BIZARRO

BIZARRO
SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND

Six rides on Bizarro almost made up for having to drive two hours from Boston to Six Flags New England due to misinformation on a website which said that Boston was the closest airport to Agawam.  (Hartford is the closest airport.)  Because this coaster was manufactured by Intamin, which built my two favourite coasters – El Toro and Millennium Force – I expected a good ride and believe me, I got one.  The lift hill reminded me of Millennium Force because both coasters have a body of water on the left side and no guard rail on that side, the only difference being that Bizarro uses a chain lift and MF uses a cable lift.  The first drop of 221 feet at a 72-degree angle was breathtaking, with the added element of speeding into a mist-filled tunnel at the bottom of the drop.  That was followed by a succession of drops and overbanked turns.  This ride is all about drops, angles and special effects.   The track layout is outstanding and the helixes were pretty intense.  I rode Bizarro in the front, middle and back of the train and found that the G-forces are much greater in the back.  This can be felt throughout the ride and particularly when racing around a right-banked turn into the second mist-filled tunnel.  However,  I still enjoy the front not only for the unobstructed view but for the very noticeable hang time before going over the first drop.  The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the sound effects.  On my first visit to SFNE, each seat had a speaker in the headrest which blasted out Bizarro-themed music that sounded like a combination of commercial voiceovers and rap.  Well, a roller coaster soundtrack is an interesting concept but I felt that this detracted from rather than added to the ride.    (At least it wasn’t as obnoxious as the repetitive pre-recorded announcements in the loading area to the effect that riders must have two legs and at least one arm to ride Bizarro.)  When I visited the park a year later, the soundtrack had been removed.  With or without a soundtrack, Bizarro is one of the best coasters I have ever ridden.  5 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags New England visit www.sixflags.com/newengland/

FLASHBACK

FLASHBACK
SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND

This coaster was a novel experience from beginning to end.  Going up a lift hill backwards was a first for me, and struck me as rather bizarre.  As the train was being pulled backwards I felt myself being pushed forward to the extent that it seemed as if I was going to be pushed out.  (Not a chance, as riders are restrained by harnesses.)   Not far from the top, the catch car releases the train and zoom, the riders are sent hurtling downhill without any warning.  The train proceeds through two corkscrews and a loop, then does it all in reverse.  Going downhill backwards felt as odd as going uphill backwards and this segment of the ride proved to be more intense than the first.  In one of the corkscrews I seemed to be flat on my back staring up at the sky, which in a way was pretty cool.  However, I didn’t find it as enjoyable as I might have because the force exerted in the corkscrews/ cobra roll caused me to hit my head against the headrest twice and bang one elbow while trying to regain a sense of balance.  That being said, Flashback was a pretty good ride.  3 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags New England, visit www.sixflags.com/newengland/

CYCLONE

CYCLONE
SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND

If you’re seeking high thrills, this is not the ride for you.   The longest drop is only 90 feet  although I must say that it feels like less than that so the anticipation I felt while being pulled up the hill turned into disappointment.  The lift hill is deceptive because the drop on the other side is 22 feet shorter than the length of the lift hill.  This is not to say that a coaster must have huge drops to be great;  Phoenix at Knoebels doesn’t have any big drops and is a great ride because it has other things going for it.   What I mean to say is that Cyclone struck me as unexceptional.  I thought that the best elements of the ride were the turns (this is a twister), which do offer some decent airtime.  And although the track looks pretty rickety, the ride did not feel at all rough.  It’s not a bad ride; it’s just very tame by my standards.  Ho hum.  2 ½ out of 5 stars.   For more information about rides at Six Flags New England visit www.sixflags.com/newengland/  (P.S. The video is almost unwatchable because of the green tint – the camcorder is obviously defective - but it will at least give you some idea of the ride.)