Underrated Coasters?

[Bdog98z]

Cheetah at Wild Adventures

[cfc]

I'm going to go with Blue Streak at Cedar Point (a very pleasant surprise earlier this year and more enjoyable than Gatekeeper) and Thunderhawk at Worlds of Fun (not a great ride, but not as bad as I'd been led to believe).

[Pyrozooka0]

Goliath and Mind Bender at SFOG may be well liked, but I feel they deserve even better.

As for actually underrated coasters:

 

GASM at SFOG is an old school airtime machine, but no one ever says so.

Hurler at Carowinds still brings the even with the trims.

[gerstlaueringvar]

Powder Keg!!! I loved it soooo much. The launch was incredible!

[therick311]

I actually think Powder Keg is as good as Outlaw Run.

[cfc]

Powder Keg is a "family coaster" that seems to please most everyone. We need more of these.

[beatle11]

Jungle Twist!

 

[donkeyman18]

Will agree with Powder Keg was really a great ride.

[Condor]

Timber Terror at Silverwood. Tremors is usually the only one that gets talked about, but Timber Terror is every bit as good despite being slightly shorter and having a simpler layout.

[Schrecken]

I would also agree that Wild One at SFA is underrated, especially since I rode it many times before it got re-profiled (I bet not many people even remember that at all) back in the late 90's, when there was a serious moment of ejector airtime going up the last hill right before the turn around. Unfortunately that part was leveled out, killing the airtime, at least in that specific part of the ride. But even after the re-do it is still a good out and back woodie, and the only reason I can think of for it not getting much attention is simply because it is at SFA.

 

I'd also mention Great Bear at Hershey - granted, it isn't the most thrilling B&M invert out there, but it is unique (I can't think of any B&M that has a turn like that after the lift) and it is very re-rideable.

 

Also, Phantom's Revenge seems to be slightly underrated (perhaps not as badly as some of the other Arrow and Morgan hypers), but it has a great drop and some really nice pops of airtime.

 

Finally, there is another coaster at Kennywood that I think is underrated - the Exterminator. Granted, it is a mouse, and mice never rank very high on enthusiast's lists of coasters, but the Exterminator is 1000 times better than those other two "mice in boxes" that reside at two Six Flags parks. It also qualifies as a well-themed indoor coaster (again, far better than the latter two I just mentioned) and for me it rises a bit above typical run of the mill wild mice. If I had to rank all of the mice I'd ridden, it would be #1 by far.

[DanM64]

^I love Exterminator!!

 

As already mentioned- Phantom's Revenge and Blue Streak are underrated. I feel the same way about Ride of Steel at Darien Lake as well. While it's not as good as some other Intamins, I enjoy it far more than any of the B&M hypers I've been on.

[cfc]

I also agree regarding Exterminator--one of the few spinning-mouse coasters I like. But I also enjoyed Great America's Dark Knight.

[2012jarrett]

Ones that come to mind for me:

 

*Blue Streak- Easily my favorite out-and-back woodie. There's SO much airtime on that thing!

*Tennessee Tornado- It's my favorite Arrow looper and I don't ever see anybody rant and rave about it. It's so intense as the loop is one of the funkiest ones out there.

*Flight of Fear- That ride doesn't seem to end and is one of the most disorienting ones out there. Not to mention you spend most of the ride plastered down into your seat while up on the wall at a pretty good bank.

*Volcano: The Blast Coaster- Such a unique ride and it never gets talked about! Flying around that mountain is spectacular with all the footchoppers.

 

Just my two cents.

[milst1]

I really like Steel Eel at SeaWorld in San Antonio. The Morgan Hypers don't get much love. As far wood coasters go, I think Thundercoaster at Tusenfryd is a lot of fun, but few know about it.

[CorkscrewFoley]

^*Facepalm* why does everyone think that Darien Lake's Ride of Steel is underrated? The honors for most underrated coasters at Darien Lake are Motocoaster, Predator, Mind Eraser,and Viper!

 

LOL. Why does people saying Ride of Steel is underrated deserve a facepalm? Also, Motocoaster, Predator, Mind Eraser, and Viper aren't underrated. They just aren't very good. I mean, I've heard Motocoaster and Viper are fine but... I don't know, there is absolutely no point to this post so I will stop talking...

 

Actually, I thoroughly enjoyed Viper...I found it smooth for a 20+ year old Arrow.

[Xcoaster]

For me, it's mostly wooden coasters that are overshadowed by other coasters in the same park. Wild One @ SFA was a great surprise. I had some airtime filled front-car rides on Blue Streak @ CP on my last visit, and I thought Skyliner @ Lakemont Park was comparable. I thought Thunderhawk @ Dorney was surprisingly decent. Cyclops @ Mt. Olympus is awesome (although I think this is common knowledge). King's Dominion has several that I think are under appreciated: Rebel Yell, Grizzly, Dominator, and FoF. I really liked Boardwalk Bullet in Texas (I think the consensus is that it's too rough?). I've enjoyed every Morgan hyper I've ridden, but I especially like Steel Eel, Phantom's Revenge, and Steel Force. And at Knott's, I really like Sierra Sidewinder.

