Re: Top 10(ish): 2015 Edition - page 27
Okay, so I figured out my coaster count and a top ten as a prelude to the 2015 season, and though I'm still not very comfortable with my list past number seven or eight, I did my best. So hard to compare fun rides like Verbolten, ROTM, and Dragster to genuinely great coasters like Voyage, but I did my best. Also hard to rank rides like Shivering Timbers, which is amazing sometimes and sucks others, as well as Beast which is easily top five at night, but not so much during the day. I anticipate that this will change greatly after my trip in June, though, and I can't wait to give creds like Boulder Dash (which was running poorly when I went last year, yet is still in the lower end of my top ten because it reminds me of a better Beast and I like the setting), as well as Thunderhead and various others. My top five hasn't waivered since 2012 I don't think.
1. Voyage- Such a great all around coaster. It's relentless, and you get that feeling of it having that classic out of control wooden coaster feeling without much discomfort. Also boasting an unpredictable layout, a great setting, and strong airtime, it's going to take a lot to bump this out of my top spot as it has been there for five years now.
2. El Toro- I haven't been on this since my 15th birthday because it decided to spite in 2012, but I remember it being butter smooth, having amazing airtime, a great first drop, and a lot of twists and turns at the end.
3. Ravine Flyer II- It has that awesome classic wooden coaster feeling with fantastic pacing and even better airtime. Short but sweet, and great from start to finish.
4. Skyrush- I had trouble placing this with Bizarro, as I wasn't quite sure which I liked better, but then I realized if presented with the opportunity to ride one or the other, I'd sooner pick Skyrush. The first drop is ridiculous, followed by a layout that just basically wants to murder you by throwing you out of your seat into the water below. Although I think Bizarro is a little bit longer and maybe has a little bit more to offer, I found Skyrush unique to many other steel creds I've been on and also very relentless, which I'm realizing is something I rank highly in coasters.
5. Bizarro- Has everything I want in a coaster. It doesn't have the monotony of an out and back airtime machine, yet still has a fantastic amount of airtime combined with an interesting layout and a lot of twists and turns.
6. Phoenix- I love this thing. If I weren't an enthusiast and were just walking by it, I would never guess it's such a hilarious ride. The airtime is unbelievable, especially with the restraint type! It does depend where you sit though, and if you're not near the front it can leave a lot to be desired. It's a coaster that definitely gives the illusion of being vulnerable, much like Skyrush does.
7. Boulder Dash- I really wish I could rank this higher, but the fact is, it wasn't running well the day we went. I didn't even want to put it in my top ten because I was disappointed with it, but then I realized it was still an awesome experience and I did love the setting. The airtime picked up throughout the night and it's a pretty unpredictable layout, so yeah, it belongs.
8. Top Thrill Dragster- I can't get rid of this even though it's a one trick pony. It's a hell of a trick and no matter how many times I ride it, it takes my breath away!
9. Maverick- It combines all of my favourite coaster elements into one package. A great first drop, a lot of twists and turns, airtime, and a launch. Not to mention a few inversions thrown in for good measure. It does have off days, and needs time to warm up in the morning I've found, but once it does it's a great ride and I never miss it when I'm there.
10. Beast- It's so different and fun. If every ride on Beast was like my first night ride, it would be in my top five, but the fact of the matter is, every ride isn't like my first one and so it falls at number ten instead. I still do like the ride during the day. It's a different experience and though there's no airtime, I do like the setting and I find it a pleasant experience. Not that intense, but fun and rerideable.
11. Revenge of the Mummy- USF- HA, I loved it. So unexpected and though it doesn't have any airtime or massive drops, it's amazing fun and I wanted to ride it again and again.
12. Leviathan- It's a bit on the short side to be in my top ten, but the drop is great, the pacing and speed is fantastic and the airtime it does have is pretty forceful.
13. Nemesis- I hate to rank it so low because it really is an awesome cred, but I just don't care for inverts enough to put it in my top ten. I don't like inversions that much, but this coaster was very unique and the theming is ridiculous as well. It had really interesting pacing too, and the speed picks up throughout the coaster rather than it just meandering like a lot of rides do toward the end.
14. Shambhala- This and Behemoth could essentially be interchangeable for me. They're both easily the best of the B&M mega coasters I've been on, and I've been on a fair few. I'm only putting this slightly higher because the setting and turnaround are both slightly more desirable than Behemoth's, but I find Behemoth's airtime stronger and great no matter where I'm sitting. Shambhala I found that certain seats gave rides significantly better than other seats.
15. Behemoth- Best airtime of any hyper that I've been on, for sure. Although the layout is pretty standard, I've never had a bad ride on it, especially the rides in the back of the train which give amazing sustained airtime.
16. Montu- More of a traditional invert than Nemesis is, it's the only other one I rank highly. It's intense and has some great elements, and I'm sad that the weather spited my reride.
17. Wild Mouse- Blackpool- NEVER been on anything like it. Never expected what was about to happen when I boarded (which was literally me laying down in the car with a seatbelt around my neck by the end of the ride), and I left it with a huge smile on my face. Maybe if I had gone on it again it wouldn't have been so special, but it was a ride experience like no other.
18. Verbolten- Although I rode it with a slight hangover and a high level of fatigue, I had a great ride on it. I can't wait to go on it again this summer and see how it is while I'm feeling a little bit more chipper. Not overly intense obviously, as it's a family ride, but still really good fun with nice effects.
19. Expedition Everest- There are so many coasters I've been on that are technically probably "better" than a lot of the ones I've listed in my top twenty (like ROTM, Verbolten, and Everest), but again, the theming was awesome, it's extremely rerideable, and it's fun.
20. Nitro- It gets a lot of poor reviews, which I don't understand because the airtime is really good, the layout is a little bit different than a lot of the other B&M hypers, and it also has one of the best helixes of any coaster I've been on.
21. Oblivion
22. Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain
23. Prowler
24. Powder Keg
25. Cornball Express
