I grew up with this ride and it's truly difficult to articulate just how much of a game changer this was when it premiered. It made me the enthusiast I am today and every single ride I jump on (hypers especially) is immediately compared to Superman. It's a shame the old restraints are no more, but STR's layout, I would argue, remains the very best layout of any hyper. This will never not be my #1 coaster. What a great review.
Man if SFNE could get those new over head lap bars from Intamin this ride would surely be acknowledged for the masterpiece that it is. Would probably need new trains though, and considering they just got new wheels, they might not. I still have hope though, even if SF hasn’t worked with Intamin in a while.
If its got tons of airtime than I'm happy. Having 3 camelbacks, a speed hill, a bunch of helixes, 3 more larger bunny hills, an overbank... Its fantastic. The layout is so good, it has the absolute perfect mix of elements. It does just do all the airtime than all the helixes than all this or that, it mixes them up and throughs the unexpected element at you. That's what makes this ride so good. The hyper coaster list half and twister section second half but still having intense moments in the first half and airtime moments in the second half makes is different.
I was honestly surprised by the row of bunny hills after the twister section and the second tunnel-- I'd seen videos before but had forgotten they were there and thought the ride was done with that.
I think if not for the restraints, this would be Intamin's best coaster. I can't say for sure as I haven't done El Toro, but the ride is so near perfection and is my 5th favorite coaster ever.
I've been on both, and I like Superman more, and I HATE Superman's restraints. El Toro, even with it's much better restaints, the camel backs just hurt so much it really isn't fun for me, like I love good and intense airtime, but El Toro is just TOO strong.
Excellent review! It's great hearing about the history as well. I love this ride so much! My favorite in New England, favorite Intamin, favorite traditional hyper. I wasn't bothered by the restraints at all, but t-bars are better. My only visit was in early June 2019, so it had the new wheels. I never would've thought that I'd end up liking this more than Wicked Cyclone, but both are still in my top 10. The park wasn't too crowded on my 2+ days, so I got plenty of rides on both, including about 7 night rides on Superman on the Friday, which included several rerides. I fell in love with this park on that trip, and I can't wait to go back!
I’m glad you posted this video - I rode Superman today for the first time in almost 20 years. This ride was hands down my number one coaster even above Millenium Force when it premiered in 2000 and nothing topped it until I rode Fury 325 two years ago. That being said, I am sad to say that based on my ride today, Superman is now far from the elite ride it used to be. Let me add the HUGE caveat that I am 6’1”, and weigh 275lbs, so I BARELY squeezed into this ride. When I rode it with the T-bars, I was a healthier weight and therefore got much more airtime. So my experience is definitely unique, but perhaps other big and tall riders out there can comment as well? (I fit in every other ride at the park except the RMC, Wicked Cyclone, which was a bummer but now I know I have to lose some weight so I can ride Iron Gwazi when it opens). Despite my size, however, the restraints on Superman were very unusual in that they left plenty of space by my belly (about 6 inches), but they completely stopped at the top of my thighs. Now when I was younger I definitely had less belly fat, but I have been the same height for a long time so I think that even if I were a little slimmer the bars are just a problem for tall riders. 6’4” is an incredibly low Max height for any ride. While I loved the lift, view, and incredible first drop, the rest of the ride was quite painful. Instead of getting those incredible pops of sustained airtime, my thighs pushed up against the bar so hard that they are now bruised. Instead of putting my arms up and yelling “whee,” I was actually using the bar to try to push myself down into my seat during each airtime moment to avoid more bruising. I used to love careening over those last bunny hills into the brake run screaming “more more!” like a giddy child, but today I was holding on for dear life screaming “please no more- enough is enough!” While I am certainly glad to have been able to ride again, and the first drop and sense of speed was still incredible, I cannot say that this coaster is anywhere near my top 10 anymore, which is sad because it used to be #1. The layout, as the video states, is just plain flawless. And while this coaster remains a classic, and I will certainly give it a go for nostalgia’s sake on return visits to the park, I have to say that this ride is just not made for people with my height and body dimensions. And I do want to say for comparison that even though I am a larger rider, there are still plenty of coasters that I can get airtime on, such as B&M hypers. Even in this park, the Joker threw me out of my seat and had me laughing like a mad man, Harley Quinn was a spectacular sensation of floater air and nauseating positive G’s, and even B:TDK was very comfortable for me and showcased some unique forces that you don’t see in their larger loopers. Overall it was a great day and I was glad I came - Superman was just the biggest disappointment for me. But with new Intamin restraints evolving over time, perhaps they will find a way to retrofit the ride again and bring it back to its original glory. Also, I will lose some weight before I return next time and maybe that will make all the difference. Thanks for the thought provoking content - and I am sad to say I did not get to go to your namesake Canobie Lake on this trip to New England so I’ll have to come back soon. Say hi if you’re in Orlando or BGT!
Thank you for emphasizing that 4th airtime hill before the S shields!!! Such strong negative Gs that I never thought I could be topped, until I rode El Toro tbh but it’s very close! And Toro is rough now whereas Superman is not so, this ride deserves more love, even if the restraints are garbage.
I think I got a bad ride, cuz the pacing and strength of some elements was significantly worse than I’ve heard, but the 3rd and 4th hill and 2 final s hills still had wild airtime
I am VERY excited to get on this coaster this summer, im getting a Darien lake platinum pass which includes this park so I’ll get to compare ros and smtr
This was a really good review. One of the reasons why the park rebranded it to Bizarro was because they agreed to do that for the family of the man who was killed.
I went today for the first time in forever, what a difference the new wheels made! I didn’t know why it was so much faster than the last time I had gone 5+ years ago. Great review man!
I am really used to putting my hands up in the air and keeping them there for any coaster. To me, that feels like I’m maximalizing the experience. So the idea of holding onto the lapbar for the whole ride is really a difficult one for me.
Such a great vid man. We are heading to SFNE today!! I can not wait to get on this thing! I'll get on every coaster in the park, but I plan to give this one and Wicked Cyclone an early and a late day ride each. two rides on both minimum. This vid got me pumped! Good stuff after hitting Boulderdash super woody yesterday!!
I got a sluggish 2017 old wheel ride (near the back seat); all caveats just like you mentioned. I can wait to get back up there one of these days and give it another go with the new wheels.
I haven’t been to SFNE since 2006 but I did get to ride this coaster and it was fantastic. Love the layout and sensation of speed it has. I’d love to get back there soon and ride it again some more since it’s been so many years. Good review!
I'll finally be going back to this park this weekend, I've never really been crushed by restraints though there's been some times my rides lacked of airtime thanks to my restraint. I sadly haven't gotten the pleasure of experiencing this ride without the new restraints and I wish they'd change them back to how they were in it's earlier years
I was at SFNE this past Friday and had such a great ride in the back seat. It’s insane how long you are ejected out of your seat on the fourth hill, it caught me by total surprise. That hill is stronger than either camelback on Toro and hardly feels legal. I think El Toro is a big reason this ride doesn’t get the love it deserves, because it’s drops are steeper and the airtime is back to back to back. Superman was a more complete ride by comparison though!
Superman is a great hyper for sure! The one thing I noticed you forgot to mention was the random squirt of water that sometimes shoots out towards the train right after the boring S hill that starts the second half. I guess most people just don't notice the effect? Or maybe it's not on much anymore.
I haven't ever noticed the fire effect. I'm guessing it's hard to notice on-ride. I usually am either in the Flash Pass queue with the skip-the-line passes or ride it when it's a walk-on.
@@CanobieCoaster yeah there are two water jets that shoot off into the turn around right before the train goes through it. There’s a shot toward the end of Coaster Studios review that shows it in action
Superman was the second hyper coaster I ever rode, Steel Force was actually the first. I thought it was fantastic the one time I rode it back around 2006 or so. I haven't been back to SFNE since but I'd love to experience this ride again. This is one of two hyper coasters that I've ridden just once (Apollo's Chariot being the other) so I often don't think about about it when riding others to compare. It's just been so long and I live about 4 1/2 hours away from the park so I'd have to plan a trip up there to get some more rides on it. Anyway, I'm so glad they didn't keep the Bizarro theme on this coaster but they should have kept it Superman all along. The VR idea was totally idiotic on a ride like this if you ask me, especially if it impacted the ride's capacity that much. I'm glad to see it running back in it's original glory. Great review!
You articulated my thoughts on this ride perfectly. Still to this day is my #2 coaster only topped by El Toro and honestly, with the old trains I’d probably would take it over Toro. I even prefer this over some of the more modern Intamins like Skyrush and Maverick and every RMC I’ve ridden (SV included, haven’t done Lightning Rod yet) The ride is just such perfection and as you said, those new wheels in 2019 gave the ride new life. I was worried after the year off it would lose some of that pace but it hasn’t, my 2021 rides have been every bit as spectacular as my 2019 rides.
I last road this back in 2013 when it was still Bizzaro, and the restraints then weren’t terrible, however I did find the airtime weird with a mix of floater and ejector, We didn’t like by park atmosphere felt very unwelcoming, no intrested employees, still was my favorite ride at the park
Those bunny hills have the super odd sensation of being rapidly dragged over them, due to the trains that at that point seem cartoonishly long given the speed loss
Superman the Ride at Six Flags New England flys in the rain. You can tell how fast the ride is going in the second half. It's super crazy how the ride flys into the brakes with so much speed you think it's going to hit the train in the station. The brakes don't have much friction in the rain so that's why the brakes have to grab harder to stop the fast moving train coming into the brakes in the rain.
rode it a few weeks ago, and although I was able to hold the lapbar up (really hard) the ride just didn’t have much power, even though it was raining. The max the ride pulled according to rideforces on that ride was -1g, compared to something like el toro with ~1.4-1.5
I rode it this year during Fright fest at Six Flags. After watching this review, I wasn't as scared as I could have been. I went on it knowing what to expect. The over-banked turn reminds me of Millennium Force at Cedar Point.
How do you do these so often. Also, I rode Avalaunch today (soaky mountain’s water coaster) and it was my new favorite. Must do when your in East Tennessee. I’m going to Dollywood tomorrow with the fast fast any recommendations? Keep up the good work!
There is a small fountain or sprinkler that gets set off at a certain point on the track right after going through the camelbacks. I'm not sure if it is always running but I noticed it one of the last times I rode this. Next time I go I want to try riding in every seat.
I visited on a 95 degree hot summer day. Superman had awkward squeaking during the rides 2nd half. Both this ride and Wicked Cyclone were probably running much faster than they normally do. I got 11 rides on Superman and 8 on Wicked Cyclone. Superman sits at my no 3 coaster ahead of El Toro and behind Velocicoaster after my visit.
Fantastic layout with copious sustained fast airtime and lots of laterals in the 2nd half, including more airtime. Too bad about the U-brick restraints. BTW If it's 5,400' long, the metric equivalent is NOT 1,600; it's 1,646 M. (Diamondback is 1 mile long; 1,610 M which is 36 M less than Superman The Ride.) Thanks for this review; it's a bucket list coaster for me.
I rode Superman the first year it opened and I still love it to this day that and the mind eraser now known as the Riddler are my two favorite coasters at six flags New England and the Batman's really good too
Do you know when they got new wheels? Because I went to the park (it’s my home park) summer or 2019 not 2020 cause covid, but I might not have gotten the new wheel ride experience. Also another thing worth sharing, one day when they were running 2 trains, it was insane with me and my friends running around the exit through the queue instantly onto the next ride. Best day ever!
@@CanobieCoaster I'm a young teen so I get stapled badly, and by the last two ejector hills my thighs are dead. Everything else about the ride is great, and it makes sfne has the best top 2 of any park
@@hedgehogcoasters7239 My recommendation is to sit all the way back and after the crew checks your restraint, hold onto it during the ride to prevent it from stapling you further.
I must have gotten Wicked Cyclone on a weaker day. I definately preferred Superman, just as intense, airtime just as powerful (but lasts longer), and a longer ride. For me this is the best coaster in the northeast and the second best Intamin (although I'm biased towards I305 since it was my 150th credit, at night, during Coaster Con ERT). It could loose that position though since I'll be experiencing Skyrush as a full enthusiast for the first time at the end of the month, however from what I remember from the days a coaster could still scare me (the last time I rode Skyrush) the elements are on par, Superman gets the edge because no matter how bad the Superman restraints are, they aren't thycrush's restraints.
