Tag, you're it

I discovered something new about myself last weekend: I really stink at laser tag.

[unlike this guy]

A bunch of us went to the Good Time Emporium in Somerville for a friend's birthday party, and it was an eye-opening experience. So many games to play, so little time.

Besides laser tag (which I hate, by the way), there's go-karts and pool and batting cages and video games and every kind of sport you can imagine on TV. There's even a club for bands and wrestling matches.

But the best part was the crazy old arcade attractions, like the saloon shoot'em-up and the whack-a-mole type game involving chickens with detachable heads. I also really enjoyed the virtual-reality roller coaster that took us careening through a haunted mine.

It's a little run-down, and there are a zillion teenagers there on a Saturday night, but it's a fun place. And it's open 365 days a year.

Oh, and they serve beer.