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Overrated and Underrated Roller Coasters

Overrated
Steel Vengeance. It's really good but not some out of body experience like some make it out to be. It's not leagues better then other coasters like some have proclaimed.

Ravine Flyer II- was too rough too enjoy this year which was disappointing.

Phoenix (Knoebels)- this was way better than RFII but it didn't blow me away

Boulderdash- same as above really, didn't do it in the dark though. Would probably rate it similarly to Phoenix, like top 20 or 30 but deffo not top 10.

Hollenblitz. Just remember being a bit disappointed in this because it had been hyped up but for a travelling cred it's pretty good.

Swarm. Seen some people say swarm is really intense. I am confused.

Smiler. It is a bit of a marmite ride but has some die hard fan people who rave about it. It's decent and long but doesn't really compare to some of the european gersts.


Underrated
Grizzly at KD- just has a really fun layout but you never hear about it, only realised it existed when I went to KD and researched it beforehand.

Revolution at BPB, yes it's short but it's probably my favourite cred at BPB after Icon. Backwards airtime into a loop is fun.

Falken- Farup Sommerland. It's a bit rough in a few places (gerst woodie btw) but it has some serious airtime yet nobody ever mentions it.

Twister, Knoebels. Probably wouldn't rank it super highly but this cred gets completely overshadowed by the Phoenix hype.

The racers at KI and KD. I think one was smoother than the other (possibly KI) but I enjoy the racing sensation and looking at the other train to see if you're in front and all 4 of these are just really fun.

Banshee. I see a lot of hate for this cred because it doesn't do what people expect it to do but if you take it for what it is, more of a floaty style invert then it's still good fun. Ok not sure about the restraints, but yeah it's not awful.

All of the bobsleighs basically. Not that I've done them all but all of the ones I've done have been really fun and nobody ever really mentions them. I always make a conscious effort to make sure I do them because I really like them.

Verbolten- I think this got a fair bit of praise when it opened but it's kind of overshadowed by the bigger B&M's at the park. I came off it trying to decide whether it was my favourite at the park!

Great White, Morey's Pier. This has a really cool layout that even goes out over the beach, really fun ride.

Galeforce, Playland's Castaway Cove. Now that it's got it's new track (never did the previous one) it's really smooth and fun. It has a ridiculously small footprint but gives you a lot for that and even had some weird airtimey moments. A great seaside or small park addition!

Stunt Fall aka the GIB in Madrid. This was quite intense (not a fan over long hangtime over huge drops so was a bit nervous beforehand) for a boomerang and even made me want to reride it. Was disappointed when the one at SFNE was closed.

Dragon Fly, family gerst at Duinrell. This thing is crazy. Daviddoc and I both came off this amazed as it had loads of airtime in it! We were not expecting that!

Star Trek Op. Enterprise. I really enjoyed the airtime from the backwards launch and down from the spike and this was just fun. I would probably say Icon is better, just but not many people comment much on this or consider it a bit meh.

Temple of the nighthawk. I strangely really like this coaster, I am a fan of coasters in the dark and this one is just swoopy and relaxing. It is so chill and nice. Nobody gets this!
 
SilverArrow said:
Overrated
Steel Vengeance. It's really good but not some out of body experience like some make it out to be. It's not leagues better then other coasters like some have proclaimed.

Ravine Flyer II- was too rough too enjoy this year which was disappointing.

Phoenix (Knoebels)- this was way better than RFII but it didn't blow me away

Boulderdash- same as above really, didn't do it in the dark though. Would probably rate it similarly to Phoenix, like top 20 or 30 but deffo not top 10.

Hollenblitz. Just remember being a bit disappointed in this because it had been hyped up but for a travelling cred it's pretty good.

Swarm. Seen some people say swarm is really intense. I am confused.

Smiler. It is a bit of a marmite ride but has some die hard fan people who rave about it. It's decent and long but doesn't really compare to some of the european gersts.


Underrated
Grizzly at KD- just has a really fun layout but you never hear about it, only realised it existed when I went to KD and researched it beforehand.

Revolution at BPB, yes it's short but it's probably my favourite cred at BPB after Icon. Backwards airtime into a loop is fun.

Falken- Farup Sommerland. It's a bit rough in a few places (gerst woodie btw) but it has some serious airtime yet nobody ever mentions it.

