Underrated Coasters?

[King]

Boardwalk Bullet at Kemah! I heard about it being rough so I was not expecting much. I purchased 1 ticket but ended up riding it 4 more times. I underrated this one.

[Rhyano]

people are going to hate me, i love Vortex at Kings Island, its rough but its intense and fun! and if you are tall like me, keep your head out the entire time, of the ride and you will be fine

[ytterbiumanalyst]

-Honorable mention for Wildfire at SDC! I loved the pacing on this coaster, great airtime on the first drop and going up into the brakes! (I liked it more than Kumba, Kraken, Incredible Hulk, and Medusa. The only standard looping B&M I like more is Superman Krypton... and not by much!

So glad to hear someone else say that. I love Wildfire. It has great intensity throughout, while having good enough pacing to be extremely re-ridable. It also has the unique floorless-like trains that still have a floor. Superman at SFFT is fantastic as well, and my personal favourite in that park (last time I visited was pre-Iron Rattler). I hear great things about Kumba, and eventually when we get to Florida (it's a looong way from Missouri), I'm interested to see which one I end up liking better.

[DarienLaker]

My honorable mentions would have to the spinning coaster clones made by Maurer and Gerstlauer. They're fine for for what they are, but there is very little difference between the spinning coaster clones.

[bobrogin]

In my humble opinion it's the Lakeside Cyclone. It was my most ridden coaster until I moved back to Pennsylvania. My friend Bill and I rode it ten more times on September 11, 2015 during my visit to Albuquerque, NM. This woodie has a great first drop and never fails to thrill without beating the crap out of you. We both agreed that the New Mexico Rattler was an entirely different story when we called it quits after two trips just two days later.

[Canobie Coaster]

Wood

Cyclone (Coney Island)- I heard the ride was aggressive, so I was expecting rough. I rode in the back and the ride was smooth with insane ejector air on each hill.

Roar (SF Discovery Kingdom)- I'm sure the Joker will be better, but the old version had good pacing, a great layout, and some nice air.

Rolling Thunder (Left, SF Great America)- I rode the left side six straight times in a massive downpour and the ride was flying through the course. I got good air-time on the entire return leg. I returned the next day and rode the right side. It was screeching and crawling through the course. Rather than risk ruining my memory of the left side, I chose not to ride it again.

 

Steel

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit- Ditto on the person who said the Rockit. The ride has some really good air-time on the drops and pulls some strong Gs.

Space Mountain- It's one of the most ridden coasters in the world, but I rank it really highly on my list as well. All versions (except maybe Paris) are just pure fun.

GateKeeper- It's not as relentless as the old school inverts, but the ride has some graceful and fun inversions plus a great setting.

[Peeps28]

American thunder..six flags. Great coaster.

[Lameformer]

I'm a sucker for family coasters, so I got to go with Gold Rusher at SFMM and Jaguar! at KBF. I also find Goofy's Sky School at DCA to be a pretty strong coaster.

[Angle O. Descent]

I have a question: if coasters like Beast, Magnum XL, Nitro, and Apollo's Chariot etc can make their way onto certain Top Ten lists year in and year out, then why do certain coasters like Shivering Timbers, Ride of Steel, and Raven who were once NUMBER ONE on those very same lists, do not even make the Top 20 anymore? I'm starting to believe that quality in general is underrated, and that nostalgia can be overrated.

[CoasterGoddess]

Probably Desperado at Buffalo Bills Hotel & Casino in Primm Valley, Nevada. This is one wild, fast, and intense ride! It's worth the trip out there when visiting Las Vegas!

I'm not sure if it's underrated, but I rarely hear it mentioned so I consider that underrated. When I was there I got on every time without any wait and half the seats were empty.

[PixelRush]

From what I've done, Thunderbolt at SFNE (one of the only places I know ;-! Of course, it's not for people with high thrill standards like me, but it's very enjoyable anyways! That is, if you fit correctly xD

[coasterer]

I have a question: if coasters like Beast, Magnum XL, Nitro, and Apollo's Chariot etc can make their way onto certain Top Ten lists year in and year out, then why do certain coasters like Shivering Timbers, Ride of Steel, and Raven who were once NUMBER ONE on those very same lists, do not even make the Top 20 anymore? I'm starting to believe that quality in general is underrated, and that nostalgia can be overrated.

