VR Shockwave
Associated parks:
Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington, Texas, USA
I had a decent sized review typed out and then hit the wrong button so here's the short version.
VR is not available in the front row. There was an obvious cleaning station where people were wiping the headsets with disinfectant wipes. The shooting game was interesting, but about 1/4 of the way through the ride an alien ship disables your guns. Loading was 5+ minutes per train, putting capacity at a miniscule 300 pph. The VR was well done and made an old familiar ride a new and interesting experience. I got super duper nauseous from it.
I don't get how this is better than Spiderman or Justice League or Soarin' or any other such thing. The height is irrelevant and the speed can be simulated with a fan. The forces are really interesting and I was surprised by the last couple pops of air to the point of putting a smile on this old, jaded face but given that this thing has taken a decent capacity roller coaster and turned it into a very low capacity moderately entertaining simulator, I'm not that excited by the change.
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
ApolloAndy said:
I don't get how this is better than Spiderman or Justice League or Soarin' or any other such thing.
I'm not sure anyone claimed it would be.
I guess my point is that taking something which was inherently thrilling and making it into something which is less thrilling and not even that novel seems like a lose to me.
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
I'll concede that based on the lousy capacity alone. I've always thought the concept was pretty cool, but impractical to retrofit on a coaster.
It's like the most mixed review ever.
Every statement is a positive followed by a "but" negative.
It perfectly captures both sides of the "love it or hate it" opinions everyone seemed to have.
Yeah, I really didn't know what to make of it. I could totally see how some people would think it was the greatest thing ever and some people, especially those who love Shockwave (sorry Gator) would think it was a complete and utter travesty and tragedy.
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
You know I love shout-outs, LOL.
If I could easily find the thread I'm thinking of, Andy's "buts" are exactly in line with what I'd feared when these VRs were introduced. *Especially* since it seemed to be done to "one of the best" rides in several of the parks...
Shockwave was one of the best looping coasters in the US...and may still be....but a 5-minute dispatch on a ride that could easily achieve very nearly its max theoretical capacity is disappointing even if it WEREN'T one of the finest steel loopers in existence.
You still have Zoidberg.... You ALL have Zoidberg! (V) (;,,;) (V)
Wow. Sounds like a nightmare. Shockwave is already one of the slower moving lines in the park. I'm guessing because of the incredibly slow lift. Thank you for the review and biting the bullet for us on this one. You pretty much counted me out with " I got super duper nauseous from it," as I am already prone to nausea on certain types of rides.
I have the same Samsung VR headset that SF uses, and quite honestly, depending on what I'm doing it can make me nauseous just sitting in a chair. The apps all come with a "comfort rating" - VR sickness is a very real effect. The severity of which depends on both the person and the virtual activity.
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