A roller coaster sprawling through hills and mountains, forests and deserts which breaks in the middle to let you experience a great fall only to land back on the track and speed away on the coaster. All of this on a cushioned seat in an air-conditioned room on Beach Road. Welcome to the city’s new obsession, the virtual reality gaming zone.
Opened last year in December, Vishaka Enterprises situated in the TU 142 Aircraft Museum has been attracting gamers of the city who love the adrenaline rush. With a view of the INS Kursura Submarine Museum in the front and the TU 142 aircraft at the back, the gaming zone has five games based on two floors- ground floor and the first floor. It is open from 10.30 am to 9 pm.
A nine-seater virtual reality theme park welcomes the visitors near the door.
The VR theme park takes you on adventures similar to the rides in amusement parks. Apart from a roller coaster ride, it also lets you experience a claw ride.
“Though we see people from all age groups coming in, it is the senior citizens who enjoy the theme park more. They also gladly come up to us and explain how close to reality the experience was,”says Fatima Badshah, manager of the store.
However, the highlight of the zone is the 720 degree flight simulator. The simulator recreates a fighter aircraft and its environment. Along with a joystick and two pedals the game recreates the experience of flying an aircraft in war times.
If flying in a war zone is not enough, you can try a hand at killing zombies in an eagle flight which helps you become a superhero. You can also experience the joy of take off or landing by being the pilot of Cessna flight simulator or vent out the traffic frustration by driving rash at the car racing game.
VR, here, is a solitary experience, where only one person can play any game at a time.
“The response to the game zone has been very good, especially from the tourists who love to try a hand at every game. The footfall is the highest during the weekends when we see almost 600-800 people coming in,” Badshah adds.
They are now planning to introduce two or three new games in the coming few months. All the games are priced at ₹100, while the 720 degree flight simulator is priced at ₹200.
