[2] The growing size of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was a contributing factor in constructing the roller coaster; by the early 2000s, the nearby population had grown enough that a large addition to the park was feasible.

[3] In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, park co-owner Gary Hays brought forward the construction of its conceived roller coaster by a year to help in the recovery of tourism.

[3][4] Then-mayor of Albuquerque Martin Chávez assisted in facilitating permits for the park to build the roller coaster in 2002; in part, facing some opposition from city hall.

[3][4] Park owners Gary and Linda Hays, as well as Chávez, announced the construction of the roller coaster at the Albuquerque city hall on February 20, 2002.

Park officials simultaneously announced a contest for the public to submit names through local Wendy's locations for the attraction.

The delays caused additional costs to the $2 million initially slated for its construction, and the bankruptcy was partially attributed by industry experts to the amusement market decline.

[18] The roller coaster lies on one acre (0.40 ha) of land and is located in the southwest section of Cliff's Amusement Park.

[14] The New Mexico Rattler operates with one train, which has six cars that contain two rows of two seats, allowing a maximum capacity of 24 people.

Leanne Potts, a writer for the Albuquerque Journal, commented on the roller coaster's nonstop pacing, stating there were "no pauses in the ride, no slowing down".

[16] Potts also remarked that after the initial drop "the speed is unrelenting", relating the experience to that of falling "off a five-story building and living to tell about it".

[21][22] The Cliff's Amusement Park owners also earned the "2003 best promotion award" for actualizing the wooden roller coaster and marketing efforts.

[21] The New Mexico Rattler received various placements on Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards as being one of the top wooden roller coasters.