Twister, Knoebels. Probably wouldn't rank it super highly but this cred gets completely overshadowed by the Phoenix hype.

The racers at KI and KD. I think one was smoother than the other (possibly KI) but I enjoy the racing sensation and looking at the other train to see if you're in front and all 4 of these are just really fun.

Banshee. I see a lot of hate for this cred because it doesn't do what people expect it to do but if you take it for what it is, more of a floaty style invert then it's still good fun. Ok not sure about the restraints, but yeah it's not awful.

All of the bobsleighs basically. Not that I've done them all but all of the ones I've done have been really fun and nobody ever really mentions them. I always make a conscious effort to make sure I do them because I really like them.

Verbolten- I think this got a fair bit of praise when it opened but it's kind of overshadowed by the bigger B&M's at the park. I came off it trying to decide whether it was my favourite at the park!

Great White, Morey's Pier. This has a really cool layout that even goes out over the beach, really fun ride.

Galeforce, Playland's Castaway Cove. Now that it's got it's new track (never did the previous one) it's really smooth and fun. It has a ridiculously small footprint but gives you a lot for that and even had some weird airtimey moments. A great seaside or small park addition!

Stunt Fall aka the GIB in Madrid. This was quite intense (not a fan over long hangtime over huge drops so was a bit nervous beforehand) for a boomerang and even made me want to reride it. Was disappointed when the one at SFNE was closed.

Dragon Fly, family gerst at Duinrell. This thing is crazy. Daviddoc and I both came off this amazed as it had loads of airtime in it! We were not expecting that!

Star Trek Op. Enterprise. I really enjoyed the airtime from the backwards launch and down from the spike and this was just fun. I would probably say Icon is better, just but not many people comment much on this or consider it a bit meh.

Temple of the nighthawk. I strangely really like this coaster, I am a fan of coasters in the dark and this one is just swoopy and relaxing. It is so chill and nice. Nobody gets this!
Click to expand...
YES VERBOLTEN IS *DEMONITIZED FOR LIKE THE FIFTH TIME* AMAZING!
2nd best ride at BGW
 
Youngster Joey said:
Really? 2nd best at BGW?!?!
I really like verbolten but i think that's quite a stance. How do you rank them all?
Click to expand...
1. Apollo's Chariot - Everything is simply perfect, the pacing, the airtime, the intensity, it makes a elite coaster, and the setting makes it that much better #8 - also my 150th cred
2. Verbolten - The indoor section is sublime, the theming is amazing, and it's more forceful than Millenium Force - #17
3. Alpengeist - Top 3 invert, each inversion is whippy to where it might even be to whippy. - #27
4. Griffon - Best dive
5. Invadr - Great family GCI
6. Nessie - Classic
7. Tempasta
8. Grover's
 
b&mfanboy123 said:
1. Apollo's Chariot - Everything is simply perfect, the pacing, the airtime, the intensity, it makes a elite coaster, and the setting makes it that much better #8 - also my 150th cred
2. Verbolten - The indoor section is sublime, the theming is amazing, and it's more forceful than Millenium Force - #17
3. Alpengeist - Top 3 invert, each inversion is whippy to where it might even be to whippy. - #27
4. Griffon - Best dive
5. Invadr - Great family GCI
6. Nessie - Classic
7. Tempasta
8. Grover's
Click to expand...

Interesting. definitely not the way I would rank them but to each their own.
 
SilverArrow said:
Grizzly at KD- just has a really fun layout but you never hear about it, only realised it existed when I went to KD and researched it beforehand.
Click to expand...
I think the layout is great, it should be an amazing ride but for me it's the roughest woodie in the park- even Rebel Yell had more airtime the last time I went!
Youngster Joey said:
Really? 2nd best at BGW?!?!
I really like verbolten but i think that's quite a stance. How do you rank them all?
Click to expand...
Verbolten really is an ingenious ride in my opinion. I can see how SilverArrow could put it #1 (although Apollo is amazing).. in it's opening year, the theming and effects were amazing. Sadly some of them have gone over the years, but it's still probably the most unique ride in the park.
b&mfanboy123 said:
each inversion is whippy to where it might even be to whippy
Click to expand...
What does that mean?
 
I would probably put Alpengeist top, then Verboten, then Apollo (did Nitro a few days before so that might not have helped), then the rest but the top 3 are a tough call. I know some criticise invadr but I even enjoyed that too. I enjoy dive coasters like Griffon, but they never greatly stand out to me. BGW has a really balanced, good line up.
 
