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Top 10(ish): 2024 Edition - page 124

I tried to track down my last top post, but it was back in June 2018 I believe. So I'll just create a new one. I'll probably be updating this pretty often, as I'm looking to nab Wildfire, Taron, and Untamed over the next week. I'll type up a trip report soon! It's interesting that, as I ride more coasters, this list seems more and more arbitrary.

  1. Steel Vengeance
  2. Lightning Rod
  3. Helix
  4. Skyrush
  5. Outlaw Run
  6. X2
  7. Voyage
  8. El Toro
  9. Superman SFNE
  10. Fury 325
  11. Boulder Dash
  12. Maverick
  13. Phoenix
  14. Space Mountain WDW
  15. Storm Chaser
  16. Kumba
  17. Twisted Cyclone
  18. Wicked Cyclone
  19. Shambhala
  20. Top Thrill Dragster
  21. Iron Rattler
  22. Millennium Force
  23. Kawasemi
  24. Beast
  25. Twisted Colossus
 
You missed Woodstock express and the great pumpkin coaster the both give some mad laterals and -7.99 g’s with some of the best forces I’ve witnessed???
 
Bold is new for 2019 and italicized is moved up into the rankings. Phanny makes its beautiful return after having not ridden it for YEARS. Great airtime. Great time. Great drop. Forgot how good it was. Definitely enjoyed. This may be temporary as I may need to do some shuffling after looking around a bit.

1 Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
2 Lightning Rod - Dollywood
3 Boulder Dash - Lake Compounce
4 El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure
5 Goliath - Six Flags Great America
6 Wildfire - Kolmarden
7 Voyage - Holiday World
8 Fury 325 - Carowinds
9 Outlaw Run - Silver Dollar City
10 Storm Chaser - Kentucky Kingdom


11 Mine Blower - Fun Spot Kissimmee
12 Copperhead Strike - Carowinds
13 Maverick - Cedar Point
14 Ravine Flyer II - Waldameer
15 Phoenix - Knoebels
16 Cornball Express - Indiana Beach
17 Banshee - Kings Island
18 Afterburn - Carowinds
19 Boardwalk Bullet - Kemah Boardwalk
20 Wicked Cyclone - Six Flags New England
21 Top Thrill Dragster - Cedar Point
22 Superman The Ride - Six Flags New England
23 Lightning Run - Kentucky Kingdom
24 X2 - Six Flags Magic Mountain
25 Phantom's Revenge - Kennywood
26 Behemoth - Canada's Wonderland
27 Tatsu - Six Flags Magic Mountain
28 Mystic Timbers - Kings Island
29 Prowler - Worlds of Fun
30 Leviathan - Canada's Wonderland
 
Meant to respond to this:

exodus said:
1) Banshee
2) Ghostrider
3) Steel Vengeance
4) Fury 325
5) Twisted Colossus
6) Iron Rattler
7) Mystic Timbers
8) Incredible Hulk
9) X2
10) Mako
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Just... why?
Especially since you have some much better ones further down.
 
Some amazing top lists posted in the last couple of days! I need to write up a trip report from my recent first-time US trip, but for now I think I'm reasonably happy with this top ten. Obviously gets more difficult going to 20 but have given that a shot too. Any from the US are new to this list. ?

1. Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
2. Helix - Liseberg
3. Taron - Phantasialand
4. Maverick - Cedar Point
5. Balder - Liseberg
6. Expedition GeForce - Holiday Park
7. Oziris - Parc Asterix
8. Shambhala - Port Aventura
9. Nemesis - Alton Towers
10. Top Thrill Dragster - Cedar Point

11. El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure
12. Blue Fire - Europa Park
13. Black Mamba - Phantasialand
14. Silver Star - Europa Park
15. Nitro - Six Flags Great Adventure
16. Coney Island Cyclone - Luna Park
17. Storm Runner - Hershey Park
18. Wicked Cyclone - Six Flags New England
19. Superman The Ride - Six Flags New England
20. Karacho - Tripsdrill

Plenty in the 11-20 I could swap out, for coasters including Joris en de Draak, Lost Gravity, Fahrenheit, Great Bear, Millenium Force, Phantom's Revenge, Wodan, Winja's and of course The Ultimate.

