Bizarro Ride Review

NOTE: This is the SFNE Bizarro, not the crappy one at Great Adventure.  (Well, it's not really crappy, but the theming is rubbish.)

As you may know, SROS at SFNE got rethemed to Bizarro for 2009.  I decided to pop over to check it out.  I'd ridden Superman many times before, so I knew what to expect in terms of forces.  However, I had no idea what they did besides paint it purple.

Anyhoo, I get to the park before it opens, and as soon as the stupid character parade is over, I leg it to the big purple-and-blue Intamin.  After some minor bitching about the locker policy (I had thought ahead and brought plenty of zippered pockets), I get on the ride.  First run of the day.  I plop down in the money seat (Car 9, front-left seat) and immediately notice two things: 1) the evil lap bar of leg pain is gone, and 2) there are these big ugly headrests with speakers playing something boring. 

So the train starts up the lift, and I look to the left at the river.  It seems muddier than usual.  Also, the speakers are cranked up way too high.  I can hear them breaking.  As the train crests the lift, I get my usual kick out of seeing a perfect layout view of the Tivoli (Catwoman's Whip or something like that) and see the first bit of themeing: they added a nifty new entrance to the tunnel and they put the fog back in!  W00t!  Out of the tunnel, over a great ejector hill, into the overbank, and we see the next bit of themeing: some cardboard builidngs.  The train dives through one of them, and hits two more airtinme hills, then goes through this random fog machine and into the dreaded Hill of No Airtime.  Fortunately, we are distracted from the boring element by a pair of 40-foot-tall flame jets.  Nice touch.  Into the figure 8, into the next tunnel, and the speakers cut out.  They did this consistently, and I kinda like it.  Makes you focus on the insane airtime on the last three hills.  I actually think the iartime breaks the speakers.  Then we get stuck outside the station for a while while they take their sweet time getting the other train loaded.  WTF, guys?

One more fun thing that day: I grabbed the last ride on Bizarro and it broke down while I was about 150 feet up on the lift.  Turns out a circuit breaker tripped on the brake run.  Anyway, Bizarro is still by far the best thing SFNE has to offer.  Too bad the rest of their lineup is mediocre.  Ah well.

Pinball; Or, The Effects of Solenoids and Rubber on Ball Bearing

Time for another ramble. This one will be on pinball. I have written about pinball before, but only in the context of one specific simulator. This post will be on pinball in general.

Pinball History

The first game that many people call "pinball" was Gottlieb's "Baffle Ball", a very simple game. It consisted of a playfield studded with pins which balls would bounce off of. These pins were arranged so as to create several places where a ball could rest. Successfully getting a ball into one of these would result in points, which were added up by hand The only control one had over the ball's path was the plunger, essentially a spring-loaded pool cue. Another form of limited control could be achieved by nudging the cabinet. A picture of this machine can be found here. This design was modified by Lion Manufacturing Company, and sold as Ballyhoo. Ballyhoo did so well that the company changed its name to Bally. Pinball continued in this modest line until a little game known as "Contact" was produced.

Electricity, Solenoids, and Bumpers

CONTACT featured "kick-out" holes on the playfield which could release balls to be captured by lower, higher-scoring holes. These were powered by solenoids. In 1936 came Bally's BUMPER, which dispensed with the kick-out holes and replaced them with the forerunners of today's bumpers, and added automated scoring. Immediately, the older games were obsolete. And it wouldn't be the first time.

Flippers

In October 1947, what would become a core playfield element was introduced, in Gottlieb's HUMPTY DUMPTY. This was the flipper, a player-controlled device that could propel a ball up the playfield. Humpty featured six flippers: two near the top, two in the middle, and two at the bottom -- all near the edges of the playfield. Again, all older games became obsolete, as operators rushed to install Humpty Dumpty in their locations. Older games were retrofitted with flippers, often in unusual places.

Loony Labyrinth: A Wonderful Pinball Game

Loony Labyrinth,by LittleWing, is one of the best pinball simulators in the world. There is only one table, but that one table has more stuff on it than many others, as you can see. I shall provide a comprehensive review of this game.

