The Coaster Critic's Blog

Take A Spin Goliath - The Jewel of the SouthEast
Goliath is a towering hyper coaster built at Six Flags Over Georgia in 2006. It may mark the end of an era for Six Flags. Newly appointed CEO Mark Shapiro pointed at the $20 million roller coaster in an interview and said "No more of those." The year it was built Dan Snyder and Mark Shapiro assumed control of Six Flags. They planned to steer the large theme park chain to more family friendly rides and attractions. Goliath towers over Austell, Georgia at 200 feet (roughly 20 stories). Like other Bolliger & Mabillard hyper coasters it offers large camel back hills, a buttery smooth ride, and speed.

Goliath's station had some type of neo-50's theme. The roller coaster's name speaks to the chains continued uncreativity. A la, it's big, we'll name it Goliath. Not to mention the name is used at several other parks. Anyway, I got to the park on Wednesday morning, June 4th. I bought my season pass (that I'd be using later for my trip to Magic Mountain) and headed straight for Goliath. It was a walk-on and I was able to by-pass the now mandatory lockers for storing bags & other loose items. The small crowd that had gathered in the station was quickly dispatched thanks to Goliath's 32 passenger, 4 across, ultra-comfortable trains.

Politics in a Theme Park?
The ride op sounded like he aspired to be a club D.J. He had the station hyped up with and screaming 'yeah' on cue. I appreciated the active and fun ride op until he gave an inappropriate shout out Barrack Obama for clinching the Democratic nomination. There was a weak smattering of applause in response likely from the Georgia Tech and University of Georgia students. I think most, like me, were wondering why this guy brought politics into a theme park. He was young like most ride ops and obviously didn't know any better.

Goliath - The Trip Out
After boarding the comfortable trains, Goliath makes its twenty story climb right over the pathways in 50'sville. There's a great view of the surrounding area and then the first 170 foot drop. As usual, the drop was much better in the back of the train as it makes the relatively (compared to other hypers) short drop feel much longer. The second drop is actually 5 feet longer and then the 3rd offers some excellent floater air time. At the bottom, the train flies close to a pond below and you can really feel the ride's speed. The train climbs up once again to set up a great downward helix. The unorthodox helix has a 'down the drain' feeling and pulls some great g-forces. It trumps sister coaster Nitro's upward helix by a mile.
Goliath - The Trip Back
The next hill drops the train by some trees that the park was smart to keep and next is the highlight of the ride. The train rises back up and does a quick overbanked turn to the right. It a much short overbanked turn than Nitro's hammerhead, but it's very effective. You feel as if you're going to be dumped into the pond below. After, the train traverses a number of bunny hills with decent amounts of air. The final bunny hill drops the train right into the station brakes. Goliath is a solid hyper coaster. It's not only the park's best roller coaster, but arguably the best coaster in the South East (south of Virginia). We're lucky that it was built before the Snyder-Shapiro rule. Final Rating 9.0 (Excellent)

Check out this onride video of Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia:

The Coaster Critic Faces the Most Extreme Coaster on the Planet
The main attraction of my first ever West coast coaster trip was the newly redesigned and much hyped X2. I was lucky enough to catch the ride when the 2 hour wait was only about 50 minutes. It was about 4 in the afternoon on a Thursday in mid-August.

X2's theming was better than expected. Six Flags took the 'extreme' theme and ran with it. There were huge flat panel televisions in the never ending queue showing homemade and professional stunts gone wrong. Many were from Break.com and they were an excellent way to pass to the time in the queue. There were the occasional wipe outs that had everyone in the queue cringing or laughing. In the station, there was a recurring weird, ethereal loop of a woman whispering 'X2' and a man saying 'Is everybody in?.' I guess I get what they were going for, but the poor ride ops must be ready to jump off of the Magic Mountain tower by the end of the season.

