PLAY PODCASTS
Retroist Podcast Episode 335 (Photon)
Episode 335

Retroist Podcast Episode 335 (Photon)

Retroist Retro Podcast

February 7, 202533m 21s

Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (mcdn.podbean.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.

Show Notes

At one point in the mid-80s, two light based combat gun games hit the market, Lazer Tag and Photon. I wanted Lazer Tag and would eventually get one, but the first set I got was Photon. Which my grandmother got me as a very thoughtful Christmas Gift.

In the episode I start by talking about how poorly I received the gift, but to my grandmother’s credit, she kept it in mind. Many months later she would surprise me with a visit to a Photon arena in Wildwood, NJ. It was AMAZING. While I might have still been interested in Lazer Tag, I was suddenly proud to have a Photon set.

After the story I move onto Photon itself. I talk about the arenas, the home guns, the toys, the TV show, video game and much more.

Photon had a lot going for it, but the toy business is rough. If you don’t catch on completely, its hard to become a multi-year hit. Despite the arenas and the TV show, Photon just couldn’t make the leaps. Still for those of us who owned a set or got to visit and area, it was very memorable.

The light shines!