 

 

I don't think this is fair. I think that quality is always considered, but nostalgia and relevance (two sides of the same coin) will always slightly color an opinion. It's why some coasters debut very highly in their first year (particularly B&M hypers or GCIs), and then fall. It's why Morgan/Arrow hypers will never rank higher, because B&M and Intamin have made them more irrelevant. It's why people either love or hate rides from their home parks more than other enthusiasts - because those ride experiences are supercharged with memories, either good or bad. It's why rides that hold up well over the years (ie Nitro, MForce, Nemesis, Phoenix), even if they're older or just slightly degraded, raise in the polls - because these rides are establishing reputation. And it's why more obscure rides just can't hold their place as well (ie Shivering Timbers, Atlantis Adventure,ipseed/Katun, Coaster@Playland), as they're just not in the public spotlight as much.

 

And a lot of this is also related to maintenance. You can have the best ride in the world, but if it starts becoming rough, now you have a wide spread in opinion, between people who can't stand it anymore, people who think the roughness is tolerable, and people who only remember the ride in its heyday. Rides are only as good as you last enjoyed them - subjectivity is always going to be present.

[bert425]

Probably Desperado at Buffalo Bills Hotel & Casino in Primm Valley, Nevada. This is one wild, fast, and intense ride! It's worth the trip out there when visiting Las Vegas!

I'm not sure if it's underrated, but I rarely hear it mentioned so I consider that underrated. When I was there I got on every time without any wait and half the seats were empty.

 

that's because it isn't always open -- not even during the weekend POSTED hours. sometimes you go out there, and it's not running.

 

if they promoted it (and hopefully continue to maintain it).. it would be a draw for the casino, I'd think. But it's SBNO at least 5 days a week, and only operates for a few hours on the days it IS open.

[AirMBTB]

I have a question: if coasters like Beast, Magnum XL, Nitro, and Apollo's Chariot etc can make their way onto certain Top Ten lists year in and year out

 

-Beast is still running of the fanfare it earned it the 80s (I haven't had a truly fast ride on it since 1991)

-Magnum really kicks butt, but isn't liked by most lightweights that have been raised in the B&M/GCI age.

-Nitro? I could never figure that one out. I think it's just in there because it's at a HUGE park that lots of people have been to.

-Apollo's Chariot? Personally, I love it. Chalk it up to a couple unique sections of track, the trees and being at a great park.

 

then why do certain coasters like Shivering Timbers, Ride of Steel, and Raven who were once NUMBER ONE on those very same lists, do not even make the Top 20 anymore? I'm starting to believe that quality in general is underrated, and that nostalgia can be overrated.

 

Raven was much better with buzz bars. People hate to hear that, but it's true (and true for any coaster that has been converted over to dark side of those ratchet bars). There might be something you say about nostalgia. For example, I LOVE Whizzer, Mind Bender and Kennywood Thunderbolt - but they all currently run better than ever. They never stopped being awesome. They're also nostalgic to me! I grew up riding the Beast, and as nostalgic it is to me, that all falls off when I get in those ridiculous frankensteined-trains and ride those obnoxiously magnetically-brakes tracks. It's easier to just avoid it.

 

As far as coasters being overrated/underrated on top coaster lists, none of it matters. We all have a list. In my list, and Anton Jet Star rates higher than a 200/300+ foot plus B&M (and even an Intamin!): not because of nostalgia, but because I have more fun on those every time I go back.

Edited November 18, 2015 by AirMBTB

[Married a Canadian]

Rides are only as good as you last enjoyed them - subjectivity is always going to be present

.

 

Agree 100%. I have not ridden Apollo's Chariot in 7 years...but when I did, at the time it blew me away as it was my first B and M hyper. The memory of that remains to this day hence it remains in my top 5.

Since I rode AC I have been on a lot more different types of coaster, so when Wonderland built Behemoth, which is similar...I liked it a lot..but it didn't have the same wow factor as my first ride on Apollo. I put this down to being more familiar with the type of ride that a B and M gives you. Maybe when I go back to Busch Gardens my opinion of Apollo's Chariot will change....but at this point I still remember hanging on for dear life over the hills and LOVING the treeline.