Overview

This is a ramp-intensive pin. The ramps are, in order from left to right: Extra Ball Lane (below the bumpers), Labyrinth Ramp (the one with all the zigzags), Stone Loop (top of playing field), and Loony Ramp (upper right, drains to right inlane). To play the game, (what else?) Insert a quarter (from the menu, or just press CTRL+I). LittleWing tried very hard to make a realistic pin, and it's the little touches like this that help. The launcher, instead of firing up the right side and around the top of the field, launches the ball into the Stone Loop. This drains backwards into the Loony Ramp entrance, and to the upper flipper, where it can be launched into the Stone Loop again for a million points. (This is a rather high-scoring pinball table; scores of over a hundred million are not out of the question, and the scoreboard rolls over at a trillion.) Anyway, once one gets tired of that (or misses), the ball heads to the flippers. I shall now cover the targets, starting from the left flipper and going clockwise. On the left, we have three rollover lanes. The outlane (far left) has a kickback, which will kick the ball back into play if activated. This deactivates after use, but can be relit. To the right of it are a pair of inlanes. The left one of these has a blue light that, when rolled over, lights the Mystery Hole. The right one (yellow) lights Quick Move. Above these is the Extra Ball Lane and four spot targets. The bottom one (green) lights a spare shield (kickback) when lit. The upper three light the bottom one. Roll down the Extra Ball lane five times to receive an extra ball. You can do this twice per regular ball. Above these are the bumpers. The bumpers, when hit, add one percent to the charge meter. When fully charged (100%), they score 250,000 points per hit. Above this is the Install Stone hole. This is integral to the story, and I'll explain it later. You also have a Quick Move rollover, three rollover lanes, and the Random Blue Light (the circular light, not the triangle). The three rollover lanes, when all lit, advance the bonus multiplier, and which ones are lit can be changed by the flipper. The bonus multiplier maxes at x5, and any further completions award 1 million points. The RBL awards points when rolled over and does absolutely nothing else. Around this area is the Labyrinth Ramp. Shoot this ramp, and one of the nine LABYRINTH lights comes on. When all nine are lit, Labyrinth Multiball starts. Next to the entrance to the Labyrinth ramp are a pair of spot targets. These, when hit, start one of the STONE lights flashing, indicating that the next stone is available for collecting. To collect a stone, hit the Stone Loop. When all five stones are collected, five million points are awarded. If you lose your ball while all five STONE lights are lit, they all deactivate. Near the Stone Loop is the Minotaur Chamber, which is the ball lock. It can be entered from the bottom, the left, or the right. Locking three balls in the Minotaur Chamber (MinoChamber) starts Minotaur Multiball. To the right of the MinoChamber are a trio of spot targets that enable the ball lock. To the right of these is the Loony Ramp. This works just like the Labyrinth Ramp, but it lights LOONY lights and starts Loony Multiball when all five are lit. Next to the Loony Ramp is a Quick Move light, a flipper, and the MYST hole. When lit, this can do one of three things, depending on how many balls are on the playing field. If there are three, it awards a million points and lights both kickbacks. If there are two, it adds a third and lights both kickbacks. If there is one, it gives a random award. The ones I have seen are:

100K Awarded - awards 100,000 points.

200K Awarded - awards 200,000 points.

300K Awarded

400K Awarded

500K Awarded

Million Awarded

Restore Shield - Lights both kickbacks.

Advance Loony - Lights one LOONY light. This light does not count as a Loony Ramp shot for bonus purposes.

Advance Labyrinth - Lights one LABYRINTH light. Same rule applies.

Instant Multiball - Starts Minotaur Multiball.

Instant Lock Enable - Lights the ball lock.

Advance Shield Level - Lights one of the Spare Shield lights in the center of the table.

Maximize Shield Level - Lights all four Spare Shield lights.

Maximize Energy Level - Sets the charge meter to 100%.

Extra Ball Awarded - Awards an extra ball.

Below the MYST hole is another spare shield spot target. Below that are a pair of lanes, another kickback, and the right flipper.

Scoring Points

Each ramp shot awards 100K. Each MinoChamber Shot (whether it locks a ball or not) is also worth 100K. Each lane shot (inlane or Quick Move rollover) awards 50K, the bonus lanes each award 30K, and the Extra Ball Lane awards 200K. Hitting a bumper nets you 3,000 points, as does the Random Blue Light. Spot targets, when hit, award 20K, and the Mystery Hole and Install Stone hole award 50K each. The slingshots each award 130 points. Note that this is just the basic score for each. We have already seen that the Stone Loop can also award a million if the Explore Stone Loop light is lit. If a light next to a ramp or rollover is lit, it often awards more points (the exceptions are the bonus lanes, the inlanes, and the Extra Ball Lane). If the yellow light for a ramp or rollover is lit, it awards a progressive Quick Move shot. This starts at 200K, and advances in increments of 200K each time a Quick Move is awarded until 1 Million is reached. At this point, it starts advancing in increments of 1 million until 5 Million is reached, where it stops advancing. There are six Quick Move Shots available:

