Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

Mako vs Silver Star

Mako or Silver Star?

  • Total voters
    26
Matt N

Matt N

CF Legend
Hi guys. When talking about Mako at SeaWorld Orlando, I’ve noticed that one hyper many compare it to is Shambhala at PortAventura. The other one that many compare it to, and one that I’d argue it’s far more comparable to than Shambhala, is Silver Star at Europa Park. Even though Silver Star is 40ft taller and predates Mako by 14 years, I’d argue that the two rides are quite comparable among B&M Hyper Coasters; both have similar l-shaped layouts, both have more “simple” turnarounds and overall element design than Shambhala, and both have the regular 4-across B&M Hyper train design rather than the staggered seating design seen on Shambhala. They are fairly comparable B&M Hyper Coasters, in my view. So my question to you today is; which B&M Hyper do you prefer out of Mako and Silver Star? Does the lakeside fun of Mako take the cake for you? Or is the Mercedes thrill of Silver Star more your thing?

I’ll get the ball rolling with my own take, seeing as I (for once) have actually ridden both rides.

Personally, Mako at SeaWorld Orlando is my victor out of these two B&M Hyper Coasters… but it’s a very close competition. Much closer than I’d expected prior to riding Silver Star. Mako is my #1 and Silver Star is my #2; it’s literally that close, and I absolutely adore both!

I had quite a tough time deciding between them initially, but after some careful thought, three key things that gave Mako the edge for me were:
  1. While Silver Star is perfectly smooth for the most part, Mako had this beautiful feeling of being 100% glass smooth throughout that Silver Star couldn’t quite match, and that is one of the things I loved about it. Mako was so smooth that it almost felt like you were being whisked through the air by this wonderful ethereal force rather than on a roller coaster, whereas Silver Star, while smooth for the most part, didn’t offer quite the same sensation.
  2. I did feel that Mako’s peak airtime strength was a bit stronger than any of the airtime moments on Silver Star.
  3. I know that this will sound like a strange barometer to compare the two rides upon, but I had a ride on both where I was heavily stapled, and from memory, I would say that my stapled ride on Mako was stronger and offered more airtime than my stapled ride on Silver Star.
That’s not to say that Silver Star is a bad ride at all, because it isn’t. It’s truly phenomenal; it is still my #2 coaster of all time, it still has phenomenal airtime, it still encapsulates many of Mako’s greatest qualities, and it’s overall a phenomenally fun and rerideable coaster, in my view. I absolutely adored the thing, and getting 6 rides on it in 1 day on my final day at Europa Park will remain one of my fondest ever theme park memories… I found it genuinely hard to tear myself away from it, and had it not been for the fact that I had to get back to Hotel Colosseo for an early restaurant reservation and I wanted an end of day ride on Wodan before I left, I could have kept on lapping it for the rest of the night!

One thing I would also make an argument for is that Silver Star has a superior ending to Mako; that post-MCBR section is excellent! Those hits of ejector after the MCBR are truly awesome, and ensure that the ride keeps the brilliant airtime going throughout! Mako’s ending is really nice, don’t get me wrong, with the banked turns being really good fun, but SS properly ends with a bang in a way that Mako doesn’t quite match, in my opinion.

Overall, however, Mako just about pips Silver Star to the post on a few key points of contention for me. Both coasters are truly phenomenal rides, though; my all time #1 and #2!

But which B&M Hyper Coaster do you prefer?
 
I definitely preferred Mako. I think I must have caught SS at a bad time, as I found it to be a little bit lacklustre, especially at first. It did improve and the trims did ease off (or got turned off) but overall it was disappointing in comparison to recent (at the time) rides on Shambhala.

I do agree with your assessment about the ending though, Silver Star has it's length going for it.

I need to get back to Europa Park, and give everything another go, with less expectations based on others opinions. Sometimes, that can be a huge problem for me when visiting parks for the first time, I can build them and their coasters up based on other's opinions, only to be slightly disappointed.
 
