Photo courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

By Michael Sol Warren | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Close your eyes and imagine riding a roller coaster: the slow climb to the top; the breathtaking first drop; the stomach-fluttering loops. It all fills you with a unique mix of emotion and nausea.

Today is National Roller Coaster Day, and for everyone from veteran adrenaline junkies and nervous first-timers, the wide range of roller coasters at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson make the legendary amusement park the perfect place to celebrate. Here's our ranking of the park's 14 roller coasters (plus one ride that is technically not a coaster, but has coaster elements). Let us know your favorites in the comments.

Don't Edit

15. Road Runner Railway

The 6-year-old we met riding this kiddie coaster for a seventh time warned us: "It gets pretty scary." We suspect when he’s 9, he’ll feel less enthusiastic. For tykes (and their patient parents) only.

Don't Edit

14. The Runaway Mine Train

One of the less gentle coasters at Six Flags — it mimics an old mining train, jangling and rollicking you forward. It’s definitely agreeable for those who aren’t into loops, but lacks much of an identity — not intense enough for hard-core coaster lovers, not quite low-key enough for the youngest riders.

Don't Edit

13. Skull Mountain

Think Space Mountain, but not quite as effective. Skull Mountain is an indoor coaster, with a track entirely in the dark. (There are some strobe lights and fog along the way.) It sounds scarier than it is. The coaster doesn't get much faster than 37 miles per hour, so coaster freaks will be disappointed. For everyone else, it's worth a spin if the lines elsewhere are too long.

Don't Edit

Photo courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

12. El Diablo

El Diablo is one of the park’s newer coasters, opened in 2015.The "Inferno" references come fast and furious with a deep, diabolic voice announcing that you will soon enter the seventh circle of Hell, which Dante dedicated to violence. Alas, this proves all too accurate: the upside-down hang time of this completely circular, seven-story coaster feels like overkill.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Image courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

11. JUSTICE LEAGUE: Battle for Metropolis

To be clear, this is not technically a roller coaster — but we include it here because it does involve riders sitting in a car on a track. Plus, it's incredibly fun. Riders are equipped with 3D glasses and spend the duration of the riding shooting lasers at moving targets as obstacles and enemies appear from every blind curve. One of the park's newest attractions, this immersive experience is a must.

Don't Edit

Photo courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

10. Batman: The Ride

A roller coaster stalwart at Six Flags Great Adventure — it’s been around since 1993 — and it’s starting to show its age. The coaster promises “enough G-force to plaster you to your seat,” and offers an intense 360-degree loop right out of the gate. But it’s a fast and not entirely memorable ride — more disorienting than exhilarating.

Don't Edit

Photo courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

9. Superman: Ultimate Flight

After sitting down and strapping in, the floor drops and the cart leans forward — so passengers are looking down, rather than straight ahead. And although the dual restraints are safe, you never quite shake the feeling that your body weight is going to be too much and the ultimate flight will turn into definite death. Scary and fun, but not quite in the top tier.

Don't Edit

8. The Dark Knight Coaster

The love child of Space Mountain and a boardwalk "Wild Mouse," this attraction is indoors and, most importantly for this time of year, air-conditioned. There are a series of enjoyable whiplash turns — hello, neck pain! — and the surprise drops very effective. Still, the Harvey Dent / Batman / Joker backdrop for the coaster feels dated.

Don't Edit

Photo courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

7. Harley Quinn Crazy Train

Bigger than a kiddie coaster, this junior coaster is one of the park's hidden gems. Harley Quinn’s Crazy Train is that this coaster doesn't leave you battered and bruised. It's definitely a strong entry point for those just getting accustomed to coasters. From 1999 to 2015, Harley Quinn Crazy Train was known as Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train. This photo shows the roller coaster as Blackbeard, prior to the transformation.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Photo courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

6. The Joker

How many Batman-themed coasters can one park have? The Joker opened in 2016, making it the newest roller coaster at the park. It's a very unique ride; a 4D free-fly style that relies mostly on the spinning of seats to provide thrills for riders. Still, there can be downtime between spins so there are lulls in the action, and the ride lasts less than a minute.

Don't Edit

5. Bizarro

A rise that seems expressly designed to make you lose your lunch, Bizarro is a floorless coaster that leaves your legs dangling in the air and proceeds to spin you through a series of loops and inversions, and a "zero-g roll." Coaster geeks tend to love it. Others walk off nauseous.

Don't Edit

Photo courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

4. Green Lantern

Ridden standing up rather than sitting down, the ride simulates a high-flying trapeze, making you feel like an acrobat. The earliest part is the most effective: a 144-foot drop and then a 121-foot loop — but the entire coaster is a blast. Plus, the bright yellow and green design makes it one of the park's most attractive coasters.

Don't Edit

Photo courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

3. Kingda Ka

Kingda Ka is the tallest steel roller coaster in North America (at least for now). A hydraulic catapult, similar to the one's used to launch jets off of aircraft carriers, hurls the car to the top of the coaster. Then, the car descends a drop more than 40 stories tall. Equal parts suffocating and exhilarating, this coaster is one of the park's best and is worth the likely long wait you'll encounter.

Don't Edit

Photo courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

2. Nitro

Consistently named one of the best roller coasters in the country, and who are we to disagree. Among other terrors, Nitro — which is the tallest coaster on the East Coast — features a 215-foot drop, a 540-degree helix spiral and a speed of 80 miles per hour. Pretty much everything you want in a thrill ride.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Photo courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

1. El Toro

Take a trip back to Spanish 101 and you'll remember that El Toro translates to The Bull. This wooden roller coaster, opened in 2006, has an initial drop angle of more than 70 degrees, but it may as well be totally vertical when you feel it. The hills throughout the rest of the track are also steep, keeping the speed going and ensuring multiple moments of airlessness for riders. Just like riding a bull (so we're told).

Simply put: El Toro is a masterpiece that hits the sweet spot between old-school and modern; giddy and scary.

Don't Edit

Looking for more New Jersey roller coaster coverage?

Coming soon to Atlantic City: N.J. approves $38.4M tax break for Atlantic City roller coaster

New sights in Seaside: New roller coaster at Casino Pier changing the face of Seaside boardwalk

Smoother rides in Wildwood: This popular Wildwood roller coaster is getting a major $5M makeover

Additional reporting by Ryan Feuer, Adya Beasley and Christopher Kelly

Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook.