| Six Flags New England |
| Premier Parks purchased Riverside Park in 1996 and from then on it has gone nowhere but up. The park had a bad reputation for staff, rides, and cleanliness. Premier has changed some of that. Each year they added newer and better rides. 1997 saw the park have their first roller coaster since 1983, The Mind Eraser. This was nothing but a simple Vekoma suspended-looping coaster, but to the New England crowds it made quite an impression. 1998 saw the park get a multimillion dollar water park, Island Kingdom. It also brought an S&S Sports TurboDrop. In 1999 they added the Blizzard River raft ride and expanded the water park. All these additions were great but it wasn't until 2000 that things got going. First was a name change, Six Flags New England. It's a little touch, but an important one. They also added Superman: Ride of Steel, a hypercoaster. Flashback, Vekoma boomerang. Poison Ivy's Twisted Train, family coaster. Hellevator changed to Scream!!! when a Double Shot and Space Shot tower were added. Not to mention over 5 new flat rides. This park still has a long way to go but it is in the right direction. Now on to the coasters: - Thunderbolt This was built in 1936 and it features some really nice airtime. It's found right beside the Scream!!! drop towers. It's a little rough and the line can be extremely long due to the fact that it's right near the DC Comics Super Hero Land where Superman: Ride of Steel is. Rating: 7/10 - Cyclone Built in 1983 this is one extreme ride. It got a major make over during the winter of 1999. It was painted and it got brand new trains. This overhaul made the ride amazing. Before it was too rough and jerky. Now it is one of the best in New England. Rating 8/10 - The Mind Eraser Installed in 1997 it is nothing but a Vekoma suspended looping coaster. It is a little bit smoother but, if the line is long just skip it and get more rides on Superman. Rating 6/10 - Flashback One of the Millenium coasters it is a Vekoma boomerang with a strange color scheme. Located in front of the Cyclone, if the line is long skip it and go on Cyclone. Rating 5/10 - Superman: Ride of Steel This is one of the greatest hypercoasters I have ever been on. It's fast, smooth, tall, and can you say airtime? The two underground tunnels are great but I wish they were longer. This ride stretches all the way from the Thunderbolt and passed The Mind Eraser. The helixes at the end are incredible. Rating 10/10 |