31 Dec 2024
Word to the wise, trying to take photos while careering around an electric karting circuit and attempting to hold your own against three highly competitive opponents is not going to produce quality images.
In fact, the blurry consequences of my efforts are really only worth publishing to highlight just how much of a difficult task it was.
But striving not to drop my iPhone was only part of the challenge at St Albans’ newest entertainment attraction – BattleKart – an innovative fusion between karting and video games where you can participate in what is best described as real-life Mario Kart.
Originally from Belgium, and now operating in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and Saudi Arabia, there are just three centres in the UK, including one in Brick Knoll Park, just off Ashley Road.
Occupying a former warehouse space, the course is a massive 1,600 sq m, allowing for parties and corporate events with up to 12 karts taking place simultaneously, although the size of the karts means you have to be a minimum of 1.45m to participate, so it isn’t suitable for young children.
A short training video explains how the karts work – they are programmed not to crash into other drivers or the walls for example – and then it was a case of buckling up and getting onto the track, where everything is projected on the ground and walls, placing you right in the middle of the action.
For one 15-minute session we took part in three different games, starting off with BattleRace, which involved tearing around the course while trying to scupper your opponents’ efforts using bonuses collected en route. These included rockets to fire at other drivers and oil puddles to send them spinning, and even the occasional booster which propels your vehicle for an intense period of extra speed.
The karts are easy to manoeuvre, and even when you lose control after driving through oil it doesn’t take long to get back into the race. The buttons for activating bonuses are adjacent to the steering wheel, and you soon get used to the gameplay.
We followed up with BattleSnake, based on the old Nokia game, where you increase the size of the snake behind your kart and try to avoid crashing into your opponents’ tails, something which is easier said than done as the game progresses.
Next up was BattleColor, where you have to convert as many tiles as possible into your designated colour within an allotted timeframe, before a second round of BattleRace wrapped things up. Other games are available, including versions of pool and football, and you can choose which ones to play before taking part.
Between each round you get to see a scoreboard showing your placement to add to the competitive nature of the proceedings, and despite smashing the BattleColor round, I came in a disappointing third out of four overall, my tactical efforts in BattleSnake letting me down.
The whole session went by very quickly, as you might expect, and there’s an obvious temptation to book another, but if anything’s going to put you off it’s the price. One prime time session costs £29, and although that reduces to £25 for a second game and £19 for any extras, it is somewhat on the expensive side.
There’s a bar and hot food available in a spacious reception area, with plenty of parking outside, and the St Albans centre is already attracting visitors from London and further afield, but perhaps needs a bit more promotion in the local area. It’s an innovative and exciting experience quite unlike anything else out there, and certainly one of the most exhilarating ways to spend 15 minutes on a cold December afternoon, but whether the high prices put off potential customers remains to be seen.
Find out more at www.battlekart.com