Overrated -

Phoenix - Don't get me wrong, it's a great coaster, but to me it lacks the "wow" factor to make it truly amazing. some rate this as the #1 wooden coaster, but to me that's just wrong. It's good, but it's not on the same scale as el Toro , voyage or the other wooden greats.

Coaster express - most people agree it's ****, but it's hard to fully express just how **** this coaster is. It's so much ****tier than you think it may be if you haven't ridden it.

Millennium Force - Again, it's a good coaster but the layout just isn't that mind blowing. It's a landmark coaster as a giga coaster, but with only 3 airtime hills on the layout and repeated overbanked turns, it could of been so much more and a better layout.


Underrated -

Alpina Blitz - I'd rate this above intamin mega lites, it's just pure bouncy fun fun with mix of floater and ejector and endless reriability

Storm (etnaland) - Very few people seem to have ridden this, but it's fun in the same way alpina blitz is (although not quite as good)

Gale Force - As Silverarrow said, this is just so much fun in such a small footprint. Way better than I expected

T-Express and Atlantis Adventure (south Korea) - These are both wonderful, but again their lack of western riders means they are often ignored and forgotten

Goudurix - not underrated because it's amazing, just underrated because it's not nearly as bad as some people seem to think it is. It looks amazing, and after the extensive work that's been done to it over the years, it's really not that bad, and no worse than any other vekoma multi looper.

Black Mamba - This is a phenomenal inverted coaster which does what inverted coasters should do - stay close to the ground and deliver all the foot choppers.

Any B&M floorless at american parks - It's sad, these are usually great coasters, but are often overshadowed by much better coasters in the same park (bizaro, scream, dominator - all good coasters)

Intimidator 305 - This is the best coaster in the world, and cannot be praised enough.
 
SilverArrow said:
Overrated
Steel Vengeance. It's really good but not some out of body experience like some make it out to be. It's not leagues better then other coasters like some have proclaimed.

Ravine Flyer II- was too rough too enjoy this year which was disappointing.

Phoenix (Knoebels)- this was way better than RFII but it didn't blow me away

Boulderdash- same as above really, didn't do it in the dark though. Would probably rate it similarly to Phoenix, like top 20 or 30 but deffo not top 10.

Hollenblitz. Just remember being a bit disappointed in this because it had been hyped up but for a travelling cred it's pretty good.

Swarm. Seen some people say swarm is really intense. I am confused.

Smiler. It is a bit of a marmite ride but has some die hard fan people who rave about it. It's decent and long but doesn't really compare to some of the european gersts.


Underrated
Grizzly at KD- just has a really fun layout but you never hear about it, only realised it existed when I went to KD and researched it beforehand.

Revolution at BPB, yes it's short but it's probably my favourite cred at BPB after Icon. Backwards airtime into a loop is fun.

Falken- Farup Sommerland. It's a bit rough in a few places (gerst woodie btw) but it has some serious airtime yet nobody ever mentions it.

Twister, Knoebels. Probably wouldn't rank it super highly but this cred gets completely overshadowed by the Phoenix hype.

The racers at KI and KD. I think one was smoother than the other (possibly KI) but I enjoy the racing sensation and looking at the other train to see if you're in front and all 4 of these are just really fun.

Banshee. I see a lot of hate for this cred because it doesn't do what people expect it to do but if you take it for what it is, more of a floaty style invert then it's still good fun. Ok not sure about the restraints, but yeah it's not awful.

All of the bobsleighs basically. Not that I've done them all but all of the ones I've done have been really fun and nobody ever really mentions them. I always make a conscious effort to make sure I do them because I really like them.

Verbolten- I think this got a fair bit of praise when it opened but it's kind of overshadowed by the bigger B&M's at the park. I came off it trying to decide whether it was my favourite at the park!

Great White, Morey's Pier. This has a really cool layout that even goes out over the beach, really fun ride.

Galeforce, Playland's Castaway Cove. Now that it's got it's new track (never did the previous one) it's really smooth and fun. It has a ridiculously small footprint but gives you a lot for that and even had some weird airtimey moments. A great seaside or small park addition!

Stunt Fall aka the GIB in Madrid. This was quite intense (not a fan over long hangtime over huge drops so was a bit nervous beforehand) for a boomerang and even made me want to reride it. Was disappointed when the one at SFNE was closed.

