• Bizarro (Superman) @ Six Flags New England

  Written by The Coaster Critic 12 Comments
  Last Updated: April 28, 2007

  Bizarro (Formerly Superman: Ride of Steel) at Six Flags New England

  A Heroic Hyper Coaster That Lives Up to Its Lofty Reputation
  I don’t give out a lot of 10’s. But this ladies and gentlemen, deserves a 10. It’s reputation was huge and I figured it would be better than the other coasters by the same name, I just didn’t know it was going to be THAT good. Thanks to the unimaginative minds at Six Flags it can be a bit confusing. There are two other hypercoasters by the same name, one at Six Flags America and one at the de-flagged Darien Lake, which is now just Ride of Steel. Those two are identical and very pedestrian in comparison to the New England installation. It’s nothing short of a masterpiece. Don’t take my word for it. Thousands of coaster enthusiasts agree. See the Golden Ticket Awards and Mitch Hawker’s Poll.

  Now, to the review. The experience starts with some appropriate Metropolis-themed supporting buildings. Right away, I noticed a clean, well organized queue with the Superman movie theme playing in the background. It’s a small touch, but adds to the experience. I’m not sure why this is absent from the other Superman coasters. The station was buzzing with excitement and the ride ops kept the energy up asking riders if they enjoyed the ride. Quite often, the trains returned with enthusiastic applause before the ride ops could even speak.

  Intamin’s seats aren’t as wide and comfortable as the seats you find on B&M’s Apollo’s Chariot, but the back seats of each car are raised slightly in a stadium seating fashion. After leaving the station, you begin the long ascent which offers a breath-taking view of the Connecticut River a few hundred yards to your left. If you sit on the left there isn’t much between you, the river, and the ground, far, far below. At over 200 feet up, the trains crest the top and then plummet down more than 220 feet. At the bottom of the hill the train dashes throw a short underground tunnel as it reaches 77 mph. You climb up and drop down another 120 foot drop. Next is the overbanked turn that’s similar to Intamin’s overbank on Millennium Force, just not quite as large.

  Packed with Airtime As Advertised
  As I had heard from other coaster enthusiasts, the hills are stuffed with airtime. Some with sudden drops that are short but powerful, jerking you down and even throwing your hands up for you. The helices offer great g-forces and the second tunnel is cool and throws you a little. I also enjoyed the layout and liked the varied nature of the track. I can see why New Englanders are so rabid for this ride. It had the longest line at the park the entire day. And if it wasn’t for security there would have been a mad dash for it when the park opened. This truly is the best steel roller coaster (and in my opinion overall coaster) on the planet. Kumba’s still my personal favorite though. Final Rating – 10 (Transcendental)

  Check out this onride coaster video of Superman: Ride of Steel, though it doesn’t really do the ride justice.

  
  Similar Intamin hyper coasters: Superman: Ride of Steel at SF America, Expedition GeForce at Holiday Park, Ride of Steel at Darien Lake

  For more info check out this fan site. How many roller coasters have their own fan sites? Do you have a comment about this S:RoS or any of the other versions? Chime in below.

  

  Related Posts:

  1. Superman Ride of Steel Goes Bizarro at Six Flags New England
  2. Superman Ride of Steel Goes Bizarro?
  3. Superman: Ride of Steel | Six Flags America

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12 Comments

1. #1 Anonymous says:
   July 9th, 2008 at 11:30 pm

   This ride is definitely the number one coaster on the planet. It’s so amazing. So much airtime, plenty of g-forces on the helixes, and many cool elements. I love the tunnels. The mist and neon lights seem like they aren’t much, but they make the ride that much better. I love how the onlookers have such an amazing view. Like, on the exit ramp the train flys right over you with a loud roar and just makes you say “Wow.” In my opinion, after riding this ride, I think it’s the only ride that should have “Superman” in its name. I’m lucky though, Six Flags New England is only 10 minutes away from my house, so I go on this coaster a lot.

   Reply
2. #2 Kay says:
   August 2nd, 2008 at 4:29 pm

   This really is such a great coaster – I’ve been so spoiled to ride it as often as I did for the last few years, and every other coaster after it just hasn’t stood up.

   I also get motion sickness really easily, so while most cheap carnival rides that jerk you around real quick leave me in ruins, Superman’s varied dives and twists are 100% excitement without the queasy stomach afterwards.

