Key Information
Spinball Whizzer is a Maurer Söhne Spinning Coaster that is located in the Adventure Land area of Alton Towers. Opened in 2004, the ride sees guests seated in groups of two back-to-back with another two riders. After climbing up a lift hill, their cars then traverse a 1,541 feet circuit that is packed with twists and turns. The cars themselves spin on the way round, with the amount of spinning varying depending on the weight distribution of the riders.
In 2010, the coaster was rethemed as Sonic Spinball following a deal with video games giant Sega. The Sonic theme was a natural fit for the ride, which was previously themed around pinball. Numerous titles featuring the iconic hedgehog have included "bonus games" based on pinball, and an entire pinball game (also named Sonic Spinball) was released for the Sega Genesis (also known as the Mega Drive) in 1993. Subsequent releases followed on the Game Gear and Master System, and the game was re-issued in 2007 on the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console.
Following the expiration of the Sega deal, the ride reverted to its original name of Spinball Whizzer at the start of the 2016 season.
Alton Towers revealed in its 2009 Long Term Development Plan that it plans to relocate Spinball Whizzer within ten years.