The Ride
I'm not even going to try to do my usual play-by-play and take you through the elements. I'll just recount what I can remember. The 20 foot wide trains look really cool and elicit lots of 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from people in the queues. The trains have eight rows that are four across with two riders on either side of the track. The restraints were pretty comfortable and felt secure. I sat in the third row from the front next to a middle aged woman who was also a first-time rider. I was in the outside-right seat. We exited the station to the applause of the riders and the seats begin to rock and rotate gently on their own.

The speakers next to our heads started to play Sinatra's 'It Had to Be You' and then switched to Metallica's 'Enter Sandman', and finally a Rage Against the Machine song. It was like a broken radio and I didn't really get the point. We were reclined back in our seats looking out onto the park as we climbed the lift. At the top, we dropped a little and then we rotated over and flew down the 215' drop face-down. After that insane experience, X2 rotated us every which way though the train actually only inverted twice. At times your facing the front of the train with the track above the center of the train and at times you're facing the backwards with the train over the track. While you're facing backwards, the new fire effect cooks you as you pass by the flames. I'm assuming that I didn't see the lightning or fog effects because they are saved for night rides, but I'm not sure.

Roughness & The Aftermath
At at least two points (I'm not sure where I was in the layout) you get shaken like a rag doll. These were probably at the lower points where the g-forces and speed was at a maximum. It wasn't painful, but it was far from enjoyable. But I would imagine it's got to be at least a little painful for some riders (ie. women). The final inversion (a fly to lie) was fun and a bit disorienting and the train smoothly rides into the the station. The woman next to me looked like she'd just been held at gunpoint. She told me in all seriousness that she had just seen her entire life pass before her eyes on the first drop. She yelled back to a girl (I'm assuming was her daughter) for dragging her on the ride. She swore off X2 as the worse coaster (maybe even experience) of her life. While I wasn't in her traumatized state, I tried to sympathize a bit but when you've ridden over 150 roller coasters it would take Devil's Flight from Final Destination 3 to really scare you.

A Thrill Ride That's Not for Everyone
Like the extreme sports and stunts from the videos in the queue, X2 is not for everyone. Because X2 is so unique, thrill riders will love it. Most of the people I saw exiting the ride were still pumped with adrenaline. People like this will be able to overlook the ride's flaws, but those who are typical, traditional roller coasters fans and expect a smooth ride will be greatly disappointed. The inside seats are supposed to be smoother, but the ride the outside seats gave was ultra rough at times. X2 is hard to rate as there's really nothing to compare it to. Going down my rating scale I would have to say X2 falls in the '8' category. It's definitely not a 10 and is slightly too flawed to be a 9.

It can be difficult to separate its uniqueness and the aura around X2 from the actual ride it gives. At the bottom of some of the hills I felt like I was being shaken like I was having a seizure, but at other times the view and perspectives were unparalleled. Final Rating - 8.5 (Great Approaching - Excellent)

A video does nothing to really give you an idea of the disorienting and intense ride that X2 gives, but here's one anyway. Check out this on-ride video of X2 @ Magic Mountain:

Ravine Flyer II An Impressive World-Class Wooden Coaster
I'd been excited for Ravine Flyer II since I learned about it last winter. It's the product of 15 years of work, planning, and local politics. The Gravity Group designed hybrid woodie was my top pick for the new coasters opening in 2008. The New York Times even quoted me when I dubbed it the "Sleeper Hit of 2008". So needless to say I was looking forward to getting to Waldameer Park in Erie, PA to see if Ravine Flyer II was as good as expected. Ravine Flyer's climb seems exceptionally slow, which is by no means a negative. This gives riders time to take in the breath-taking view of Lake Erie towards the top. I felt like I was looking out onto an ocean. You can even make out waves breaking on the coast. Park owner Paul Nelson told me that at dusk a mist comes in off the lake that greases the tracks making Ravine Flyer II even faster. Just as riders admire the view with 'oohs and ahhs' their attention is snapped back to the drop below as the trains dives down off of the hill its situated on. The train just rose 80 feet, but the opening hill is a 115 foot drop that banks gently at the bottom. There's a great pull over the crest in the back seat and the hill feels much longer back there.

