Steering over a ‘turbo’ on the computerised track ahead I feel the booster kick in and the go-kart shoots forward powering me past a rival racer. Braking hard around a tight bend, the kart spins 90 degrees and I speed out of it, dropping an oil slick behind to stop my daughter, now hot on my heels, from overtaking.
Then with the next lap in the bag and pole position in my sights, I suddenly lose power and watch both my kids zip past with huge grins on their faces. A glance at the screen tells me I have suffered a direct hit from one of my son’s rockets, fired from across the course, and watch helplessly as he drives on to win the race.
Becoming part of a video game, with all of the power-ups and point-scoring that goes with it, has always seemed like a science fiction fantasy. My teenage gaming years involved the now retro console classics, Sonic and Mario, and while the graphics back in the day were very much two dimensional, it was fun to joke about what it would be like to enter their world.
BattleKart Gateshead offers an augmented reality driving experience
(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Gaming is now so sophisticated anyone who has used a VR headset can experience the surreal feeling of being part of a video game. But you’re still not really part of it, you just think you are. While Virtual Reality replaces the real world with a simulated one, Augmented Reality blends virtual content with your actual surroundings.
And this is what BattleKart Gateshead does so well, using computer generated images linked to electric go-karts loaded with high spec tech to make you feel like you’re part of a video game. Here, you can channel your inner Mario and Luigi for a fully immersive kart racing experience with tracks that change from game to game.
You can also play team events such as football with virtual balls you need to get in the goal or pool where you fire the cue ball from your go-kart. The snake game involves collecting badges to lengthen your tail but careless driving can easily get it chopped off and a lot of hard work is wasted.
The karts are kitted out with technology and linked to a computer system
(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
To be clear, there are no VR headsets here, the computer generated imagery is projected on the walls and floor of the warehouse and people riding beside you are really there, in real moving go-karts. You reach speeds of up to 25 mph but the risk of dangerous collisions is low as the karts are fitted with anti-crash technology so they will slow down if they come close to each other.
While it is similar to go-karting it is an entirely different experience. Although they are going slower you are still very close to the ground so you feel as though you are zipping along at quite a pace. There is also not the same noise or petrol smells that you get at a traditional go-kart track, and no-one will miss having to put on smelly overalls and helmets.
Games last 15 minutes and cost £20 for the first, then £18, then £15 so be warned because one session will not feel long enough for most.
BattleKart Gateshead director Liam Caffrey in one of the karts
(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
BattleKarts has 45 franchises around the world and the Gateshead centre, which opened late November, was the second in the UK and is the only one in the north. It really is like nothing I have experienced before and is genuinely great fun for people of all ages.
It is sure to prove popular at weekends and over the school holidays and is a great new alternative venue for children’s parties, stag or hen dos, and those who just fancy something a little different. A visit could also make a cracking Christmas present for youngsters, the big kids among us and anyone young at heart.
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