Shooting the Loony Ramp within 4 seconds of shooting the left Quick Move inlane,
Shooting the right Quick Move rollover within 4 seconds of shooting the left QM inlane,
Shooting the right QM rollover within 4 seconds of shooting the left QM rollover,
Shooting the left QM rollover within 4 seconds of shooting the right QM rollover,
Shooting the left QM rollover within 4 seconds of shooting the right QM inlane, and
Shooting the Labyrinth ramp within 4 seconds of shooting the right QM inlane.

Multiball

There are three types of multiball in Loony Labyrinth. Each is a 3-ball multiball, meaning that three balls are on the table at once. All three can be active at once, but the number of balls on the table does not increase. I shall cover them in order.

Loony Multi
Loony Multi is activated by shooting the Loony ramp five times. Both kickbacks are activated, and a twenty-second ball saver is granted. If any balls drain while the ball saver is on, they are shot back into play via auto-plunger. Further, all three Explore lights start flashing. This means that any successful ramp shot will score five million points, in addition to any Quick Move bonuses awarded. Thus, it is possible to score 10 million points from a single ramp shot. This multiball is rather difficult to achieve, owing to the difficulty of Loony Ramp shots. However, it is the best multiball for sheer point gain.

Labyrinth Multi
Shooting the Labyrinth ramp nine times activates Labyrinth Multi. This is a defensive multiball: both kickbacks are lit, Spare Shields are set to four (maximum), and a 40-second ball saver is granted. In addition, the Extra Ball lane is maximized, meaning that you have to shoot it once to get an Extra Ball instead of five times. It is not without scoring possibilities, though: every spot target awards 1 million points. This is my favorite multiball.

Minotaur Multi
Locking three balls in the MinoChamber activates Minotaur Multi. This is your standard multiball, complete with Jackpot. Its defensive properties are identical to Loony Multi. The Jackpot, awarded by shooting the MinoChamber, starts at 1 million and increases by 3K for each target (ramp, spot target, bumper, lane, hole, or rollover) hit. If it is awarded the five Moon Phase lights at the bottom of the table light, and Multi Jackpot is available. This starts at 7X the value of the jackpot, and slowly loses one multiple at a time until it reaches 1X, where the jackpot times out. You can reactivate it by lighting all three Ball Lock spot targets (to the immediate right of the MinoChamber.) This is a decent multiball, and likely the first one novice players will get.

2000 B.C.
Now all of this point-scoring is fun, but there's an advanced mode to this pin. By successfully collecting five stones, and charging the bumpers up to 100%, the Loony Machine becomes available. To activate the Loony Machine (time machine), shoot the Install Stone hole. This is very difficult, requiring a lucky bounce off the bumpers. When the Loony Machine is activated, the background music changes. You are now the legendary warrior Theseus. Your mission is to rescue the nine sacrificial victims, kill the Minotaur, and then go back to your own time. When you land at 2000 BC, all three multiballs start simultaneously. Shooting the Labyrinth ramp rescues a sacrifice. When all nine are rescued, you get another triple multiball and the five Moon Phase lights light. You must now shoot three balls into the MinoChamber before the moon wanes (the Moon Phase lights unlight.) If the moon wanes, the Minotaur recaptures the nine sacrifices and you must rescue them again. Defeating the Minotaur awards 20 million points and activates another triple multiball. Now you are journeying home. Any ramp shot awards 50 years, any hole awards 20, any spot target awards 10, any lane awards 5, any bumper awards 3, and anything else awards one. Each year is worth 10K bonus points. Advancing the year beyond 1994 nets you 50 million bonus points.

Bonus
The bonus awarded upion a ball drain is some number based on how many points you scored that ball multiplied by the bonus multiplier. To this is added 100K for each Loony Ramp shot, 100K for each Labyrinth Ramp Shot, the aforementioned 10K for each year, and 250K for each stone (or 5 million if you got all five.)

Tips for Getting a High Score

Learn to shoot the Loony and Labyrinth ramps consistently.
Use the nudging sparingly; I only use it to keep the ball in the bumpers.
Make the most of your multiballs. Learn to bounce balls off other balls.

That's it! Loony Machine Activated! I'm off to 2000 BC, and hope to see you there!