Out and Back - Down the Ravine & Over the Highway
At the bottom, the train immediately flies through the first tunnel with surprising speed. Then up into the arched bridge over the highway with a short pop of air. In the banked, twisted turn around (similar to a section on Hades) the train climbs a hill that seems to momentarily sap some of the rides energy, but its followed by another great drop and a trip back across the highway.

The Twisted Section - Speed, Airtime, & 90-Degrees!
The rest of the ride is non-stop speed and thrills with no letting up whatsoever. Much like Gravity Group's Voyage, Ravine Flyer II is seemingly possessed or like the energizer bunny for a nicer analogy. It's jam-packed with pops of air and banked turns. Nelson explained that this is Gravity Group's secret to success as it keeps the rides initial energy going. There are nearly no sections of just flat track anywhere. The highlight of the second half is the 90-degree banked turn to the right. It's shorter than sections on The Voyage, but still exciting. The train seems like it could've continued on for longer, but the brake run finally puts the beast to rest.

Early videos of Ravine Flyer II looked fun, but they don't really do the speed and intensity of this ride justice. It's much faster than it looks on video. And though you get thrown around a bit on the turns, I couldn't find a moment of roughness on the whole ride. Gravity Group has done it again. Congratulations to Waldameer Park! For their persistence they've got a world-class woodie that's built to last and will thrill thousands for years to come.

RFII flies its way into my Top Ten landing as the 8th best of the nearly 160 roller coasters I've ridden and the 5th best wooden coaster. It has also received my 7th '10'. If you're anywhere near Erie, get to Waldameer. Final Rating 10 (Superior)

Robb Alvey from ThemeParkReview has made a great video covering this amazing ride. Check out this great video of Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer Park:

MotoCoaster Marks New Era for De-Flagged Darien Lake

On my recent trip to Darien Lake, near Buffalo, NY, I was happy to see that the park is thriving post-Six Flags. PARC Management, the new operators, have the park hitting on all cylinders. They even invested in a first-of-its kind motorcycle-themed launch coaster in the Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster.

Darien Lake did a great job tying in the "Orange County Choppers" TV show. The souvenir shop had the custom chopper that the Tuetuls built for the ride on display. If you've never seen the Discovery Channel show it's pretty cool. It follows a family of custom bike makers in Orange County, New York. It's an enjoyable show even if you're like me and have no interest in bikes.

On a Thursday, we waited about 5 minutes before boarding the 'crotch-rocket' like cars. You straddle them just like a real bike. After boarding, a restraint bar slowly rises up until it reaches your back. The bar doesn't smash you into the bike, it still allows you to sit up, but at the same time won't allow you to fall out. The ride starts with a quick right hand turn out of the station. Then the train, with 6 rows of two bikes across, creeps to the starting line and then stops. The racing lights switch to green and you're off.

The train thrusts forward at a fun, but not too intense, 0 to 38 mph in 3 seconds. The launch is generated via a flywheel unlike the LIMs found on most launch coasters. It felt much faster than I expected. Part of that might have been the seating position, I'm not sure. After the launch the train climbs up and into the contained twisted layout. I would've preferred a more open layout that would've traveled around that section of Darien Lake, like Knott's Berry Farm's Pony Express, or just had a larger footprint like the Italian Job coasters, but Darien was probably a little short on space.

The layout was still fun. I found myself through my hands up and then holding on for the tighter turns. The idea of a bike-themed coaster may seem a little gimmicky, but I prefer the seating position over stand-up coasters. (I smell another coasterology 101 posts.) Overall, the OCC MotoCoaster is a fun ride with surprising speed, some fun momentary g-forces, and a unique (or at least pretty new) seating position. This is the perfect coaster to re-launch a theme park and hopefully bring the masses back. A new launch coaster for a park this size is a strong addition. Final Rating - 7.5 (Good Approaching Great)

Check out this onride video of the OCC MotoCoaster at Darien Lake:Have you ridden the OCC MotoCoaster? What did you think? Leave a comment below.

