Our report card on Bandra's new luxury gaming lounge

One minute we are on Linking Road in Bandra at 1130 am on a Saturday dodging shoppers as they buy their lastminute Diwali essentials the next minute we are SpiderMan fighting Sandman who is wreaking havoc across New York CityOur destination mdash Olympus Gaming Lounge mdash is in the dimly lit basement of Link Corner Mall While the mall is still waking up to the day the new space that opened in August this year is already buzzing with gamers mdash mostly students Nearly 15 consoles line up in the perimeter and in front of every console we spot at least two bean bags The centre is reserved for a common table while the projector screen on the wall across is screening highlights from the ongoing ICC Cricket World CupThe writer tries a game of Mortal Kombat 11 on the consoleWhen we meet the cofounders 21yearold Avirat Kampani and 35yearold Chaitainya Kampani the siblings insist we first try the games before we chat about the space and its experience This writer and her friend chose to start with the beginnerfriendly Mortal Kombat 11 They hand us the controller and let us figure the rest by ourselves ldquoJust smash the buttons Itrsquos the only way to learnrdquo the brothers suggest This writer loses the first round but makes a comeback in the second By the third round we get a hang of the game but our zombielike character still loses the finals It takes another game to finally earn a victory Now wersquore ready for a chatAmid some grunts and groans from two groups of boys playing FIFA in the backdrop we head to the common table near a mural of Zeus with his gleaming thunderbolt as the other Greek gods pose flamboyantly with their weapons beside him Following our eyes Chaitainya tells us that his favourite game is God of War mdash an APRG Action Role Playing Game that follows the life of Kratos based on Greek and Norse mythology ldquoWe have currently over 700 games installed on the PlayStationsrdquo he reveals ldquoThese include single player games which are either beginnerfriendly shootingfighting oriented or follow a story format APRG which can take up to 20 to 40 hours of game time Then there are multiplayer games the most popular one is FIFArdquo he says pointing towards two groups of boys engrossed in a match ldquoEach console has different games installed and yoursquoll find the latest and most popular ones hererdquoThe writer plays SpiderMan 2 a popular choice with gamersThe idea for the space stemmed from the brothersrsquo shared love for gaming and the different types of games they prefer ldquoIn most gaming centres yoursquoll find hubs for specific games like Counter Strike or Valorant We wanted to create a space that gives a differentiated experience My brother likes the shorter format mdash shooting games while I like the longformat ones with stories you can be part ofrdquo Chaitainya tells us And hence they created the best of both worlds His wife Varisha Kampani who designed the interiors chimes in ldquoThe best way to do that was to make the place feel like a lounge instead of a centre where yoursquore comfortable and willing to experiment The diversity of the games is inviting to girl gamers In fact at times the female ratio in the lounge exceeds the maleratio hererdquoOur companion rushes to a console when she sees GTA ldquoIt brings back old memoriesrdquo she admits and goes on to play for 20 minutes We signed up for SpiderMan 2 an APRG game where we play Peter Parker and shoot webs all around New York City We love it because towards the end we manage to save a few citizensThe writer plays SpiderMan 2 a popular choice with gamersThe gaming lounge gets a thumbs up especially for its easygoing vibe and options for beginner and expert games The vending machine is a bonus because whether one loses or wins snacking is key There are hourly packages and monthly subscriptions called eternity passes which give you access to unlimited games for a month as wellChaitainya and Avirat KampaniOlympus Gaming LoungeOn All days 10 am to 1 amat Upper Basement Link Corner Mall Bandra West under Starbucks log on to olympusgaminglounge call 8591279971Cost RS 200 onwards