Try indoor paragliding in Mumbai at Smaaash

Are you in the mood for an adrenaline rush without sweating it out in faroff locales Smaaash in Lower Parel has installed three new virtualreality based game stations at their sports and recreation centre and we were lucky to try it outFlymaxOur first stop was Flymax a virtual game station that offers the thrill of paragliding without doing the actual paragliding activity How Flymax relies on the revolutionary virtual reality headset Oculus Rift Facebook took over its maker Oculus in 2014 and creative mechanics to offer you the thrills of paraglidingA visitor trying Smaaashs virtual reality game Flymax PicHassan M KamalWatch the video on FlymaxDesigned by Smaaash Labs the game station resembles a real paraglider You are required to wear a safety suit similar to paragliding that is then used to lift you up a metre or two above the ground For stability you cling on to a metal handlebar After the setup is ready you put on the Oculus Rift headsetThe headset has two screens that play a 3D animated video of paragliding Once you wear it since everything else is blocked out of the view it creates the illusion that you are actually in the act of paragliding While a highspeed fan on the front creates the actual environment a pair of headphones add to the sound effectWe pass through mountains glide over trees amid horses through active volcanoes and down a waterfall to fly along with dolphins and then finally rest amid a picturesque lake We must admit it felt like the real deal There are moments which felt scary while gliding down a mountain when vertigo kicked in or the fear of colliding with a mountain when we flew too close to it or when we brushed against a few tree branchesHowever we would have loved it if the characters and places appeared more lifelike and not as seen in video games Also the fan could have been faster It would be even more interesting to see a user actually getting to control the movement while paragliding Still it was definitely an experience worth going back toYou pay Rs 250Vertigo mdash Walk the PlankThe next stop Vertigo mdash Walk the Plank was the scariest of them all Like Flymax here too you put on an Oculus Rift gear but instead of being suspended midair you walk on top of a cushioned plank inside a dark room A group of motion sensors placed inside the room track your movement as you try to walk on thecushioned plank which on the oculus screen looks like an actual wooden plank placed on top a gorge While you try to walk on top of it a flying dinosaur tries to attack you Vertigo is a tad more interactive than Flymax here you can use a stick in your hand visible only on the Oculus screen to shoo it awayA creative work based on the game Vertigo Walk the PlankBut thats not where the danger lies Ever wondered why they tell you to not look down in movies during those midair stunts We suggest you try Vertigo mdash Walk The Plank to find it out yourself The game has been designed to instill maximum fear of height on anyone The plank in real life is placed over a soft surface surrounded with soft foam to save you from getting hurt during a fall but inside the oculus the virtual fall is like nothing you would have felt in a really long time A warning though Walk the Plank is not meant for the weakheartedYou pay Rs 250RonaldoThe third and final stop was the virtual goalkeeper station Here too you wear a jacket an Oculus Rift gear and a headphone like in other VRbased games but with the addition of gloves that possess inbuilt motion sensors We position ourselves in front of the goal post while an animated Ronaldo readies to take the shotThe suit thats used during the virtualreality game RonaldoA camera on the front tracks our movement as we move along the goal post to save a goal Each time we save or manage to touch the ball the jacket and gloves vibrate to recreate the actual situation We were able to save two out of five Not bad especially when we had to watch the striker The game is in the development stage and will take time to be fully operationalYou pay Rs 250The guide verdict Overall these virtual reality games impressed us especially Vertigo mdash Walk the Plank Though there is still room for improvement wedrecommend it to our readers Try it at least onceTime 11 am to 1230 amAt Smaaash Kamala Mills Compound Gate No 4 Lower ParelCall 49143143