Raging Bull @ Six Flags Great America | Coaster Reviews
Raging Bull's a Bolliger & Mabillard hypercoaster from the same designers of the popular Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure and Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Europe. So I was excited when I arrived at Great America on a dreary day in 2006. Raging Bull has a more compact twister-style layout and I was curious how it matched up to the Nitro and Apollo's out-and-back design.

After boarding the ultra comfortable seats and pulling down the snug lapbars, the train departs and begins a long, slow 20-story climb. At the top, the track dips a little to pull the last cars off the lift hill, then Raging Bull unleashes a 208-foot drop at 65 degrees. The train reaches speeds over 70 mph and roars through a short underground tunnel at the bottom of the hill. It's a strong opening. Next, the train soars up into a banked curve and then back down to the earth. The following hill is a perfectly executed camel back that offers the best airtime on the entire ride.

The next few turns and hills are fun, but nothing to write home about. Closer to ground now, the train enters the mid-course brake run. The train dives out the flat brake run with an immediate drop offering some good airtime. Another short drop follows that's equally as good and the ride sets up for its finale. The twisted, low to the ground finish is another one of Raging Bull's best moments. Most other hypercoasters spend the majority of their time in the clouds and it was refreshing to see the opposite, especially considering how fast Raging Bull is even towards the end.

Raging Bull doesn't quite reach the level of its sister coasters in New Jersey and Virginia, but it comes close. The 200' drop into the tunnel, the speed, and the twisted finale are all strong points. The swooping turns early on were fun, but I prefer the airtime hills on similar coasters. That said, Raging Bull is top-notch and Chicagoans are lucky to have one of the four B&M hypers in the U.S. in nearby Gurnee. Final Rating - 8.0 (Great)

See my complete rating scale. Here's an onride video of Raging Bull:

Hard Rock Park's Headliner Doesn't Disappoint
Led Zeppelin: The Ride is the headliner in Hard Rock Park's ride lineup. Creating a great new rock-themed park is a draw, but nothing catches the eye of would-be visitors like a flashy new looping roller coaster. To that end, Led Zeppelin delivers a thrilling roller coaster that does an excellent job incorporating the music of a legendary rock band.

As you approach the ride, you notice the huge steel zeppelin-shaped station with the band member's respective symbols on the side. In the queue, there are large mural sized representations of their album covers and flat panel T.V.s featuring concert footage. At the end of the queue there's a room with five doors.

The Pre-Ride Experience
According to the Chief Creative Officer, Jon Binkowski, it took years to convince Led Zeppelin to lend their name and music to the ride. A condition of the agreement was that their entire song had to be played from start to finish. Zeppelin's catalog is filled with some pretty long songs. A coaster would have a ride time as long as Kings Island's Beast and obviously Hard Rock Park didn't have that kind of space.

So a pre-ride experience was created to solve the issue. In the station there are five small dark multimedia rooms like standing theaters. Inside, riders are treated to a video that includes a short interview and a live performance of the band's hit 'Whole Lotta Love'. Click here to watch the video. The performance pauses about midway through and the doors in front of you swing open. The station ride ops cheer as they direct you to the empty train that's waiting for your group. The enthusiastic ride ops do a great job of keeping the excitement going as you board.

The Rockin' Ride
The train dispatches from the station and immediately begins its ascent over the pond. Closer to the 15-story crest, 'Whole Lotta Love' picks back up in via the onboard speakers. And then it really kicks in as the train plummets to the pond below. Next, the train travels directly into a large 120' tall vertical loop with some great g-forces. Then the train maneuvers through a cobra roll with two quick inversions. The rock really adds to the ride as the train traverses the highlight. The signature B&M zero-g roll over the pond is excellent. (Pictured left)

Another smaller vertical loop follows and then the trains takes a large swooping turn and does a flyby near the station. Next, the train passes through a short brake run and then drops into a corkscrew. (Pictured below) Your ride finishes strong with an upward helix and then the final station brakes.