Dragon Fly, family gerst at Duinrell. This thing is crazy. Daviddoc and I both came off this amazed as it had loads of airtime in it! We were not expecting that!

Star Trek Op. Enterprise. I really enjoyed the airtime from the backwards launch and down from the spike and this was just fun. I would probably say Icon is better, just but not many people comment much on this or consider it a bit meh.

Temple of the nighthawk. I strangely really like this coaster, I am a fan of coasters in the dark and this one is just swoopy and relaxing. It is so chill and nice. Nobody gets this!
Click to expand...

I don't think making a point to say I hate you every time you post this will ever get old. :p
 
I will chime in with Tempesto as an underrated roller coaster. Was very pleasantly surprised with the ride experience and elements. I have poo-pooed it for years as a low capacity, second-rate ride; but really enjoyed the shuttle launch and quite forceful elements!
 
EpochEmu said:
I think the layout is great, it should be an amazing ride but for me it's the roughest woodie in the park- even Rebel Yell had more airtime the last time I went!

Verbolten really is an ingenious ride in my opinion. I can see how SilverArrow could put it #1 (although Apollo is amazing).. in it's opening year, the theming and effects were amazing. Sadly some of them have gone over the years, but it's still probably the most unique ride in the park.

What does that mean?
Click to expand...
Take the cobra roll where there is to much whip or like the transition where it is very whippy but to a point where it is almost painful
 
Likewise, I can agree with @SilverArrow's hot takes on Virginia roller coasters. Verbolten was a very solid roller coaster, thanks to which I believe more parks need more Zierers. Grizzly at KD was awesome... the first time I rode it, at night. Speed was great through the airtime hills, and a pretty fun layout. The second ride on it though in the day brought the ride experience crashing down to earth. It's rare to have a ride that can throw you around so much, you feel your actual life force leaving your body.
 