   And you can’t beat that view, holy crap!

   Reply
3. #3 Nick says:
   January 28th, 2009 at 2:16 pm

   Superman Ride of Steel is the best coaster ever in my opinion. Steel or wooden. Like Kay said, after riding this other coasters are enjoyable, but just can’t stand up to S:ROS. It never gets boring either, no matter how many times you ride it. Now Six Flags is redoing it. The tracks being painted purple and it’s getting some special effects. Fire, smoke, mist, and and an onride audio track are some of the new things. Most likely going to get a Lex Luthor theme, since the fake company Clawshun Industries which was “hired by Six Flags to redo the ride” is really Lex Corp. Ha. All part of the advertising… No matter what the theme, this coaster is the best and looks as if it will stay the best for some years to come.

   Reply
4. #4 DG says:
   May 28th, 2009 at 2:53 pm

   This is an absolutely fantastic coaster. The first drop is breath-taking the first time you ride. I still remember the mixture of horror and excitement when the coaster tipped over the crest and started down that mad slope. I remember thinking, “I can’t believe they’re doing this to us!” like we being sent to our doom!

   After the first drop it’s all speed and insanity but very smooth, so you almost get the feel you’re flying. The small hills near the end come up so fast that you’re weightless at every crest.

   Then the coaster comes to a screeching halt and they leave you there for a few seconds. No matter how many times I ride it, I always feel slightly wobbly and disoriented after the stop. Probably because of the abrupt transition from fast, smooth movement to a dead stop.

   This is definitely the most thrilling coaster I’ve ever ridden.

   One tip: Don’t wear a big belt buckle! The ride attendants cinch the lap belts down VERY tight and riding with a big belt buckle digging into your stomach isn’t very comfortable.

   Reply
5. #5 Matty says:
   June 10th, 2009 at 2:46 pm

   This is my all-time favorite roller coaster!!! I could ride it 10 tiems straight and not get tired of it!

   Reply
6. #6 Danny C says:
   June 28th, 2009 at 8:39 pm

   I rode Bizarro/Superman for the first time yesterday. I was scared out of my mind at first. That first drop is a big one and is really steep. The Mist and the props along the ride all added to the experience. The ride was really smooth and fast. I enjoyed it immensely. It was the best coaster that i have ever ridden. I cannot wait to go back this summer.

   Reply
7. #7 Matthew says:
   June 29th, 2009 at 7:29 am

   ya that first drop is a drop of a life time. And the mist helps with the really hot days that you go there so you can cool off!

   Reply
8. #8 Eric says:
   August 7th, 2009 at 11:15 pm

   SFNE is my homepark and so obviously I feel very fortunate to have been on this ride tons of times! Its the most complete steel roller coaster i’ve ever been on, but certainly not the best.

   Sure SROS has a good first drop, but it pails in comparison to the first drop on MF. SROS also has good theming and tunnels, but i think Montu puts the tunnels on this ride to shame. And the airtime is very good, but being overrated if called great. Now El Toro has great airtime, that airtime embarreses the airtime on this coaster!

   As you can see in my book the most complete ride and the best ride arn’t the same thing, but don’t get me wrong SROS is a great roller coaster and in my top five, but i’m not going to declare it the worlds best when there is no point on it where it is the worlds best. In my book MF and El Toro stand far above and beyond all the others.

   Reply
9. #9 Anonymous says:
   August 25th, 2009 at 11:22 pm

   its amazing. im so lucky to live close enough to the park to ride it as many times as i desire

   Reply
10. #10 Tim says:
    September 12th, 2009 at 3:36 pm

    Not my favorite coaster, but still a good one!

    Reply
11. #11 Lon says:
    November 3rd, 2009 at 7:47 pm

    Watching that video I almost didn’t think it was the same ride.. it almost makes the ride look boring O_O

    But, as every coaster enthusiast knows, it’s all about the the experience and only after riding it can you judge it. It’s in my top 3 as well.

    Reply
12. #12 Tom says:
    January 16th, 2010 at 11:31 am

    I’ve only been on bizarro, but I like this coaster. I never thought I’d say this, but it might have too much airtime! I safely sits on number 4 on my list, because I noticed a few flaws. All together, it is a great ride, I’d rate it a 9.5/10, but I think a few rides stand before it.

    Reply