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Great American Scream Machine
Website: Six Flags Great Adventure Homepage
Ride Type: Steel Coaster
Ride Status: Defunct
Average Rating: 3.5545
TPC Overall Rank: #280 out of 2933 rides.
Reviews: 113
Last Review: 8/12/2009 11:26:00 AM
In User Top 10: 57 times.
User Tracker Count: 321 times.
 


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Great American Scream Mach 1

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3 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up weaver23 on 8/12/2009 11:26:00 AM
Great American Scream Machine was the first coaster I rode at SFGADV. And maybe that's why I liked it so much. As an Arrow coaster, it's a step up from the absolute crap that they put in at Canadas Wonderland, and even Cedar Point's Corkscrew is beaten by this. I didn't find the ride to be overly rough what so ever. The coaster starts out with a quick turn to the left and up the tall lift (for a looper). Once you reach the top you immediately plummet to the left and down to the ground below. For some odd reason I found this drop quite intense, as were the loops that followed. After the first loop, the coaster turns to the left again and goes through another two loops. All providing great positive G's. Especially the last one. Then the coaster turns upwards and slams u into a MCBR. This brake really slows the coaster, but for good reason. The next maneuver has to be taken slowly as it is a Batwing, and is quite a strange maneuver. Nevertheless it is still quite thrilling, as are the corkscrews and turns that come after it. Overall this coaster isn't too rough, it's quite thrilling and It's a classic.

3 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up Nlfreakk on 6/19/2009 7:37:00 PM
3 is a VERY generous score for such a ride. At a first glance, you might be sucked into it. Damn does it look intriguing. Aven after reading some negative reviews about the ride, you just forget about those and step into the queue. I wouldn't say you've made a mistake here, since it has to be experienced just for you to know how it feels. I can understand that and that's how I felt at first.
Though just don't expect much of a satisfying experience.

It starts off right there in the queue line. GASM is a slapped-on-parking-lot scream machine and this just doesn't help. And if that depressing atmosphere wasn't enough, you've got busted sings all around you, some too busted for you to read them.

Then you've got to board the trains, and oh god do I hate arrow trains. The seats and harnesses are stiff and it just feels incredibly claustrophobic. You're stuck in there.

2 minutes later, after a long, noisy and tedious climb up the lift hill, get ready to dive into the best GASM has to offer. The first drop isn't intense or exhilirating, but I've found myself being wholly able to enjoy it! It's not all that stimulating, but it's fun, and not at all spoiled by any sort of roughness... minus the uncomfortableness of the seats and harnesses. And then the roughness takes over.

The three following loops are good fun. You don't feel like you're completing these inversions in the air: it unfortunately just doesn't have a scary high altitude inversion effect. It's just for the sake of completing three graceful consecutive vertical loops. It doesn't have much G force and it does shake your head around, but it's still enjoyable. But the rest of the ride is definitely NOT what you came in for.

It's a violently rough turn left up into the mid-course brakes that almost stop the trains, leaving the painful batwing element, the terrible right-handed turn transition following it, the two standard headbanger corkscrews and the little pointless turns into the final brakes absolutely bland and slow as hell. This second half should be doomed into oblivion and be forgotten by everybody. Just cut it and make the ride end right after the loops.

Well, all in all, if you're interested in GASM, go right ahead and find out how it feels. However, don't expect anything other than something rough, bland, depressing, lackluster and just plain DATED that's gonna hurt your ears for quite some time after.. And what's with the name? Great American Scream Machine? Did hit their heads with rocks?

3 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up shag9004 on 9/11/2008 9:10:00 PM
Date Ridden: Summer of 2008. Times Ridden: 1 in the front of the train. My home park of Six Flags Over Georgia contains a wooden coaster by the same name as this ride, so far that reason alone, we decided to make sure we got in at least one lap on this sit-down looper with 7 inversions during out latest trips to New Jersey. While not disappointed (I did not have the highest of expectations), I was not blown away either. Six Flags Great Adventure boasts some of the top coasters in the world. They have the world&#39.s tallest and fastest coaster in Kingda Ka, the # 4 ranked wooden coaster in the world in El Toro, the # 3 ranked steel coaster Nitro, and the GASM which is tied with numerous other coaster for the most inversions this side of Atlantic Ocean. Make no mistake about it, this is not a comfortable ride. There are some serous forces generated throughout the 7 inversions and the restraints give you a good half dozen bashes to the side of the head. A headache is a distinct possibility so make sure you load up on Advil before riding. Still, there are some positives. Despite being located in one of the busiest parks in North America, the line here is normally very short. If you time it right, you can take your headache medicine, get in line, ride, then by the time the pain begins your medicine is kicking in. That is always an advantage. On a serious note, it is always fun to ride one of these older coasters that survived the great Inversion War of the late 80&#39.s and early 90&#39.s as parks battled one another to field the coaster with the most inversions. The GASM has survived and is worth a spin when you visit.

1 Rating
-1 Rating Rate Down Rate Up phoenix on 7/27/2008 11:36:00 PM
When I hear Great American Scream Machine, all I can think about is &#39.Oww! Head Banger!&#39. I rode this last week (not my first time) and made a mistake of chosing the back seat which is in general the roughest seat on coasters. I am the kind of rider who does not hold on to the restraints, but would rather scream with my hands up the whole way. On this coaster, I spent most of the time trying to control my head from side to side wacking on those lowly positioned and uncomfortable OTSR. The first loop was ok, even the double vertical loop was ok, but the batwing and the double corkscrew elements were very rough. Even the dip and turn out of the station to the lift hill caused some head banging. I don&#39.t know why, but the train came to a halt on the brake run long enough to make me think that something had gone wrong with the ride. There was enough time for me to ask my riding buddy, &quot.Why are we stopping? This can&#39.t be good!&quot. After a few eternal seconds, the train completed its course and we were all glad it was over. I hate to give any coaster such a low rating because I love roller coasters. I am also patriotic and enjoyed the ride&#39.s red, white and blue colors. But the ride itself is among the most painful coasters I&#39.ve ever been on. If you&#39.re planning to ride this on your Great Adventure visit, don&#39.t ride in the back and make sure you bring some advil.