As someone who literally got off of Mako less than 10 minutes ago. I’m gonna say Mako. But only just. There’s a trim on one of the airtime hills that’s biting hard and killed the pacing. A shame as up until that point it was great!
 
Jared said:
As someone who literally got off of Mako less than 10 minutes ago. I’m gonna say Mako. But only just. There’s a trim on one of the airtime hills that’s biting hard and killed the pacing. A shame as up until that point it was great!
Click to expand...
Yep, I called it the 'buzz kill'

But it's one of the reasons I see Mako and SS as fairly similar, because SS has it too.
 
Mako for me. Felt much more refined and I can't deny some of those hills were simply sublime at what the ride type does best.
By comparison, I mostly enjoyed Silver Star for the 'wrong' reasons, like the ejector off the mid course.
 
I always saw Silver Star as one of the weakest hypers with the mid course drop off the only saving grace.

When active the trim on Makos hill is odd and takes away that moment for the fun row. But in the back the shuffle into airtime kept things interesting and still delivers. It's been hyped as one of the best and didn't disappoint.

Surprised there was a question of which is best but everyone's experience's can differ wildly.
 
emoo said:
I always saw Silver Star as one of the weakest hypers with the mid course drop off the only saving grace.

When active the trim on Makos hill is odd and takes away that moment for the fun row. But in the back the shuffle into airtime kept things interesting and still delivers. It's been hyped as one of the best and didn't disappoint.

Surprised there was a question of which is best but everyone's experience's can differ wildly.
Click to expand...
Didn't you enjoy it so much you stayed all day Wednesday to marathon it whilst we moved onto Hollywood Studios? Or did the weather put a stop to that?
 
I ended up staying all of that day, so very glad I got out of bed. No further weather delays.

Reriding Mako dozens of times on 3 different days, often without leaving the station helped tremendously to be the best of times so a good point to note. There was usually a mini rotating collection of other people doing the same.

However after the first couple of rides and quickly warming to the ending I could already feel it's elite-ness.
 
emoo said:
I ended up staying all of that day, so very glad I got out of bed. No further weather delays.

Reriding Mako dozens of times on 3 different days, often without leaving the station helped tremendously to be the best of times so a good point to note. There was usually a mini rotating collection of other people doing the same.

However after the first couple of rides and quickly warming to the ending I could already feel it's elite-ness.
Click to expand...
Haha, my first ride was a bit different, I was annoyed at the trim brakes! I came around to it big time after the night rides at Howl, going round and round on the same train without queueing in the dark was insane! And then further enjoyed it with you on Wednesday when the brake seemed a little lighter. Made me laugh when we jumped back on and Cara had walked off, her face when we got off that second ride to find her waiting on the exit was a picture haha! Kids didn't mess around either, they jumped straight back on with us, deserting mum without a care!!! 🙈 😂 😂 😂

Did I tell you the story of when she did that to me on Taron at ERT, I got off after about 10 rides as somebody was waiting in our bay, thinking probably wanted a break, I walked past empty rows out the exit only to realise she wasn't following me, she'd jumped back on an empty row on her own and did several more laps without me!!! Nice to get revenge.

It's definitely elite.
 
Mako somehow combines the neverending drop of a dive coaster and just an incredible sense of speed.

The airtime is absolutely BONKERS. Ive found some seats offer me standing airtime (while safely restrained: I'm tall) on every hill and the perfect amount of force and intensity on every element beginning and pullout.
 
Mako.

It's been a while since I've ridden both but I remember being wowed by the airtime on Mako and not so much on Silver Star.

Aesthetically I prefer Mako's location and colour scheme too.

Silver Star's still good though.
 
Always surprises me that people like Mako so much, I found it really "meh" when I went on it.
Silver Star always had a better ride on it.

Must have just been back luck on Mako that day
 
Mako.

I really enjoy Silver Star, but it just doesn't have quite the same pacing as Mako and it definitely doesn't have the airtime. The only thing that Silver Star has over Mako is a vastly superior finale. That s-bend before the brakes is so choice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top