I saw Photon on the locale news and thought it was cool. And it was. I never went to the Photon Arena. They were not around me. I was the only kid that had one. I still had one. I still had fun with it. I even wear it for Halloween one year. It was cool! Thanks for the video and the trip down memory lane 😁

I highly enjoy these videos because of your wonderful personality and relatable nature. It was truly hilarious having your rival Game Dave over and having him dancing during the credits and the intro. You two are a fun whacky match! This video is very well done! Photon was before my time but I still enjoyed this video a lot!

I spent most of the summer of 1985 hanging out at my local Photon arena in Aurora, CO... Playing Photon and "Gauntlet." What a great summer...

Holy shit, got this for Christmas as a kid. Been trying to remember the name of this for *FOREVER* and couldn't come up with it. Remember literally nothing about this other than the action figures looked cool.

"John Stossel had fun." That's not something you hear a lot.

@tartrazine5

3 жыл бұрын

Give me a break!

@gohantanaka

3 жыл бұрын

Ha! You made me laugh.

@RobCamp-rmc_0

3 жыл бұрын

I wanted to say that John Stossel seems like the type to bitch and moan about violent video games but be a-okay with simulated gun violence. But apparently he’s okay with the video games as well?! What is this?

@k.h.1587

11 ай бұрын

Get the rookie

Great research Dan! Seeing the MILES gear brought back not so great memories. We wore vests and gear on our Kevlar helmets so we could get “tagged”.Each MILES device for the M-16s had a key that could turn it on and off. There was a “god” gun that supporting staff could use to zap you or reset your gear once you were hit.

Man, the best birthday parties from my childhood were the ones at the Photon arena in Harvey IL. I begged every friend to have theirs there. Could never get enough.

My brother and I had a Red and Green helmet sets. My dad got them for us at a department store on the Ft. Bragg army base. I'm surprised someone else remembered these things.

@TikkiEXX

3 жыл бұрын

Used to be obsessed with this show. Lol. Jesus i wanted the toy so bad but didn't have it in my area. Was hella expensive anyway if I remember correctly

@wstine79

3 жыл бұрын

@@TikkiEXX My dad got it at a department store at Ft. Bragg on sale.

There was an amazing novel in the series which I remember reading. The ending was that basically there is this god of good and god of evil playing a game of chess. The main character lands on the board. Essentially one side has one and that was going to be the end of all existence. He says, why stop now? Why not try again and see who wins? At the time, it was a mind blowing experience for me as a kid to think of reality in that way. Some higher entities treating all of reality as a game board. So, yeah, the book series was pretty awesome. :)

I'm sitting here watching this and having my mind blown to find out that the first "laser" gun toy comes from South Bend Indiana while I'm maybe 5 miles away from it right now. That brought a smile to my face. Simple pleasures, simple pleasures.

I saw a Dancing man in the intro, or was it a fever dream.

@SecretGalaxyTV

3 жыл бұрын

Why not both?

@wadedrange6869

3 жыл бұрын

Dan, please make dancing man a regular thing. This is the way.

@zebedeevaluardjuk-fournier832

3 жыл бұрын

game dave?

@beta_cygni1950

3 жыл бұрын

Watch the end credits. Dude is busting some serious moves.

My dad used to take me to the Photon arena in Wildwood. Ahhhh, those were the days...

Is any one else going to be talking about the weird dancing guy at the beginning of the video? No just me? Ok then lol

@SkullMan---

3 жыл бұрын

@@simondennis9460 It´s Game Dave

RIP to the great David Stay.

I was born in '87. I played a game (five rounds) of laser tag in February, it was awesome!

My parents got me a Photon rig when it first came out. It was the coolest thing.

I remember seeing the action figures once at SEARS. My brother and I liked to go into SEARS because that was the only store that had the the last wave of REMCO Wrestlers. We saw the two pack of PHOTON figures with main character guy, and 4 armed dude. We thought they were cool looking, but the $50.00 price tag was awe inspiring. I know modern action figure enthusiasts are comfortable with the idea of paying that much for two figures, but this was 1986!!! Seriously, did any kid have these? Adjusted for inflation, that's about $120.00 in today's money, which is 60 bucks per figure. I couldn't talk my parents into buying us the USS FLAG, so I knew it was pointless to attempt to acquire these. For the record, I was 10 years old in 1986, so it's not like I could go get a job. Mowing a lawn might land you 5 bucks back then. Basically I'm saying I'm not at all surprised these aren't common finds in the secondary market. That handful of rich kids who got Photon figures must still have have them.

Wow you guys keep coming up with cool stuff I've never heard of. Keep up the good work.

Finding a Photon Helmet at a thrift store (circa 2015) was one of the happiest moments in my adult life. Never had one as a kid.

Ever thought about doing a video on "Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad" in the future?

@DarkAnon100

3 жыл бұрын

That would be funny, especially since the anime sequel, or rather the anime sequel to the series from which they took the footage (Denkou Chojin Gridman) SSSS.Gridman, is airing on Toonami right now

@archangel5627

3 жыл бұрын

Actually, I think Toy Galaxy already covered Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad. Don’t quote me on that because I could be wrong but I feel like they did do a video about that show.

