HIGH-TECH TARGET PRACTICE

With spring break coming up, kids looking for high-tech thrills have a choice between the newly opened Lazer Maze in Sherman Oaks and the more-established Photon in Fountain Valley.

Lazer Maze is basically a high-tech, participatory version of an old-fashioned shooting gallery. Unlike its rival, Photon, the targets don’t shoot back: You can pick them off with impunity--if your reflexes are fast enough.

After being issued a computer-coded “machine gun” that shoots a beam of light, the Lazer Maze player enters a misty, dimly lit polygonal chamber. The black walls light up for a split second in random sequence, revealing 6-foot robots. The object is to hit the robots between the eyes with the beam of light: If you do, a simulated explosion occurs and the computer adds points to your score. (No points are deducted for misses, which is fortunate--if those robots could shoot, they would have cut me into transistors.) Players must pass through four more-or-less identical chambers to complete one game, which takes two to three minutes.

Lazer Maze can be played at three different speeds. On my first game--at Level One--I earned 62,650 points: about average for a beginner. My friend, who has faster reflexes (and non-skid sneakers) racked up 108,150 points. Championship scores are in the 250,000 range.

We also tried a round at Level Three, which was a lot faster. My score dropped to 31,425; his increased to 133,525. He discovered a key to the game’s strategy: Turn your back to the panel you’ve just shot, as it probably won’t light up twice in a row.

Introduced a year ago at the Edmonton Mall in Canada, Lazer Maze is being marketed in this country as an alternative to the more elaborate Photon. Both games use many of the same high-tech elements (light guns, computerized scoring) and are played in foggy, dimly lit environments. But Lazer Maze is simpler and played on a smaller scale. It requires only 2,000 square feet of playing space (as opposed to 10,000 square feet for Photon), which means a game installation can easily fit in any suburban mall.

Groups opposed to war toys have protested the existence of both games, and the publicity for Lazer Maze stresses that the participants--primarily 10-to-16-year-olds--shoot only robots, not other people. “Man versus machine,” rather than “man versus man.” Opponents of the games reject this distinction, arguing that shooting is shooting.

A more important distinction between the games is that Photon is a lot more fun to play.

Lazer Maze resembles a great big video game: Players just pivot and fire at passive targets. It’s not very different from the old carnival shooting galleries, except you’re trying to hit robots instead of moving lines of ducks. The fantasy and role-playing elements are minimal, despite the fogs and light guns and computers.

Photon is an intense fantasy experience, that requires more participation from the player. Because you’re pitted against human opponents--who shoot back--you have to defend yourself at the same time you’re attacking. Both games call for quick reflexes, but Photon takes more agility: You have to be ready to run, dodge and fire every second.

Although, I’m not particularly good at either game, I’d rather play Photon. You can shoot passive electronic targets in any video arcade, but even Mark (Luke Skywalker) Hamill doesn’t get many chances to play an inept fantasy warrior these days.

Lazer Maze is located on the second level of the Sherman Oaks Galleria, 1503 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Membership, which includes two games, is $5; additional games are one for $3, two for $5 or five for $10.