Im just a sucker for inverts I guess, no matter what form they come in. The SLCs from Vekoma are rather "rough around the edges" as opposed to the sleekness that is a B&M inverted coaster, but I still like them anyway. Mind Eraser at Darien Lake is no exception, and it gets the standard SLC rating from me. It is a good coaster, but theres nothing with it that stands out tremendously, so I will stick with my usual SLC rating of a seven. Mind Eraser sports the much-overused red and teal green color scheme, which is one of the reasons I think many of these SLCs seem to run together. Some creative color choices could do wonders! Anyway, this one loads pretty slowly, and for whatever reason they almost never run the thing with 2 trains. I will never claim to understand the logic there. But, it redeems itself with a nice setting over a lake, complete with some mist as the train twists down that signature swooping drop. Bonus points for ride placement on this one for sure. The ride itself on Mind Eraser is the "standard" SLC design and layout, with tight inversions taken at a pretty good speed throughout the compact course. The inversions, as usual, are strong and forceful and provide good thrills. This one is a tad rougher in spots than other versions Ive ridden, but nothing I would categorize as bone-shaking either. Plus, the lake setting makes it easy for me to overlook a few minor bumps along the way. All in all, despite the harsh criticisms these SLCs get, I am a fan of them, including Mind Eraser at Darien Lake. Is it a sickness maybe? Am I a masochist?  Who knows, but the fact is this is a good coaster that delivers fun and thrills (for me anyway), and although its not glassy smooth, I dont think anyone could ever claim that it is not intense. I think that raw intensity and mild ferocity in these is what somewhat endears them to me. Its no B&M, but if you can look past that, you might just surprise yourself and discover that Mind Eraser is actually a solid coaster and a fun ride overall.
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