I did a count though the other night and it turns out I've ridden around 70. Not all of them great of course (the 2 coasters mentioned above count) but the vast majority are all properly great and it made making just a top 10 pretty tricky.
So much time and effort goes into a good coaster. It's no longer about the novelty of going kinda fast and maybe going round a few loops. It's about creating an experience and an atmosphere; to make you feel a feeling of peak adrenaline while not thrashing you about and making you feel unwell.
So here's a list of my top 10 favourite coasters I've ever ridden, a list I'll hopefully add to in coming years.
10. Cheetah Hunt - Busch Gardens Tampa
The fight for the number 10 spot was pretty tight but I think Cheetah Hunt is an example of how smart rollercoasters are starting to get not just in terms of their theming but how they actually move as well.
The most interesting thing about Cheetah Hunt is that it genuinely moves like a cheetah. Ride designers studied how the cheetah moves in the wild and replicated it in the ride- from the three bursts of acceleration to the zig-zagging pattern made by the track in the latter part of the coaster.
The whole ride looks great as well and is especially scenic as you hurtle through the faux-African planes and rockwork. It's long as well for a launch coaster, moving at top speeds for the best part of 2 minutes.
It's Busch Gardens's finest and a concept that is being used in other parks now such as Mako at Seaworld Orlando that imitates the movement of a shark.
9. Space Mountain: Mission 2 - Disneyland Paris
People often see Disneyland Paris as a Disney park on a smaller scale but in the case of many of their rides it's simply not the case. Space Mountain Mission 2 is an example of a ride far superior to it's American cousins.
It's not got the fastest launch in the world but the confined space and epic scale of the launch tunnel makes it feel far more intense. From there you're immersed in one of the most spectacular looking environments found in any ride. The ride tears around holograms of planets and asteroids and pulls off a few inversions which is impressive for such a tight enclosed space.
It's also a case of on-ride audio getting put to good use with the music getting faster and more intense as the ride continues to it's pretty spectacular finale of twisting red neon lights.
It's a king of dark rides and the perfect evolution of the original concept of what a space mountain ride should be like.
8.Stampida - Portaventura
Stampida is an example of a modern wooden coaster done incredibly well. It feels rickety and out of control and is laid out in a chaotic way so the coaster is constantly weaving in and around itself. The ride just looks very busy with lots going on which adds to the excitement.
What makes Stampida really stand out however is the racing element. The fact you're also racing another coaster just adds to the mad nature of the ride and it's clever how they've managed to fit 2 entire coasters in a small space. It's also not a case of one track just running parallel with the other- after a while each coaster goes its separate way and then they interact with one another before eventually coming back together for the race to the finish.
Sure it's a little rough but with it being a woodie it kind of needs to be. It also fits in well to the Wild West area of Portaventura and I'd struggle to think of anything else that would better in it's place.
7. Saw- The Ride - Thorpe Park
It's not often a rollercoaster is centered around the theme of 'we are going to murder you on this ride' yet here's Saw- The Ride, where there's blood splattered up the walls of the queue and there's a dead body lying under part of the track.
In all seriousness though Saw-The Ride is intense- both in terms of it's extreme horror theming and as a forceful coaster. I love a coaster that starts with a dark section and Saw has probably the best first few seconds of any coaster I've ridden. You're immediately plunged down a near vertical drop and into tunnel of darkness, swinging blades and shot guns. And then a heartline roll over the aforementioned dead body- it's definitely not one for the family.
The outside coaster section is where the forces kick in and the layout is unpredictable and twisty as you're pulled in every direction after that iconic first drop over the Saw blades.
A truly mental coaster and shows that theme parks are definitely not just for the kids.
6. Superman: Escape From Krypton - Six Flags Magic Mountain
Sometimes it's good to experience just what a coaster can do in terms of incredible speed and G-force. Superman: Escape is a former record breaker in the categories of top speed, acceleration and max height. And it's incredible.
I rode this backwards in 2014 not expecting much- it's just a straight forward launch coaster after all. But it really needs to be ridden to understand the hype. It goes without saying but yes- it's bloody fast. You really do feel the difference between this and say Stealth at Thorpe Park or Rita at Alton Towers. And then after the initial launch you find yourself in a weird state of free-fall at 400ft facing straight down at the park below you.
There's not much more to add about Superman. It's just an intense G-force machine that pushes the limits of what a coaster can do.
5. The Swarm - Thorpe Park
The UK theme park industry has come on leaps and bounds in the last decade or so. There's been theme parks in the UK for a long long time but many tend to just be an extension of the classic sea-side funfair and are incomparable to the theming at saaay Disney World or Universal over in the states.
You could find The Swarm in any American mega-park and it wouldn't look out of place. It's a worldclass ride both in terms of the spectacular theming and a forceful thrilling ride itself.
Merlin have nailed the 'apocalypse' atmosphere of the ride that get's it's own entire area of the park. The theming isn't just shoved away to the side either with a lot of the scenery providing large set-peices for the ride experience. The still smoking crashed aeroplane and wrecked billboard are the best 2 head-choppers of any coaster I've ridden.
It's the best themed ride in the UK and a promising look as to the direction and effort Merlin will be putting in to future rides.
4. Expedition Everest - Disney's Animal Kingdom
If you can't tell already- I quite like my theming. It can completely make a ride. So if The Swarm is the best themed coaster in the UK I'd have to say Expedition Everest is the best themed coaster in the world.
Expedition Everest might be the ride that turned me into a bit of an enthusiast and really made me want to travel over to America so I could experience rides of this caliber. I remember in 2006 watching a POV of the ride on Google Video and not quite believing such a beautiful ride existed. This wasn't just a roller coaster- it was a full on adventure story in an incredible setting.
Even as a fully grown adult that mountain looks authentic. The area is completely immersive and absolutely stunning with it's cascading waterfalls and snowy peaks.
It tells the story of the yeti chase in such a brilliant clever way that starts slow and just ups the excitment and pace as it goes on. From the trick-track at the top of the mountain to the animatronic grand finale there's not a single moment of slow down.
I look forward to seeing if Disney will ever top this coaster in terms of both scale and beauty.
3. X2 - Six Flags Magic Mountain
X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain is coaster innovation at its finest. It reinvents the very art of making a great coaster by adding a completely different dimension to the ride - ride cars that move independently to the whole coaster train. It's a tricky concept to even visualize yet it pulls it off flawlessly. All this from a ride built in 2002.
The first drop is the most intense of any coaster I've ridden. The way this coaster is designed allows for a full on vertical skydive to start the ride followed by a backflip that launches you straight back into the air. Other highlights include another backflip over an airtime hill and a backwards loop that just wouldn't be possible on any other type of coaster.
I remember seeing the ride on Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 and completely failing to understand how the ride could possibly work. Experiencing it in real life made me realise how well the idea of a multi-dimension coaster does work and made me appreciate how hard it would be to create a coaster that used the technology effectively.
I sadly didn't experience it with on board audio and fire effects but I'd imagine they just make the ride even better. It's a masterpiece in the coaster hall of fame.
2. Shambhala - Portaventura
There's a vlogger on youtube called Shawn Sanbrooke that went on about how good this ride is and constantly calls it his favourite coaster in the world. From youtube videos and pictures I didn't really see the big deal- it kinda just looks like another Big One at Blackpool. Rides are more about just a big drop now right?
Shambhala is a coaster that really needs to be ridden to be appreciated.
Held in with the world's most comfortable yet sketchy looking restraint of just a clasp over your thighs your taken up a satisfyingly quick lift hill and through one of the smoothest rides to be found in any theme park ever. And because there's no clunky over the head restraint in place you feel totally free as you soar through the air next to the incredible looking Mediterranean coast.
It's not just about that first drop either. The clever figure-eight turn more than 100ft in the air, the impressive looking water splash and the powerful airtime hills make every second of this coaster a hugely enjoyable experience.
It's a ride I could sit on all day and not feel at all uncomfortable on. It's the original coaster concept of leaping the dips but done in 2012 to an absolute perfect level.
1. Nemesis - Alton Towers
Nemesis is the ride that really explained to me how a rollercoaster can create an atmosphere and tell a story not just through scenery but through actual coaster design. Every inversion or banked turn is positioned where it is for a reason and not just haphazardly thrown in because loops + turns = a good ride. Nemesis is for me the perfect rollercoaster experience.
I first rode Nemesis back in 2007 when I was still getting into big rides. I'd had a great day in Alton Towers riding Oblivion, Rita, Air etc. Me and my friend left Nemesis until the end and it just felt...different. All the other rides were great fun and got my adrenaline pumping but Nemesis was almost like a work of art in the way it cut into the landscape the way it did and worked so well with it's extreme surroundings of steep rock faces and blood red waterfalls.
Once Nemesis takes hold it really never lets go. From the deceptively long first drop you enter that first corkscrew which provides just enough slow-down to set you up for the intense acceleration that builds up in the next section of the ride. You're literally thrown round that next helix and continue to build speed as you plunge through a tunnel and twist seamlessly into a barrel roll. After that is the intimidating vertical loop that seems to last forever before another series of tunnels, turns and a genius hidden corkscrew in an impossibly tight space.
Rides can cost hundreds of millions dollars, break all kinds of records and add as much scenery and effects as they want. But is the actual design of the ride itself isn't up to scratch it'll always look weak compared to what I still call my favourite ride in the world even after trips over to America and Europe. Nemesis at Alton Towers.
7. Saw- The Ride - Thorpe Park
It's not often a rollercoaster is centered around the theme of 'we are going to murder you on this ride' yet here's Saw- The Ride, where there's blood splattered up the walls of the queue and there's a dead body lying under part of the track.
In all seriousness though Saw-The Ride is intense- both in terms of it's extreme horror theming and as a forceful coaster. I love a coaster that starts with a dark section and Saw has probably the best first few seconds of any coaster I've ridden. You're immediately plunged down a near vertical drop and into tunnel of darkness, swinging blades and shot guns. And then a heartline roll over the aforementioned dead body- it's definitely not one for the family.
The outside coaster section is where the forces kick in and the layout is unpredictable and twisty as you're pulled in every direction after that iconic first drop over the Saw blades.
A truly mental coaster and shows that theme parks are definitely not just for the kids.
6. Superman: Escape From Krypton - Six Flags Magic Mountain
Sometimes it's good to experience just what a coaster can do in terms of incredible speed and G-force. Superman: Escape is a former record breaker in the categories of top speed, acceleration and max height. And it's incredible.
I rode this backwards in 2014 not expecting much- it's just a straight forward launch coaster after all. But it really needs to be ridden to understand the hype. It goes without saying but yes- it's bloody fast. You really do feel the difference between this and say Stealth at Thorpe Park or Rita at Alton Towers. And then after the initial launch you find yourself in a weird state of free-fall at 400ft facing straight down at the park below you.
There's not much more to add about Superman. It's just an intense G-force machine that pushes the limits of what a coaster can do.
5. The Swarm - Thorpe Park
The UK theme park industry has come on leaps and bounds in the last decade or so. There's been theme parks in the UK for a long long time but many tend to just be an extension of the classic sea-side funfair and are incomparable to the theming at saaay Disney World or Universal over in the states.
You could find The Swarm in any American mega-park and it wouldn't look out of place. It's a worldclass ride both in terms of the spectacular theming and a forceful thrilling ride itself.
Merlin have nailed the 'apocalypse' atmosphere of the ride that get's it's own entire area of the park. The theming isn't just shoved away to the side either with a lot of the scenery providing large set-peices for the ride experience. The still smoking crashed aeroplane and wrecked billboard are the best 2 head-choppers of any coaster I've ridden.
It's the best themed ride in the UK and a promising look as to the direction and effort Merlin will be putting in to future rides.
4. Expedition Everest - Disney's Animal Kingdom
If you can't tell already- I quite like my theming. It can completely make a ride. So if The Swarm is the best themed coaster in the UK I'd have to say Expedition Everest is the best themed coaster in the world.