@@urbex_coasters wicked cyclone has some pacing issues, and I really do love superman. It's in my top 3 coasters anywhere, but the restraints do crush my thighs. I'm getting more used to it, but still
This is my first really big coaster as a kid. It opened when I was 14. This is the best Intamin coaster layout in the US. I remember marathoning that beast with the T bars, all summer long, for many many summers. CANOBIE!!! MY MAN WOOOOOOO
You know, I don’t know what happened on my one ride on this in April. It was running so slow and the only moment of ejector was the first drop. The rest of it felt like a B&M hyper
Rode this again last week. It's still awesome but there is now a really noticeable scraping/grinding sound in the spaghetti bowl sections. It still runs great but that sound is pretty unpleasant.
Yesterday, this was the first coaster I rode after a 4 year hiatus of riding none. I rode it 4 times throughout the day, all towards the back of the train. It was by far my favorite in the park. I knew it was considered an elite coaster, but my expectations were exceeded by a lot. While I liked Wicked Cyclone a lot, you just can't beat the speed and pacing of Superman. The ride absolutely tears through the layout, and I didn't feel like it had any dead spots. I actually like the second from the back row better than the back row because the front row of each car has more legroom. I'm 6 feet tall and have long legs, so the seats are tight when compared to a B&M hyper. That's my only issue with it.
Canobie Coaster would say: One of the changes that ocurred when the ride was transformed into Bizarro were the restraints. The heavily modified T-bars were replaced by bulky U-bars that enthusiasts commonly refer to as the U-bricks. Along with their girth, the biggest change with these restraints is that they no longer rest on the lap of riders, instead they will rest on the thighs of most riders. For a while, I hated these restraints. If I ask you, why did you hate the restraints?
Actually when Superman was being rethemed to Bizarro Superman’s Cloned rival in 2009 it’s U bars we’re as thin as El Toro’s U bars but Unfortunately Massachusetts State Law Rejected them and forced them to make the U Bars More Thick and Bulky to prevent the 2004 accident which is a huge buzz kill
Sadly when I went there I did not get to ride it because when I was in line it closed for the day :( As great as Wicked Cyclone was I’m still very disappointed I didn’t get to ride Superman
I think the third and fourth hills look similar in terms of profiling and airtime. How would you compare between them in terms of strength and intensity? Canobie Coaster would say... A) Both are similarly intense. B) The third hill is the most intense of the bunch on the ride. C) The fourth hill is the most intense of the bunch on the ride.
As a New Englander this is great to have but it's not a top 15 coaster to me, it has decent airtime but the second half runs a little rough now, there's just so many good steel coasters now and I've been on this through all its changes. Also all the RMCs I've riden have much stronger forces all around
Never had any problems with the restraints on Superman for some reason 🤷♂️ Have it in my Top 10, but I do hafta say I prefer Wicked Cyclone just slightly more, both I feel are world-class
@@CanobieCoaster I agree 100%. As of right now I have them at #5 & #6 on my Top list, it's pretty much a flip of the coin which is better 🤷♂️👍 Both Coaster masterpieces 🤌
My daughter and I went yesterday and this was her first time riding Superman. She was instantly hooked and because it wasn't busy we got 2 rides in a row without having to get out of our seats
I’ve been on 55 coasters. I got to ride this today and this dethroned iron gwazi as my new #1 coaster. I also got to ride wicked cyclone today and that’s #3
I’ve never been on a real roller coaster so when you say “airtime” do you mean us not sitting down on the seat and literally in the air or something else?
It could be one of the best, but the thing that's holding it back are those restraints. They are so painful on my legs to the point of me not wanting to ride it. Whenever I go I always get one ride, but after the pain I am done for the day. I will give ypur strategy a try though! I hope they can replace the cars with ones that have better restraints!
Did you know that ros at sfdl derailed? I guess it really shows how intamin and six flags don’t seem to work, they just don’t have the money to keep them updated
I got on it twice last Saturday. Loved it. I tried to get on a third time before I left for the day but it rained hard and it was pretty much shut down the rest of the day after 6pm :(
never been on it going here on Thursday with my fiancé and dad iam really questioning if i wanna ride this cause its really fast and that hill is huge i dont like the feeling of coming out of your seat especially on a hill like that but i dont wanna look like a chicken i wanna to go on it and say i did it but iam also very anxious about it .
If you look at Six Flags New England's website it says that Superman the Ride has height limite of 54 inches under 76 inches tall to ride. In feet that would be 4.5 feet tall and 76 inches would be 6.3 feet tall. If you are taller than that you can't ride.
As someone who’s 6’3”, I agree these restraints make the coaster very uncomfortable. It’s a shame… it’s such a good layout, but my knees clatter on box in front of me, and I get stapled every time I ride.
How bad is the dropping feeling in your stomach? I’m going in three days. And my friends are making me go on it. And I am going to. But I hate the huge drops because of the feeling. Ik that’s why most people like roller coasters. But I just wanna know and I want to be ready😂
The ride I blame for making me an enthusiast, I lived 20 mins away from this park until I graduated high school. Permanent spot in my top 10, but I'm definitely biased. I haven't even been on it since 2018
Rode this 5 times yesterday 9/11/22 Absolute blast, the only other hypers I had riden was the OG ride of steel SFDL and Nitro SFGA. I'd say this was better than both.
I'm hardly an expert, but I rode this for the first time last week, and it's the best coaster I've ever been on, for what that's worth. Hadn't been to 'Riverside" since the late 80s...
Superman truly has one of the best layouts anywhere, shame the restraints take away from the experience. I find the new Mack Lapbars to have a similar issue, really big bulky restraints that come down during the ride (Mack even more so than superman), meaning you're always stapled by the end of the ride. Intamin's new gen lapbar doesn't have this issue thank god
I don't mind the Mack ones as much since they rest on your lap and you're upper body is still free to feel the airtime. I find when a restraint comes down hard on your thighs, it's harder to feel the airtime.
I am scared to ride this ride, I want to ride it next time I go for the first time in the front row, but can you tell me a tip of how to survive the first drop, my scariest part for me.
@@CanobieCoaster yeah I got so into it that I watched the same front row POV like 10 times and I counted that it only took a average 5 seconds to get to the bottom of the first hill in the front row.
