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Overshadowed attractions

I feel like this describes Maverick more than any other coaster at Cedar Point. It literally sits in the shadow of Steel Vengeance. It’s still a great ride, but if you ride it right after Steel Vengeance the experience just doesn’t quite feel as elite as it did before SteVe came along. @Hixee ’s post didn’t even mention Maverick, but before 2018 his post probably would have said other coasters sat in the shadow of Maverick, Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster.

Sure, it’s still quite popular, and still a world class coaster, but there’s something unavoidably “second best “ about it now, given it’s proximity to a 200 foot RMC
 
Galactica and Wickerman are pretty great rides. Wickerman does get rave reviews still, but it's been a few years now and it's fallen behind The Smiler in terms of its popularity. Galactica would be a great addition to any mid-budget park looking to expand into more thrilling rides while still being quite family friendly, but its proximity to Nemesis begs for unfair comparison.
 
RcTmix said:
I feel like this describes Maverick more than any other coaster at Cedar Point. It literally sits in the shadow of Steel Vengeance. It’s still a great ride, but if you ride it right after Steel Vengeance the experience just doesn’t quite feel as elite as it did before SteVe came along. @Hixee ’s post didn’t even mention Maverick, but before 2018 his post probably would have said other coasters sat in the shadow of Maverick, Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster.

Sure, it’s still quite popular, and still a world class coaster, but there’s something unavoidably “second best “ about it now, given it’s proximity to a 200 foot RMC
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To be fair, if I'd have remembered about Maverick I'd have had it in the list with SteVe, MF and TTD - but the fact I forgot about it does say something, doesn't it...? :D

I do like Maverick, honest! :p
 
Indy said:
Not only is the nearest B&M hyper (Goliath at SFOG) vastly superior, but you could argue that Intimidator has been overshadowed since day 1 when Cedar Fair chose to open two rides in the same year with the same theme. It never really had a chance against Intimidator 305.
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Interesting! I much preferred Intimidator at Carowinds to Goliath at SFOG. The airtime delivered on every hill on Intimidator and it didn't have the rattle that Goliath had. Goliath just felt a bit sad and knackered by comparrison.

But yeah, Intimidator doesn't stand a chance at all against I305!
 
Viper at Six Flags Great America. I don't think I even knew it existed until I went to the park since it's barely mentioned. It's very much overshadowed by Goliath, and I think even American Eagle gets more attention, but it's an excellent woodie. In another park, it could easily be the headline attraction.
 
gavin said:
Viper at Six Flags Great America. I don't think I even knew it existed until I went to the park since it's barely mentioned. It's very much overshadowed by Goliath, and I think even American Eagle gets more attention, but it's an excellent woodie. In another park, it could easily be the headline attraction.
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These rides could be a study in how to build wooden coasters all on their own. There were a number of Cy"clones" built by various manafactures over the years all with near identical layouts. Yet some are very highly regarded rides, (Viper, Aska, Texas Cyclone) and some are/were hated (Psyclone, White Canyon, Bandit)

What really made the good ones good and the bad ones bad. All of these rides are essentially identical in layout but the variation in quality is enormous. Its honestly impressive.
 
Good topic this, and some great suggestions already.

Particularly agree with Winjas at Phantasialand, in a park with Taron, Black Mamba and Fly, these get pushed aside really when in many parks, a surprise-filled duelling set of spinners would be a headline attraction.

I feel like Van Helsing's Factory at Movie Park Germany is overshadowed too. Very unassuming outside, and with Star Trek just round the corner, can be overlooked. And with another indoor coaster on park, except with more bells and whistles, I can only imagine that overshadowing has been expanded somewhat.

Would it also be fair to say the Psyke Underground at Walibi Belgium is a bit overshadowed? People sing the praises of Kondaa and Pulsar, and then the Vekoma trio is thrust into the limelight. But Pskye exists in the shadows, a bit of a relic of yesteryear at the park, but is a damn fun ride.
 
oriolat2 said:
Speaking of SFMM, Full Throttle anyone? Although gimmicky, the ride is quite big and marketable, yet it pales in comparison to SFMM coaster collection. Plonk this at SFA or SFStL and you have an absolute star!
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Another obvious one from SFMM, I'm embarrassed it took me this long to remember it, but then again that might be the whole point here, West Coast Racers. It might be a decent ride in its own right, but it's a slower launch than Full Throttle, a less interesting duel than Twisted Colossus, and as an inverting coaster, it's less exciting than half the rides in the park. It doesn't have any other gimmick to stand out among the various coasters that do. But the fact it inverts means it can't be compared to the park's family rides either. In short, it just doesn't do anything that isn't done better by multiple other coasters in the park.
 
Sorry for double posting, but in light of the recent news of its closure I was reminded of another one: Wildcat at Hersheypark.