@kagemaru259

3 жыл бұрын

Samurize, guys!

@The_Str4nger

3 жыл бұрын

Gridman! Baby dan dan, baby dan dan

@Renkencen

3 жыл бұрын

@@archangel5627 I already typed the show name into the channel searchbar and there were no results.

I played at a Photon Arena in Mt. Prospect, IL (a western suburb of Chicago). Myself, my then-wife, and an assortment of friends that would change from week-to-week. There were two courses within the arena. We went on Sundays when they had a special...play all day, all day meaning 12p-6p, for $20. With games costing $5 a pop at all other times, this was a fantastic deal. One time, I was running down a ramp in the largest course, "Omega." I was running a little too fast, tripped, and rolled halfway down. This is where you used a safety net. You removed your helmet and yelled (depending on which color helmet you wore) "RED! RAMP! DOWN!" Staff would assist you and removing the helmet was a signal to opposing team members to not shoot at you until you were ready. We had a blast once a week. They also had leagues that competed for prizes, but we never joined up.

Damn, I remember my brother and I getting up at 6am every Saturday Morning back in 1987 just to watch Photon. For some reason, that was the time our local cable station aired the show, but I used to get real excited for it and sure miss those times lol

I still have my photon ID card from my local arena. Brings back the memories

I played "laser tag" at a place called Q-Zar in Concord, CA. in the '90s and at a place called Pharaoh's Lost Kingdom in Redlands, CA. in the '00s. Q-Zar had 2 bases and charging stations and played more like Search and Destroy but with respawns as your objective was to destroy the other teams base. Pharaoh's was just a straight up Deathmatch, team with the most kills wins. Q-Zar had score sheets they gave to the players after the match and there was a TV showing how people ranked against each other.

The only exposure I had ever had to Photon was having that read-along book that came with the audio cassette. I only ever read the book if I was playing the tape too, but often I would listen to the tape on its own. The production value was actually quite high for what it was. All the narration, voice acting, music and special effects were exceptionally well done and actually made it all sound extremely exciting. It seemed so obscure to me, though. Nobody else I knew or talked to had ever heard of Photon before (then or now), so I assumed it was some random one-off venture that went nowhere, and that I just got lucky in discovering a hidden gem. I had no idea it was a whole franchise until I was an adult. I'm not sure whatever happened to the book, but I'm sure I still have the cassette somewhere. I actually really would recommend listening to it if you somehow get the chance. I'd honestly put its quality up against anything else that came out during that time.

I use to watch the Photon show when I was a kid!

Wow! Had this as a kid in 89/90 in the UK. Nostalgia right here 😁

I grew up in Garland and I was addicted to this place. For 5 dollars, you could play 2 rounds and I would beg my mom to take me there. I still have my Photon card from the place and because I loved the movie Top Gun, my nickname was IceMan; such great memories.

I still have my Photon Picture I.D. Card from 4th Grade. The Arena had fog machines and flashing strobe lights. The last time I went I got sick and threw up outside in the back alley.

@sheistdolo6086

3 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a trippy day

I played at the Photon Arena in Tempe AZ. I still have my ID card. I remember a middle aged overweight guy, always had top scores. He would never run just walked around picking players off. Because he exploited a weakness in the game. He knew the timing between when a player was shot(when shot your were out for a so many seconds), then brought back into the game. Thus were fodder for the wise player. Most players didn't know this trick. I only learned it years later playing other laser tag type toys. It would be fun to go back to an old arena using the original gear. But most today would complain about the bulky battery belt we had to wear. It was a lot of fun, I do miss stuff like that.

Photon. The number one birthday spot in the Chicago suburbs back in the day!!!!!

I was fortunate enough to play at the arena in Maryland a couple of times. Had a great time - lots of good memories.

Great time to grow up. We had lazer tag. We were so bummed when half our friends had photon and the other half lazer tag. Us kids thought they work together. Unfortunately they didn't. Lol

Hey Dan, I think your Photon arena in Virginia Beach doubled as a teen club. My cousin used to go to dances at Photon in the 80’s in VA Beach!

@bdhampel

3 жыл бұрын

All of the arenas did that at one point or another. When game revenue dried up, it was a last ditch effort to capitalize on the lighting and sound systems we had invested in. (As an asst. mgr. I ran our weekly dance night in Wheaton, Md.)

I was not expecting the VA Beach, Virginia shot out at the end. I remember going to a Tag place near Lynnhaven Mall here when I was younger, perhaps the same facility :-)

That GameDave appearance tho..

I had the pleasure of playing in a Photon arena as a kid. It was ridiculously fun, even though I was tackled by a random older kid, held down and repeatedly shot over and over. This is because a random older kid on my team flying tackled him off me and we both unloaded on him (after my penalty time for being shot was up).

I played in the Toronto Photon arena and had the red set of home game armour. I loved it. Thanks for the memories!

