Who else here is old enough to remember the National at its best? It was even better than the Mouse and must have had miles more airtime than any other coaster in the UK.
Don't forget that they've changed the restraints too. You had just one lap-bar between two people before. You spent most of the time out of your seat.
It seems mental to me that in some of the reviews of Icon, it's praised for it's airtime. It doesn't really have any apart from the top hat, and if you think it does it's because you're used to rides that don't have much.
It's a sad state of affairs, when the corporate-whore rebranded Roller Coaster is considered the best woodie at the park. It was always the ****test - EXCEPT for the fact that it didn't have any restraints at all in the 90s. That's right - not even a little shared lap-bar. A reflection of how tame it was, but also something to give you a mild thrill. The National and Big Dipper were no rougher than the Roller Coaster really, but they were much more fun.
When the three rides are working the way they are supposed to, the hierarchy is very clear. National is much better than the Big Dipper, which is much better than the Roller Coaster. It's sad that poor maintenance has blurred the lines between them so much. They are the most historic coasters in the country, and they should be kept in excellent condition, even if the National Lottery has to cough up for it.