If you’ve read my blog for a while you’ve noticed how often I point out the rougher wooden coasters. Rides like the Cyclone at Six Flags New England and Wildcat at Hershey Park are abusive and terribly uncomfortable. This week, we’ll look at some of the roughest steel roller coasters around. This is a tough Top 3 to pull together. There are rides that have some pretty rough moments like Kings Dominion’s Anaconda during the brake run, but usually roughness is momentary on steel coasters. Thanks to Quil for suggesting this week’s topic.
3 – Mantis at Cedar Point
Mantis, one of the largest stand-up coasters in the World, added a new dimension to roller coaster roughness. During my ride I felt a strong pain in my legs from the g-forces and some unwelcome head banging from a few of the loops. From the comments on my review, others seem to have had similar experiences. For me, Mantis was one of the biggest disappointments in Cedar Point’s lineup and possibly one of B&M’s worst roller coasters.
2 – Ninja at Six Flags Over Georgia
When I rode the Ninja in 2008 it was my worst ride of the year. It looks cool with it’s twisted red track situated on a pond near the back of the park. Unfortunately, the ride is rough, shaky, and has your head bouncing off of the hard over-the-shoulder restraints. Also, other than its appearance there wasn’t anything from the ride that was enjoyable. Ninja makes me glad that there aren’t more Vekoma seated loopers in the U.S.
1 – Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags Great Adventure
Great American Scream Machine is an egregiously rough Arrow looper sitting on a picturesque parking lot at Great Adventure. Like the other rough coasters on this list you’ll definitely find your head bouncing off the should restraints. But, on GASM there is also significant head-bang during the transitions and in places that are usually harmless on other rides. This roller coaster has almost nothing to offer and I can’t believe how some people can look past the rough, jarring, and just un-fun ride.
Dishonorable Mention
The Vekoma SLC’s Mind Eraser clones were definitely in contention for the Top 3, but some of them are actually rideable. T2 at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom was probably the roughest of the clones. The Flight of Fear at Kings Dominion and Jokers Jinx were both super painful when they had over-the-shoulder restraints. In fact, Flight of Fear would probably take the worst spot if it wasn’t for that change. I remember wanting aspirin every time I got off of that ride.
What’s Your Take?
Do you agree with my list of the roughest steel coasters? What were some of the roughest steelies you’ve ridden? Leave a comment below. Pictures courtesy of CoasterImage.
Coaster Critic 
40 responses to “Top 3 Roughest Steel Coasters”
Iron Wolf is much rougher than Mantis in my opinion. Is Ninja at SFOG really that much worse than the one St. Louis Ninja? I found the St. Louis one fairly enjoyable to my surprise.
I`d actualy say the Steamin Demon at my home park The Great Escape, is rougher than Scream Machine, but MindEraser@SFNE was the worst i`ve ridden.
Yes these are.According to me Iron Wolf is more tougher than anything else.I took a ride on St. Louis and it was great.
Mantis is not that rough, especially when compared to Iron Wolf. There have got to be some other rides that are worse than these. Maybe some Arrow rides? Boomerangs?
It's really just the roughest steel coasters I've ridden. I can't speak to anything at Six Flags St. Louis or Great Escape.
And I missed Iron Wolf when I was at Six Flags Great America. It was a rainy day and they closed it by the time I worked my over to that ride. I wouldn't be surprised though since it was B&M's first roller coaster.
Mantis was especially rough for me. Some have speculated that height can play a role with regards to the leg pain/pressure. Plus Mantis is so large that the speed will easily generate the force needed to toss your head around especially during the final corkscrews.
The Vekoma boomerangs could join the dishonorable mentions, but I just find all those Mind Eraser clones a little more punishing.
Steamin Demon is a Vekonama to all those wondering.
It's hard for me to rank these, so in no particular order, my roughest steel coasters are:
Thunderhawk/Serial Thriller at Geauga Lake (much smoother at Michigan's Adventure)
T2 at Kentucky Kingdom (the only ride in the park with a line!)