Sorry to bump the thread, but after riding some new creds this past summer, I have some new contributions to make to this thread:
Overrated
  • Manta (SeaWorld Orlando) - Now, Manta is in no way a bad roller coaster, in my opinion, but before I rode it for the first time in August 2016, I'd heard that it was one of the best coasters in Florida and one of the world's best flying coasters, as well as being a vast improvement on earlier models like Galactica and the Superman clones. I'd also heard that it had brilliant g-forces throughout and a ride experience to rival the likes of Nemesis, Montu and Mako, so I was naturally excited to ride it and was expecting it to be one of my top coasters. However, I was a little underwhelmed when I came into the brake run; to me, Manta, while a fun ride that I enjoyed, kind of felt like a slightly larger Galactica with an admittedly insanely forceful pretzel loop, which was almost a little too much for me. I also found the ride to have a noticeable rattle, which I've never heard anyone mention before. It still wasn't anywhere near being rough, but I could definitely notice it, and I actually feel that Galactica is smoother, which I found interesting considering Galactica is older. I'll admit I only had one ride on it in the back row, but I came off a little underwhelmed, and Manta personally sits 1 spot above Galactica at my #20 spot based on my experience of it. It's a good coaster, and I enjoyed it, but it is my personal least favourite of SeaWorld's trio of B&M's.
  • Grand National (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) - Before going to Pleasure Beach for the first time in August 2018, I'd heard people talk about how Grand National was an amazing ride and how it was full of amazing airtime. I even heard one reviewer say that it was better than everything in Florida, which naturally made me excited. Admittedly, people did say about Grand National being rough, so I did not go in expecting a smooth ride (especially when you factor in the ride's age), but what I was not prepared for was quite how brutal the ride was! To be fair, I could see potential in the ride's layout, as there were some good moments of airtime and the pacing was quite good, but the sheer roughness of this ride completely overruled the promising layout for me; I didn't really enjoy it much at all, unfortunately. I can see why someone would like Grand National, but I didn't personally enjoy it much at all. It's not my least favourite Pleasure Beach coaster, but in terms of the 56 coasters I've ridden, Grand National unfortunately ranks towards the bottom. In a way, though, I do feel incredibly bad criticising it, as it's over 80 years old and shaped many of the coasters we have today, so I apologise for that.
  • Oblivion (Alton Towers) - Again, Oblivion is in no way a bad roller coaster, in my opinion; in fact, I enjoy it a lot! It's just that I've heard quite a few people say that it's the best Dive Coaster, which I don't personally agree with after riding SheiKra, which in my opinion does the same thing as Oblivion, but in a more insane fashion and with additional elements to back it up, whereas Oblivion only has the drop. While I'll admit that Oblivion's drop is incredible, and I can see why someone would love Oblivion (in fact, I love Oblivion!), I personally feel that SheiKra is a more modern take on the dive coaster concept that I personally prefer. Although as with the National above, I feel bad criticising it because it was after all the first dive coaster, and it's an iconic ride for the UK.
  • Vampire (Chessington World of Adventures) - Admittedly, I only had one ride on Vampire quite some time ago (July 2014, to be exact), I had heard before riding that it was a masterpiece and one of the best coasters in the UK, as well as one of the best family coasters in the world. But when I actually rode it, I personally found the ride to be quite rough, and I also found that while it had its moments, it kind of ponced around not doing much interesting, and I couldn't really highlight a standout moment on the ride, if you get what I mean. While I yet again feel a little bad for criticising it, as it did a lot for Chessington when it opened, I wasn't a huge fan of Vampire at all if I'm being honest, and there are definitely family coasters I prefer.
Now on to the more positive category, and the one that I far prefer to talk about!:
Underrated
  • Nickelodeon Streak (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) - Before visiting Pleasure Beach for the first time in August 2018, I had heard many people criticise Nickelodeon Streak in comparison to the other large wooden coasters at the park, so I went in with quite low expectations. However, I controversially found the Streak to be my favourite Pleasure Beach wooden coaster and my 2nd favourite Pleasure Beach coaster overall behind Icon! I personally found that while the Streak didn't have much airtime, it had pretty good pacing and was quite smooth considering its age, and I immensely enjoyed it! In my opinion, Nickelodeon Streak is a hidden gem of the Pleasure Beach, and a ride you should definitely check out if at the park (despite it being in Nickelodeon Land!)!
  • Big Dipper (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) - My next entry for this category is another Pleasure Beach ride; Big Dipper! Before riding, I'd never really heard people talk much about it, but I had heard people say it was extremely rough, so I didn't expect to enjoy it very much. But I actually enjoyed Big Dipper quite a lot; while it was a bit jostly round the edges, I didn't actually think it was overly rough, especially considering the ride is the oldest coaster at Pleasure Beach! It was also a lovely long ride and had some fun little pops of airtime, even though I didn't think it quite had the pacing that Nickelodeon Streak had. So all in all, I really enjoyed Big Dipper; it's definitely worth a ride if you're at Pleasure Beach, and it is my personal 3rd favourite coaster at the park!
  • The Swarm (Thorpe Park) - I never hear The Swarm get much praise, but I absolutely adore it! It's such a smooth, enjoyable coaster, in my opinion, as well as being pretty intense with great pacing and g-forces! The unique winged seating position also adds to the experience for me, and overall, I absolutely love it; it's one of my favourite rides! In fact, it's my favourite ride at Thorpe and my 3rd favourite coaster in the UK!
  • The Smiler (Alton Towers) - Now, The Smiler is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine; I feel as though I shouldn't like it, but I really love it! Most enthusiasts think that this ride is terribly rough and one of the worst coasters in the UK, but I personally think it's one of my favourite UK coasters! While it's not the smoothest of coasters, and there is a rattle and a couple of kinks in places, I don't personally think that The Smiler is terribly rough or painful. It's also a simply crazy experience, in my opinion, and there's so much about it that I really like! It's really intense, in my opinion, and each inversion is so well-crafted to add to that feeling of craziness! Overall, I enjoy The Smiler far more than most people seem to!
Now, I initially wasn't sure whether I should include this one or not, but due to me seeing what seems to be a lack of positive opinions regarding this coaster as of late, I feel as though I'd like to add the following coaster to the underrated category:
  • Icon (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) - Come to think of it, "lack of positive opinions" was probably the wrong phrase to use, as most people seem to like Icon to some extent. What I'm trying to get at, though, is that a lot of reviewers now seem quite underwhelmed by Icon and seem to think that it's a very mediocre coaster, despite the initial buzz surrounding Icon when it opened. But for me, on the other hand... it's my favourite UK coaster, and my overall #2 behind only Mako at SeaWorld Orlando. In my opinion, Icon just has so much going for it as a ride; there's quite a bit of reasonably strong airtime, even if it's not necessarily the most airtime-abundant coaster I've ridden, that second half is so relentless, the launches were better than expected, the ride is so smooth and comfortable (I could not feel the alleged rattle at all on either of my two rides on the coaster) and I think that's it's a simply outstanding coaster overall! Admittedly, it's not the most intense coaster I've ridden, but it's certainly one of my personal favourites; it never failed to put a smile on my face!
Phew, that was a long post; sorry if you found it hard to read! I've also realised that some of the overrated contributions make me sound awfully bitter, so let me say that I like to be as positive as possible and I apologise for those if they come across awfully negative!
 
