For Halloween 2014, I’ve created this thrill-packed virtual roller coaster for your enjoyment.

For a long time, there were no giant crystals available as RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 scenery. Now there are! JimmyG’s Crystal Set came out this summer and I just love it. These virtual crystals are so pretty I just want to roll around in big piles of them.

…Hence this ride.

Ever since my first ride on Space Mountain as a child, I’ve been fascinated by the entertainment potential of strongly themed roller coasters. Zooming through vivid imagineered environments, dodging faux dangers? Awesome. Ridefilms like Star Tours are similar – the zooming and dodging is simulated, but the imagineering can be far more spectacular when the scenery doesn’t really have to be physically built around the ride.

These days, software like RCT3 makes it possible to explore this art form without a theme park’s budget. Which is pretty amazing, really. I can’t tilt your chair for you (alas!) but I can create a POV video from the front seat of a ride that, a month ago, existed only in my daydreams.

…So I have. Enjoy!

(Rider caution: this virtual ride experience includes flashing lights, very loud noises, high speeds and high G’s. And we shoot fireworks right into your face. For best viewing, prefer a dark room, full-screen view, stereo sound – not too loud – and a smooth frame rate even if that requires switching to a lower video resolution.)