[I love pie]

Probably Desperado at Buffalo Bills Hotel & Casino in Primm Valley, Nevada. This is one wild, fast, and intense ride! It's worth the trip out there when visiting Las Vegas!

I'm not sure if it's underrated, but I rarely hear it mentioned so I consider that underrated. When I was there I got on every time without any wait and half the seats were empty.

 

that's because it isn't always open -- not even during the weekend POSTED hours. sometimes you go out there, and it's not running.

 

if they promoted it (and hopefully continue to maintain it).. it would be a draw for the casino, I'd think. But it's SBNO at least 5 days a week, and only operates for a few hours on the days it IS open.

So let me get this straight

In terms of operations, Desperado is identical to TTD

[coasterbill]

I have a question: if coasters like Beast, Magnum XL, Nitro, and Apollo's Chariot etc can make their way onto certain Top Ten lists year in and year out, then why do certain coasters like Shivering Timbers, Ride of Steel, and Raven who were once NUMBER ONE on those very same lists, do not even make the Top 20 anymore? I'm starting to believe that quality in general is underrated, and that nostalgia can be overrated.

 

In some cases I wouldn't chalk it up to nostalgia as much as I would uniqueness. This doesn't apply to Apollo or Nitro but rides like Beast and Magnum rank like they do because there's nothing else like them. Some of the rides you mentioned that have dropped have dropped because similar rides have beat them at their own game... Rides like El Toro and Outlaw run blow Shivering Timbers and Raven away and while it doesn't make those rides any less great, they now have comparable rides that are much better that will cause them to rank lower.

 

The fact is, there's no other coaster that can compare to Magnum XL 200. Don't take that out of context as if I'm saying it's the best coaster in the world... I'm not, but it's so unique that nothing will ever beat it at its own game so people that love it will always love it and will keep it ahead of other coasters in the rankings. No ride delivers the type of airtime that Magnum does. Rides like El Toro and Skyrush have insane, maybe better airtime but it comes in the form of parabolic hills. You can feel the hills cresting and the airtime coming on... It's awesome but Magnum is unique. On Magnum you have airtime hills that are almost triangular so one minute you're riding along and with no warning at all in a fraction of a second (especially in the tunnels) you're flung into the lap bar and convinced you're going to die (lol). It's not everyone's cup of tea, but if that's what you're into then Magnum is the best in the world at delivering it.

 

As far as the Beast goes, it ranks highly for 2 reasons... first of all it's a very unique ride. It's one of a kind and nothing else does what it does with the 2 lifts, ridiculous ride time and the feeling of being alone deep in the woods. The other reason though is that the Beast at night is a legendary experience. I've never had a better ride on any coaster ever than I did in the front row of the Beast at night last year.

 

Other coasters drop in the rankings because they're great, but something bigger and better comes along and tops them. The more B&M hypers that get built, the more they all sort of blend in. The more Intamin hyers that get built, the more rides like Biazrro and Superman ride of Steel blend in. They're still awesome but there are other similar rides that beat them at their own game. With Magnum and Beast though there's still nothing else like them and every new B&M hyper tha gets built just makes these rides feel more and more unique because they do things that those new rides don't do.

[VF15]

The Bat at Kings Island is another coaster that I think doesn't get enough attention. Much more intense than I was expecting it to be, and much better than Iron Dragon at CP.

[MrSum1_55]

I second kiddie woodies. My friends and I decided to credit whore Woodstock Express at Carowinds. There was a full train, and I sat in the back row. The result was crazy ejector air on the first two drops. Seriously, I was ejected all the way into the buzzbar, and I actually felt like I had to hold on! It reminded me more of Knoebels Phoenix than anything.

 

We rode it again.

[Password121]

^THIS

 

I've said this before and for some reason people came to defense of Grizzly and Rebel Yell at Kings Dominion, but Woodstock Express is definitely the smoothest wooden coaster at KD, and I would argue has the best airtime of the three. I've never found Rebel Yell to have anything even hinting at ejector, and you'd have to be sitting in a good seat on a good day to convince me it has "mass quantities of floater airtime."

 

Seriously when I say Woodstock Express at KD is the best wooden coaster in the park, that's not a knock on the other three (although I personally don't think any of them are decent coasters), it's my high appraisal of Woodstock. The back row has some scary moments of ejector.

