A simulation apparatus for simulating a gaming event, the apparatus comprising a handheld gaming device and an image target member, the image target member providing a tangible target for the handheld gaming device in the gaming event and having a plurality of indicia that are indicative of a moment of impact with the image target, the handheld gaming device comprising an inertial measurement unit configured to detect and generate rate of acceleration data and angular rotation data characterizing motion of the handheld gaming device; and a processor in data communication with said inertial measurement unit so as to receive said generated acceleration data and said angular rotation data; the apparatus further comprising: an optics assembly comprising an image sensor in data communication with said inertial measurement unit and said processor, the image target member displaced from said image sensor, said image sensor configured to generate image target data indicative of spatial positions and orientations of said image target member and orientations of said handheld gaming device relative to said image target member in snapshots taken by the image sensor respectively before and after a moment of impact with the image target, the image sensor further configured to provide the generated image target data to the processor; and wherein said processor is programmed to use acceleration and angular rotation data collected by said inertial measurement unit before and after the moment of impact and said generated image target data to determine the orientation and motion of said handheld gaming device and a virtual trajectory of a hypothetical image target in the simulated gaming event if the hypothetical image target is impacted accordingly by the motion of the handheld gaming device, wherein the data from the inertial measurement unit is interpreted by the processor to detect when a swing is underway so as to actuate the optics assembly to generate optical data before and after the moment of impact; the apparatus further comprising a digital display in data communication with said processor, the digital display configured to provide a graphic user interface and wherein the processor is configured to display the determined virtual trajectory on the digital display. an inertial measurement unit configured to detect and generate rate of acceleration data and angular rotation data characterizing motion of the handheld gaming device; and a processor in data communication with said inertial measurement unit so as to receive said generated acceleration data and said angular rotation data; the apparatus further comprising: an optics assembly comprising an image sensor in data communication with said inertial measurement unit and said processor, the image target member displaced from said image sensor, said image sensor configured to generate image target data indicative of spatial positions and orientations of said image target member and orientations of said handheld gaming device relative to said image target member in snapshots taken by the image sensor respectively before and after a moment of impact with the image target, the image sensor further configured to provide the generated image target data to the processor; and wherein said processor is programmed to use acceleration and angular rotation data collected by said inertial measurement unit before and after the moment of impact and said generated image target data to determine the orientation and motion of said handheld gaming device and a virtual trajectory of a hypothetical image target in the simulated gaming event if the hypothetical image target is impacted accordingly by the motion of the handheld gaming device, wherein the data from the inertial measurement unit is interpreted by the processor to detect when a swing is underway so as to actuate the optics assembly to generate optical data before and after the moment of impact; the apparatus further comprising a digital display in data communication with said processor, the digital display configured to provide a graphic user interface and wherein the processor is configured to display the determined virtual trajectory on the digital display.