Matt N said:
Sorry to bump the thread, but after riding some new creds this past summer, I have some new contributions to make to this thread:
Overrated
  • Manta (SeaWorld Orlando) - Now, Manta is in no way a bad roller coaster, in my opinion, but before I rode it for the first time in August 2016, I'd heard that it was one of the best coasters in Florida and one of the world's best flying coasters, as well as being a vast improvement on earlier models like Galactica and the Superman clones. I'd also heard that it had brilliant g-forces throughout and a ride experience to rival the likes of Nemesis, Montu and Mako, so I was naturally excited to ride it and was expecting it to be one of my top coasters. However, I was a little underwhelmed when I came into the brake run; to me, Manta, while a fun ride that I enjoyed, kind of felt like a slightly larger Galactica with an admittedly insanely forceful pretzel loop, which was almost a little too much for me. I also found the ride to have a noticeable rattle, which I've never heard anyone mention before. It still wasn't anywhere near being rough, but I could definitely notice it, and I actually feel that Galactica is smoother, which I found interesting considering Galactica is older. I'll admit I only had one ride on it in the back row, but I came off a little underwhelmed, and Manta personally sits 1 spot above Galactica at my #20 spot based on my experience of it. It's a good coaster, and I enjoyed it, but it is my personal least favourite of SeaWorld's trio of B&M's.
  • Grand National (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) - Before going to Pleasure Beach for the first time in August 2018, I'd heard people talk about how Grand National was an amazing ride and how it was full of amazing airtime. I even heard one reviewer say that it was better than everything in Florida, which naturally made me excited. Admittedly, people did say about Grand National being rough, so I did not go in expecting a smooth ride (especially when you factor in the ride's age), but what I was not prepared for was quite how brutal the ride was! To be fair, I could see potential in the ride's layout, as there were some good moments of airtime and the pacing was quite good, but the sheer roughness of this ride completely overruled the promising layout for me; I didn't really enjoy it much at all, unfortunately. I can see why someone would like Grand National, but I didn't personally enjoy it much at all. It's not my least favourite Pleasure Beach coaster, but in terms of the 56 coasters I've ridden, Grand National unfortunately ranks towards the bottom. In a way, though, I do feel incredibly bad criticising it, as it's over 80 years old and shaped many of the coasters we have today, so I apologise for that.
  • Oblivion (Alton Towers) - Again, Oblivion is in no way a bad roller coaster, in my opinion; in fact, I enjoy it a lot! It's just that I've heard quite a few people say that it's the best Dive Coaster, which I don't personally agree with after riding SheiKra, which in my opinion does the same thing as Oblivion, but in a more insane fashion and with additional elements to back it up, whereas Oblivion only has the drop. While I'll admit that Oblivion's drop is incredible, and I can see why someone would love Oblivion (in fact, I love Oblivion!), I personally feel that SheiKra is a more modern take on the dive coaster concept that I personally prefer. Although as with the National above, I feel bad criticising it because it was after all the first dive coaster, and it's an iconic ride for the UK.
  • Vampire (Chessington World of Adventures) - Admittedly, I only had one ride on Vampire quite some time ago (July 2014, to be exact), I had heard before riding that it was a masterpiece and one of the best coasters in the UK, as well as one of the best family coasters in the world. But when I actually rode it, I personally found the ride to be quite rough, and I also found that while it had its moments, it kind of ponced around not doing much interesting, and I couldn't really highlight a standout moment on the ride, if you get what I mean. While I yet again feel a little bad for criticising it, as it did a lot for Chessington when it opened, I wasn't a huge fan of Vampire at all if I'm being honest, and there are definitely family coasters I prefer.
Now on to the more positive category, and the one that I far prefer to talk about!:
Underrated
