Nitro represented a great first for me in my coaster-riding career. I had been on many a B&M coaster creation, however I had yet to hop aboard one of their hypercoasters. I often marveled at B&M coasters, primarily for their inventiveness (i.e. Inverts, Floorless, etc.) and their expertise at tangling track in every conceivable direction, making an intertwining work of art for their turns and inversions. Although not one of the best coasters, the ending of Mantis at Cedar Point is a prime example of what I’m talking about. So, as I entered Six Flags Great Adventure and headed to the right towards Movietown, I located 2 B&M coasters waiting oh so patiently for me to embark – the ever famous Batman: The Ride, and its towering big brother, Nitro.
Just looking at Nitro from below, it is truly quite a site for even the most seasoned of coaster riders. The glimmering and slick-looking orange track resting on deep blue supports shines in the sun and makes for a very picturesque coaster. As soon as you enter the parking lot you can see Nitro poking its head above the trees and inviting you to come over for a ride. Once you’re in the park and you head into the general direction of Nitro, you cannot miss the massive lift hill, as it makes a rather formidable coaster in Batman look as though it is a mere extension of a kiddie area. The majority of Nitro’s layout is hidden from view, which adds to the anticipation of riding. I will say that most of the layout can be discovered by riding their Giant Wheel, but I opted to keep it a surprise and find out the best way I knew how – by catching a ride!
The queue area for Nitro isn’t the most inspired piece of theming, but like with El Toro, I frankly don’t think that overblown theme is necessary here. Truthfully, I’m not overly impressed by theming unless it is appropriate. If it adds to the ride or queue experience, then I’m all for it, but if it is rather to hide a ride that is lacking certain elements to make it a good one, then I tend to frown on it. But I digress! I rode Nitro 3 times over the 2 days spent there, which I know doesn’t sound like much, but in reality Nitro’s operators do a fairly good job at keeping the line moving, as no wait for me was longer than 35-40 minutes. In fact, Nitro’s capacity, I found, was a rare jewel in a park infested with slow-loading and ridiculously long wait times. If and when I return to Great Adventure, having ridden all the coasters that were operating while I was there, I would certainly spend more time on Nitro, as this coaster is a wonderful ride that deserves even more kudos, I think, than it already receives. As you are about to discover, this coaster packs a forceful (and delightful!) punch!!
I would imagine that rides in the front for Nitro are quite great, but I ended up in the very last row all 3 times. Nitro’s coaster trains are one of its greatest assets. The cars are very open, without any sides, and there is only a simple and quite comfortable lap bar for a restraint. Once departing the station, the train curves rather quickly to the left and heads for the impressive lift hill. As I ascended the 230 feet into the sky, my heart was beating with excitement! Then, as we got higher and higher, I got my first real glimpse of what was ahead, and it was coaster bliss!!! Hills abound, with turns and spins thrown in! And best of all – Nitro heads off into the unknown forest and swamp, as if to have carved through it on its own, staking claim to the land. At night, this is an added thrill, as you head into total darkness! The first drop on Nitro is fantastic, with massive floater airtime the entire way down! The plummet is very steep, or at least it feels that way, and you really feel the coaster pick up some serious speed! A following curving drop (the first of two) is tremendous, as it combines quality airtime with a sensation of falling out of the train, thanks to the side-free design. Next comes a massive airtime hill, and it<
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