In my opinion, Shockwave is
a bit like Nemesis Inferno - they're both good rides and both certainly
worth riding; but both give me the impression in one way or another that
they could be, well, better than they are.
Shockwave's main problem is that after
you've found the cunningly hidden entrance, navigated the truly horrific
queue line and mastered the appalling restraints - you're faced with a
ride that does the job it has to do but doesn't really even try to go
that extra mile to make it great. It's good, and in places (particularly
the stunning zero-g roll, without a doubt the ride's highlight) pretty
good, but there's nothing about Shockwave to leave you wanting to shout
about it. It's by no means a bad ride, and the stand-up position is fun,
but the Shockwave experience as a whole is just a little under whelming.
Yes, Shockwave is worth riding, but
once the novelty of standing up on a coaster has worn off you're left
with a ride that, sadly, has no real draw to bring you back again and
again...
.
Shockwave's downfalls are in its terrible
station, dead spot mid section and crappy trains - they really do need
replacing.
However, the rest of the ride is much better
- including a sublime heartline twist - probably the best inversion in
the country, and excellent feeling of weightlessness as you tumble
through the inversion followed by two excellent corkscrews, always worth
a ride.
Just watch out for the turn into the
vertical loop in the back seats - it breaks you in half if you don't
brace yourself!
Harvey North
.
At
first you go up the hill, nice and slowly. Then all of a sudden you go
down the drop part of the drop is banked, then straight into a vertical
loop, then straight into a zero-g roll and have your photo taken. Then
along a straight then into a double corkscrew, round a corner then the
brakes slam on.... which really pushes you forward into the restraints which
hurts your stomach a bit. But apart from that its a great ride
Alex Coombs
.
1994 was a good year for coasters.
Nemesis, The Big One and also Shockwave were all built in the same year
costing around the same price. They were all unique to Europe but only
Shockwave has kept its title.
Shockwave was and still is Europe's
only Stand-Up roller coaster. Whilst the stand-up novelty is popular in
American parks, the idea of spending hours in a day queuing for the
rides and then to continue standing whilst riding hasn't appealed this
side of the Atlantic.
This is possibly a shame, whilst
Shockwave is nowhere near a superb coaster, the potential for rides like
this is immense, offering, in my opinion, a more intense form of riding
than Inverters. Drayton Manor did not make use of this unfortunately. It
was to be their first major coaster, and it showed. Whether through lack
of imagination or finance, the ride is plain from the layout to the
colour (although parts have been repainted).
The ride is simple, up a painfully slow
lift, down a drop and round a bend down a further drop into a loop. Up
into a zero-g roll and then into a 2 second straight section before
hitting the first corkscrew over the brake run, the next corkscrew
follows immediately and then comes the banking turn back into the
station and some horrendously sharp block brakes. The ride does not
leave much to the imagination as all is clearly visible.
The queuing area deserves a review of
its own. Underneath the station building, in the dark with no no-smoking
enforcement whatsoever it is like being in a tomb. Litter infested,
smelly, cramped and uneven it is possibly the worst queuing experience
I've ever had. Some windows would suffice to add some air and light into
it!
The ride is rough, but not
uncomfortable, the restraints are fairly accommodating if a little hard.
Shockwave is quite intense, especially through the zero-g roll and the
stand-up element is extremely novel. The best riding position being the
front row by far as some of the visuals are quite superb as you are so
high up.
Overall, I think the ride is good and
enjoyable. Perhaps not quite up to the scratch of its class of '94
colleagues but certainly a ride that Drayton should be proud to own.
Dan Thompson
Shockwave is a fantastic
ride. Although weird & scary first time around. One word to the
reviewer of Shockwave. It is not highly uncomfortable & it's not all
that rough. What's wrong with you people. Live a little. Shockwave is
the highest, fastest & probably most AMAZING ride I have ever
ridden.
Daniel
