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Rank the Intamin Launch Coasters

cjbrandy

Hyper Poster
My gaming laptop arrived today, cant wait to use it! Its currently installing windows 10 which is taking forever so I thought I'd pass the time by making this little topic for discussion.

What do you think is the best Intamin launch coaster? It doesn't have to be one you've ridden. My favourite one Ive rode is Stealth but I think the best ones from looks are Top Thrill Dragster and the upcoming Taron at Phantasialand. If it gives me a fairly pain free ride (only 1 week today!!) Furious Baco should be up there with Shambhala in fun factor (the fact it has new softer restraints will help).
 

Thekingin64

Strata Poster
Out of the ones I've ridden (Stealth and Rita), Stealth is by far my favourite. It may be short and a one-trick wonder but the launch is fantastic.

Out of all that I can think of at the top of my head, xcelerator and I-speed both look fantastic since they're the mix between the generic launch + top hat and a twisty layout.
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Superman in Australia for me, with Storm Runner as a close second.

I don't think there are any from those that I haven't ridden which look like they'd be better.

Not going to comment on the new one at Phantasia yet though.
 

owentaylor121

Giga Poster
For me Formula Rossa, I've never experienced a launch like it! Was so relentless!

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 

Ben

CF Legend
Storm Runner for me, followed by Baco, Maverick and Formula Rossa.

TTD is great as well, so is Stealth. Cheetah Hunt is quite fab too.
 

CookieCoasters

Giga Poster
Definitely Storm Runner. A good launch, followed up by a unique selection of elements. The top hat and flying snake dive are excellent. Out of the others I've ridden, I really like iSpeed, Xcelerator and Stealth. After that, I haven't found any of them particularly good. Cheetah Hunt and Volcano the Blast Coaster are pretty decent I suppose.

Maverick is the one I'd most like to ride and is very near the top of my coaster wish list.
 

Smithy

Strata Poster
Kanonen
Baco
Rita
Stealth

Close between the top two, Baco has the best launch but was a bit dull and boring for the rest of it, Kanonen has a decent launch but a great little layout, Rita is just fun and by virtue of not being a cesspit of pain and boredom comes ahead of Stealth.
 

Hyde

Matt SR
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Maverick would be my first favorite - TTD, Storm Runner, Xcelerator, Wicked Twister, and Possessed following. (Though I would consider the hydraulic launches to be more honest to goodness launch coasters)
 

Hutch

Strata Poster
Top Thrill Dragster
Storm Runner
Stealth
Maverick
Wicked Twister
Rita
Kingda Ka


Now that I think about it, the reason why Top Thrill Dragster is on top (and why I rate it so high) may be because it was my first Intamin launched and the ride was absolutely insane and far more intense that almost everything that I had ridden. Now that I've ridden more accelerators I'd like to see if it's as good as I remember.

Storm Runner, while not as intense as TTD, comes second because it continues to do some great elements after the top hat.

Stealth is basically mini TTD or Kingda Ka, great launch, top hat, and awesome airtime hill.

Maverick is great too, but I rode it with the old restraints and it hurt in a few places (ooh should be a lot better with the new restraints :D)

Wicked Twister is good, but a little repetitive.

Rita has a great launch but it gets rattly after that.

And Kingda Ka is a POS. **** this ride!

I'm glad their are plenty of more that I haven't ridden, including that new one at Phantasialand!
 

GuyWithAStick

Captain Basic
Maverick and Dragster.

Of those I haven't ridden, I think that Turkish lapbar iSpeed clone looks fab. Same with Taron.

Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
For some reason I was thinking specifically accelerators.

Looking at Intamin launch as a whole, I'd put Atlantis Adventure at, or very near, the top. It's a very different type of ride, but it's excellent, especially for such a small coaster.
 

DelPiero

Strata Poster
Maverick and Storm Runner smash the rest out of the park. TTD's launch is excellent but the rest of the ride doesn't compare the the aforementioned 2. I think Baco would be the same, great launch but meh ride, from what I've heard.
 