Video Games and Stuff

Wow, I haven't updated in a long time. This is because nobody reads my blog. Anyway, time for some random comments on video games. Let's see here...

Ocarina of Time. This game is epic. Ten years after its release, people still play it. This is partially because of its rerelease on the GameCube and Wii, but mostly because it is one of the best video games ever made. While those who grew up with the XBox or PS2 will make snide comments about its low polygon count and lack of voice acting, and then go into a tirade about how Nintendo is "kiddy", they are missing the point. For its time, the graphics were cutting-edge. This game came out in 1998. Back then, the XBox was but a twinkle in the eye of Bill Gates, the PlayStation had just come out (literally; OoT came out the day of the PS's release), and only one console had an analog stick on its controller. This was the Nintendo 64. Nintendo's third console.

When designing Ocarina, Eiji Aonuma had to come up with some way to keep the protagonist (Link) facing his enemy in battles, while still allowing freedom of movement. His solution: Z-targeting, named after the Z-trigger on the underside of the controller. This was no simple camera change: it locked the camera and Link's orientation so that the camera was behind Link, who was facing his current foe. It also changed Link's entire moveset to be more combat-oriented, adding fast backflips and sidesteps as well as a double-damage jump attack. In fact, the Z trigger was the only way to manually change the camera angle (when no foe was in reach, it would move the camera behind Link); there was no need for other controls, as the camera AI was very well-designed. Another advance was thecontext-sensitive A button. The face buttons had icons on the screen; the blue A button could serve as the aforementioned jump attack, plus the following: talk, roll, sidestep, backflip, put away items, open doors, grab items, and more; this was very intuitive. Both of these design elements have been copied by numerous other games, including almost every FPS.

Fun With Bejeweled 2

Looks like it's time to write another blog post. This one is on Bejeweled 2. On the right is an annotated screenshot of the game. The game is currently in Classic mode. There are eight modes total. In each mode, the basic rules are simple: Switch the positions of gems to create rows or columns of three or more. You may only swap a pair of gems if they are right next to each other and, when swapped, will form at least one three-in-a-row. When gems line up, they disappear, and new ones fall in to take their place. If any falling gems create rows or columns, they will disappear as well. Each match scores points. A four-in-a-row (henceforth referred to as a four) will convert one of the gems in the match to a power gem. A power gem glows, and when used in a three or more, will detonate. All the gems within the Power Gem Detonation Area (PGDA) will be destroyed. If a power gem happens to be in the PGDA, it will detonate as well. Thus, several power gems clustered together may cause a chain reaction, The PGDA shown is for the red power gem. A T-shaped or L-shaped match (both use five gems) will also create a power gem. When a five-in-a-row (henceforth referred to as a five) is matched, a hyper cube is created. There are four in the screenshot; this is uncommon. A hyper cube is the most awesome item in Bejeweled 2; it may be swapped with any of the four gems next to it at any time. When a swap occurs, every gem with the same color as the swapped gem is destroyed. Power gems of the same color as the swapped gem will detonate. Each match, power gem detonation, and hyper cube use will add to the Progress Bar. When the Progress Bar is filled, the level is complete, and a cool animation plays.

Each match will score points, according to the following rules:

1) The base score is ten points.

2) Each gem in the row/column beyond three adds ten points to the base score, up to five gems; a sixth gem will add 20 points.

3) Each row/column in the match progressively scores more points:
1st match: 10 points
2nd match: 20
3rd match: 30
4th match: 40
5th match: 60
6th match: 80
and so on. The rate at which the points increase increases as well, to a maximum of 210 points.

4) Each level adds 5 points to the base score. So, at level 4, a three-part combo would receive 150 points minimum (25 + 50 + 75).

5) Each power gem detonation multiplies the score for the row/column by 3.5. So, a three at level 1 with a power gem will score 35 points.

6) Each gem destroyed by a hyper cube scores twice the base score; each power gem destroyed scores six times the base score.


The eight modes are as follows:

Classic: The basic game; ends when no moves are available.

Action: A timed version of the game. The Progress Bar moves steadily downward; gems fall in such a way that there is always at least one move. When the Progress Bar reaches the bottom, the game ends. The Warning Lights flash when the Progress Bar gets low. Base score is 200; each level adds 100 to that.

Puzzle: Gives you a series of unscored puzzles to solve. Hints are free. Puzzles feature bombs, which blow up after a set number of moves; and rocks, which can only be destroyed by bombs, power gems, and hyper cubes.

Endless: Like Classic, but there is always at least one move. Base score is 100; levels do not add points.

