My heart pumped furiously. Adrenaline raced through my veins as I peered cautiously around the edge of a pillar. I wiped sweat from my forehead as a flashing strobe light illuminated my target crouched behind a wall in the distance.

As I lifted my weapon and took aim on my unsuspecting enemy, a shot rang out behind me. My chest pack began vibrating. I was a goner.

No, this isn’t the set of an interstellar sci-fi movie, it’s the laser tag arena at Tiny Tim’s Family Fun Center on outer Wilson Street in Brewer.

It was an ordinary Wednesday night when four of my friends and I walked into Tiny Tim’s to see what the newly revitalized sport of laser tag was all about.

The concept is not unlike the playground version of tag. Combatants strap on a backpack connected to an electronic laser gun and attempt to shoot — or tag — one another. The result can easily become a fast and frenzied race to run, dodge, hide, and outshoot your opponents before time is up.

Laser tag first grabbed the attention of the public in 1986, when the now-defunct toy company Worlds of Wonder began marketing the guns and chest packs. The toys were fairly simple compared to those used today, although they served the same basic function.

Worlds of Wonder enjoyed immense popularity when “Lazer Tag” debuted, going on to become one of the year’s hottest toys next to Teddy Ruxpin. A lackluster cartoon series and a decline in interest eventually caused the company to go bankrupt in 1988. The general game of tag with laser weapons kept the name laser tag, electing not to use the company’s trademark “z.”

Ten years later, Tiger Electronics acquired the “Lazer Tag” license, and began producing the once-popular toys again. In the meantime, other versions, such as Sega’s Lock-on System and Laser Challenge, broke onto the market.

Recently, a similar type of technology has been implemented in marksmanship training programs in the U.S. Army Reserves. Reserve soldiers fire upon targets with actual M-16s outfitted with laser attachments. The shots are registered on a laptop computer.

The lasers used in reserve training and the games are not actually dangerous. They are beams of infrared light which have the ability to set off sensors on a chest pack or a target. The red light beams are harmless. Looking at one won’t damage your eyes.

In recent years, the laser tag industry has seen the emergence of laser tag “arenas” where people can partake in a slightly more exciting version of the game marketed by toy companies. These arenas often have elaborate designs and support guns and chest packs that market in the thousands of dollars.

It was more than six years ago that Tim Rice sold Odyssey Park, an outside water park that he owned and operated in Trenton. Last year, Rice leased the building on Wilson Street that used to be home to Bob’s Discount and invested more than $1 million to make an indoor fun center, including bumper cars, an arcade, and the laser tag arena called, “Laser Runner.”

“The overall effect is supposed to be a little overwhelming,” Rice said.

That could be an understatement. Rice decorated the Tiny Tim’s arena in psychedelic fashion. The totally black walls, outlined in bright neon strips, are complemented with flashing strobe lights, energizing hip-hop music, a fog machine, and copious amounts of black light.

The arena boasts 2,000 square feet to vanquish one’s foes, including four interactive “sentry” pods, which will fire their own lasers upon detecting an intruder. In addition, the arena is open for the players to roam free.

“There’re 10 different games that can be played in the arena,” Rice said. “You can do everything from individual play to team play, with normal tag settings or a capture-the-flag format. And everything is customizable, from the number of shots in the guns to the length of games and team colors.”

Tiny Tim’s is not the first to bring a laser tag arena to the Bangor area. Great Skates, the skate center by the Bangor Mall, features a laser tag arena called “CyberQuest Laser Tag” that opened originally in 1998. After a remodeling in October 1999, CyberQuest reopened its doors to the public; this time sporting a 2,000-square-foot layout and even more obstacles.

“We have a unique setup,” said Great Skates owner, Tom Ellis. “We have an arena that’s divided into two halves, and the teams fire upon each other from their respective side. There’s a giant scoreboard in the middle and it’s really a fun family game.”

Laser tag has been received relatively well. Teen-agers seem to have taken the greatest interest in the sport, although Rice stressed laser tag as a game for everyone.

“On the weekends, and as far as I’ve seen, teens seem to be participating in this the most,” Rice confirmed. “But this is not just a sport for teens. We’ve tried to create an atmosphere where teen-agers and adults can take part in this together. It’s for people of all ages, and the only restriction we have is that the player be tall enough not to trip on the vest. That’s usually about 6 years of age and up.”

The most resounding support for the game has come from the players themselves.

“You don’t realize how fast-paced laser tag is,” Jayson Chabre, a player from Bangor said, “but the sport is a lot of fun. One of the most positive points is that it’s less painful than paintball. I’m glad I tried it.”

Another area player added,”This is definitely more high-energy than I expected — it could definitely replace Tae-Bo for an evening.”