Steel Phantom at Kennywood (now the loopless Phantom's Revenge)
HyperSonic XLC at King's Dominion (caused a 2-hour headache)
Whirlwind at Knoebel's (OUCH!)
Great American Scream Machine at Great Adventure (Yep, I, too, love that scenic view!)
Wait, I lied … the one that beat me up the MOST was Toboggan at Lakemont Park this past summer!
I actualy enjoyed Scream Machine.
my roughest steel or wood are:
gwazi tiger
Lohness Monster
My roughest steel and woodie are:
Viper at SFMM
Cyclone an SFNE
Mine are:
Mind Eraser@SFNE
and a tie between:
ROAR@SFAm
and
Cyclone@SFNE
With GADV as my home park, I must agree with you about GASM! Which is why I hope for '11 they tear it down, plant some grass, and replace it with a dive machine.
Sorry for the double comment, but I really think you ought to ride Wildcat again. It's very smooth and fun!! It did used to be rough, though.
That'd be great if Great Adventure did that. I doubt they will because Six Flags is moving to more family friendly attractions, but you never know. They could at least tear down GASM and put something better there.
I've heard Wildcat may been rehabbed so I may try it again when I make it back to Hershey.
Thanks for reading!
I'm usually a back seat rider, but I got my best rides on Wildcat on Halloween near the center of the train. No lines, so repeat rides were allowed. It was good, but Lightning Racer, especially Thunder, was much better.
Wildcat? isn`t that a copy of ROAR.
It's not a perfect clone, but Wildcat & Roar are very close in design. Nearly identical I think.
i thought i got a cuncussion after getting off of that thing. if wildcat is smooth then i`ll be able to enjoy a ride like that whithout having to clutch at my head for the rest of the day.
Actually, the Exterminator at Kennywood I remember being a death machine. My friends and I were really banged up after that ride, especially if you were on either the inside or outside, I can't remember. But wherever that was, that was a bad place to be.
But strangely enough, the darkness made getting banged up kinda fun. Kinda like a mosh pit I suppose.
I've learned not to sit next to "bony" people. When they get tossed up against you, it can be pretty painful. I think my most painful experience was on Galaxy Spin at Cypress Gardens when I was wedged between my skinny brother and a hard, sharp edge on the corner of the seat. When we started to spin, I thought my ribs were going to crack!
I rode Wildcat on Halloween after having not been to HersheyPark for a few years. I'm usually a backseat rider, but I thought Wildcat was best when I sat in the middle. The ride was pretty smooth when I was seated there (back seat was rough, front seat was boring). Add to that, they would let you have repeat rides as long as no one was in the queue line for your seat. Everyone was lined up for the front and back seats, so I just stayed in the middle, happily buckled in and riding over and over again.
My roughest steel was the Vekoma Death Machine Mind Eraser @ Elitch Gardens. It should be called Headbang: The Ride.
The original Cyclone at SFNE (Riverside Park at the time) was absurdly rough and rickety back in the eighties. It was simulateously awesome and awful as you honestly felt like you were going to die on the first drop every time. Even the last turn was way too rough, you felt like the train was going to fall off the tracks. They're tamed the first drop now, but back in the day that Cyclone was ridiculous.
I'd say Iron Wolf is easily the roughest coaster I've been on that's still around. Riding that ****ing thing is like going a few rounds with Butterbean. It bashes your skull against a rock-hard restraint on every turn. Mantis does its best to crush your balls and head simultaneously, but nothing can compare to the shots to the head that Iron Wolf gives you. Iron Wolf's the only coaster I've been on that I'd call truly unridable.
Arrow coasters did not age well. Even Nessie, my firts Arrow, is showing its age. The Scream Machine was brutally painful in its later years as was it's sister up in Gurnee. Drachen Fire was barely tolerable when it was brand new and Steel Phantom was also a bone-crusher. (Had a brakes-free ride once during an ACE ERT. TRIPLE OUCH!!!)
Across the board, Vekoma clones are just plain BAD. The only redeeming quality of the one in Wildwood, NJ is its layout through the water slides.
And except for the Georgia Scorcher, I've found no comfort on any stand-up coaster, whether Inatamin, B&M or Togo. Those saddles are just not "guy" friendly, if you fellas know what I mean. Wearing a jock should be a reqirement.
