DOOMSDAY DEVICE
"It's the end of the world as we know it.......and I feel fine."
As one of five B&M stand-up coasters currently in operation, this ride operated for two decades at Great America as 'Iron Wolf'. It's a very polarizing ride, with most complaints being the uncomfortable trains and excessive head-banging.
Teens seem to be the target demographic for this one, as adults have more common sense/fragile bones and kids aren't tall enough to board. I rode it plenty of times back in Gurnee and the ride itself hasn't changed much since the relocation to Maryland.
For those who've yet to experience the taint-mangling awfulness of stand-up coasters, the ride sensation is both highly unusual and unpleasant. Your feet are placed flat on the floor as the bungee-like restraints lock in place. A small padded section holds your crotch (seriously), so if you're packing a trouser python like the author of this review, good luck!
Nowhere near as intense as 'Riddler's Revenge' @ SFMM or 'Green Lantern' (née 'Chang') @ SFGAdv, this modest roller coaster features a pair of inversions and a fairly compact layout. A 90ft drop gets the 28-passenger train up to a max speed of 55mph and one complete circuit lasts roughly 2 minutes. A vertical loop and corkscrew are the only inversions on this one.
The most noticeable change is the theming. Six Flags took the rather plain 'Iron Wolf' (despite a badass sign) and transformed it into something pretty damn cool. The orange rails and black track are a gorgeous, vibrant color scheme that's a sizable improvement over IW's faded maroon and grey. What's better, the station music is wicked cool, a combination of ambient metal and techno, which fits the ride's theme to a tee.
I was REALLY pleased to see such dynamic props used for this coaster; everything from a crashed airplane to an overturned helicopter, twisted metal pieces and various engine wreckage strewn about.....very few roller coasters at Six Flags parks get this much attention to detail. Even the paint job on the trains looks great, not to mention the ride's unofficial tagline of "stand up and fight". Very cool from top to bottom.
Although......the more often I ride stand-up coasters, the less likely I am to have kids. It's no wonder that Cedar Point banished those old trains from 'Mantis' and replaced them with sit-down floorless ones, creating the (now fabulous) 'Rougarou'. Even California's Great America did away with their stand-up trains on 'Vortex' and re-branded it as the floorless 'Patriot', a smart move.
Eric S's SFA Coaster Ranking = 5th out of 8.
+ coaster review in 40 words or less +
Notorious for mashing your c*ck & balls, this is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it roller coaster. I dig the color scheme, music, and fantastic environmental props, but despite the rough ride I'd still say it's worth riding. read more