Stylised Vs Themed

[Nicky Borrill]

We touched on this in the Hyperia thread, but I don't really want to derail that thread.

When does a ride cross the line from being 'stylised' to 'themed'

Stylised to me means rides like Icon, which have a style, colour pallette, logo, name and little else. Even a 'theme' song pushes that definition for me, but I can allow it.

Once you add characters, and a story, it's now a theme. Props are not important, but they do help. Rita, Stealth, Oblivion and many other 'themed' coasters have very little in the way of props, but they're still themed, because their style and visual design matches up with their name, a story and theme song.

It was said that Hyperia would be stylised, I think by the park themselves at one point. But they've gone past that now in my opinion. They've styled the surrounding area and buildings the same, they've had a theme song made, there seems to be themed queue line fencing, we're expecting at the very least, lighting and smoke effects in the station, there's a themed entrance, and other small bits of styling using the winged logo, a slogan, and now they've even added story with a protagonist.

IMO Hyperia is a themed coaster, it's a loose theme, and may not be executed well, but to counter that by just saying "it's stylised, not themed" is reaching imo. Add a few props in the queue, and area, and it's about as well themed as UK coasters get!!!

What are your thoughts?

 

[Flash Shift]

I think that it's more a story or idea that pushes it for me. Anything that's more of a concept than simply " a cool coaster with cool visuals and music". The mistake generally tends to be assuming a themed coaster is "better" than a stylised one. Rita as you say above has a theme but it's really basic, doesn't fit the area, and is lazy. Helix at Liseberg doesn't really have a theme but has a futuristic style and a kick ass theme tune combined with a stylistic hillside setting which makes it special. I much prefer a coaster with no theme per se but a great sense of style than a coaster with a bad theme. Anything that gives a ride a "soul". Nemesis in both incarnations is souful, and so does Wicker Man and most of Alton's coasters, but Rita is soulless.

 

[Nitefly]

^ I have a slightly different view.

I would say the ride becomes ‘themed’ when said ‘theme’ is ‘truly integral’ to the ‘ride experience’.

Applying that criteria to Thorpe… I think that Saw and WD:TR are ‘obviously themed’. Swarm and Nemesis Inferno are more debatable - the former has the elaborate apocalyptic vibe surroundings / alien trains, the latter has the ‘misty volcano’ section. Moving further along the scale, I think Colossus and Stealth are ‘more stylised’ than ‘themed’ - as the ‘theme’ for each is pretty much redundant to the ride experience, even if the style gives the areas a vibe.

Looking at Alton… Nemesis, Smiler and Wickerman are ‘obviously themed’. Oblivion and Thirteen are in that ‘debatable’ category.

Galactica is a really interesting one because as Air, it was more ‘stylised’, IMO. Then as Galactica with VR it was ‘themed’. Now without VR it’s in that ‘middle ground / debatable’ category.

With all of that said, a stylised ride can still have soul and isn’t necessarily inferior.

 

[Gazza]

Theming is something that takes you away from the here and now.
Stylized is cohesive and looks nice, but doesn't do that.

Eg
Stealth, you are at 1950s American Raceway.
Swarm, you are at a village under attack by aliens.
Nemesis Inferno, you are at a tropical island with a volcano.

Hyperia.....???
They have common design elements used through the ride, but what is it meant to represent?

 

[Hyde]

Have honestly never thought of roller coaster "stylization" versus themed, but rather a general scale of themed to not themed. I guess I'd agree with folks here that "stylized" would point to coasters with a light motif/homage to an overall theme or envisioned trope. I'm thinking for instance:

• roller coaster logo
• Pre-queue theming or visual art (e.g. posters, stage props, etc.)
• theme song
• train aesthetics
• Any other visual cues to a theme

Overall Cedar Fair probably has some best examples of this (Valravn, Banshee, Intimidator, etc.) where it's obviously: A. a roller coaster B. something that will go fast, and maybe flip upside C. The theme is not central to the ride experience, but more something to add visual distinction.

Put another way: If you were blindfolded, put into the seat of the roller coaster, and have the blindfold removed once on the coaster lift hill; your roller coaster experience is not more diminished on a "stylized" coaster, while a "themed" coaster does have other pre-queue (and mid-ride) experience that enhances the ride.