Twilight: Obtained by beating level 18 of Classic, Twilight features alternating gravity: half of the time, the gems fall up. The entire game is slower here.

Hyper: Like Action, but at least twice as fast. Obtained by beating level 8 of Action.

Cognito: Obtained by beating all 80 puzzles of Puzzle. Like Puzzle, but scored.

Finity: By beating level 280 of Endless, this mode is unlocked. Like Action, but points are scored only by power gem and hyper cube detonation. Bombs, rocks, and power gems occasionally fall.


Anyone can dive right in and start swapping gems, but this is the fastest way to earn yourself a "No Moves". Follow these tips to increase your score:

1) Don't waste hyper cubes. These vortices are like a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card; as long as at least one is on the board, you have a move. Save them until you have no conventional moves.

2) Power gems can blow up hyper cubes. Make sure that your 'cubes are out of any PGDA. If you cannot make a move without blowing up a hyper cube, use the hyper cube.

3) Scan the board for combos. You can predict how the gems will fall.

4) Try to set up moves; each move that sets up another move is safe from the "No Moves" message.

5) If you know that no hyper cubes are going to be coming along for a while, get as many power gems as possible.

6) Try to concentrate on getting lots of the same color gem into the board; this makes a prime target for combos and hyper cube use.

7) In Action, at higher levels, don't think. Swap as fast as possible.

8) Don't use the hint button; it reduces your score and your Progress Bar.

Happy Bejeweling!

Rollerscape

And now for something completely different. I currently have four Rollerscape sets; they are essentially marble rollercoasters. They are also a source of endless frustration. The reason for this is manifold. First, the rails require banking. This is fun, but it is also a pain, because adjusting the banking on one section automatically screws up the rest of the track. Each set comes with 194 pieces with a penchant for trying to break. The marbles get lost, and become found when one slips on them. The track seems to have a mind of its own, and attaching bracers requires awkward manipulations. Perhaps I should explain more about these toys. They each come with the following:

Two (2) long plastic flexible rails. Do not cut these; you won't be able to glue them back together.
Six (6) small black plastic marbles. These are the parts that fall off the track if you did it wrong.
Two (2) neon-green antennas. These are completely useless.
Sixteen (16) L-shaped track supports.
Sixteen (16) C-shaped clamps.
One (1) hell of a lot of track bracers. These come in two types: two-grip and three-grip. The two-grips are designed to hold the rails apart so the marbles can roll on them. The three-grips do that, and also attach to the L-supports, which attach to the C-supports, which attach to the frame pieces. These frame pieces come in three sizes: small, medium, and large. Each size is designed to act as a diagonal for a square made up of the next smaller size. They attach to each other by way of plastic balls with holes in them. The frame pieces come in an indeterminate quantity known as Not Enough. You need at least two sets to get anywhere, and I want several more. The rails also have a length of Not Long Enough, and no matter what, you will run out of length on one rail before the other. This means that there is an unsightly rail sticking out, getting in the way.



Now we come to the fun part. After you figure out how to open the box (there are three tabs that must be removed), you take the parts out of their plastic bags and set up a frame. My three sets allow for a nice big 2*2*5 box (I use mediums for measurements) with plenty of bigs for diagonals. The smalls are useful for protrusions (like when you need a support outside the box) and the entry path (on top of the box). Anyway, you then assemble a support and connect it to the top. After that, the process of assembling a track is a matter of adding a support, testing, adding bracing, testing, adjusting bracers and banking, testing, trying to get the track to do what you want it to do, testing, adjusting AGAIN, testing, and adjusting the frame. When you finally finish the track, you will find that the marble falls off. Guess what time it is? Right; adjusting, testing, wash, rinse, repeat. Despite this, I have managed to build several nifty tracks, including one with a corkscrew (do not try this; it nearly brought me to tears trying to get it right) and, more recently, one with a series of overbanked curves. This toy is a perfectionist-tweaker's nightmare, but I love it anyway.