This coaster has some notability as GCI's first coaster, but in almost every respect it was made obsolete when the park built Lightning Racer. The latter is faster, longer, has a greater drop height (albeit not structure height), a more interesting layout, it has the dueling aspect, and it's built by the same manufacturer. It fills all the same niches, but does so much better. In pretty much every way, Lightning Racer is "Superior Wildcat". Kind of understandable that they're scrapping Wildcat, to be honest, the question is only what took them so long.
 
I’m also going to suggest Nemesis Inferno at Thorpe Park.

Now Nemesis Inferno is not so much overshadowed within its park as it is within its country… the fact that Nemesis at Alton Towers, which most view as vastly superior, exists in the same country and even shares the same moniker means that despite being a fairly well liked coaster, Inferno is viewed much more negatively than it might be elsewhere.

If it were in a different country, or even if it wasn’t named after Nemesis, I think it would get a much better reception.
 
Matt N said:
I’m also going to suggest Nemesis Inferno at Thorpe Park.

Now Nemesis Inferno is not so much overshadowed within its park as it is within its country… the fact that Nemesis at Alton Towers, which most view as vastly superior, exists in the same country and even shares the same moniker means that despite being a fairly well liked coaster, Inferno is viewed much more negatively than it might be elsewhere.

If it were in a different country, or even if it wasn’t named after Nemesis, I think it would get a much better reception.
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Agreed, if it was just called Inferno I reckon the comparisons would be less prevalent.
 
Hixee said:
Most of Cedar Point. :D

Let's be honest - if Gatekeeper or Valravn, two of the biggest of their type in the world, were in the UK we'd never shut up about it. At Cedar Point they're minor second tier stuff. Heck, I'd wager Gemini, Raptor, Rougarou and Magnum could be lumped into that too.

They sit in the enormous shadow of Steel Vengeance, Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster*.

*Although at the moment, the shadow of Dragster is only really a literal than a metaphorical one. ;)
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Hah! You stole my bit.

I'll jump down to Kings Island with Mystic Timbers. It is a low-key top 3 GCI build (for many, it is the #1), but hardly the first roller coaster you think of at the park; let alone consider a premier wooden coaster across the entire country.
 
Hyde said:
Hah! You stole my bit.

I'll jump down to Kings Island with Mystic Timbers. It is a low-key top 3 GCI build (for many, it is the #1), but hardly the first roller coaster you think of at the park; let alone consider a premier wooden coaster across the entire country.
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As much as I love Mystic Timbers as my #1 GCI, it is definitely not the first coaster I think of In Ohio, even Kings Island itself.
 
Lisebergbanan is built on a massive hillside and is a pretty fun ride with big swooping high-g drops and a few airtime moments. It's figuratively and literally overshadowed by Helix. Probably not the best example compared to some in this thread, but it definitely fits visually!
 
Flash Shift said:
Lisebergbanan is built on a massive hillside and is a pretty fun ride with big swooping high-g drops and a few airtime moments. It's figuratively and literally overshadowed by Helix. Probably not the best example compared to some in this thread, but it definitely fits visually!
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I am pretty sure Lisebergbanan is not overshadowed by Helix. It has stood the test of time, and is universally loved by everyone. I would even go as far as to say that it is perhaps the best classic family coaster in the world: fast, long, not too intense or intimidating. The fact that despite running 4-5 trains consistently it is still pulling long lines after +30 years of operation proves my point.
 
Green Lantern at Six Flags Great Adventure is an incredible B&M with so much raw power many people want torn down and in the park its in really does look weak but it's my favourite B&M looper at that park.
 
Gatekeeper and Valravn. If they were anywhere else they would have been considered great rides but they are considered average or second class at Cedar Point.
 
I second Winjas - such an innovative fun and thrilling coaster, quirky and out of control.

Avalanche at BPB - one of... if not the best bobsled coaster out there.

Gaz express at Bagatelle - gem of a coaster.

Kolumbus Jolle at Europa..... This is not just any sea storm! This is a sea storm in its own enclosed show building with an accompanying sound and light package, interactive projection mapping, strobes, star-cloth ceiling and a central fountain show!
 
To throw a recent visit in here: Phoenix and Flying Turns often get the coaster enthusiast hype at Knoebels (and let's not forget Impulse, which is a great bid at a better Eurofighter by Zierer), with Twister often an afterthought for "why" to visit the park. Phoenix is an absolute astonishing piece of preservation, but Twister even moreso after the careful recreation/iterative design of the OG at original Elitch Gardens. The notion that they matched it up with when Mr. Twister was being relocated (with the rest of Elitch Gardens) and modified into Twister II is just fascinating. And aside from the heritage - it's also a great ride, with the best double-helix bowl I've ever ridden! (Yes, even Beast)
 
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