I can't complain about the Wild Mouse genre, since even the originals were meant to be abrupt with their 18" wheelbases. The current generation doesn't disappoint it that aspect. i have to admit I loved Exterminator though. We had one unbalanced right with two little kids on the other side the had us spinning like a Tilt-A-Whirl.
The older I get, the smoother I like them. I re-ride all the time, when possible, but only the coasters that don't put thoughts of litigation in my head. Thank the steel coaster gods for Intamin and B&M.
I completely agree. Scream machine is very rough and im glad Great Adventure removed it. All arrow loopers ive been on have been rough. I've heard Loch Ness Monster isn't rough, though. I will have to find out, i'm going to BGW this year.
TOGO stand-up's, OUCH!
I'm only subject to a few parks in California, since I don't travel much. The only coaster I have a major complaint about is Scream! at Six Flags Magic Mountain. It's a B&M Floorless coaster and let me tell you, that thing beats you up! The sad thing is, it is relatively new. I believe it was introduced to the park in 2003!
Ninja at Six Flags over Georgia is the only one that I have been on and is my least favorite coaster of all time. I went on it once and never went on it again, if you watch the trains, you can see them banging from side to side. 😦
The Great Nor' Easter is much worse than scream machine.
Really? I found GNE quite smooth compared to other compact inverts.
Did you ride Viper at SFMM? Scream's admittedly a bit shaky, but Viper beats you into submission. After one ride my wife hasn't gone since, and she loves coasters.
I skipped Viper as I was running out of time at the park, but I've met my share of abusive Arrow loopers. So I know what you mean.
I think Anaconda is just as bad as or worse than scream machine. They both throw you around horribly, but anaconda's post brake run section is just horrible. The roughness is untolerable. I like anaconda's layout better though because it has the underwater tunnel and is on top of water instead of a parking lot. But i hate them both.
I disagree. Almost every foot of track on Scream Machine was rough. Anaconda's not nearly that bad.
Great Adventure's Viper (a heartline coaster) was torn down after only a few years. When I got off, battered and broken, I remember the guy in front of me telling his friend GA should tear it down and put up something useful, like a water fountain.
the roughest steel had to be drachen fire at busch gardens it got on the crurve to the lift hill and the cork screw after the brake run.But what i heard was the roughest coaster of all though storys is the comet at crystal beach back in the 20,s
Ive never been on Mantis, but it looks so fun its a bummer that so many find it painful -__- is it still fun tho? I totally agree with Ninja im from GA and I've ridden that ride a million times headbanging nonstop lol.
I thought scream machine was smoother than the other loopers. Annaconda is fine, but right in-between the helix is rough. I thought superman at six flags was rough last time I rode. And batman had a train that vibrated like a massage chair. I still think that rough steels are better than smooth ones. And I'd take scream machine over green lantern any day.
Don't hate on Arrow, I love the Iron Wolf, Ninja is another Vekoma-copies-Arrow thing. Never been on a SLC, or a normal boomerang, but G.I.B.s don't hurt. Anyway, the roughest steel that I've been on…….. V2 at SFGAm. The front hits that twist and My head went flying past anything that the Iron Wolf, Demon, GASM, Shockwave, Viper, and Mind Eraser could have ever done to me. I fell down the ramp leaving the exit, my ears were bleeding. Roughest woodie hands down Zeus at Mt. Olympus. Close second A.E. at SFGAm (Intamin woodie) I don't hate it it's really great BUT comin out of the huge helix cracked my neck every time.
I think I'm lucky to be about the shape and size that they make coaster restraints for, and as a consequence rough coasters with OTSRs don't beat me up as badly as they do most people. My head doesn't bang even on the Canobie Corkscrew, and everyone gets headbanging on the Canobie Corkscrew.
But Drachen Fire was rough and headbangy even for me. Since I didn't know any better, what I took away from it was "this was fun, but gee, the big coasters are getting really rough these days", and it took over a decade and the rise of Internet fandom for me to learn that it was actually an unusual case.