I rode this a few years ago and if they didn’t have those god awful restraints that ruined the ride for me it could have potentially been a top 10 rollercoaster. Now it barely ranks in my top 100 out of 496
I just rode this and Wicked Cyclone (my first RMC) for the first time two days ago. Thoughts: 1. Superman is *astounding*. 2. Wicked Cyclone may be, on the whole, even better than Superman. 3. But only by a hair. If you look at modern ratings of the greatest coasters in the world, most of them are RMCs. I think coaster enthusiasts have gotten so enthralled by the RMC style that the style of ride that dominated during the 2000s Coaster Wars has somewhat gone out of fashion (unless the ride is a giga). And, experiencing all this at once, I can sort of understand why. But Superman is certainly no slouch. I didn't think the restraints were that bad, honestly--they're not that different from the cars on Wicked Cyclone. The thing is, though... I can tell you that Superman still packs in the general public. It's just the coaster-fanatic community that moved on. If you look at the lengths of the queues, it's the RMC that's underrated.
I think everyone tends to put their first RMC atop their ranks. I did the same with Wicked Cyclone. RMCs are so much more frenetic than other coasters.
@@CanobieCoaster It is true that Superman has stronger positive Gs. I was riding coasters wearing my pandemic face mask. Superman pulled the thing down off my nose a couple of times--almost as much as Batman, a ride that is pretty much just about strong positives (but has no airtime). Wicked Cyclone, for all its wildness, didn't.
Amazing Ride & great air time, BUT..... get a fast pass, especially if plan to visit on the weekend - Weekends are almost 2 hour waits and the park is over mega packed!! Thank goodness for my Diamond Elite VIP and Free Fast passes
Thank gosh they changed it back to superman. Bizzaro was a eye sour over the park in my opinion. I like the Bizzaro theme on the florless at my home park great adventure tho.
I want to ride this coaster so bad! It looks incredible. I am 6 foot 3 though so hopefully I would be able to get on it. I didn't know about the 6 foot 4 hight limit. That would suck to visit the park and not be able to ride!
I grew up with this ride and it's truly difficult to articulate just how much of a game changer this was when it premiered. It made me the enthusiast I am today and every single ride I jump on (hypers especially) is immediately compared to Superman. It's a shame the old restraints are no more, but STR's layout, I would argue, remains the very best layout of any hyper. This will never not be my #1 coaster. What a great review.
Thanks!
The restraints are so bad that when I got off the ride, the aches I had from hiking the previous day were gone once I got off the ride.
This definitely can do a number on your thighs if the restraints crush you.
RIP
This is like the paper that claimed riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad could help you pass kidney stones.
@@MattMcIrvin did somebody really write that? Also, I'm not exaggerating. My thighs felt really loose after rding.
@Goofball5225 it’s a true story, man. I actually don’t find them that uncomfortable and my more recent rides were totally fine.
You’re reviews are perfection, i love watching them
Glad you enjoy them!
Me too, man
So much detail!
You probably do the best job of any coaster reviewer in finding the positives in a ride!
Man if SFNE could get those new over head lap bars from Intamin this ride would surely be acknowledged for the masterpiece that it is. Would probably need new trains though, and considering they just got new wheels, they might not. I still have hope though, even if SF hasn’t worked with Intamin in a while.
I agree.
would be even better if they got the original T-bars back...
@@protowave T-bars are prohibited in Massachusetts
If its got tons of airtime than I'm happy. Having 3 camelbacks, a speed hill, a bunch of helixes, 3 more larger bunny hills, an overbank... Its fantastic. The layout is so good, it has the absolute perfect mix of elements. It does just do all the airtime than all the helixes than all this or that, it mixes them up and throughs the unexpected element at you. That's what makes this ride so good. The hyper coaster list half and twister section second half but still having intense moments in the first half and airtime moments in the second half makes is different.
This layout is perfection.
I was honestly surprised by the row of bunny hills after the twister section and the second tunnel-- I'd seen videos before but had forgotten they were there and thought the ride was done with that.
I think if not for the restraints, this would be Intamin's best coaster. I can't say for sure as I haven't done El Toro, but the ride is so near perfection and is my 5th favorite coaster ever.
This is much better balanced than El Toro.
I found the restraints perfectly comfortable in 2019
I've been on both, and I like Superman more, and I HATE Superman's restraints. El Toro, even with it's much better restaints, the camel backs just hurt so much it really isn't fun for me, like I love good and intense airtime, but El Toro is just TOO strong.
@@enthusiasticbanana6232 very interesting. Thanks for the input.
@@enthusiasticbanana6232 El Toro definitely has its rough patches, but they don’t take away from the rest of the ride.
This was my first hypercoaster, so I have a lot of respect for this ride.
Nice!
What a great ride to grow up with!
For such an airtime packed ride I think it needs to be talked about! I haven’t even ridden it and I agree with everything you said in this review
I think people can't get past the restraints.
Excellent review! It's great hearing about the history as well. I love this ride so much! My favorite in New England, favorite Intamin, favorite traditional hyper. I wasn't bothered by the restraints at all, but t-bars are better. My only visit was in early June 2019, so it had the new wheels. I never would've thought that I'd end up liking this more than Wicked Cyclone, but both are still in my top 10. The park wasn't too crowded on my 2+ days, so I got plenty of rides on both, including about 7 night rides on Superman on the Friday, which included several rerides. I fell in love with this park on that trip, and I can't wait to go back!
Night rides on Superman are fantastic with the setting along the river and shield lights.
I’m glad you posted this video - I rode Superman today for the first time in almost 20 years. This ride was hands down my number one coaster even above Millenium Force when it premiered in 2000 and nothing topped it until I rode Fury 325 two years ago. That being said, I am sad to say that based on my ride today, Superman is now far from the elite ride it used to be.
Let me add the HUGE caveat that I am 6’1”, and weigh 275lbs, so I BARELY squeezed into this ride. When I rode it with the T-bars, I was a healthier weight and therefore got much more airtime. So my experience is definitely unique, but perhaps other big and tall riders out there can comment as well? (I fit in every other ride at the park except the RMC, Wicked Cyclone, which was a bummer but now I know I have to lose some weight so I can ride Iron Gwazi when it opens).
Despite my size, however, the restraints on Superman were very unusual in that they left plenty of space by my belly (about 6 inches), but they completely stopped at the top of my thighs. Now when I was younger I definitely had less belly fat, but I have been the same height for a long time so I think that even if I were a little slimmer the bars are just a problem for tall riders. 6’4” is an incredibly low Max height for any ride.