I have so many fond memories of hitting up the Photon arena with my friends!

I lived on Long Island, New York up until I was about 15. About a year before my family moved, they opened a Photon arena near me. I loved it!! For a while I would go every Friday. Everything inside was good, video game arcade, snack area, 2 arenas. But let me tell you something: even as a 15 year old I could see a problem with their business model. They were open most days and through the weekend, but they were open *during the day, Monday through Friday*, They would be empty during those hours. Everyone was at school during those hours. I know, seems like roller rink hours. But I still think keeping it open during the day when all the kids at school was silly.

I loved photon as a kid. Went to the center, had the books (way better than you would think}, and watched the show. I'm so glad he did this video

Gosh...that ad...gives me goosebumps!

Hooray, I didn't imagine this! Nobody else remembers the giant Photon game center in the back of an old shopping mall next to the movie theater in my town. The theater is now a trade school and the mall is completely outdoor-access-only, but this video proves it was real!

As a kid I went to Photon in Kennilworth, NJ with my dad. It was always a great time. For the late 80s though it was kind of pricey at $5 per game for an adult and $3.75 for a kid. In cost per minute of entertainment it was much more than your average arcade so it was more of a "special treat". Plus the wait times were usually long because of the setup time to get geared up, waiting for the game to conclude and the final posting of the scores. The original Photon also had very few rules around running and jumping or diving behind obstacles for cover. On many occasions as a kid I would get smashed into by an adult 3 times my size barreling around the corner in the dark. Honestly, some of the most "phun" I ever had as a kid and memories I wouldn't trade for anything.

Yes, I did. Oklahoma City. Drove down from Wichita, Ks. on weekends, with a friend along most trips. Regular trips, often a few times a month, from late 1985, I think, and into 1987. Luckily, there was a decent sized crowd of enthusiastic players like me who kept feeding it our money. As a result, that Photon Arena, as I recall, stayed open far longer than any other (or was among the last ones open and operational, at least) long after the parent company was gone. I heard, in the mid 1990s, that they were STILL operating; but had moved to a smaller space. They were able to remain open by rebranding to keep the doors open and had some computer nerds (like I was, and remain) keeping the actual heart of what made the Photon arena a truly amazing innovative experience: the scoring computer systems. Photon was wildly more advanced than Lazer Tag. It tracked hits wirelessly and live, so the scoreboard accurately displayed what was going on in the huge multilevel arena. The array of sensors did not just track 'hits' - but also a basic damage system that used far more than a single chest target. Hits degraded your power crystal (Ammo) and you had to shoot your own crystal to heal/recharge. The gear had over a dozen IR scattered over the helmet and harness. You could be hit in different places, not just in the middle of your chest. Lazer Tag was a cheap toy: a laughable joke compared to the far higher tech and far more ambitious Photon Arena. The board room 'geniuses' being prodded by greedy but clueless investors ruined Photon with all the marketing garbage. An insultingly vapid TV show and cheap toy junk. Photon was poused to become a high tech sport, with upgrades to the tech over time. Which would have gone as mainstream as auto racing, football, baseball, soccer, or any competitive team sport. It was amazing. Your writeup did not cover, except for a bare mention of the data encoded into the IR beams without mentioning how that was used, all that differentiated it from the far inferior me-too junk that flooded the market (including the Photon home system toys). The actual Photon was the Photon Arena.

My parents bought me a red and green Photon helmet set for Christmas the year it came out! Me and my dad would often play at night and the glowing lights on the gear used to look awesome! I REALLY miss the 80's😢

The light shines!

I remember going to the Photon Center in Albuquerque, NM once when I was 11.

Why isn't half this video about Mandarr?

In the hay-day of Laser-Tag, we all had a blast no pun intended! I wish they still had places to play Laser-Tag. We had one in our home town and everyone went there when we were kids. I also remember getting a Photon Laser-Tag set for Christmas. We had good fun with those!

I never knew they had action figures! I would have wanted them! I remember getting up at like 5 on saturdays to watch Photon. I thought it was so cool.

The figures! I remember asking for them for Xmas. I want to say Sears carried them. Man this one took me way back and put a stupid smile on my face

Ok this is one of those shows I couldn't find for ages as I searched for laser tag shows as that was the part I remembered. Thanks so much.

I was really hoping we’d get to this. I remember seeing this but never being able to watch it again until it randomly showed up on Thursdays of the next iteration of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show with the live action being the two 90s dudes instead of the Mario Bros

@spoonimefan

3 жыл бұрын

*Sits up excitedly* That's EXACTLY the kind of situation where I came across the show and had *no* idea what was going on at the time! I think I channel-flipped during commercials one episode and when I came back *this* was on instead of a Mario or LOZ toon. Until I saw the footage in this vid, I had NO IDEA *what* it was I'd seen. My context-missing child brain at the time thought it was a new story they were adding to the rotation of Super Show. My recognition didn't snap into place until I saw our Mortal Kombat female ninja prototype onscreen.