Expedition Everest might be the ride that turned me into a bit of an enthusiast and really made me want to travel over to America so I could experience rides of this caliber. I remember in 2006 watching a POV of the ride on Google Video and not quite believing such a beautiful ride existed. This wasn't just a roller coaster- it was a full on adventure story in an incredible setting.
Even as a fully grown adult that mountain looks authentic. The area is completely immersive and absolutely stunning with it's cascading waterfalls and snowy peaks.
It tells the story of the yeti chase in such a brilliant clever way that starts slow and just ups the excitment and pace as it goes on. From the trick-track at the top of the mountain to the animatronic grand finale there's not a single moment of slow down.
I look forward to seeing if Disney will ever top this coaster in terms of both scale and beauty.
3. X2 - Six Flags Magic Mountain
X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain is coaster innovation at its finest. It reinvents the very art of making a great coaster by adding a completely different dimension to the ride - ride cars that move independently to the whole coaster train. It's a tricky concept to even visualize yet it pulls it off flawlessly. All this from a ride built in 2002.
The first drop is the most intense of any coaster I've ridden. The way this coaster is designed allows for a full on vertical skydive to start the ride followed by a backflip that launches you straight back into the air. Other highlights include another backflip over an airtime hill and a backwards loop that just wouldn't be possible on any other type of coaster.
I remember seeing the ride on Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 and completely failing to understand how the ride could possibly work. Experiencing it in real life made me realise how well the idea of a multi-dimension coaster does work and made me appreciate how hard it would be to create a coaster that used the technology effectively.
I sadly didn't experience it with on board audio and fire effects but I'd imagine they just make the ride even better. It's a masterpiece in the coaster hall of fame.
2. Shambhala - Portaventura
There's a vlogger on youtube called Shawn Sanbrooke that went on about how good this ride is and constantly calls it his favourite coaster in the world. From youtube videos and pictures I didn't really see the big deal- it kinda just looks like another Big One at Blackpool. Rides are more about just a big drop now right?
Shambhala is a coaster that really needs to be ridden to be appreciated.
Held in with the world's most comfortable yet sketchy looking restraint of just a clasp over your thighs your taken up a satisfyingly quick lift hill and through one of the smoothest rides to be found in any theme park ever. And because there's no clunky over the head restraint in place you feel totally free as you soar through the air next to the incredible looking Mediterranean coast.
It's not just about that first drop either. The clever figure-eight turn more than 100ft in the air, the impressive looking water splash and the powerful airtime hills make every second of this coaster a hugely enjoyable experience.
It's a ride I could sit on all day and not feel at all uncomfortable on. It's the original coaster concept of leaping the dips but done in 2012 to an absolute perfect level.
1. Nemesis - Alton Towers
Nemesis is the ride that really explained to me how a rollercoaster can create an atmosphere and tell a story not just through scenery but through actual coaster design. Every inversion or banked turn is positioned where it is for a reason and not just haphazardly thrown in because loops + turns = a good ride. Nemesis is for me the perfect rollercoaster experience.
I first rode Nemesis back in 2007 when I was still getting into big rides. I'd had a great day in Alton Towers riding Oblivion, Rita, Air etc. Me and my friend left Nemesis until the end and it just felt...different. All the other rides were great fun and got my adrenaline pumping but Nemesis was almost like a work of art in the way it cut into the landscape the way it did and worked so well with it's extreme surroundings of steep rock faces and blood red waterfalls.
Once Nemesis takes hold it really never lets go. From the deceptively long first drop you enter that first corkscrew which provides just enough slow-down to set you up for the intense acceleration that builds up in the next section of the ride. You're literally thrown round that next helix and continue to build speed as you plunge through a tunnel and twist seamlessly into a barrel roll. After that is the intimidating vertical loop that seems to last forever before another series of tunnels, turns and a genius hidden corkscrew in an impossibly tight space.
Rides can cost hundreds of millions dollars, break all kinds of records and add as much scenery and effects as they want. But is the actual design of the ride itself isn't up to scratch it'll always look weak compared to what I still call my favourite ride in the world even after trips over to America and Europe. Nemesis at Alton Towers.
No comments:
Post a Comment