One of the best benefits of having kids is getting to be a kid yourself and Megazone is a great…read moreplace to do just that. I never understand when parents don't partake in childish activities - we even had a boys' birthday party here where a dad went INSIDE the warzone to just stand and watch. If you have no idea what all this is about, laserstrike is the preferred birthday party choice of boys (and some girls) aged 7 to 12 and probably older - we're not there yet. You rally your troops, divide them into two teams, tool up and go to war. There's an instruction video and staff on hand to help you get into your harness-thing. The harness-thing has light targets for your enemy to see and of course your laser gun. You then go run around in the dark shooting each other and the team with the most points wins. Most excellent entertainment - especially getting those kids that are, let's say, not your favourites. So ring up, book your group and they'll give you a room where you can do the food and cake thing along with two 20 minute game sessions. Get pizzas delivered and it's simple and fairly affordable as far as these things go. Just make sure you join in - it's bloody good exercise and wicked fun.

Laserstrike! You can do it here. What else do I need to say? Only that's it crazy good fun, and if…read moreyou're not totally exhausted by the end of it from running up and down ramps, hiding from the other team, and ambushing your opponents, you're not playing it right. This is one of the more fun laserstrike places I've been to, because it's got two floors, plenty of hiding spots and full on ATTACK music. They also give you an extremely serious briefing, which is pretty funny considering what a dork you look like when you put on the harness. Try and get a couple of groups together, it's more fun when you know the people you are playing with and against, not to mention it being a pretty good way of finding out who is a take-no-prisoners, no-mercy type, (yes, it's always the quiet one) and who is a big scardy cat.

Awesome team @ the CBD branch A++ would recommend highly special salute to Oshyun, who was…read morehelpful as cheers

In some ways Timezone have blurred the line between traditional arcade gaming and more of a…read morecarnival style of entertainment. Quiet a few of their games are more interactive than your button bashing joystick classics. Some being extremely physical. When you see somebody who is really good at the dance game you cannot help but stare, the combination of their lightning fast dance moves and the lights and sounds coming out of the game machine is really quite striking. In true carnival fashion, some of their games do not work through simulated graphics but are purely mechanical. There is a basketball game where you shoot hoops for prizes, and other kinds of strategy games which require real physical skill. I find that these more physically interactive games gives the place a a much more festive atmosphere. Go there if your're young or if you have young.

This is a great attraction for someone with kids (maybe 8-12 age range?)…read more I went on my own as an adult, because it was rainy and it seemed like a fun adventure. It was! As long as you remember this is a family-friendly experience, and don't set the bar too high, you'll enjoy it. It starts with some lighted tunnels, a dark "jungle room," and another with a "haunted" theme. My favorite was the hall of mirrors. Such a cool effect! There's a balloon room and a walkway covered in pool noodles. It's light-hearted fun. It isn't the best way to spend $20 as an adult, but I don't have regrets. For kids, it's a great idea.

A super fun way to spend half an hour or so. Great for kids and adults. Feel your way through an…read moreodyssey of senses. Very cool visuals and illusions and a dark room forest. Not for the faint of heart or those who panic easily but it's a super fun activity. Spend your time in there and Don't rush it and you'll feel like you got your money's worth. Adults $19.50. Child $15,50. Family pass $60. Students $17.50. Second go only extra $5. In the same complex there is mini golf, arcades, a cool bowling alley that allows over 18s for drink (bonus) and I believe there is paintball and other activities too. A food court is in the building and aotea square is right outside. A vibrant party central complex for all ages.

I don't really get Next Level, but that's OK because I don't really think, other than the fact I…read moremight be away from home and need to print a document, that I'm part of their demographic. Their website says they sell electronics and are a print shop, as well as being a venue for playing high speed cyber games. The latter is definitely true, as there are rows of massive grunty looking computers lined up beneath posters of World of Warcraft etc, in the dark on a Tuesday afternoon. Yep this is definitely an internet cafe for gamers. You can even buy memberships, like a gym, so that instead of running on a treadmill each day, you can come in and pit your warlords against somebody else's dragons. Or something like that.

