This decade has been a good one for 90s nostalgia fans like myself.
Cult TV series Robot Wars and Red Dwarf returned to our screens (with much success), Disney animated classic Beauty and the Beast has had a live-action remake ( with slightly less success ), and there was even a one-off YouTube remake of children’s TV dungeon-a-thon game show Knightmare .
But all those have been trumped by the return of The Crystal Maze. Or, more specifically, the arrival of The Crystal Maze Live Experience , which has just opened its Manchester base following the huge success of its inaugural counterpart in London – and the Chronicle seized the opportunity to go through the maze with barely restrained glee.
For those who remember the Channel 4 TV show, the set at the Old Granada Studios, Lower Byrom Street (next to the Museum of Science and Industry) has been faithfully recreated along with its original zones – so expect to see Medieval, Industrial, Aztec and Future themes during your adventure.
Each zone is also split into two arenas, so for example the Future Zone sees the first half of challenges take place in a spaceship, the second part in outer space.
The only one missing is Ocean World – understandable given the awkward logistics of pumping thousands of gallons of water used in the TV series.
For those unfamiliar with the show, organisers behind the live experience provide a VHS montage of The Crystal Maze’s best bits with presenter Richard O’Brien mocking struggling contestants, to give you a strong idea how it all works before the Maze Master announces his/her arrival.
Our Maze Master mixed the charming wit of Richard O’Brien with the chirpy optimism of latter-day presenter Ed Tudor-Pole, which was a bonus for us as lack of availability had reduced Chronicle numbers to the bone (teams of up to eight are allowed to take part).
Contestants are challenged to choose between games of skill, physical, mental or mystery; each room having a time limit of between two and three minutes. As in the original game show, they have been designed so each challenge is a race against the clock.
This was none more evident than in our first game which, without wishing to spoil anything, involved a pie. It saw my colleague Tony grab the crystal and escape the room with barely any seconds to spare, in a thrilling conclusion that would’ve actually been brilliant to watch on TV.
By contrast, my initial go – a maths-themed puzzle – would’ve had viewers reaching for the remote as I feebly ummed and erred my way to abject failure.
However, we enjoyed plenty of success throughout the zones – which feel authentic, given the sweat we’d built up by the time we arrived in the Aztec zone – enjoying challenges involving giant mazes, catapults, a mine cart and even an air hockey table.
Fans will also be able to detect some of the popular games from the TV show have either been replicated or had elements borrowed to help enhance that nostalgia fix.
Even the journeys between zones are tremendous fun, with the original catchy ‘zone change’ music from the TV show being piped in to keep the adrenalin pumping.
Token blizzard
At the end of the 90-minute journey is a real highlight, where all the efforts of collecting crystals through the maze buy you time in the Crystal Dome.
And after the immortal words 'Will you start the fans, PLEASE!', contestants jump around like Tigger on a sugar rush, collecting gold tokens in a blizzard of foil.
The people behind the Crystal Maze Live Experience were keen to note that everyone who comes out at the end always look exhilarated and delighted, particularly at the prospect of getting into the dome.
In short, it’s an outstanding, thrilling rush which will delight both fans and those new to the show – which is due to make a 20-episode comeback on Channel 4 later this year with Richard Ayoade taking the reins – and well worth a trip up the A56.
The Crystal Maze Live Experience opens in Manchester on Saturday, April 1. Tickets cost between £45-55 per person and participants must be aged 13 and above. For more information, and to buy tickets, visit the-crystal-maze.com .