Sadly missing is Skyrush as some #$@&%*! drove into its footers. ?
 
Hutch said:
Meant to respond to this:



Just... why?
Especially since you have some much better ones further down.
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I know it’s kind of laughable and I anticipated a little pushback, but I’m sticking to it. I just really like the scale of that thing, feeling like you’re always a million feet above the ground, and I can’t express how much I enjoyed that first drop and the dive loop over the thoroughfare. I don’t even like most inverts, so I don’t even fully understand it. Like I said, a lot of weight in my rankings is experiential and I just had a great day marathoning that on my only trip to KI. I ask myself sometimes when I wake up, “If I could ride anything right now, what would it be?” Banshee’s most often the answer, so there it is at the top (shrug).

ETA I’m at Dollywood right now and w/ Lightning Rod being a walk-on, it’s really making a case for me to reconsider my list. I’ll try to go back to KI maybe tomorrow and see if I still feel the same about Banshee.
 
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Snoo said:
I mean I can see Banshee but GhostRider? What?
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All I can say about that is that rankings are unscientific and completely subjective. That’s the one I can ride any day of the week around the year when I feel the urge, so it’s gonna get all my love. Plus it’s a very good ride.
 
exodus said:
I know it’s kind of laughable and I anticipated a little pushback, but I’m sticking to it. I just really like the scale of that thing, feeling like you’re always a million feet above the ground, and I can’t express how much I enjoyed that first drop and the dive loop over the thoroughfare. I don’t even like most inverts, so I don’t even fully understand it. Like I said, a lot of weight in my rankings is experiential and I just had a great day marathoning that on my only trip to KI. I ask myself sometimes when I wake up, “If I could ride anything right now, what would it be?” Banshee’s most often the answer, so there it is at the top (shrug).

ETA I’m at Dollywood right now and w/ Lightning Rod being a walk-on, it’s really making a case for me to reconsider my list. I’ll try to go back to KI maybe tomorrow and see if I still feel the same about Banshee.
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Well Banshee rides much differently from the other B&M inverts, which could explain how you feel with Banshee vs. the other ones. Banshee is all about big floaty inversions with speed and force in between, while the other inverts are more about consistent intensity and snappy inversions. I much prefer the latter which is why I rate Banshee lower, but that's also because Banshee has a pretty noticeable rattle.

Interested to hear your thoughts on Lightning Rod.
 