 

As for underrated rides that are just too far out of the way, Coaster @ Playland is terrifying, either wooden coaster at Silverwood is great, Spaceship 2056 @ New Reoma World is an excellent Space Mountain ripoff, Mammut @ Gardaland is a great minetrain, and German El Toro is one of my favorite GCIs.

[IronWolfman]

I think even though both woodies at Silverwood are underrated because of how far off the beaten path they are, Timber Terror is the more underrated of the 2. The general consensus is that both are good but Tremors is better, but in personal experience I think Timber Terror is better due to it's Buzz Bars. If Tremors got Buzz Bars it would be amazing as well. I still love both of them but Timber Terror is my favorite of the two, and is actually my favorite woodie overall!

[DanM64]

I also agree regarding Exterminator--one of the few spinning-mouse coasters I like. But I also enjoyed Great America's Dark Knight.

Chuck, I'm glad you brought up SFGAm's Dark Knight. I would consider it an underrated coaster too, or at least one that doesn't deserve the bad rap it gets. All the "enthusiasts" complain about it. Yes, it's not Skyrush, but it was never intended to be. It was built to be for families, and I think it's a great family coaster. I don't have any children, but my girlfriend and I enjoy it, and ride it every time we visit. The effects are actually pretty darn good by Six Flags standards, and it's a fun ride. I know a lot of people argue that having 2 mice in the same park (though not for much longer) is stupid, I think that even though both are wild mouse coasters, the ride experiences are completely different. There are enough people that prefer to not spin that I feel justifies having Dark Knight.

[Hugecoltsfan]

I always thought that Grizzly at KD was a little underrated.

[JJLehto]

I always thought that Grizzly at KD was a little underrated.

 

Oh this! Admittedly: I only rode in back seat, but there at least I had some really sick airtime, like body touching lap bar and even feeling the slight tug of the seat belt. Had the shakiness a wooden needs but it didn't pummel me and was a fun ride. Had no wait and did it 5 times in a row I liked it so much.

[mike541x]

A few to add since this thread has been bumped:

 

Great Bear-I don't hear a lot of people talk about this ride very much. This might be third favorite invert behind Alpengeist and Montu. Unique layout with some forceful moments, like the beginning helix. Great ride!

 

Fahrenheit-I almost forgot this ride existed before visiting the park last year. This ride packed a punch, forceful and has a nice moment of airtime near the end. The vertical lift was a very cool experience as well.

 

Avalanche (KD)-For a family coaster, this ride is pretty damn fun. I wonder if Mack ever considers making more of these.

[blk_mamba]

I guess to all onto the Hershey Park band wagon, Skyrush is very underrated roller coaster. It is one of the most intense roller coasters, that I have been on and the ejector airtime is intense, some might say too intense. You really have to trust the restraints b/c there are so many moments where u feel like you are going to fly out of your seat on that thing especially if you are in one of the winged seats!

[AllenA07]

I'm going with two for vastly different reasons.

 

Top Gun at CGA gets my first pick. Ride is unbelievably intense. While I haven't been on every single B&M invert out there, going on recent reputation, I'm guessing that it may well be the most intense B&M out there.

 

Other one is Silver Bullet at KBF. As far as a great coaster for enthusiasts, I'm going to say probably not. However Knott's basically has one of the more impressive looking family coasters in existence. You could stick you 80 year old grand mother on the ride and she would be fine.

[boldikus]

After my trip last weekend I have a few to add to this:

 

Phantoms Revenge

Sky Rocket!!

Jack Rabbit

Gemini

Blue Streak

Magnum!!!! maybe not underrated but it gets hated on by so many and I LOVED this ride!

 

Others I had ridden prior:

 

Skull Mountain - best indoor coaster imo. sit in the back row for major ejector air over the first drop

Bizarro (SFGAdv) - this gets hated on also but one of my faves at my home park. Other than stacking 3 trains always whats not to like? Its forceful, smooth and when the effects are working its a brilliant night ride!

Wild One (SFA) - easily one of my fave woodies ever

Great White (Moreys) - Moreys is underrated overall and its a shame because I think most enthusiasts see a boomerang and SLC as two of the three "big" coasters so Great White gets overlooked but its always been a fave of mine. Best rides are after a hot day with a full train in the back car.

[Hilltopper39]

Raptor- one of the best B&M invert out there in my opinion

Gemini- great family coaster by todays standards

Kraken- really solid ride that doesn't get as much attention as some of the other major coasters in the orlando are

Phantoms Revenge- easily a top 10 caliber cosater in my book that never seems to find it's way into any top 10's

Storm Runner- same as above, a bit short but that thing is action packed, i much prefer it over Dragster or most other launch coasters.

Outer Limits- great launch, great pacing, wicked layout in the dark, insanley comfortable with the lap bars.

Tennessee Tornado- I'd take it over just about any sitdown looper not named Kumba, the drop though the mountain is great