1. ArieForce One -
2. Twisted Colossus - The king has been dethroned. I'm using pain as the measure for intensity (in a good way) and nothing but the above has come close to hurting my legs (and neck?!) with airtime as much as this thing did. The out of control-ness out of the high-five hasn't been matched either, in a ride type that starts to feel a little calculated and clinical the more you delve into it. There's also several rides below that suffer from the feeling of hitting the brakes and wanting more. You hit the brakes on this thing. Then you get more. The easy way.
3. Hakugei - Never quite as wild as something like the Timbers, but it felt a consistently better ride at all times of day in all parts of the train. It has more to offer and what it offers is a slightly closer to perfect mix of elements. It did lack character for me and maybe has one zero-g too many so that, combined with not being
the most intense, holds it back from the top spots.
4. Iron Gwazi - God Damn Iron Gwazi. So wild and full of extremities at every level. Not the biggest airtime machine but it makes the best use of the fast paced approach in being packed full of killer manoeuvres.
5. Twisted Timbers - Insane, I retract all previous statements.
6. Steel Vengeance - It's just so damn good, but didn't have that killer instinct I was hoping for. Chuck in a handful of moments that try to hurt me, make the inversions more interesting and you've got the best in the business. For now, this is as far as it goes.
7. Zadra - A really good all rounder, particularly when I compare it to stuff like Untamed and Lightning Rod, because it also has much stronger moments in the first half to compliment that amazing ending. The big boy hill is insane, though overall it lacks in sheer quantity of airtime for my personal tastes. All the turnarounds, most comparatively the outwards banked one, were just a bit meh in comparison to the above. Stall in the back row gives weird upside down airtime on the exit - beautiful.
8. Wildcat's Revenge - Incredibly solid entry that manages to brings some new things to the table, while playing like a highlight reel of those that came before. Can't compete with the big boys though.
9. Storm Chaser - Somehow this manages to be forgettable in such a lineup, in that I forgot to include it. Not to be underestimated though, even with the grungy look, it has big bad airtime and a satisfying raw power to the other key moments. The best of the weather ones by the tiniest margin.
10. Wicked Cyclone - Didn't get as much out of this as I would have liked (thanks again Six Flags), so it's harder to big it up. Got the right amount of length again, and the way it flows and bounces between the mixture of inversions and airtime is just beautiful. The wonky hills in particular are some of the best in the business.
11. Untamed - Not the most intense and contains noticeably weaker sections than any of the above. Still gives an amazing, lengthy ride that delivers a lot of incredible moments. My head says it's objectively better than the Rod, but my heart just won't let that happen at this moment. Lack of character again.
12. Twisted Cyclone - What it does is as good as its wicked and timber brothers, just half the length. Favourite bit was the immensely intense hill out of the sideways thing that you don't really see coming from the back.
13. Iron Rattler - Loved the snake, a very fine early entry that does things just a little different and has a great setting to back it up.
14. Railblazer - Due to the wackiness and more intense airtime moments, but just really short and maybe slightly elevated by being a completely fresh experience and only doing back row at night every time.
15. Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster - I guess here, Railblazer but barely operational, beaten up and limping.
16. Joker - Didn't manage to fall for it. Could partly be the parks fault. Higher quantity of fun elements throughout than Wildfire off the top of my head, but nothing that stands out quite as much.
17. Wildfire - Generally amazing, but lacks the specific ingredients of what makes RMC amazing.
18. Outlaw Run - Short, real short. Wheel seats are a dud right now. Some amazing elements in there, but don't like the ending.
19. Goliath - Short, real short. Quintessential RMC experience that just doesn't have enough going for it when stacked up against the rest.
20. Lightning Rod - It's gone.
21. New Texas Giant - Long, real long. Un-quintessential RMC experience that just doesn't have enough going for it when stacked up against the rest.
22. Jersey Devil - Rode poorly, had restraint issues and lost the spirit of the single rail. It's the worst RMC, but it's still world class.
Twenty-two?!