Right, I know I updated the list fairly recently after my Florida trip in April, but I've reridden some other things and let's be honest; I'm never truly decisive about the ordering of my coaster rankings, am I? Also, I'm going to place a rating out of 10 next to each of the coasters in my list, as I have ranked every coaster I've ridden and rated it out of 10 on an overall spectrum of enjoyment, so I thought you guys might be interested to see what score I would give each of these rides. Anyway, without further ado, let's get right into my rankings, starting with my top 10 coasters with descriptions (warning in advance; some of my opinions may be controversial!):
Matt N's Top 10 Coasters (w/descriptions)
  1. Mako (Orlando) - Nearly 3 years after my first ride, this wonderful beast of a coaster still remains at the top spot for me! That might seem ludicrous given how many more rides I've ridden since, but when I delve into the ride experience, it's easy to see why this ride remains my #1; it's glass smooth and insanely rerideable, yet also forceful enough to feel as though you've gotten a kick out of it! But the main reason why it did so much for me was because it is an absolute airtime machine wherever you sit! This ride probably still has the greatest airtime I've ever experienced on a coaster; that first drop and those big hills provide ludicrously good sustained airtime, in my opinion! Mako is pretty much everything I enjoy in a coaster summed up in one ride, and even though it's nearly 3 years since I last rode, I am fairly certain that it is still my favourite coaster; plummeting over those airtime hills and down that first drop for the first time are still some of the greatest memories of my entire life! 10/10
  2. Icon - A phrase I would use to describe Icon is "jack of all trades"; I don't think it is the best coaster I've ridden in any particular category, but it is immensely good in quite a number of categories! I will admit the launches are not the greatest, but I don't think that really matters given how awesome the rest of the ride is! Icon is an extremely smooth coaster, it has very good ejector airtime, the turns are nice and whippy, the trains are excellent and the ride is very well paced, as well as being forceful enough to feel as though you've gotten a kick out of it! Overall, I think Icon is a wonderful coaster, and as with Mako above, it is exactly my sort of ride! I value fun and rerideability hugely in a coaster, and Icon is outstanding at both of these, in my opinion! 10/10
  3. Montu - An absolutely outstanding inverted coaster! Montu packs some absolutely fantastic forces and elements into its layout, in my opinion, and despite being such a big, sprawling beast of a coaster, it has just the right amount of intensity for me! It's also fantastically smooth for a coaster of its age and intensity, and some of the inversions are brilliant and unique, as well as having brilliant pacing, which I find staggering given that it's quite a long coaster! Overall, Montu is a simply fabulous coaster! 10/10
  4. Nemesis - As soon as I came off Nemesis for the first time in 2013, I knew it was a special ride for me! Even though my coaster count has increased exponentially since I first rode it, Nemesis has somehow managed to stand the test of time within my rankings; in fact, it actually ranks 1 spot higher for me now than it did in 2014, when I'd only ridden 25 coasters as opposed to the 66 I've ridden now! I swear my respect for it grows every time I ride it, and I loved it from ride 1! It shares many positive attributes with Montu above; it too is a fantastically paced coaster that is staggeringly smooth for its age and intensity! Nemesis is also potentially one of the most unique and artfully designed coasters I've ever ridden; even though Montu ranks slightly higher for me, I still absolutely love how Nemesis keeps on building up speed and intensity throughout the layout! It may be one of my most ridden coasters, and I may rank Montu marginally higher, but I don't think the raw thrill of Nemesis will ever grow old for me! 10/10
  5. The Swarm - In my opinion, The Swarm is potentially one of the most underrated coasters in the UK! Many slate it, but I absolutely adore it! It's glass smooth, decently forceful, the hangtime is fantastic and it's genuinely one of the most relentlessly fun and rerideable coasters I've ever ridden! As with Nemesis above, I also think that The Swarm grows on me each time I ride it, despite how much I loved it upon my first ride back in 2014! Overall, The Swarm is definitely my favourite Thorpe coaster, and such a thrilling, yet smooth and rerideable coaster, in my opinion! 10/10
  6. SheiKra - Enthusiasts may often criticise Dive Coasters for being one-trick-ponies, but SheiKra's trick is executed fantastically, in my opinion! The vertical drop 200ft above Busch Gardens is simply fantastic, in my opinion! The ride is also decently forceful, very smooth and has a number of other fantastic elements to it that really make it a fantastic ride! Overall, SheiKra is awesome, if you ask me! 10/10
  7. Mine Blower - Do not let this ride's unassuming stats fool you; Mine Blower is awesome! It's got some brilliant moments of ejector airtime and has fantastic pacing! The ride's signature inversion is also fantastic, and provides a seriously nice moment of hangtime in somewhat stark contrast to the relentless nature of the rest of the ride! Even though it wasn't the smoothest coaster I've ridden, I also didn't find Mine Blower as unbearably rough as expected; I only found it to have the slight rattle you'd expect from a wooden coaster and the odd minor jolt! However, do bear in mind that I only rode in the front, so it might vary further back. All in all, Mine Blower is a brilliant wooden coaster that's definitely worth taking a detour from the main parks of Central Florida for, in my opinion! 9/10
  8. Kumba - I don't initially remember Kumba ranking insanely highly for me when I first made a top 10, but the more I think about it, the more I remember this ride being fantastic! Kumba certainly packs a punch throughout, and is reasonably smooth with some great inversions! Overall, a really good sit-down looper from B&M, in my opinion! 9/10
  9. Kraken - Another one that I personally find to be very underrated! I never hear much positivity regarding Kraken, but I thought it was brilliant! Some great inversions in there, and I remember it being very well paced with power right through to the end, even though I don't remember it being quite as forceful as some other B&Ms I've done! Overall, a brilliant B&M coaster, in my opinion! 9/10
  10. Incredible Hulk - The only launched B&M coaster I've done, and it packs a punch for sure! The ride starts with a huge bang; the initial sequence of elements following the launch are absolutely outstanding, in my opinion! However, the reason the ride does not rank as highly as some other B&Ms for me is because I find the ending to be somewhat weak compared to the likes of Kumba, Kraken, Montu and others and I also don't think it's quite as smooth, although I certainly didn't find Hulk anywhere near unrideable by any means. Still, it's a fantastic coaster despite all of this, in my opinion; if it was a little smoother and the ending maintained the momentum of the fantastic start, it would possibly hit my 10/10 tier! 9/10
Now I've gotten the descriptions over with, I'll give a wider insight into the rest of my rankings with a top 30:
Matt N's Top 30 Coasters
  1. Mako (SeaWorld Orlando) (10/10)
  2. Icon (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) (10/10)
  3. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa) (10/10)
  4. Nemesis (Alton Towers) (10/10)
  5. The Swarm (Thorpe Park) (10/10)
  6. SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa) (10/10)
  7. Mine Blower (Fun Spot Kissimmee) (9/10)
  8. Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa) (9/10)
  9. Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando) (9/10)
  10. Incredible Hulk (Universal's Islands of Adventure) (9/10)
  11. Wicker Man (Alton Towers) (9/10)
  12. Megafobia (Oakwood) (9/10)
  13. Rock'n'Rollercoaster (Disney's Hollywood Studios) (9/10)
  14. Stealth (Thorpe Park) (8/10)
  15. Nemesis Inferno (Thorpe Park) (8/10)
  16. Galactica (Alton Towers) (8/10)
  17. Revenge of the Mummy (Universal Studios Florida) (8/10)
  18. Oblivion (Alton Towers) (8/10)
  19. Nickelodeon Streak (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) (8/10)
  20. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (Universal Studios Florida) (7/10)
  21. Cheetah Hunt (Busch Gardens Tampa) (7/10)
  22. Space Mountain Alpha (Disney's Magic Kingdom) (7/10)
  23. Big Dipper (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) (7/10)
  24. Expedition Everest (Disney's Animal Kingdom) (6/10)
  25. Thirteen (Alton Towers) (6/10)
  26. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (Universal Studios Florida) (6/10)
  27. Slinky Dog Dash (Disney's Hollywood Studios) (6/10)
  28. Manta (SeaWorld Orlando) (6/10)
  29. The Smiler (Alton Towers) (6/10)
  30. Cobra's Curse (Busch Gardens Tampa) (6/10)
So, that's my rankings! With the whole rating out of 10 thing, do bear in mind that this is relative to my entire count, which is why some of the top-notch family coasters I've done, like Thirteen and Everest, only get a 6/10. This is also why Gringotts only gets a 6/10 as a coaster; if I was to rate and rank it as a dark ride, its score would be far higher!
 