  • Nickelodeon Streak (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) - Before visiting Pleasure Beach for the first time in August 2018, I had heard many people criticise Nickelodeon Streak in comparison to the other large wooden coasters at the park, so I went in with quite low expectations. However, I controversially found the Streak to be my favourite Pleasure Beach wooden coaster and my 2nd favourite Pleasure Beach coaster overall behind Icon! I personally found that while the Streak didn't have much airtime, it had pretty good pacing and was quite smooth considering its age, and I immensely enjoyed it! In my opinion, Nickelodeon Streak is a hidden gem of the Pleasure Beach, and a ride you should definitely check out if at the park (despite it being in Nickelodeon Land!)!
  • Big Dipper (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) - My next entry for this category is another Pleasure Beach ride; Big Dipper! Before riding, I'd never really heard people talk much about it, but I had heard people say it was extremely rough, so I didn't expect to enjoy it very much. But I actually enjoyed Big Dipper quite a lot; while it was a bit jostly round the edges, I didn't actually think it was overly rough, especially considering the ride is the oldest coaster at Pleasure Beach! It was also a lovely long ride and had some fun little pops of airtime, even though I didn't think it quite had the pacing that Nickelodeon Streak had. So all in all, I really enjoyed Big Dipper; it's definitely worth a ride if you're at Pleasure Beach, and it is my personal 3rd favourite coaster at the park!
  • The Swarm (Thorpe Park) - I never hear The Swarm get much praise, but I absolutely adore it! It's such a smooth, enjoyable coaster, in my opinion, as well as being pretty intense with great pacing and g-forces! The unique winged seating position also adds to the experience for me, and overall, I absolutely love it; it's one of my favourite rides! In fact, it's my favourite ride at Thorpe and my 3rd favourite coaster in the UK!
  • The Smiler (Alton Towers) - Now, The Smiler is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine; I feel as though I shouldn't like it, but I really love it! Most enthusiasts think that this ride is terribly rough and one of the worst coasters in the UK, but I personally think it's one of my favourite UK coasters! While it's not the smoothest of coasters, and there is a rattle and a couple of kinks in places, I don't personally think that The Smiler is terribly rough or painful. It's also a simply crazy experience, in my opinion, and there's so much about it that I really like! It's really intense, in my opinion, and each inversion is so well-crafted to add to that feeling of craziness! Overall, I enjoy The Smiler far more than most people seem to!
Now, I initially wasn't sure whether I should include this one or not, but due to me seeing what seems to be a lack of positive opinions regarding this coaster as of late, I feel as though I'd like to add the following coaster to the underrated category:
  • Icon (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) - Come to think of it, "lack of positive opinions" was probably the wrong phrase to use, as most people seem to like Icon to some extent. What I'm trying to get at, though, is that a lot of reviewers now seem quite underwhelmed by Icon and seem to think that it's a very mediocre coaster, despite the initial buzz surrounding Icon when it opened. But for me, on the other hand... it's my favourite UK coaster, and my overall #2 behind only Mako at SeaWorld Orlando. In my opinion, Icon just has so much going for it as a ride; there's quite a bit of reasonably strong airtime, even if it's not necessarily the most airtime-abundant coaster I've ridden, that second half is so relentless, the launches were better than expected, the ride is so smooth and comfortable (I could not feel the alleged rattle at all on either of my two rides on the coaster) and I think that's it's a simply outstanding coaster overall! Admittedly, it's not the most intense coaster I've ridden, but it's certainly one of my personal favourites; it never failed to put a smile on my face!
Phew, that was a long post; sorry if you found it hard to read! I've also realised that some of the overrated contributions make me sound awfully bitter, so let me say that I like to be as positive as possible and I apologise for those if they come across awfully negative!
Click to expand...
Manta is a much better ride in the front row, the forces are just perfect, and the view makes it even better!
 
