Good Coasters With Bad Reputations

Mean Streak, RWB and all the SLCs. I also think all the Boomerang installations are great too, just too many people think they are unoriginal so they automatically don't like them.

I will turn the topic around... what coasters have a good reputation that you hate?

I will start!

MANTIS. I hate the stupid thing. I feel like i have been in a car wreak everytime I ride it (not to mention the long wait time). If ever try to ride it again I will bring a my protective cup. I have never found a way to get comfortable in that standing restraint. When I go back to CP, if the rest of the party want to ride it I will go take a few trip on Iron Dragon while I wait on them!

BTW: Mean Streak has a bad Reputation for a good reason. CP should take the wood the used for that thing and build more cottages

I don't know how anyone can think that Mean Streak is a great ride. I wouldn't call it bad, but it isn't that good for a woodie. Mean Streak is long and high, but those two things don't make a coaster good. One of my biggest complaints is the air time. Mean Streak has no good air time. I know some people don't think air time is needed, but on a woodie you either need air time or a good cyclone layout. Mean Streak never has any truly sharp quick turns that take you by surprise. If any woodie deserves more credit then it gets it would be Viper at Six Flags Great America. It is not the tallest or fastest. but its layout is great. Sharp turns with a lot of air time makes this one of the best woodies in the world.

Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain. You rarely hear anyone say anything good about that ride, but I thought it was a lot of fun (and this was after all the modifications).

I could just as easily say Magic Mountain as a park, too.

Magnum and Top Thrill Dragster...

...oh wait, that's the other way around.

-Nate

Good old Nate trying to rile up the troops. :)

Here are a few of mine -

Mantis, Disaster Transport, Iron Dragon. Didn't hear too much good talk about these three, and I was in for surprise.

SOB and Mean Streak both come to mind. Everyone seems to complain about those two coasters but both are among my favorite rides out there.

Deja Vu, one of the best coasters, but has a much deserving so bad rep thanks to being engineered by the idiots at Vekoma.

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RubberDucky said:
I like SLC's, but it would be awesome to see B&M make one.

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It's called a B&M Invert. *** Edited 5/12/2004 5:01:24 AM UTC by Scream Machine***

Actually, it's called Batman the Ride ;-)

The only SLC I've been on is Kong, and I really like it. I also enjoyed the heck out of ... get ready to flame... FLASHBACK. The first time I rode it, in 1994, I don't know... maybe I anticipated the drops correctly or something... but I actually had a good ride. Now, I've not had a good ride on it SINCE... but come to think of it... it hasn't been OPEN since. ;-) I've always had pretty good runs on Colossus. Have to check it out since the "retracking".

I had also heard bad things about Desperado being rough, but I enjoyed it. Two spins was enough for me, but I enjoyed it.

Turning the topic around... bad rides with a good rep... I didn't much care for the Texas Giant. The ride came to a virtual STOP on the mid course trims and ... it just didn't do it for me. I will say that the 2nd half of that ride is definitely the most intense wood I've experienced in the dark - but I've never made it to Santa Claus.

-Escher

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coasterdude318 said:
Magnum and Top Thrill Dragster...

...oh wait, that's the other way around.

-Nate

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Are you saying that these are Bad Costers with Good Reputations?

I believe that was his point....

Now if he was sarcastic or not, you can figure that out on your own.

Batwing would be a pretty good flyer if they would get the problems worked out (running a second train, using the second side of the station).

I 100% agree with SFMM's Viper. Right up there with Vortex, IMO.

When I was @ SFMM, I heard Viper and Revolution weren't that great, but I gave em a try and Iliked them alot, you can only trust someone's opinion to an extent, you have to try things for yourself!

Okay, the only SLC I have been on is Mind Eraser at SFA and I hated it. If the other ones are not any better, then I have no idea what some of you are talking about.

Underrated coasters:

Shockwave at PKD. The restraints are great, the loop is perfect, and it has plenty of ejector air. Yeah it is rough and will throw you around a bit if you are not ready for it, but if all rides were as smooth as B&M's...*yawn*

Wild Thing at VF. Usually this is the forgotten hyper or someone who rode it back when they kept the trims open is still bitter about them being closed. Whatever. The second hill has some of the best and longest airtime out there if you sit in the first car and I love it. The few rides I get with trims open are just a bonus.

Hercules at Dorney. I rode it for the first time last year and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. Not that rough in the front and a good strong ride.

Thunderhawk at Dorney. Very good ride but a bit short. If you sit in the very first seat (only 1.1) you will get great airtime. Yeah there are trims on those bunny hills but you get a great ride before that.

Zeus at Mt Olympus. Everyone always talks about Cyclops and "the drop". Zeus is a fast strong ride with a killer turnaround and several pops of air. It sort of reminds me of my next choice.

Screamin Eagle at SFStL. Very good ride but was a bit too rough at spots. If the work that was done on this was a successful as what I have read, I will probably like it better than Boss.

Wildcat at CP. This is not one to skip when you go to the point. The ride delivers more than it looks like it should.

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Robocoaster said:
I'd do SOB again in a heartbeat.

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I agree that SOB has a bad rep but is a decent ride. Now it is disapointing in the respect that they could have done so much more with all that speed. The shuffling does indeed hinder the experience, but overall I enjoy my rides on SOB. And Robo, you can blame me for not getting another ride on Sonnie. I remember you wanting to ride again, but I wasn't willing to wait when other coasters were walk-ons.

Boomerangs are a hoot, both Hershey GCIs get bashed but I think they're both excellent coasters, and I'd add Nitro, Kumba and Medusa East to that list too.

Then again, I'm probably the only person with Nitro, Kumba, Medusa east, Lightning Racer and Viper SFMM rated above coasters like X, Beast, Magnum, etc.

* I have to agree with Viper at SFMM. My only experience with Arrow Mega Loopers when I rode Viper was Shockwave at SFGAm and the wonderful deadman's curve. Shockwave was a ride that I rode at most once a visit, and on many visits I just skipped because I didnt want the headache.

Enter Viper. This bad boy was smooth and in the groove. Absolutely no headbanging, no deadman's curve, and tons of speed. This is honestly one of the most underrated coasters in the United States and probably THE best coaster at Magic Mountain. (ducks from all the heat I'm gonna get for that statement.)

* SLC's are also on my list. I love em. I think the layout is pure genius. I like a little rough ride once in awhile and the SLC is not only a little rough but it is very intense too. Hope to get a ride on some more of these in the future.

* Ninja @ SFStl. Everyone rags on this coaster for being to rough and uninspired and not any fun. I happen to love it. Sure it's a little rough but I really think it does well when compared to other small Arrow/Vekoma loopers. The headchopper with the chain is just awesome. No better headchopper out there. Seeing that chain moving and hearing it going as you fly by it is a surreal experience.

* X-Flight and the other Vekoma flyer clones. A lot of people say how much better the Beemer flyers are but I don't see it. Don't get me wrong, Superman was a good ride. The G-s in the pretzel were just amazing. The Vekoma just seemed to deliver more consistantly throughout the ride. It seemed that there was just more intensity throughout the ride and that flip before the drop is a real eye opener! The restraints on the Vekoma also seem to be a little scarier than the Beemer restraints. Then again mine could have just been looser on X-Flight. Who knows!