Hutch said:
Well Banshee rides much differently from the other B&M inverts, which could explain how you feel with Banshee vs. the other ones. Banshee is all about big floaty inversions with speed and force in between, while the other inverts are more about consistent intensity and snappy inversions. I much prefer the latter which is why I rate Banshee lower, but that's also because Banshee has a pretty noticeable rattle.

Interested to hear your thoughts on Lightning Rod.
Click to expand...

That’s a really good analysis. I’m resolved to get back to KI tomorrow so I’ll see how it rates now as I’ve ridden a ton of new coasters this year. I’m tentatively slotting Lightning Rod at 2. There’s just nothing wrong with that ride (a bit short, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing) and not a dull moment! If it was ever rough or had a “pothole” I sure didn’t notice, but my thighs were dead after marathoning it. The sunset at the top of the lift hill yesterday evening was a top coaster moment for me as well!

ETA: Alright, now I’ve ridden Voyage I think my list is gonna be seriously overhauled. I’m gonna wait til this trip’s done to update it properly.
 
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Post #2 has an RMC juggernaut charging in. I’m fairly conflicted with my ranking currently, as Wildfire and Toro are head to head. I'm giving the nod to Toro, but that could easily change once I (finally) visit Great Adventure again. Anyway, to summate my opinions on Wildfire, THAT F****** STALL.

