The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[Lady Gaga]

Tatsu has gotten a little bit "shaky" but it's nothing bad.

It happens to all coasters.

[PortugePunk]

Was digging around my archives tonight and found some old pics from Magic Mountain from 1999. In honor of WCB this weekend, I thought I'd post 'em. Sorry for the crappy quality - apparently Walgreens doesn't wrap their negatives in archival quality film.

 

Aqua.TD6

Riddler.. still nearly brand new - check out the bright paint.. we waited 3 hours for it that day.

looking up at flashback. RIP.

head-bang-tastic

i always thought the banking was NUTS on this thing.

ugghhh!

[coasterking2981]

Jeez, that third picture of Flashback has RCT3 banking on it! How high were Flashback's G-forces?

[Awsome Abomb]

So wish I got the chance to ride flashback.

Those banks look crazy! Riddler looks so green and sexy!

[Rotura Violenta]

I don't remember the forces being that crazy on it, but it would tip you out of your seat and slam you into the restraints before each dive. Once it got lower to the ground and picked up speed, that's when the serious ear bashing would begin.

 

Although the trains were uncomfortable and you could barely see over the front, the layout was really cool and unusual. I always loved riding it and you could guarantee there would never be a line.

[WFChris]

Flashback was so cool, I truly enjoyed it and felt it to be one of the most unique coaster riding experiences ever. I know it took a lot of heat, but whatever. I thought it was really awesome.

 

Chris.

[austinlee]

I actually like the shaking on Tatsu. It adds to the intensity. Flashback would have been a good ride if not for the headbanging. I rode it on a few visits the year it opened but never again after that because it gave me terrible headaches, including a migraine which ruined the second half of one of my visits that year. Flashback and Psyclone are the only two coasters I have ever chose to stop riding due to the pain they inflicted. I stopped riding Psyclone after it's first year too due to the back pain it gave me.

[AllenA07]

Flashback was an interesting ride, however the roughness just really did it in. I will say however that the drops on that coaster were unlike any other I have been on to date.

[txmikey]

Flashback was fun, but you definitely had to ride defensively to keep your head from getting knocked. Those curves and dives were wickedly awesome.

 

The restraints came up too high and were the whole problem. With something that rested on your shoulders but stayed mostly below your neck, the ride would've been a hundred times more enjoyable. I feel the same way about B&M restraints on their stand-ups. Those monstrosities surrounding your head make otherwise great coasters like Mantis unpleasant to ride.

[ebl]

"How high were Flashback's G-forces?" (coasterking2981)

 

I don't know---all I got up to was "ouch!"

 

Despite the pain of the rest of the ride, I did get some good airtime going over the same hill that the train is going over in the second picture of Flashback.

 

Eric

[Rotura Violenta]

Can't say I ever got airtime on it. Hang-time, yes; but I don't think I've ever experienced any notable airtime on a ride at SFMM.

 

I'm sure I'll get crucified for saying this but personally I'm just not into a lot of MM's massive coasters -- I find them quite boring. I'd rather go small, compact, and intense -- all things that Flashback definitely had going for it! Although I'm not a fan of Disneyland, to me, Space Mountain kicks major coaster a.s.s. compared to some towering B&M snooze-fest.

[Rotura Violenta]

Retraction:

 

Freefall had awesome airtime. (sigh).

[AWill961]

^^ of course you are entitled to your opinion.

 

But I disagree with ya. There's nothing boring about Tatsu, X2, Riddlers.... Goliath at one time, setting standards for drops and height.....

[austinlee]

I don't recall any airtime on Flashback but those quick drops and sharp, banked turns made it a fairly intense coaster. It's too bad all that headbanging ruined it because I feel that it had the potential to be a good ride. I remember hitting my head on every turn for the entire coaster. I agree that the restraints were a large part of the problem. They were very hard, like the ones currently on Revolution, but the headbanging on Flashback was much more forceful than on Revolution.

[Guy T. Koepp]

Actually, flashback had one awesome pop of air. At least it did in it's salad days. If memory serves, it tended to be quite over trimmed in it's wanning years.

 

http://www.rcdb.com/128.htm?p=6312

This hill had a nice yank out of your seat element if I remember correctly.

[ebl]

^ That's the hill I was referring to in my post a few above yours. I always looked forward to that part of the ride---and the end!

 

Eric

[AnEscapeArtist]

^^Man that ride stunk! I don't miss it at all! Besides the pain, I remember that air hump and the unique hairpin style drop.

 

Thanks to PortugePunk for the scans! I always like Shanes Amusement Attic as well just cause I enjoy the old times because it brings back memories.

[CreditCrazy]

I remember the first couple times I went to SFMM, in 2006 and 2007 (before I was an enthusiast). I used to always wonder why Flashback was closed. I never got to ride it (or Psyclone), but I guess they weren't huge losses.

[austinlee]

^^^ I forgot about that. That hill did have some good air. That and the helix at the end were the best parts, but the helix did have some really bad headbanging which greatly overshadowed it's good qualities in my opinion.

 

^ You didn't miss much. Flashback and Psyclone were both junk. I'm glad they are both gone. Especially since the awesome Terminator now stands in Psyclone's old spot.

[stricklandCC]

I'm not sure I could call flashback junk. It was quirky, could sometimes bust your ear open, had funny "can't see over the front" trains(if anyone can shed light on the purpose of the high front, I never understood it). It was a FUN ride though, sure, it had some head-bangin, but riding defensively seemed to work for me. Perhaps it was the uniqueness of the ride, but I will always have a place in my heart for it!

 

Dan "resurrect Flashback" Strickland.

[ebl]

^ "if anyone can shed light on the purpose of the high front, I never understood it"

 

To hide what was coming next...

 

Eric

[stricklandCC]

^ Thats what i was thinkin' too. However the trains were so odd, I thought it might have been an engineering "form follows function" thing. I think with all the advancements in coaster technology, someone could re-engineer the ride with better reliability, and less turbulence. Also, wasn't Flashback one of the first coasters to "heart-line" its track?

[MagicMountainMan]

^Considering that Revolution was designed with a heart-line in mind, I'd say no.

[X2coasterfreak]

I used to always wonder why Flashback was closed. I never got to ride it (or Psyclone), but I guess they weren't huge losses.

Lucky you. Psyclone was the only ride that made feel like throwing up all over the place.

[PortugePunk]

Although the trains were uncomfortable and you could barely see over the front, the layout was really cool and unusual. I always loved riding it and you could guarantee there would never be a line.

 

I couldn't agree more. I totally wish they would remake this with new technology. I always thought it was neat.