As a total experience, Led Zepellin The Ride is a great attraction. The roller coaster truly delivers and 'Whole Lotta Love' blasting away as you perform these acrobatic maneuvers is a pretty memorable experience. While the lengthy pre-ride experience may deter some coaster enthusiasts who are likely to want several re-rides, it does add authenticity and theming. Plus, as the C.C.O. shared with me, most guests will only ride Led Zepellin once. So, for the general public Led Zepellin will satisfy with a thrilling and somewhat unique experience. Final Rating - 8.5 (Great Approaching Excellent)

Want to know how good an 8.5 is? Check out my rating scale. Also, here's an onride roller coaster video of Led Zeppelin - The Ride:
Have you ridden Led Zepellin - The Ride? What did you think? Leave a comment below.

Slippery When Wet at Hard Rock Park | Coaster Reviews
In the heart of Hard Rock Park lies one the park's few attractions that incorporate water. Slippery When Wet (likely named after the Bon Jovi album) is a suspended coaster designed by Premier Rides. It is similar to Carowinds Flying Super Saturator and Hersheypark's Roller Soaker. Each car holds four riders, two facing frontward and two facing backward. Unique to Slippery, the ride begins with a hydraulic elevator lift. After the four or five story climb, the car begins its winding path.

Meanwhile, onlookers can man large water canons and take aim at the riders flying overhead. It's almost certain that you will get wet. Aside from the canons, the train passes through a wall of sprinkling water towards the end. As with most attractions, Hard Rock Park, adds an innovative spin to this concept. While riders are in danger of getting sprayed, they do have a way to retaliate. Every car features a green button that sends a radio signal to shower heads above the people that are using the canons. The buttons weren't operational when I was there, but it sounds like revenge will be sweet.

Located in the Born in the USA section, Slippery When Wet is a great attraction for kids and even adults that want to cool off. Adjacent to the coaster is Kids Rock! State Park. It's a camp-themed area that includes rock climbing, rope bridges, forts and water play areas. Obviously, Slippery can't compare to some of the other more thrilling rides, but it does play a nice support role and helps to round out the park's lineup. Final Rating - 6.0 (Above Average) See the rest of my rating scale here.

Listen to what Chief Creative Officer, Jon Binkowski & General Manager Dale Kaetzel had to say about Slippery When Wet during the tour:

Cyclone @ SFNE | Keep Your Chiropractor on Speed Dial

Cyclone's reputation as the 'Riverside Cyclone' preceded it. For many enthusiasts and New Englanders, its fondly remembered as its previous incarnation, not the demolition nominee it currently is. I could see where Six Flags had tried to re-track the Cyclone when they acquired the park in 2000. Call me crazy, but I don't think the coaster rehab worked. According to RCDB, first drop was shortened by 15 to 20 feet. I'm not sure how that would have made the ride any better. Maybe then it wouldn't have been so terribly sluggish, but I imagine it still would've been rough. Maybe some New Englanders can explain the Riverside Cyclone to Cyclone transition. At least there was a very short wait and some decent rock playing in the station. Wow, there's two positives. So I lied.

So, forgive me hardcore woodie fans and older New Englanders, I don't know this coaster from it's hallowed past as the 'Riverside Cyclone'. So it gets no points from me for its rep. All I have to judge it by is the rough, painful, trim break heavy trip I took on this demolition candidate. So when you visit Six Flags New England for Superman: Ride of Steel as anyone should, take my advice and skip the Cyclone. Your time is better spent re-riding one of the park's better rides. Or probably riding any other ride at the park. Final Rating - 1.0 (Demolish)

Kumba @ Busch Gardens Africa | World's Best Looping Coaster?
Strap in for a ride on the best steel looper on the planet. I've reviewed the rest of my top ten, for my 300th post I figured it'd be fitting if I reviewed the coaster in my top spot. These days there's nothing special about a roller coaster with seven loops. The way Kumba at Busch Gardens Africa (Tampa, FL) integrates it's twisted layout with the lush tropical terrain makes it a world-class roller coaster and my favorite of the 100-plus that I've ridden.

