The world’s first motion-based and interactive 3D dark ride “Justice League: Battle for Metropolis” is coming to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J. in June 2017.
Construction for the ride began when Sally Corp. broke ground in December 2016. As of late April, the entire exterior is finished and work on the assembly of the ride itself is now the main priority. Oceaneering International is also contributing their own motion-based ride systems to the project.
The first idea for this ride came with the development of “Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D” in Gold Coast, Australia in 2012, also built and designed by Sally Corp., but without the help of Oceaneering International.
The new ride will be the park’s first dark ride, but not its first indoor coaster. Rides “Skull Mountain” and “The Dark Knight Coaster” are both contained within their own building. In fact, this ride will fill the space next to the latter where the open-air coaster “Batman and Robin: The Chiller” once stood until it was disassembled after its closing in 2007.
The version of the coaster coming to Great Adventure in June is not the first of its kind, however. The ride was released for the first time in 2015 at Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis. Other versions are placed at various locations, including Six Flags Great America and Six Flags México. Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Over Georgia have also begun construction for their own sets of the ride to open in 2017.
Freshman Madeline Stout says, “The dark rides at other parks like Disney or Universal are some of my favorite rides since they’re very immersive and detail oriented, so I’m very excited that there’s going to be one like those at such a local park.”
There are currently seven rides themed after DC Entertainment. As “The Dark Knight Coaster” was paired with the release of the film “The Dark Knight” in 2008, this new attraction will coincide with the release of the movies “Wonder Woman” and “Justice League”. It will be the third DC-themed ride in the park’s Movie Town alone.
Since it is an interactive ride, riders will experience a game-like situation where they battle the DC-themed villains the Joker and Lex Luthor. Simulated phasers will be incorporated onto the structures of the cars themselves. The story of the ride is that the riders team up with heroes Batman, Superman, Supergirl, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and Green Lantern.
Besides massive 3D screens, the ride also includes 4D effects like fog, mist, wind, and fire. Animatronic characters portraying Cyborg and Joker are also equipped with audio and movement to complete the immersion effect of the ride. Advertising for the ride also claims the first ever virtual loop.
Since the track is not extremely exerting, it is considered both a family and thrill ride for the gaming elements incorporated into it.
“I’m pretty pumped about the new ride. It’s a game so it’s fun for kids, but it’s also a bit of a scary ride so it’s thrilling, too,” says freshman Kylie Denneler.
Installation of the track and more scrutinous details such as paint, props, and theming are being focused on. Theming for the ride’s queue will include features from both the fictional city Metropolis and the Hall of Justice, which is the alleged base of operations for the Justice League in DC media.
What do you think of the new “Justice League: Battle for Metropolis”? Will you ride it?