While I loved the lift, view, and incredible first drop, the rest of the ride was quite painful. Instead of getting those incredible pops of sustained airtime, my thighs pushed up against the bar so hard that they are now bruised. Instead of putting my arms up and yelling “whee,” I was actually using the bar to try to push myself down into my seat during each airtime moment to avoid more bruising. I used to love careening over those last bunny hills into the brake run screaming “more more!” like a giddy child, but today I was holding on for dear life screaming “please no more- enough is enough!”
While I am certainly glad to have been able to ride again, and the first drop and sense of speed was still incredible, I cannot say that this coaster is anywhere near my top 10 anymore, which is sad because it used to be #1. The layout, as the video states, is just plain flawless. And while this coaster remains a classic, and I will certainly give it a go for nostalgia’s sake on return visits to the park, I have to say that this ride is just not made for people with my height and body dimensions. And I do want to say for comparison that even though I am a larger rider, there are still plenty of coasters that I can get airtime on, such as B&M hypers. Even in this park, the Joker threw me out of my seat and had me laughing like a mad man, Harley Quinn was a spectacular sensation of floater air and nauseating positive G’s, and even B:TDK was very comfortable for me and showcased some unique forces that you don’t see in their larger loopers. Overall it was a great day and I was glad I came - Superman was just the biggest disappointment for me. But with new Intamin restraints evolving over time, perhaps they will find a way to retrofit the ride again and bring it back to its original glory. Also, I will lose some weight before I return next time and maybe that will make all the difference.
Thanks for the thought provoking content - and I am sad to say I did not get to go to your namesake Canobie Lake on this trip to New England so I’ll have to come back soon. Say hi if you’re in Orlando or BGT!
I'd love to see this ride get new trains one day, but until then I've learned to live with the current ones.
Wicked cyclone is freakin scary! I hate that coaster but love Superman. Batman is the first coaster I usually ride to get ready for the big guns!😁
I always start with this or Wicked Cyclone.
Thank you for emphasizing that 4th airtime hill before the S shields!!! Such strong negative Gs that I never thought I could be topped, until I rode El Toro tbh but it’s very close! And Toro is rough now whereas Superman is not so, this ride deserves more love, even if the restraints are garbage.
That hill is on par with El Toro's camelbacks.
I think I got a bad ride, cuz the pacing and strength of some elements was significantly worse than I’ve heard, but the 3rd and 4th hill and 2 final s hills still had wild airtime
The ride takes an hour to warm up and it wasn't running at its peak from 2009-2018.
We should make a petition for a Superman the Ride to get the in modern generation Intamin hyper trains like on Kondaa and Pantheon
Considering Six Flags New England got new trains for both their inverts, this is a park that's willing to invest on new trains.
Probably my favorite review of yours! This was 👌🔥
Thanks!
I am VERY excited to get on this coaster this summer, im getting a Darien lake platinum pass which includes this park so I’ll get to compare ros and smtr
I much prefer this one to the Darien one.
This was a really good review. One of the reasons why the park rebranded it to Bizarro was because they agreed to do that for the family of the man who was killed.
I figured that was a reason too.
I went today for the first time in forever, what a difference the new wheels made! I didn’t know why it was so much faster than the last time I had gone 5+ years ago. Great review man!
Thanks!
I am really used to putting my hands up in the air and keeping them there for any coaster. To me, that feels like I’m maximalizing the experience. So the idea of holding onto the lapbar for the whole ride is really a difficult one for me.
That's fair, but it helps in the end on this one.
Just did this amazing ride less than a week ago! It's amazing. Great review!
Thanks!
Such a great vid man. We are heading to SFNE today!! I can not wait to get on this thing! I'll get on every coaster in the park, but I plan to give this one and Wicked Cyclone an early and a late day ride each. two rides on both minimum. This vid got me pumped! Good stuff after hitting Boulderdash super woody yesterday!!
Enjoy!
I got a sluggish 2017 old wheel ride (near the back seat); all caveats just like you mentioned. I can wait to get back up there one of these days and give it another go with the new wheels.
It'll be a lot better the next time.
Great review love the shots and the drone view shows a different dimension you rarely see
Thank East Coasters for the drone footage.
I haven’t been to SFNE since 2006 but I did get to ride this coaster and it was fantastic. Love the layout and sensation of speed it has. I’d love to get back there soon and ride it again some more since it’s been so many years. Good review!
Thanks!
I'll finally be going back to this park this weekend, I've never really been crushed by restraints though there's been some times my rides lacked of airtime thanks to my restraint. I sadly haven't gotten the pleasure of experiencing this ride without the new restraints and I wish they'd change them back to how they were in it's earlier years
The old restraints were heavenly.
I was at SFNE this past Friday and had such a great ride in the back seat. It’s insane how long you are ejected out of your seat on the fourth hill, it caught me by total surprise. That hill is stronger than either camelback on Toro and hardly feels legal. I think El Toro is a big reason this ride doesn’t get the love it deserves, because it’s drops are steeper and the airtime is back to back to back. Superman was a more complete ride by comparison though!
That 4th hill is special.
This ride has so much variety that it could probably be the only thrill coaster at any park!
Fair!
Superman is a great hyper for sure! The one thing I noticed you forgot to mention was the random squirt of water that sometimes shoots out towards the train right after the boring S hill that starts the second half. I guess most people just don't notice the effect? Or maybe it's not on much anymore.
I haven't ever noticed the fire effect. I'm guessing it's hard to notice on-ride. I usually am either in the Flash Pass queue with the skip-the-line passes or ride it when it's a walk-on.
@@CanobieCoaster yeah there are two water jets that shoot off into the turn around right before the train goes through it. There’s a shot toward the end of Coaster Studios review that shows it in action
Superman was the second hyper coaster I ever rode, Steel Force was actually the first. I thought it was fantastic the one time I rode it back around 2006 or so. I haven't been back to SFNE since but I'd love to experience this ride again. This is one of two hyper coasters that I've ridden just once (Apollo's Chariot being the other) so I often don't think about about it when riding others to compare. It's just been so long and I live about 4 1/2 hours away from the park so I'd have to plan a trip up there to get some more rides on it.
