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Do Inversions "do it" for you or is it meh?

Rock_N_RollBob

Rock_N_RollBob

Roller Poster
I did a quick search for threads of this nature. So apologies if it was covered a while back. I'm really curious as to wow factor, "you gotta ride this" type of sentiment.

For me, personally...The only inversions that "insert palapatine do it meme here" do it, are Superman clones. Stalls are a whole other thing in my view. And even then...for the best stalls, one would have to travel quite a ways to get the best 5.

What say you, fellow Coaster Freaks?
 
I love inversions but probably value airtime more. As far as standouts that I have experienced I really enjoyed the Mosasaurus Roll on Velocicoaster as well as it's Zero G stall. The top gun stall on Twisted Colossus is great as well as the Raven turns on X2!
 
Just depends whether it’s thrilling or not. Once the novelty thrill of ‘being flipped upside down’ has worn off, it can be even become pretty dull, especially when that is all the ride is.

I’d take speed, aesthetics and airtime over ‘mere inversions’.
 
In short, absolutely they do, but like all things there are exceptions. It's all about execution.

A typical vertical loop generally doesn't do anything for me. However, the vertical loops on Copperhead Strike with their strange hangtime are fantastic. Tennessee Tornado's first loop with its strange twisting action is quite enjoyable. Inversions have become a lot more interesting and variable as design and fabrication have improved.

I could rattle off a pretty exhausting list of inversions that really add a lot; pretty much anything that RMC does, most of what Intamin has been doing in the last 10 years, most of what Vekoma has been doing the past 5 years, Storm Runner's flying snake dive, and just about every B&M zero-g roll in existence.
 
Absolutely, but as said above, depends on the execution and the overall coaster.

I don't really rate things like Colossus, and Dragon Khan is fab but the inversions are very samey to me, because inversions is basically their entire layouts. Smiler feels a bit different though, I actually quite like it, but I think that's because the Smiler has good pacing.

But I do think there is something so fun about hangtime when upside down, especially if it's used sparingly and effectively. I think if a coaster had four stalls, it would get dull, but when you get hit with one where it fits and flows with the layout, you've got a winner. I'd say it's the same with most inversions tbh. I'm a sucker for heartline rolls and inline twists, though. Shoutout to the rolls on Bluefire and Baco, I could ride those all day, as well as the zero-g roll on Dragon Khan.
 
An inversion with no hangtime or whip may as well just be a turn. I wanna feel the fact I’m upside down. Or at LEAST get cranked around while going through the element’s transition
 
I don't mind them but at the very least I want a "reason" for them to be there other than 'to flip you upside down'. There's nothing that beats the disappointment of airtimeless hills, and also nothing that beats the disappointment of completely forceless inversions that you don't feel the impact of.

Take Pinfari loops. I have never been impressed with Pinfari loops, dare I say I found Turbo's loop to be underwhelming back when I rode it... one day before my 10th birthday. Don't remember a millisecond of the Southport one and the Clacton Pier loop was just the same as Turbo's really.

In short, yes inversions still do it for me, but at the very least I want a reason for them to be there. Granted I've done very few coasters that actually do invert when putting things on a larger scale, so maybe this opinion changes as my expectations adjust as I get on larger rides more often.
 
Inversions, done well, absolutely.

I think what most does it for me is a healthy mixing of inversions with other elements, rather than back-to-back-to-back-to-back (looking at you B&M).

Steel Vengeance's Zero-G Roll. Incredible Hulk's Cobra Roll. Tennessee Torando's Sidewinder. All great examples of measured, powerful inversions.
 
Going on a Coaster with an inversion is a milestone for young budding enthusiasts… my 7 year old daughter this past month got up the courage to ride the double loop Schwarzkopf Shock Wave at SFOT- it was a big deal for her and and now rides it 5-plus times every time we go. After my son first rode it he said- I’ve been upside down so now I can ride anything… and we then went straight to the Texas Giant! Most are still thrilling to me and I keep an inversion count nut just coaster count… I’m up to 119… and my favorite is the Top Gun stall on TC followed by every cobra roll!
 
I do like a good inversion, but they're not the deciding factor of how much I like a ride. I think the inversion has to make sense in the flow of the layout, otherwise it feels awkwardly tacked on just to say it goes upside down!
 
I think it depends on the inversion and the restraint, and whether it’s comfortable or not.

Any ride where I have to brace my head or neck and it’s no longer fun.

A ride with too much hangtime (think Colossus’s inline twists/Hydra’s Jojo) where I’m pressed against an uncomfortable restraint, it’s no longer fun. But that’s completely to do with the restraints, because I don’t mind the inline twists on Wing coasters/jojo roll on Ride to Happiness.

So yeah, I can’t really blanket term if I like them or not.
 
If it's a varied experience with airtime hills and other elements then sure, they definitely add some weight. Although there is something to be said about the insanity of 14 inversions on The Smiler or how forceful the old school B&M loopers are.
 
For me, I prefer inversions that also gives me a pop of airtime. Like Zero G Roll or the final roll of Blue Fire, I like inversion that tries to eject me out of the seat.
 
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