Spinball Whizzer
Encyclopedia
Sonic Spinball is a steel
spinning roller coaster
made by Maurer Söhne
of Germany
and sponsored by SEGA
. The ride is located in the Adventure Land area of Alton Towers
in Staffordshire
, England
. It's based on SEGA's number one franchise Sonic the Hedgehog. "Sonic Spinball" itself was an early pinball game released for Sega's Mega Drive and Game Gear systems, which is referenced in the ride's theming.
Originally opened in 2004, the ride was known as Spinball Whizzer and featured a loose pinball machine theme. The name was a pun on the song Pinball Wizard
by The Who
. It was decided in late 2009 that the ride would receive sponsorship. The roller coaster was therefore given a red and blue track repaint; new decoys, signage and audio (with the station announcements done by Sonic's new voice actor Roger Craig Smith
). The ride re-opened to the public on 13 February 2010 during the park's February half term event. A Sonic-themed room was also made available at the Alton Towers Hotel, which features various playable Sonic games and wallpaper based on the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4
game.
SEGA previously had a deal with Alton Towers for use of Sonic the Hedgehog in the Toyland Tours
dark ride. A Sonic the Hedghog animatronic featured in one of the ride's scenes along with associated sound effects and music. However, the ride was closed for refurbishment at the end of 2004 to make way for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Ride
.
SEGA
's sponsorship is set to end in 2013 as part of the three-year deal. It is rumoured that the ride will be moved to another area of the park and rethemed once the contract experies, as the ride was highlighted for development in Alton Towers' medium term development plan.
Steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
spinning roller coaster
Spinning roller coaster
A spinning roller coaster is a roller coaster with cars that rotate on a vertical axis.- Virginia Reel :The first spinning roller coaster was the Virginia Reel, first built in 1908 by Henry Riehl. Instead of trains, the ride had "tubs" with seats built around the perimeter facing inward...
made by Maurer Söhne
Maurer Söhne
Maurer Söhne is a steel construction company and roller coaster manufacturer. Founded in Munich, Germany in 1876, the company has built many styles of steel buildings, ranging from bridges, industrial buildings, and even art structures. While known for building various wild mouse coasters, Maurer...
of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and sponsored by SEGA
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
. The ride is located in the Adventure Land area of Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It's based on SEGA's number one franchise Sonic the Hedgehog. "Sonic Spinball" itself was an early pinball game released for Sega's Mega Drive and Game Gear systems, which is referenced in the ride's theming.
Originally opened in 2004, the ride was known as Spinball Whizzer and featured a loose pinball machine theme. The name was a pun on the song Pinball Wizard
Pinball Wizard
"Pinball Wizard" is a song written by Pete Townshend and performed by the English rock band The Who, and featured on their 1969 rock opera album Tommy. The original recording was released as a single in 1969 and reached No. 4 in the UK charts and No. 19 on the U.S...
by The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
. It was decided in late 2009 that the ride would receive sponsorship. The roller coaster was therefore given a red and blue track repaint; new decoys, signage and audio (with the station announcements done by Sonic's new voice actor Roger Craig Smith
Roger Craig Smith
Roger Craig Smith is an American voice actor. He is also known as Roger C. Smith. He is generally known as the voice behind Chris Redfield in Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, as Ezio Auditore da Firenze in Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and...
). The ride re-opened to the public on 13 February 2010 during the park's February half term event. A Sonic-themed room was also made available at the Alton Towers Hotel, which features various playable Sonic games and wallpaper based on the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4
Sonic the Hedgehog 4
is an episodic platform video game and a sequel in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The game was developed by Dimps alongside members of Sonic Team and is intended to be inspired by and similar to the original Sonic the Hedgehog titles on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.Episode I was released in October...
game.
SEGA previously had a deal with Alton Towers for use of Sonic the Hedgehog in the Toyland Tours
Toyland Tours
Toyland Tours is a former attraction that replaced Around the World in 80 Days in the Talbot Street area of Alton Towers theme park, Staffordshire, England...
dark ride. A Sonic the Hedghog animatronic featured in one of the ride's scenes along with associated sound effects and music. However, the ride was closed for refurbishment at the end of 2004 to make way for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Ride
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Ride
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Ride is a dark ride located in the Cloud Cuckoo Land area of Alton Towers theme park, Staffordshire, England. It is based upon the famous Roald Dahl book of the same name, and takes its thematic inspiration from the illustrations of Quentin Blake...
.
SEGA
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
's sponsorship is set to end in 2013 as part of the three-year deal. It is rumoured that the ride will be moved to another area of the park and rethemed once the contract experies, as the ride was highlighted for development in Alton Towers' medium term development plan.