Anyway, I'm so glad they didn't keep the Bizarro theme on this coaster but they should have kept it Superman all along. The VR idea was totally idiotic on a ride like this if you ask me, especially if it impacted the ride's capacity that much. I'm glad to see it running back in it's original glory. Great review!
It was one of my first hypers too.
Nooooooo a height limit. Other than that, solid review as always man!
Thanks!
You articulated my thoughts on this ride perfectly. Still to this day is my #2 coaster only topped by El Toro and honestly, with the old trains I’d probably would take it over Toro. I even prefer this over some of the more modern Intamins like Skyrush and Maverick and every RMC I’ve ridden (SV included, haven’t done Lightning Rod yet) The ride is just such perfection and as you said, those new wheels in 2019 gave the ride new life. I was worried after the year off it would lose some of that pace but it hasn’t, my 2021 rides have been every bit as spectacular as my 2019 rides.
I prefer this to El Toro myself since it's a more complete ride.
I have to say, the 60 frames looks really good! Keep up the quality.
Thanks!
I last road this back in 2013 when it was still Bizzaro, and the restraints then weren’t terrible, however I did find the airtime weird with a mix of floater and ejector, We didn’t like by park atmosphere felt very unwelcoming, no intrested employees, still was my favorite ride at the park
And that was when the ride was running sluggish too.
@@CanobieCoaster it was cold March day, still was a great ride
Those bunny hills have the super odd sensation of being rapidly dragged over them, due to the trains that at that point seem cartoonishly long given the speed loss
True, the trains are long relative to those hills.
It seems as if they are eliminating all bizzaro’s in the chain, at SFGA Bizzaro is being Re themed to Medusa
Ironic considering a Superman tv show finally made Bizarro a villain this year.
@@CanobieCoaster Ikr
Superman the Ride at Six Flags New England flys in the rain. You can tell how fast the ride is going in the second half. It's super crazy how the ride flys into the brakes with so much speed you think it's going to hit the train in the station. The brakes don't have much friction in the rain so that's why the brakes have to grab harder to stop the fast moving train coming into the brakes in the rain.
rode it a few weeks ago, and although I was able to hold the lapbar up (really hard) the ride just didn’t have much power, even though it was raining. The max the ride pulled according to rideforces on that ride was -1g, compared to something like el toro with ~1.4-1.5
Was it the final weekend of 2022? It wasn't running at its fastest. It ran insnae the second to last week.
@@CanobieCoaster it was in mid october
I think the third and fourth hills look similar in terms of profiling and airtime. Which one do you prefer, the third one or the fourth one?
4th one
I rode it this year during Fright fest at Six Flags. After watching this review, I wasn't as scared as I could have been. I went on it knowing what to expect. The over-banked turn reminds me of Millennium Force at Cedar Point.
It's fantastic.
How do you do these so often. Also, I rode Avalaunch today (soaky mountain’s water coaster) and it was my new favorite. Must do when your in East Tennessee. I’m going to Dollywood tomorrow with the fast fast any recommendations? Keep up the good work!
I definitely want to visit Soaky Mountain at some point. I have a formula and can knock them out efficiently.
@@CanobieCoaster secrets please?!?!
I make sure I have all the footage together in a folder when I start and make notes for my script, so I can map out what I want to talk about.
@@CanobieCoaster well it’s very efficient and works well. I also love your format
There is a small fountain or sprinkler that gets set off at a certain point on the track right after going through the camelbacks. I'm not sure if it is always running but I noticed it one of the last times I rode this. Next time I go I want to try riding in every seat.
I've never noticed it.
I remember riverside used to have the blackwidow it was a loop coaster that was my fav. Superman my fav now
I wish Black Widow were still there.
stuff like this and Millennium Force blow my mind because I've never been to a park with a giant steel coaster o.O
It has a real presence.
I visited on a 95 degree hot summer day. Superman had awkward squeaking during the rides 2nd half. Both this ride and Wicked Cyclone were probably running much faster than they normally do. I got 11 rides on Superman and 8 on Wicked Cyclone. Superman sits at my no 3 coaster ahead of El Toro and behind Velocicoaster after my visit.
Superman has squeaked ever since it got new wheels in 2019.
Fantastic layout with copious sustained fast airtime and lots of laterals in the 2nd half, including more airtime. Too bad about the U-brick restraints. BTW If it's 5,400' long, the metric equivalent is NOT 1,600; it's 1,646 M. (Diamondback is 1 mile long; 1,610 M which is 36 M less than Superman The Ride.) Thanks for this review; it's a bucket list coaster for me.
You're welcome!
I rode Superman the first year it opened and I still love it to this day that and the mind eraser now known as the Riddler are my two favorite coasters at six flags New England and the Batman's really good too
Lucky you rode it with the original restraints.
how would you compare this to expedition geforce?
do you think you would prefer it to geforce if it still had the original t-bar restraints?
I'd still prefer GeForce. The airtime on GeForce is like Superman's 4th hill over and over again in a wooded setting.
I’m 6’1” and I’m done going for the year and haven’t been able to go on it it hopefully I do before my growth spurt
Hopefully!
Do you know when they got new wheels? Because I went to the park (it’s my home park) summer or 2019 not 2020 cause covid, but I might not have gotten the new wheel ride experience. Also another thing worth sharing, one day when they were running 2 trains, it was insane with me and my friends running around the exit through the queue instantly onto the next ride. Best day ever!
They had the new wheels at the start of 2019.
Just a friendly reminder that wicked Cyclone is a better ride. Superman is great, but until it gets new restraints wicked cyclone stays on top
I actually don't mind the U-bricks now that I understand how they work and their pit falls.
@@CanobieCoaster I'm a young teen so I get stapled badly, and by the last two ejector hills my thighs are dead. Everything else about the ride is great, and it makes sfne has the best top 2 of any park
@@hedgehogcoasters7239 My recommendation is to sit all the way back and after the crew checks your restraint, hold onto it during the ride to prevent it from stapling you further.
I must have gotten Wicked Cyclone on a weaker day. I definately preferred Superman, just as intense, airtime just as powerful (but lasts longer), and a longer ride. For me this is the best coaster in the northeast and the second best Intamin (although I'm biased towards I305 since it was my 150th credit, at night, during Coaster Con ERT). It could loose that position though since I'll be experiencing Skyrush as a full enthusiast for the first time at the end of the month, however from what I remember from the days a coaster could still scare me (the last time I rode Skyrush) the elements are on par, Superman gets the edge because no matter how bad the Superman restraints are, they aren't thycrush's restraints.