Welcome to the Jungle
Tucked away back beyond the tiger pits, deep in Busch Gardens Africa's Congo section lies Kumba. You're welcomed to this corner of the park by Kumba's roar, the sound the yellow trains make as they traverse the twisted teal steel. Fittingly, Kumba means 'roar' in an African Congo language.

After boarding the comfortable trains, you exit right out of the station.The trains starts its ascent and you can't help but notice the enormous tear drop-shaped loop that you pass through as you climb. Tension builds as you reach the crest and the train dips a bit as it leaves the chain lift. Next, the train takes a swooping 13-story drop to the ground below. The train roars to top speed along the ground, setting you up for the first of your seven inversion trip. The train rockets back toward the sky into the once record breaking vertical loop. If you take the time to look upward you can see the lift hill that you're flying over.

The Dive Loop & Zero-G Roll
The underrated dive loop really shines on Kumba. The seldom mentioned positive g-forces as you exit this loop and return to the ground are brief, but forceful. Next, you rise back up and into steel coaster bliss. The zero-g roll (or camelback as B&M calls it) is a buttery smooth maneuver where the train makes a fighter jet like spin. As it's name suggests there's a moment of weightlessness. This is arguably one of the most popular or types of loops out there and here it's executed for probably one of the first times ever, flawlessly. After the roll, the train drops back to the earth and rides along a straight section of track in a ravine.

Cobra Roll With a Purpose
The cobra roll is another run of the mill inversion by today's standards, but was beautifully executed on Kumba. It consists of two nearly back-to-back inversions and is typically feels a little thrown in to up the loop count. On Kumba, the cobra roll wraps around a path bridge. Passerbys are frozen in their tracks as they look up and marvel at the beast that just roared overhead twisting in the air and then disappearing back into the jungle.

Interlocking Corkscrews & a Dark Finale
By now, most coasters would be over. You've already been spun upside-down five times, but thankfully Kumba's not through with you. You have just a moment to catch your breath as you enter a mid-course brake run. Next, the train dives into a set of corkscrews (or flat spin as B&M calls them). Instead of the typical way of executing two back-to-back corkscrews resulting in a bit of dizziness and disorientation (not that's there's anything wrong with that), the train enters a transitional curve. Then you roar through the second corkscrew which is final inversion on your trip. The train dives below a walking path and then flies right by the station giving perspective riders a glimpse at their future. Kumba finishes strong with a brief, but dark and rocky tunnel and a upward helix with some surprising g-forces.

Kumba: A Piece of History
In 1993, this was Bolliger & Mabillard's first foray into seated steel loopers. Oddly, they had created a number of stand-up coasters before venturing into other types. Busch ordered two steel loopers, one for Busch Gardens Europe and one for Busch Gardens Africa. B&M declined the Williamsburg project and Busch pursued Drachen Fire with Arrow. B&M would go onto create countless thrill rides and crowd-pleasers, many of which use inversions first seen on Kumba. Hulk at IOA, Medusa at Great Adventure. But in my opinion, they haven't topped Kumba's perfect pacing, beautiful tropical atmosphere, inventive layout that interacts with the track and surroundings.

For the fun, re-ridable, and thrilling adventure that Kumba offers, its my favorite roller coaster. According to the latest Internet Coaster Poll it still fares pretty well for a 15 year old coaster. I highly recommend it the next time you're in the Tampa area. Final Rating 10.0 (Superior)


Check out this professional onride video of Kumba at Busch Gardens Africa:

Islands of Adventure's Hulk Coaster is Incredible
Islands of Adventure's Incredible Hulk is one of the best looking coasters you'll find anywhere. The twisted mess of bright green track is built partially over the park's lake. Hulk's enclosed lift hill and massive cobra roll and vertical loops dominate the skyline at Islands of Adventure. The layout is right on top of the park, but not to its detriment. Hulk is perfectly integrated into the walking paths and spectators are frozen in their tracks as they pass under the marvel.

