Joker’s Jinx Review

Joker’s Jinx is a LIM Catapult coaster at Six Flags America. It’s not the only one of its kind as there are a couple of clones including Poltergeist at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Flight of Fear, an indoor version located at both Kings Island and Kings Dominion. 

It includes 4 inversions, a launch, and a mess of twists and turns. People seem to have a generally positive view of this ride as it has many crowd-pleasing elements. Here are my thoughts on the ride.

Theming

Like most other Six Flags roller coasters, the theming is almost non-existent. However, Joker’s Jinx does have an awesome sign with a crazy font and a large, creepy-looking Joker jutting out of the building. The track itself is a big cluttered mess of purple and green track, tying in with the Joker’s colors. 

I know some people who have actually chickened out of this ride because the track layout looks like everyone is going to get hit by the track. There are some fun mirrors in the queue line to have some fun if there is a wait, which there usually isn’t much of. The theming is pretty lame but it’s nothing unexpected from Six Flags.

Ride Experience

The ride itself is pretty fun, but it definitely has its flaws. The ride only has lap bars, which actually does allow for some more freedom while you are riding, but it can get pretty tight. If you get stapled, you may be uncomfortable as there is not a lot of legroom. 

Some may find the ride a bit nauseating, especially during the last half as it makes quick and sharp turns leading into the sidewinder corkscrew. It can get bumpy as well.

The strongest part of this ride is the launch. It goes from 0 to 60 in 3 seconds which is a lot of fun. It also blasts through a tunnel and then emerges into an immediate cobra roll. 

One thing that I enjoy on this ride is that there is an operator who launches the ride by pressing a button and sometimes you can get an enthusiastic staff member who does something fun with it. I just enjoy when the staff makes the ride experience even better so hope that you get a fun employee when you ride it.

The cobra roll is solid, but just when the ride is getting going it slowly moves around the top. This is an odd choice as it kills a lot of the momentum that was being built in the first half of the ride. The second half features a lot of low-to-the-ground turns and the sidewinder corkscrew. The second half is a lot rougher than the first, but also more intense. It’s still fun, but just make sure to hang on as it does jerk you around during the second half.

Unfortunately, the ride does suffer from maintenance issues pretty frequently. It doesn’t typically close for the entire day, but it may just close and reopen many times throughout the day. I have had many experiences where I will be standing in line and being forced to exit due to closing down. 

The ride also has had two incidents where riders were stuck for a long time and had to be evacuated. I haven’t had any issues while riding it but do with what I told you what you will.

Final Thoughts

Joker’s Jink is a solid ride, but it is not perfect. Besides suffering from technical issues now and then, it isn’t the smoothest ride and the layout is a bit odd. I like the launch and the inversions and sharp turns provide a fun, sometimes intense experience. I do wish that there wasn’t the slow section that kills the momentum before the second half. It’s the second-best rollercoaster at Six Flags America, but that is not saying much.

Final score: 3.5/5

Suggested Wait Time: 15-20 Minutes (It typically doesn’t have a long wait)