Overated
  • Nemesis - it's alright but kind of disappointing. It is smooth but not too intense.
  • Shambhala - another coaster that has some good elements (airtime hill and water splashdown) but it just doesn't have the amazing status some enthusiasts have with it
  • Dragon Khan - rough and not fun to ride
Underrated
  • Th13teen - such a fun ride that has a fantastic finale
  • Scorpion Express - this obviously is a family ride but barely anybody talks about how nicely themed it is, especially compared to flying fish
  • Furius Baco - this is not a smooth ride but no where near as rough as people make it out to be
  • Nemesis Inferno - wow, this ride gets crazy intense at night
  • Saw: The Ride - once again, it is not perfectly smooth but the theming is great
 
@TPC One of the reasons people don’t go on about Scorpion Express theming is, it’s not a scratch to the old rock work theming it used to have. When it was looked after it looked amazing.

I must admit I too do not dislike Baco. I do Have a soft spot for it.
 
Overrated:

Steel Vengeance: It was a stellar ride by any measure, but I felt like it spent so much time trying to always be doing something that it failed to capitalize on its size. I only got one lap on it, so perhaps my opinion will change down the road, but for now, I'm not even sure if it's the best ride in the park, let alone the world.

The Voyage: Somewhat similar to Steel Vengeance in that it felt like it tried to do so much that it wound up just coming off as overkill. It probably didn't help that it was rough when I rode it.

The Raven: Poor Holiday World. Two rides on this list is a bit rough for a park with as limited a coaster collection as they have. I just thought it was a fun little ride, but pretty middle-of-the-road.

SheiKra and Griffon: I've ridden the three US Dive Machines. These two were quite bland. Those vertical drops are great, but the thrill of lingering over the edge on the first drop hardly makes up for the fact that these rides are generally B&M hyper coasters without just about everything that makes B&M hyper coasters great.

Raptor: Sure, it's a solid coaster, but it just doesn't have the punch I wish it did.

Diamondback: It's one of the most bland B&M hyper coasters in existence. Solid, but unremarkable. I feel like it lacks any specific aspect that gives it character.

The Beast: It's fun, sure, but there really isn't enough going on for me to understand why this ride gets the love it does, even at night.

Mind Bender and Shock Wave: I'm doubling these up as well due to similarity. They're fun, but I can't for the life of me understand why these get the love they do. I especially like that Mind Bender has a layout amidst its inversions, but they're just pretty meh.

Underrated:

Batman - The Ride: I'm sure everyone wishes I'd probably just shut up about these clones, but they truly are absolutely spectacular and probably the best looping coasters on the planet. That brutal intensity is exceptional.

Flight Deck (CGA): Batman - The Ride with a little less is still more than most inverts could ever hope to be.

Silver Bullet: I really expected this ride to be bland. I found it to be quite the opposite. It's got plenty of kick, and the finale is really, really good.

The Legend: Holiday World's best. This ride did absolutely everything right. My #3 wooden coaster.

Intimidator: I don't know if it's the dive-bomber second drop, the high-speed turnaround where most of its peers just did standard hammerheads, or just the great memories I have of Carowinds, but if one is curious what B&M's best ride is in the 200-299-foot range, this one deserves a nomination.

Nitro and Silver Star: Listed together for similarity, I feel like both, despite having respectable fan bases, get a lot of undeserved flak. They have all the airtime of later installations, but with some non-air maneuvers (Nitro's helix, Silver Star's turnaround, etc.) to keep things interesting. Two of the best hypercoasters in existence if you ask me.

Goliath (SFMM) and Titan: Great speed and ridiculous intensity. No, they aren't particular strong in the airtime front, but they didn't try to be. Speed and positive g-forces were the orders of the day, and these rides delivered well on both counts. Two of my favorite hypers out there, with Titan especially so.

Valravn: I expected this ride to just be a slightly less bland version of the same bland coaster style. I was sorely mistaken. B&M finally delivered a Dive Machine worthy of high praise with this one.

Racer '75: Weird choice, I know, but with the retracking this baby got, it is one heck of a fun ride.

Cheetah Hunt: No, it isn't Maverick, but it is still one heck of an incredible ride. It might even be my favorite at Busch Gardens Tampa. Fight me.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Space Mountain - Mission 2: Okay, I think the Paris version of the former somehow lacks the mojo of its Orlando counterpart, but these rides are friggin' outstanding, and yes, I rode Space Mountain - Mission 2 with the old restraints.

Hydra - The Revenge: No, it isn't the most intense, but the vast differences between it and the formulaic floorlesses that make up most of B&M's catalogue for that coaster type made for a refreshing change of pace, even if I still prefer most of those to this one.

Bizarro: On the one hand, it might be THE most generic floorless B&M ever built. On the other, it's one of the most aggressive.

Any Boomerang with the new trains: Flying Cobras? Speed of Sound? Hey, these are actually pretty fun!
 
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