The experience starts with the pre-ride theming of the queue made to look like a scientific facility straight from the comic book. The station is a futuristic gamma radiation chamber responsible for turning Bruce Banner into the Hulk. Riders climb aboard the suped up, comfortable, four across trains in anticipation of an unforgettable ride.

Hulk has one of the best opening sequences I've ever experienced. First, riders are launched 0 to 40 mph (via a tire propelled launch system) up the enclosed lift hill. 40 miles per hour is nothing extreme, but riding through the long tube, up into the light of day only to be spun upside down by a zero-g roll over 100' in the air is unbelievable. This is easily one of my favorite all-time inversions. It just has to be experienced. After the roll, the train plummets back down towards the lake and then back up into a super-sized cobra roll (seen here) offering two more high altitude inversions. Next, the train enters a massive vertical loop. The trains dives into an underground mist filled tunnel, flies back up and does a sweeping helix around the enclosed lift hill.

From here on, Hulk loses its great pacing. Immediately after the helix the train enters a quick corkscrew, then a smaller tighter vertical loop that wraps around an upcoming brake run. After a few more turns riders are pulled into the brake run as they pass through the previous loop. Then they drop down and into the final inversion, another corkscrew, and after a few more turns you hit the station brakes. While I'm glad that the ride doesn't just end after the incredible opening sequence, the second half seems crammed and a lot less interesting than the first half. The back half is also uncharacteristically rough for a Bolliger & Mabillard coaster. Even B&M's loopers are usually very smooth and forgiving. These tighter inversions supply a little head bang. The banging's not unforgivable, but definitely noticeable. Here's a view of the crowded back half.

The Hulk is an amazing roller coaster and truly a one-of-a-kind ride. The theming, originality, and overall rideability are top-knotch and I want to give it a 10. But The Hulk falls just short. See my rating scale here. Final Rating - 9.5 (Excellent Approaching Superior)

Check out this onride video of the Incredible Hulk @ Islands of Adventure. It looks faster than I remember:

Batman: The Dark Knight @ Six Flags New England
No, I don't have a time machine (yet!). I rode the floorless roller coaster formerly known as Batman: The Dark Knight at Six Flags New England in 2005. This year, Six Flags renamed it Batman: The Ride so that they could add one of the three new Batman: The Dark Knight clones to the park. Make sense? Onto the review.

Batman The Dark Knight was a floorless roller coaster with open cars. It had a mostly smooth ride, some decent theming, and a nice looking station. My favorite inversion, the zero-g roll, was among the coaster's five loops. Also, because of it's capacity, (like with most B&M's) the line should always move relatively fast. However, when I was at Six Flags New England there wasn't a line. All of these pluses added up to a 'Good' coaster, but nothing more.

The layout was pretty short and uninspiring, while still being a good use of the little land they had to work with. The ride started with a swooping 117' foot drop that's immediately followed by a large vertical loop. A dive loop follows and then a banked turn that passes through the previous vertical loop. Next is a sweet zero-g roll that twists over a path. The Dark Knight's finale was the B&M signature interlocking corkscrews (seen here). Unfortunately, they are uncharacteristically rough and they're immediately followed by the brakes. The train was still traveling at a pretty good pace as I hit the final brakes, and the ride's over.

I'm not a huge fan of compact roller coasters with multiple loops as they tend to have their inversions too close together. That wasn't so much of a problem with the first three inversions, but the rougher than usual corkscrews and slamming into the final brakes hurt this coaster's chances of a higher rating. Lastly, it's compact size keeps the speed and intensity at a minimum. Which isn't completely a bad thing, but when I got off I wasn't like, "Wow that little coaster packed a punch". It was more like, "Okay. That was a B&M floorless." The Dark Knight is still a good installation for any park. Final Rating - 7.0 (Good)

Check out this onride video of Batman The Dark Knight at Six Flags New England. Warning! It's got yet another terrible techno-pop song. It was the best video I could find, but you may want to mute it:



Have you ridden Batman The Dark Knight (now known as Batman The Ride) at SFNE? What did you think? Leave a comment below.

