Do you remember shooting zombies with little plastic guns at the arcades as a teenager? The 20th-century graphics, the fizzy pop, and navigating your way around the House of the Dead?
Putt Putt Social, situated in the middle of Bedford town centre, is bringing it back with a modern vengeance, and their new up-to-date shooting simulator, fitted with impressive equipment and a cinema-style screen, is a unique and fun way to spend an evening while re-visiting those heady days of youth.
As someone who loved the arcade culture in the 90s and early 2000s, the invite to trial Putt Putt Social’s new shoot ’em up simulator slap bang in the middle of a village of games in Bedford was an invite I was quick to say yes to.
Putt Putt Social is described by my Bedford Independent colleague, Paul, as “the entertainment village beneath your feet,” and you’ll be startled by just how deep it goes, with something to meet everyone’s wants and needs.
Amongst the crazy golf, the bowling alleys, the karaoke, and the Asian-inspired tigers and pandas is one of just three UK-wide shooting simulators developed by Swedish company, SimWay – and the first thing we notice is the equipment on show.
I am quick to admit I am no marksman, having spent more time checking my eyesight in the opticians next door, but the life-like nature of the guns really makes it feel like you’re in the middle of a zombie apocalypse or a western.
I hope you’ve hit the gym, because these guns are weighty!
Of course, it’s all interactive and the immersive experience starts and ends with your finger on the trigger and the virtual cowboys in front of you, but from there, it’s you against your mates in a gun fight to the death.*
Whether you want traditional target practice or to be chased by zombies, the choices on offer are plentiful, although be careful not to do what I did and accidentally shoot all the mothers and their babies in the Wild West, or you’ll lose a lot of points.
The simulator also mixes slick gameplay and a variety of different modes without losing the nostalgic feeling of being back in those arcades surrounded by Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.
*No actual death is included(!)
This shooting simulator mixes modern-day interactivity with the memories of a childhood well spent persuading your Dad to pay for just one more game, and in a world of social media diatribe and doomscrolling on phones, what can be better?
What’s more, I was joined by my friend visiting from Australia, a country perhaps unfairly labelled as being a couple of decades behind the UK, but to our nation’s credit, his first comment was, “I would never get this at home!”
It’s also a simulator you’d rarely see in the UK at the moment; this is just one of three in the country developed by SimWay, who specialise in the development of real-time 3D gaming, with the other two in London and Birmingham.
An uptick for Bedford? It most certainly is!
There’s also plenty more to enjoy in this underground complex (I’d recommend the very reasonably priced and scrumptious bacon smash burger), so be sure to experience all it has to offer, all while supporting local business in town.
The shoot ’em up, Noodles, mini golf and more can be found at Unit 3, The Harpur Shopping Centre, Bedford MK40 1TJ (also accessible via Midland Road near Boots)
They are open on Mon–Thu: 12pm–10pm | Fri–Sat: 12pm–12am | Sun: 12pm–10pm
This is an advertising feature with Putt Putt Social.
Our team was given free access to the shooting simulator.