A few tips I've learned:

1) Tight curves cause marbles to lose lots of speed.
2) Don't use the method shown on the box to support loops; it wastes supports and causes the loop to flop over.
3) Test early, test often. Each support you add should be followed by testing.
4) Buy multiple sets. The extra pieces mean more freedom.
5) Don't go too far down too early; uphill sections are all but impossible, and there is nothing worse than having track left and no speed left.
6) However, don't stay in the higher reaches too long; you will run out of track.
7) Do NOT try to thread a track through a loop; build the loop around the track. In the same vein, don't try to thread the track through really tight spaces without testing; the marble might get stuck.
8) Leftover bracers can act as guardrails.
9) Barrel rolls will not work. EDIT: Actually, they will, but it's almost impossible.
10) Don't make a steep drop when the marble has lots of speed; it will fly off.
11) Don't buy the small set or the big set: the small set is too small and the big set is too expensive.
12) All of what I said (except for the part counts and the eleventh tip) goes for the Space Odyssey sets.
13) Try to have fun. If the marbles keep falling off, suck it up and adjust, adjust, adjust.

A final word of advice: Start simple. Don't build a complex track with lots of hills and loops until you can estimate what the marble will do.

History of the Roller Coaster, Part II

Now we come to the first golden age of the roller coaster: the Roaring '20s. John A. Miller helped kick this off with his inventions of the upstop wheel, the anti-rollback rack, the station brakes, and the lap bar. Now, everybody knows what the lap bar is: a bar that goes in your lap and prevents you from flying out of the coaster train. The anti-rollback rack is a device that goes at the top of big hills and prevents coasters from rolling back on said hills. The upstop wheel is a wheel that goes under the track and prevents the train from flying off over hills. The station brakes, of course, slow the train down in or near the station. With these four inventions, the figure-eight was left behind in favor of the type of thing shown on the right. This coaster is the Crystal Beach Cyclone, designed by Harry Traver in 1927. This ride no longer exists: it was torn down in 1947. Legend has it that the full-time nurse on duty at the coaster carried smelling salts. Another coaster that was created in 1927 was the Coney Island Cyclone. This ride is, according to Steven J. Urbanowicz, the number one wooden roller coaster in the world. Me, I say The Voyage is. Now, Miller created a bunch of roller coasters in his time; the Racer at Kennywood is a good example. He also invented the Flying Turns, the precursor to today's bobsled coasters. Like the bobsled coasters of today, the Flying Turns featured a semicircular track (in cross-section) that the cars were free to swing up and down as they navigated the course. Unlike the bobsled coasters of today, Flying Turns featured sharp curves, tight helices, steep drops, and the like, providing for an intense experience.

Prior, Church, and Traver

These dudes were awesome. They epitomized the Roaring '20s in their designs. Prior and Church built Bobs coasters, designed around spirals, swoops, airtime (the feeling you get over the tops of hills), and beautiful articulated Century Flyer trains designed to navigate the twisted track. These trains were anywhere from four to twelve cars long, and sat two per car in one row. Prior and Church's most famous accomplishment was the Aeroplane Coaster, at Playland Park. It no longer stands, but the Giant Dipper at Belmont Park in San Diego does, and is a testament to P&C's genius.

Harry Guy Traver was even more extreme than Prior and Church. I've seen a photo of him, and he looks incredibly boring. Maybe he built his coasters to compensate. Anyway, he liked using steep banking (89* was not uncommon) and "jazz track", which consists of track banked from side to side very rapidly. We now call this element "trick track", and it serves to shake up riders and make them feel like the coaster train is going to rip off the track. It does do a number on the trains. In addition to the Crystal Beach Cyclone, he built numerous other Cyclone coasters, including one at Cedar Point, one at Revere Beach (actually named the Lightning), and the Cyclone Racer in California.

All good things must, of course, come to an end, and it certainly looked that way when the Great Depression hit. This was followed by World War II, and then by TV, which all but eliminated the roller coaster as a form of entertainment.

The Matterhorn, Runaway Mine Trains, and Six Flags

Walt Disney came on the scene in the 1950's, with the Pay-One-Price (POP) model and the controlled-access theme park. The POP model worked like this: instead of buying tickets to ride each ride, you pay just to enter the park and the rides are free. This works out well for the thrill-seekers, but not for the parents, who often don't ride anything. Anyway, in 1959, a company named Arrow Development built a roller coaster for Disneyland. This coaster was made out of steel, allowing for a quieter, smoother ride. Augustus Wynne (a millionaire who founded the Six Flags chain of parks) got wind of this and asked Arrow to design a "runaway mine train" for his park, Six Flags over Texas. This park was named for the six flags that, at some point, have flown over the Lone Star State (Spain, France, the USA, the Confederacy, the Republic of Texas, and Mexico, if you wanted to know). This coaster had three lift hills, was a half-mile long, and opened in 1966. It appeared that the roller coaster was for the whole family to enjoy, but nowadays this is not true. What happened?