A group of friends and I went here for a birthday. All 8 of us twenty-something year olds had a a…read moreblast. Marlene and Ruan Odendaal, went above and beyond for us and even gave us loads of tokens for their arcade games afterwards. I can't stress enough how hospitable they were! The lasertag was pretty hilarious; there was a kid's birthday party going on and it was us 'oldies' versus them HAHA. They did mix it up a bit after the first game though so that was cool. I didn't realize that they had teles outside, so people were watching us while we were in there #embarassing haha. We paid $17 each for 4 games and by the end of it a lot of us were really hot, tired but satisfied. Was SO worth the money! Will definitely come here again!

The ultimate kids birthday party experience, bar none. Every North Shore child had a birthday party…read morehere at some stage, and it never got old. Like seriously, still epic at the age of 21. It's laser tag set in a kinda trippy spaceship-styled maze with cool dry ice effects and strobes and stuff. It'd be cool on acid I imagine. Anyway you get a laser gun and a vest each and shoot eachother. Paintball without the pain really. Everything's wired up to a scoring system so you get a readout at the end, and I figured out how to win at the age of 10 - you just hide under a ramp and shoot everyone that runs past. But nobody does that - you aimlessly run around yelling - much more fun. Grown ups can watch on the video screens from outside and chuckle at how manic the kids get. Their website also says they do team building. Wouldn't mind working for a company that sends their employees to Laser Force!

Another example of the Imax complex trying to do too much and achieving too little. Having failed…read moreat being a great movie house and a great foodcourt, they've also had a go at being a great arcade. And like the previous examples, this is not the end result. A predictable range of games, in a haphazard layout. The same problem that the rest of the Imax building suffers - you cannot find your way around anywhere. How do I get into the arcade? Not sure. Now that I've stumbled into it, how do I find the Dance Dance Revolution machine? Don't know. I'm sick of this place, how do I leave? Good luck, buddy. It's just ... it's just not that fun. And really, that's all this place needs to be. It's an arcade; its one purpose is to be entertaining. It's a shame.

Time Out is a video arcade underneath the large Sky City Cinema and above the Foodcourt, so you…read moreknow it's going to be full of coke-slurping, gum-smacking teenagers. They tried to funky the place up years ago with an organic alien textured wall but it still just seems to be a place for Crane Machines and Car Racing games. They slapped a pool table between games so watch your posterior. The worst part are the slumped, grunting staff members who look like they have been held back a few years from graduating to Popcorn Dispenser. They usually loll behind a plexi-glass booth to protect them from frenzied Street Fighter players. (Although if they aren't there, don't bother waiting around for them. Just accept the machine ate your $2 and move along.) Also the whole place sits in some weird dimension between the main floors, so more often than not you will find yourself back out on Queen St before finding it. But that's okay because any decent pub should have a pool table or pinball machine any way. Go find one.

With golf and racing simulators, as well as a bar, The Corporate Box is an ideal activity for a…read morecorporate groups or amongst your competitive mates. There are conference facilities on hand as well as pool tables to sort out really heated arguments. We had been intending to have a round of golf one Saturday afternoon but the weather had packed in so we thought this was the next best option. We enjoyed a round at St Andrews, with the losers regularly debating whether the technology was accurate enough. We were sat in one of the rooms with projector screen and couches. Overall it was a bit of fun, but if you have the ability then definitely head out for a proper round. Just take your beers in your golf cart.

As a massive nerd, I have to say, I'm so happy this place exists…read more Cakes and Ladders is, as far as I know, Auckland's only board game cafe. They have an impressive stock of board and card games--for adults and for families--the nicest, friendliest staff you could ask for, and a comfy interior setup for your hours of board gaming pleasure. The coffee is pretty decent as well, although none of my friends nor I have tried the food menu just yet. Here's how it works: you walk in, you pick a table, and the staff start your timer. Then you can either pick a game or have one recommended to you based on pretty much whatever criteria you want, and if it's a new game to you, the (again, wonderfully friendly) staff explain the rules and setup to you. Then you play--for hours, if you want. At $2.50 an hour, it's a steal. (Also, they're currently awaiting their liquor license, so although there's no alcohol there yet, just you wait. Craft beers are on their way!) They close at 10pm, I believe, at least on the weekends, but once the booze arrives, I'm hoping they stay open a wee bit later. I'm definitely going back, often.

This place is awesome!!! Came with my husband and had a great time. They have so many games!!!…read morePerfect for groups and for just 2 people. They have a specific shelf full of games that require only 2 players. A great way to spend an afternoon or evening. Can get noisey but adds to the fun.