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Here are some of the coasters, and what
we think of them, at Six Flags New England.
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- Superman: Ride of Steel
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This incredible ride raises the bar for all steel coasters. Superman:Ride of
Steel is smooth, fast, steep, packed with stupendous air time -- in short,
everything one could ask for from a steel coaster. Our first ride on this
coaster was in the front row, where during our 200 foot climb we enjoyed the
view of the Connecticut river below us. The seats on these trains have a wide
open feeling, like a "lawn chair bolted to a sled," it's been said. As we
dipped over the top of the lift hill, we watched as the horizon rose in our
field of view and the track curled under us. And curled. And curled. The first
drop here is a steep 75-degree slope, and we were already flung forward against
the lap restraints before we could see the mist-filled hole awaiting us at the
bottom of the drop.  Finally, the chain let go and we were flung down that metal
mountain into the utter blackness of the fog tunnel. Then up into the light and
over the second hill with more air time, then the third hill which provides
amazing, out-of-the-seat air time both going up and coming down the hill, a
powerful jolt of air on the fourth hill...and that's just the first half of
this coaster.
The track then curves into a twisted section of turns and hills. The top of
each hill gave the same incredible pop of air, pushing us up into the
restraint. The visuals are exciting, too, since there is no visible track
support above or next to the track itself. So from the front, all you can see
are your hands, the front of the car, and a few feet of bright red track
hanging in space like some giant Frank Lloyd Wright's erector set. In the
middle of this insanity is another foggy tunnel, another shot of sudden
blackness. Then there are a few more hills, each with incredible pops of air,
then finally the right turn onto the brake run and the sudden, smooth stop on
the magnetic brakes.
"WOW!" we said. That's the best coaster that ever was, and nothing could be
better. Every superlative applies: the most air time, smoothest, flawless. The
best.
And yet, we had heard that the front seat, while providing the best view, was
not the best seat on this coaster. So we moved back a few rows where we saw the
amazing truth for ourselves: this coaster provides substantially more air time
in the third row than in the front! Unbelievable, we thought, but true!
This coaster is not to be missed, and for us, earns the distinction of "Our
Favorite Steel Coaster."
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- A copy of the coaster originally designed for the 1939 World's Fair (Trilon
and Perisphere, anyone?), this smallish wooden coaster starts out kind of
slowly. But as it makes its way around the oval layout, it begins to pick up a
bit, with more kick to each drop and turn as the ride progresses. The highlight
of our ride, though, was the seven-year-old boy on his first coaster ride
sitting right behind us. *He* sure had fun, and that was a bit contagious.
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- Although this is an older copy of the standard Vekoma
Boomerang, it was pretty good and nearly as smooth as the newer one we
had just ridden at Lake Compounce. With so little headbanging, this ride is fun
and thrilling.
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- Mind Eraser
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Just like the other Mind Erasers at, for example, Six Flags America, this copy
of the standard Vekoma SLC (suspended looping coaster) is not a bad ride. It's
a bit rough, but not terribly so, and it lacks the intensity of, say, Batman:
The Ride. There is an excellent drop after the second inversion. The train goes
up a hill and leans over sideways, so that when you crest the hill, your feet
are sticking straight out to the right. Just past the top of the hill, the
train rotates back to an upright position as you dive down a large hill past
the station. But the Mind Eraser just kind of peters out. The last part of the
ride consists of a slow, gentle, rocking motion before making the final turn
into the station.
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- This is a large, and violent, twister. It probably would be more fun to an
experienced rider who could brace for the sudden twists and sharp curves, but
we only rode this once. We suffered some bumps, bangs, bruises, even a broken
keychain, while the ride blurred by too fast to recall clearly what happened.
There was one element very near the beginning that was sort of a double drop
that stands out as a fun moment.
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- Poison Ivy's Tangled Train
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A small steel "family" coaster that's mild enough for children. It's also
short, but we were given two circuits.
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