  1. Steel Vengeance
  2. Lightning Rod
  3. Helix
  4. Skyrush
  5. Outlaw Run
  6. X2
  7. Voyage
  8. El Toro
  9. Wildfire
  10. Superman SFNE
  11. Fury 325
  12. Boulder Dash
  13. Maverick
  14. Phoenix
  15. Space Mountain WDW
  16. Storm Chaser
  17. Kumba
  18. Twisted Cyclone
  19. Wicked Cyclone
  20. Shambhala
  21. Top Thrill Dragster
  22. Iron Rattler
  23. Millennium Force
  24. Kawasemi
  25. Beast
 
Are you headed anywhere else in Europe @Edward M? Certainly looks like you've amassed a good selection of coasters so far, but I'd be intrigued to know; how come Helix ranks so highly for you, especially considering some of what's below it?
 
Matt N said:
Are you headed anywhere else in Europe @Edward M? Certainly looks like you've amassed a good selection of coasters so far, but I'd be intrigued to know; how come Helix ranks so highly for you, especially considering some of what's below it?
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I am! Thursday is Phantasialand and Monday is Walibi Holland. As for Helix, I'll try and go into more depth in the report I'm typing up, but it has just about everything I look for in a coaster. While something like Skyrush may have more impressive G-Forces, I find a ride like Helix to be not only much more ridable but also to have a more diverse mixture of forces. It's got great negative and positive Gs mixed with beautiful floaty goodness in those inversions. Also, I'm a real sucker for any terrain coaster.
 
Edward M said:
I am! Thursday is Phantasialand and Monday is Walibi Holland. As for Helix, I'll try and go into more depth in the report I'm typing up, but it has just about everything I look for in a coaster. While something like Skyrush may have more impressive G-Forces, I find a ride like Helix to be not only much more ridable but also to have a more diverse mixture of forces. It's got great negative and positive Gs mixed with beautiful floaty goodness in those inversions. Also, I'm a real sucker for any terrain coaster.
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Ooh, I look forward to your reviews of Taron and Untamed in particular! May I also ask; is the grand milestone of 300 in sight for you in Europe, as your signature implies that you've presently ridden 283 creds?
 
Matt N said:
Ooh, I look forward to your reviews of Taron and Untamed in particular! May I also ask; is the grand milestone of 300 in sight for you in Europe, as your signature implies that you've presently ridden 283 creds?
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It's rather frustrating because I'm just going to miss it. As a result, I'm looking to get 300 at whatever new American/Canadian park I can get to this year. Six Flags Great America looks most likely, but I could also find my way Kennywood beforehand. Prices for flights from NY to Pittsburgh are rather attractive. However, there's also the temptation of Toronto and Canada's Wonderland with its legal weed and alcohol at 18. So many options!!
 
Edward M said:
It's rather frustrating because I'm just going to miss it. As a result, I'm looking to get 300 at whatever new American/Canadian park I can get to this year. Six Flags Great America looks most likely, but I could also find my way Kennywood beforehand. Prices for flights from NY to Pittsburgh are rather attractive. However, there's also the temptation of Toronto and Canada's Wonderland with its legal weed and alcohol at 18. So many options!!
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Oh dear, how gutting! Thankfully, the USA has a wide array of options for milestones; Maxx Force or Steel Curtain would certainly make good ones if you visit SFGAm or Kennywood as you said above!
 
Chris Brown said:
1. Helix
2. Taron
3. Wildfire
4. Hyperion
5. Karnan
6. Icon
7. Lost Gravity
8. Balder
9. Katun

Hyperion comes in at number 4, my top 5 are essentially separated by tiny little things that are interchangeable depending on my mood. The coaster itself was pretty special, it’s the tallest I’ve been on so the drop was pretty special, as was the airtime and rest of the layout.

As @caffeine_demon said Lech was a little too intense for me, it was an outstanding ride but not one that I could fully enjoy because of the amount of force and the vest restraints. Remove the vests and it could theoretically make top 10 but curently it probably sits in my Top 20
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1Helix
2Steel Vengeance*
3Taron
4The Voyage*
5Karnan
6Wildfire
7Hyperion
8Hades 360*
9Storm Chaser*
10Lightning Run*
11Maverick*
12Diamondback*
13Balder
14Mystic Timbers*
15Goliath*
16Phantoms Revenge*
17Renegade*
18Katun
19Ispeed
20Lost Gravity

Updates following my trip to the states.
 
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