Edward M

Strata Poster
Maverick followed closely by Dragster for me. Honorable Mention to Volcano for being surprisingly great.
 

zazobo

Hyper Poster
Of the three I've ridden:

Controversially...

1. Rita
2. Stealth
3. Baco

I find Rita much more 'fun' than Stealth and Baco made me feel like my brain was bleeding (even with the new weird face pad things)..
 

andrus

Giga Poster
Juvelen for me! Amazing ride <3

Stealth is a close second though; great launch, top hat and airtime hill. iSpeed is really good too! The others are a mixed bag though.. Baco with a great launch but too rough, Desert Race was very fun but has unfortunately aged badly, Storm Runner was too rough to enjoy, Kanonen is boring, and we all know that Ka has a faboulus launch but is terribly rough :S
 

NosyThemeparkr

Roller Poster
Stealth is the most intense one that I've ridden, but the rest of the ride experience makes it feel a little half baked. Cracking launch, but after I got off, first time riding it, I thought to myself, 'Is that it?', which is a surprise as I was petrified in the queue line. Overall, it's too short and could have done with a longer section like Storm Runner. While we're on the subject, the Incredible Hulk at Universal Studios in America looks amazing!
 

TilenB

Strata Poster
iSpeed does it for me. Such a great ride it is! :)
Stealth isn't too far back with its amazing launch, but it just doesn't do enough for me to like it (I've never been a fan of one trick ponies), whereas Rita and Superman: Escape from Krypton were just kind of lame in my opinion... :/
 

Howie

Donkey in a hat
Kingda Ka
Volcano
Stealth
Baco
Xcelerator
Rita

Yes yes, I know KK is pretty much universally hated - 'getting rough, OTSR's, naff colour' etc etc... but it's the tallest ride on Earth FFS! It's 456ft tall and it goes from 0 to 128 in 3 and a bit seconds! How can you argue with that? I mean really? How??
If one day I ever get to have multiple re-rides on the thing, I'm sure the novelty will wear off and it'll slip down the rankings, but as it stands I've only been on it once and that one time blew me away. So it's my number 1. Get over it.

Volcano: Great ride. Came as a complete surprise to me, just didn't see it coming. Loved it.

Stealth: I just like it. Nice theming & colour scheme, great launch and still silky smooth.

Baco: Potentially great ride spoiled by bizarre and uncomfortable seating position.

Xcelerator: Ok ride, spoiled (on my visit) by one train operation and that one train having 5, yes 5! seats out of action. That extra track length (compared to Stealth) doesn't really do much and feels like unnecessary 'filler'.

Rita: Piece of ****.
 

Hutch

Strata Poster
Howie said:
Yes yes, I know KK is pretty much universally hated - 'getting rough, OTSR's, naff colour' etc etc... but it's the tallest ride on Earth FFS! It's 456ft tall and it goes from 0 to 128 in 3 and a bit seconds! How can you argue with that? I mean really? How??
If one day I ever get to have multiple re-rides on the thing, I'm sure the novelty will wear off and it'll slip down the rankings, but as it stands I've only been on it once and that one time blew me away. So it's my number 1. Get over it.
I'll disagree and go into detail for the sake of discussion. :)

Sure, it's the tallest coaster on the planet, has a big launch, but that doesn't mean it's any good or make the other factors irrelevant. I too have only ridden it once, but I found the roughness and constant shaking unbearable before it even reached the top speed. The rattle messes with your head and distracts you from the others elements the coaster has to offer, making it hard to enjoy and the ride a blur, as if the other elements didn't do anything. Thank god it's only a 20 sec ride.

I could get a better opinion or experience with more rides, but I felt like one ride was enough to rate it and it'd be hard to convince me to ride it again anyway.

To me it seems like you love it because it's just a "once in a lifetime experience" or something like that.
 
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