@@urbex_coasters wicked cyclone has some pacing issues, and I really do love superman. It's in my top 3 coasters anywhere, but the restraints do crush my thighs. I'm getting more used to it, but still
This is my first really big coaster as a kid. It opened when I was 14. This is the best Intamin coaster layout in the US.
I remember marathoning that beast with the T bars, all summer long, for many many summers. CANOBIE!!! MY MAN WOOOOOOO
I agree it is Intamin's best layout.
You know, I don’t know what happened on my one ride on this in April. It was running so slow and the only moment of ejector was the first drop. The rest of it felt like a B&M hyper
That's really weird. The 3rd and 4th hill usually give incredible air even if the ride is running super slow.
I really like the “static” drops like titan and Goliath (sfot and sfmm) because for me it makes the first drop fell longer
Usually I prefer the ones on the B&Ms.
I agree
Looks amazing!!
Sure is!
are you going to holiwood nights 2021? if so then i would love to meet you
I'll be there the Friday night only.
Rode this again last week. It's still awesome but there is now a really noticeable scraping/grinding sound in the spaghetti bowl sections. It still runs great but that sound is pretty unpleasant.
I don't mind since the ride is still fast and smooth.
Yesterday, this was the first coaster I rode after a 4 year hiatus of riding none. I rode it 4 times throughout the day, all towards the back of the train. It was by far my favorite in the park. I knew it was considered an elite coaster, but my expectations were exceeded by a lot. While I liked Wicked Cyclone a lot, you just can't beat the speed and pacing of Superman. The ride absolutely tears through the layout, and I didn't feel like it had any dead spots. I actually like the second from the back row better than the back row because the front row of each car has more legroom. I'm 6 feet tall and have long legs, so the seats are tight when compared to a B&M hyper. That's my only issue with it.
That's fair. Leg room is a bit tight on this one.
Canobie Coaster would say:
One of the changes that ocurred when the ride was transformed into Bizarro were the restraints. The heavily modified T-bars were replaced by bulky U-bars that enthusiasts commonly refer to as the U-bricks. Along with their girth, the biggest change with these restraints is that they no longer rest on the lap of riders, instead they will rest on the thighs of most riders. For a while, I hated these restraints.
If I ask you, why did you hate the restraints?
They're stiff and can really eat into the airtime.
Actually when Superman was being rethemed to Bizarro Superman’s Cloned rival in 2009 it’s U bars we’re as thin as El Toro’s U bars but Unfortunately Massachusetts State Law Rejected them and forced them to make the U Bars More Thick and Bulky to prevent the 2004 accident which is a huge buzz kill
Sadly when I went there I did not get to ride it because when I was in line it closed for the day :( As great as Wicked Cyclone was I’m still very disappointed I didn’t get to ride Superman
Down due to weather or mechanical issues? That's a bummer.
Mechanical
Is superman doing good this year, I don’t recall getting too much airtime up front? Glad you love superman!
I thought it ran a bit better in 2022, but it was running strong this summer.
Superman will always be one of my favorites! To me its classic, no crazy inversions, whips or turns
I love it!
I think the third and fourth hills look similar in terms of profiling and airtime. How would you compare between them in terms of strength and intensity?
Canobie Coaster would say...
A) Both are similarly intense.
B) The third hill is the most intense of the bunch on the ride.
C) The fourth hill is the most intense of the bunch on the ride.
C
Fourth hill is by far the best airtime on the ride. I knew this when I was just a kid.
As a New Englander this is great to have but it's not a top 15 coaster to me, it has decent airtime but the second half runs a little rough now, there's just so many good steel coasters now and I've been on this through all its changes. Also all the RMCs I've riden have much stronger forces all around
I find it smooth and the airtime still delivers for me.
I love this coaster, I only live 90 minutes from this park, it definitively gets me back yearly.
Nice!
The fact they play the theme song while going up makes the drop and rest of ride way better
I love the theme
Never had any problems with the restraints on Superman for some reason 🤷♂️ Have it in my Top 10, but I do hafta say I prefer Wicked Cyclone just slightly more, both I feel are world-class
I prefer Superman, but I think it's 50-50.
@@CanobieCoaster I agree 100%. As of right now I have them at #5 & #6 on my Top list, it's pretty much a flip of the coin which is better 🤷♂️👍 Both Coaster masterpieces 🤌
My daughter and I went yesterday and this was her first time riding Superman. She was instantly hooked and because it wasn't busy we got 2 rides in a row without having to get out of our seats
Nice!
I’ve been on 55 coasters. I got to ride this today and this dethroned iron gwazi as my new #1 coaster. I also got to ride wicked cyclone today and that’s #3
Six Flags New England has such a strong 1-2 punch.
I’ve never been on a real roller coaster so when you say “airtime” do you mean us not sitting down on the seat and literally in the air or something else?
You feel your butt lift off the seat due to the weightlessness or negative G forces.
It could be one of the best, but the thing that's holding it back are those restraints. They are so painful on my legs to the point of me not wanting to ride it. Whenever I go I always get one ride, but after the pain I am done for the day. I will give ypur strategy a try though!
I hope they can replace the cars with ones that have better restraints!
I don't mind the restraint, but I do prefer Intamin's newer ones.
Did you know that ros at sfdl derailed? I guess it really shows how intamin and six flags don’t seem to work, they just don’t have the money to keep them updated
I've heard that rumor.
I got on it twice last Saturday. Loved it. I tried to get on a third time before I left for the day but it rained hard and it was pretty much shut down the rest of the day after 6pm :(
That's the risk of going on a rainy day. There usually aren't lines, but they tend to close early.
Do yo think this will ever get new lap bars. The U bricks are not the worst thing ever but not great.
I imagine it will get new trains one day. Maybe it will get Intamin's new lap bars like Thunder Dolphin.
never been on it going here on Thursday with my fiancé and dad iam really questioning if i wanna ride this cause its really fast and that hill is huge i dont like the feeling of coming out of your seat especially on a hill like that but i dont wanna look like a chicken i wanna to go on it and say i did it but iam also very anxious about it .
It's a ton of fun.