5 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up coasterwom on 5/22/2008 9:25:00 PM
This was one of my favorite rides when I visited the park. This coaster is a classic Arrow multi- inversion monster. It was built in 1989 and features 7 inversions. The lift hill is 173 feet tall, and has a 155 foot tall drop. It is 3,800 feet long. It has 3 trains with seven 4 seat cars. After the first drop you are welcomed with 3 loops, follwed by a boomerang (which is 2 inversions), then a double corckscrew. This coaster is a must ride if youre a enthusiast. The ride was nicely themed, fun, rerideable, has a long ride duration, and a large capacity.

3 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up coasterf42 on 5/14/2008 3:41:00 PM
Wasn’t the best ride in the world, wasn’t the worst. I definitely rode defensively, and figured out by my second lap that I had to keep my knees as tucked away as they could possibly be. The first drop is big, but curved. The third loop really banged me up on my first ride, but didn’t on my second. The MCBR brings the train to a near stop, but the ride seems to get going again. Honestly, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to handle the forthcoming element had it not been for the block brakes! The “tramatic” music adds a bit of a humorous touch to this late-80s ride. I was pleased to see that this Arrow coasters hadn’t been degraded by seatbelts, like most Cedar Fair Arrows have, but the restraints seemed even more organ-squishing than most. Overall GASM was an intriguing old coaster, that wasn’t all that bad. I rode twice and would ride again on my next trip to SFGAd. I gave it a better rating than the “perfected” and popular B&M next door. This is a ride with some substance to it that challenges riders, despite its imperfect, uncomfortable nature.

4 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up degener8 on 10/20/2007 11:24:00 PM - User's Top Ride #8
Probably deserves a 7, but it is a classic. Its not that much of a head banger, after the third loop before that weird break run in the middle of the ride does give some headbanging though. If it was smoother it would be a lot better, but it is fun overall.

3 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up ElTorobaby on 8/4/2007 8:50:00 PM
This coaster is nothing special, but for those who say your head bangs around side to side, well, it doesnt. I never banged my head off the side of my restraints (I did, however, bang my head off of my head rest) All you got to do is keep your head centered the whole time, and youll be fine.

First off, you climb a lift hill(pretty tall one btw) You go up and into the first loop, (My favorite part of the ride). Then you hit some trim brakes and go through the next two loops rather slowly and dull. Then you make a turn and go into the brake run. (Which tbvh, they should take out because you barely make it through some of the inversions at the end of the ride, which, is rather boring..) So after the brake run you hang a little bit on a turn (You dont feel weightless) then you go through a half loop and half corkscrew and another, then you make a turn and go through 2 corkscrews. (Still no head banging) And then a bunny hop and a turn to the brake run. (Again, no head banging)

All in all, if this ride sustained the top speed for the whole ride, it would be a much better coaster but the fact that its kinda dull pushed the rating down but the speed and number of inversions brings this roller coaster to a decent rating of 7.

3 Rating
+1 Rating Rate Down Rate Up RCGenius on 8/4/2007 7:19:00 AM
GASMs a true classic gem as its one of the older rides at SFGAD, yet its nothing like a true classic looper like SuperDooperLooper & Laser. What I mean by thats its freakishly crazy height for a classic looper & the high speed youll be encountering. The layouts alright, but it was basically one inversion after another with 3vertical loops, a batwing & consecutive corkscrews. Overall, its an average ride at best & there was some head-banging involved with some of the drops on it which lowered its rating.

3 Rating
+3 Rating Rate Down Rate Up CoastrGlxy on 6/13/2007 3:01:00 PM
Great American Scream Machine is an aging, old steel coaster at the New Jersey Six Flags. Great Adventures GASM is a relic from Arrow mega looper era. In the 80s and early 90s parks wanted bragging rights to having the roller coasters with the most loops.

GASM is in the worst setting you could find. It looks like it was plopped down on an old portion of the parking lot and they did nothing to landscape or theme the grounds. At least the entrance and station are decorated with bars and stars in the requisite red, white, and blue. But the ride itself might as well be on the surface of the Moon. Im a HUGE fan of terrain coasters and GASM is the exact opposite.

After a long slow climb, youre treated to a nice swooping 155 drop. Its easily the highlight of the ride. Next, you rise up into the a large loop which is followed up by two smaller loops that are literally back-to-back. Riders experience the typical Arrow head banging. During bumpy loops riders heads bounce side to side off of the hard restraints. Headbanging is common on these type of coasters, but I found it rougher than normal. There was significant headbang during the vertical loops, not just during the transitions.

The three vertical loops are followed by a short brake run. Then the train immediately drops out of the run and into a batwing boomerang inversion thats two more inversions. They are the best two loops of the ride, which unfortunately isnt saying much. After the boomerang, the train putters its way through a rough set of double corkscrews. Luckily, after that the rides over.

After a spin on GASM, you want to thank God B&M is in the roller coaster making business. Medusa, also at Great Adventure, is a great answer to this rough relic. Before I get any angry comments, I have to say that Im not an Arrow looper hater. I enjoyed Tennessee Tornado (Dollywood) and loved both Demon (Six Flags Great America) and Loch Ness Monster (Busch Gardens Europe). Great American Scream Machine is just way too uninteresting, dated, and rough. Final Rating - 4.0 (Below Average)

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