[Philrad71]

I have only ridden it twice, but I got mad air on Thunderhawk at Dorney in the front right seat...I loved it!

[FaithPlus1]

Probably Desperado at Buffalo Bills Hotel & Casino in Primm Valley, Nevada. This is one wild, fast, and intense ride! It's worth the trip out there when visiting Las Vegas!

I'm not sure if it's underrated, but I rarely hear it mentioned so I consider that underrated. When I was there I got on every time without any wait and half the seats were empty.

 

that's because it isn't always open -- not even during the weekend POSTED hours. sometimes you go out there, and it's not running.

 

if they promoted it (and hopefully continue to maintain it).. it would be a draw for the casino, I'd think. But it's SBNO at least 5 days a week, and only operates for a few hours on the days it IS open.

 

I disagree. I believe the reason they haven't maintained it or kept it open more because it isn't a big draw anymore. Why would someone go out of their way to ride an old Desperado when they can find better much closer?

[DirkFunk]

I have a question: if coasters like Beast, Magnum XL, Nitro, and Apollo's Chariot etc can make their way onto certain Top Ten lists year in and year out, then why do certain coasters like Shivering Timbers, Ride of Steel, and Raven who were once NUMBER ONE on those very same lists, do not even make the Top 20 anymore? I'm starting to believe that quality in general is underrated, and that nostalgia can be overrated.

 

Times change. Things change. In the case of many wood coasters, they get rough, reprofiled, or both. In the case of Ride of Steel at Darien Lake, the kind of pacing people expect from rides has changed in addition to the reaction to those sorts of negative G forces. Its no different than looking back to rankings before even the internet era and seeing stuff like Loch Ness Monster being a near consensus top 10 steel. What was the competition then?

[p-sychiatrist]

I second kiddie woodies. My friends and I decided to credit whore Woodstock Express at Carowinds. There was a full train, and I sat in the back row. The result was crazy ejector air on the first two drops. Seriously, I was ejected all the way into the buzzbar, and I actually felt like I had to hold on! It reminded me more of Knoebels Phoenix than anything.

 

We rode it again.

^THIS

 

I've said this before and for some reason people came to defense of Grizzly and Rebel Yell at Kings Dominion, but Woodstock Express is definitely the smoothest wooden coaster at KD, and I would argue has the best airtime of the three. I've never found Rebel Yell to have anything even hinting at ejector, and you'd have to be sitting in a good seat on a good day to convince me it has "mass quantities of floater airtime."

 

Seriously when I say Woodstock Express at KD is the best wooden coaster in the park, that's not a knock on the other three (although I personally don't think any of them are decent coasters), it's my high appraisal of Woodstock. The back row has some scary moments of ejector.

 

YES! Woodstock Express is in my top 5 coasters at King's Dominion. It seriously kicks ass and is the smoothest woodie there by a landslide. I will admit I love Grizzly more, but Woodstock Express isn't just some kiddie ride, and it has some great pops of airtime.

 

Another coaster I find underrated is Verbolten. It is easily my favorite ride at Busch Gardens, although I still can't decide if I love it more than Big Bad Wolf (nostalgia gets in the way).

 

As for the most underrated coaster of all time, just take a look at my signature

#SkullLife

[bert425]

Probably Desperado at Buffalo Bills Hotel & Casino in Primm Valley, Nevada. This is one wild, fast, and intense ride! It's worth the trip out there when visiting Las Vegas!

I'm not sure if it's underrated, but I rarely hear it mentioned so I consider that underrated. When I was there I got on every time without any wait and half the seats were empty.

 

that's because it isn't always open -- not even during the weekend POSTED hours. sometimes you go out there, and it's not running.

 

if they promoted it (and hopefully continue to maintain it).. it would be a draw for the casino, I'd think. But it's SBNO at least 5 days a week, and only operates for a few hours on the days it IS open.

 

I disagree. I believe the reason they haven't maintained it or kept it open more because it isn't a big draw anymore. Why would someone go out of their way to ride an old Desperado when they can find better much closer?

 

"much better, closer?"

 

oh really. . "Roller Coaster" at NYNY, "CanyonBlaster" and "El Loco" at CircusCircus?

 

two of those three are good, but Desperado blows them away. .and is not more than an hour car drive. (Las Vegas to Primm is 48 minutes).