Actually the New England version was supposed to go to sfa, but they switched it because the clone of the original ros didn’t fit at sfne
I'm glad Six Flags New England was landlocked in this case.
Nooo😭😭😭I need this at my home park. Our ros is still decent tho
going on superman next time i go to six flags! Im really nervous since i am going next week.
Enjoy!
@@CanobieCoaster last time I went was pre COVID lol
If you look at Six Flags New England's website it says that Superman the Ride has height limite of 54 inches under 76 inches tall to ride. In feet that would be 4.5 feet tall and 76 inches would be 6.3 feet tall. If you are taller than that you can't ride.
Yeah it does have a max height probably due to the trains.
As someone who’s 6’3”, I agree these restraints make the coaster very uncomfortable. It’s a shame… it’s such a good layout, but my knees clatter on box in front of me, and I get stapled every time I ride.
I'm lucky the restraints don't bother me.
How bad is the dropping feeling in your stomach? I’m going in three days. And my friends are making me go on it. And I am going to. But I hate the huge drops because of the feeling. Ik that’s why most people like roller coasters. But I just wanna know and I want to be ready😂
The drop is over quickly. This drop doesn't give me that feeling.
That first hill scares the💩out of both up and down!
It's a great drop.
Bro how do u get 10 to 20 min reviews out almost every day it’s crazy
The 20 minute ones aren't everyday.
@@CanobieCoaster yeah it’s still amazing
The ride I blame for making me an enthusiast, I lived 20 mins away from this park until I graduated high school. Permanent spot in my top 10, but I'm definitely biased. I haven't even been on it since 2018
Nice!
What if they gave it Zamperla lightning trains
I don't think they would. If it gets new trains, it'll likely be Intamin.
@@CanobieCoaster Modern Kondaa-style restraints would be amazing
Rode this 5 times yesterday
9/11/22
Absolute blast, the only other hypers I had riden was the OG ride of steel SFDL and Nitro SFGA. I'd say this was better than both.
I agree this is better.
I'm hardly an expert, but I rode this for the first time last week, and it's the best coaster I've ever been on, for what that's worth. Hadn't been to 'Riverside" since the late 80s...
It's amazing.
Superman truly has one of the best layouts anywhere, shame the restraints take away from the experience. I find the new Mack Lapbars to have a similar issue, really big bulky restraints that come down during the ride (Mack even more so than superman), meaning you're always stapled by the end of the ride. Intamin's new gen lapbar doesn't have this issue thank god
I don't mind the Mack ones as much since they rest on your lap and you're upper body is still free to feel the airtime. I find when a restraint comes down hard on your thighs, it's harder to feel the airtime.
I am scared to ride this ride, I want to ride it next time I go for the first time in the front row, but can you tell me a tip of how to survive the first drop, my scariest part for me.
It's over in just a few seconds and the ride is safe.
@@CanobieCoaster yeah I got so into it that I watched the same front row POV like 10 times and I counted that it only took a average 5 seconds to get to the bottom of the first hill in the front row.
a couple weeks ago Superman was the first roller coaster i ever went on, it was insane!
That's a big one to start with!
@@CanobieCoaster indeed it is! i loved it!
Great review
Thanks!
Just got my first tide on this last weekend. Enjoyed the intense airtime vs the new b&m floaters but the restraint did feel a bit restricted
I rode this a few years ago and if they didn’t have those god awful restraints that ruined the ride for me it could have potentially been a top 10 rollercoaster. Now it barely ranks in my top 100 out of 496
I know the restraints aren't for everyone.
I freakin love this ride! It was definitely smoother than my 2018 and 2019 rides!
Nice!
I been dying to ride this because I love coasters!
That drop though is what keeps me from going on it.
Maybe one day😭
The drop is over in a flash.
You can do it. The drop is over quickly
I just rode this and Wicked Cyclone (my first RMC) for the first time two days ago. Thoughts:
1. Superman is *astounding*.
2. Wicked Cyclone may be, on the whole, even better than Superman.
3. But only by a hair.
If you look at modern ratings of the greatest coasters in the world, most of them are RMCs. I think coaster enthusiasts have gotten so enthralled by the RMC style that the style of ride that dominated during the 2000s Coaster Wars has somewhat gone out of fashion (unless the ride is a giga). And, experiencing all this at once, I can sort of understand why. But Superman is certainly no slouch. I didn't think the restraints were that bad, honestly--they're not that different from the cars on Wicked Cyclone.
The thing is, though... I can tell you that Superman still packs in the general public. It's just the coaster-fanatic community that moved on. If you look at the lengths of the queues, it's the RMC that's underrated.
I think everyone tends to put their first RMC atop their ranks. I did the same with Wicked Cyclone. RMCs are so much more frenetic than other coasters.
@@CanobieCoaster It is true that Superman has stronger positive Gs. I was riding coasters wearing my pandemic face mask. Superman pulled the thing down off my nose a couple of times--almost as much as Batman, a ride that is pretty much just about strong positives (but has no airtime). Wicked Cyclone, for all its wildness, didn't.
RIP fire effect, also I went every weekend this year and two hr wait was typical on weekends 😭
Wow that was much busier than the days I went!
You lucked out, I don't even go on Saturday, I only go Sundays (I call it church no lie😅) I usually use my one per visit line skip on it
Amazing Ride & great air time, BUT..... get a fast pass, especially if plan to visit on the weekend - Weekends are almost 2 hour waits and the park is over mega packed!! Thank goodness for my Diamond Elite VIP and Free Fast passes
I agree the Flash Passes are very helpful.
I ride the Superman last Saturday and I have bruises on my thigh 😬but I love it and I had ride 3 times in a roll lol
Glad you liked it!
Thank gosh they changed it back to superman. Bizzaro was a eye sour over the park in my opinion. I like the Bizzaro theme on the florless at my home park great adventure tho.
I like the red way more.
I feel like this ride needs more lights and visual effects towards the second half.
That wouldn't hurt.
I want to ride this coaster so bad! It looks incredible. I am 6 foot 3 though so hopefully I would be able to get on it. I didn't know about the 6 foot 4 hight limit. That would suck to visit the park and not be able to ride!
Absolutely. I've gone with a friend who is 6'3" and he has never had an issue.
I hope you get to ride it one day. It is one of my favorite roller coasters anywhere.
Happy New Year!!!!
Happy new year!