Twister at Knoebels | The Other Half of Knoebels' 1-2 Punch
The aptly named Twister is the epitome of a twister roller coaster. It's an action-packed wooden coaster with more lateral g-forces than you can shake a stick at. Twister's exciting layout was actually borrowed from Mr. Twister, a roller coaster that operated at Elitch Gardens in Denver, CO from 1964 to 1994. Mr. Twister was a top rated coaster and was advertised as not having a foot of straight track. When it closed in 1994, Knoebels considered relocating it (like they did with Phoenix), but instead opted to create their own roller coaster from the plans for Mr. Twister.

The layout of Twister is one of the most interesting I've ever experienced. The curved station is tucked snugly inside the coaster's mass of tangled wood. After dropping out the station riders climb the first hill. A 180 degree turn follows and then the train climbs the second lift hill. During the lift you can't help but notice the great view of the beautiful Pennsylvania mountains all around the park. Next, a large swoop curve sets up the first real drop and you're off on your twisted journey back to the station.

The pacing is relentless and fast and yet it isn't too rough to bear several rides. The highlight of the ride is the cool double helix that wraps around the station. The lateral g-forces are intense. Before it's all over, you find yourself roaring through a dark underground tunnel somewhere in the mass of wood. Finally, you make your way to the brake run and your ride is over.

Twister is an impressive little wooden gem at Knoebels and it's currently number 7 on my Top Wooden Coasters List. For me, it might have upstaged Knoebels' crown jewel, the Phoenix. While Phoenix has insane airtime, its layout is pedestrian compared to the Twister's. They're both great coasters and with the addition of Flying Turns in 2009, enthusiasts that haven't made it to Knoebels should be ashamed of themselves. Final Rating - 9.0 (Excellent)

Check out this onride video of the Twister at Knoebels:


What do you think of the Twister at Knoebels? Leave a comment below.

Drachen Fire @ Busch Gardens | Defunct Roller Coasters
Drachen Fire was an infamous roller coaster that lived in the Rhineland, Germany section of Busch Gardens Williamsburg from 1992 to 1998. While it had a short run, it's easily one of the most well-known defunct coasters in past years. I will relay the background story I've seen several times on the coaster enthusiast circuit. I have no way of validating the B&M involvement part of the story. But here's the folklore of Drachen Fire, the most famous defunct coaster of the past twenty years.

The story began when Busch planned to build two steel looping roller coasters. One was to be built at their African themed park in Tampa, Florida and one at their European-themed park in Williamsburg, Virginia. They had ordered the two coasters from new-comers Bolliger & Mabillard. At the time they were a young company and had not done a sitdown looping coaster. So, they decided to only work on one of the two projects. The result is my all-time favorite coaster Kumba at Busch Gardens Tampa.

Enter Arrow, the company we can thank for two of the park's other gems: Loch Ness Monster and Big Bad Wolf. Busch had luck with Arrow on those two installations, so they were hired to finish the Williamsburg coaster. The designs for Drachen Fire were like nothing the veteran builders had done before. With the use of state-of-the-art computer modeling the company said it could deliver the unique steel looper. And so, Drachen Fire was born.

A Dragon Like No Other
Drachen Fire boasted several never-before seen elements. The ride opened with a wrap around corkscrew performed during the initial 145' drop (pictured above). Next, was the camelback hill designed for airtime. An element with two back-to-back inversions called a cobra roll followed. After exiting the cobra roll, riders hit a short brake run. Right out of the brake run the train dove into a diving corkscrew. Then there was the cutback which was like a corkscrew but riders entered the element the same way that they exited. And finally, there was one last standard corkscrew, and helix and then the ride was over. Drachen Fire's trains had a sleeker design and lights on the sides which must have looked really cool at night.