Fair enough; I experience the same trouble further back than about my top 5, and even my top 5 can be quite fluid in terms of order barring the top 1 or 2 (the only coasters that have stayed pretty consistently ordered over the years since I’ve ridden them are Mako and Icon at the top end, and Infusion at the bottom end), although in fairness I’ve ridden substantially fewer coasters than yourself (I’ve only done 74, whereas your profile states you’ve done 502; congrats on 500, by the way!)!
Speaking of which; I’ve made a few changes to my coaster ranking since I last posted in here! As many of you probably know, my rankings are very, very fluid, so there have certainly been some changes! So without further ado, here is my current top 10, with some justifications (I’ll try and keep them reasonably short; let’s see how successful I am, what with my reputation for rambling…)!
Matt N’s Top 10 as of June 2021 (with descriptions)
- Mako - SeaWorld Orlando: It’s been 5 years since my first and last rides on this, so I’ll admit I’ve been in a bit of a quandary as to whether to demote Mako to a lower spot, below more recently ridden rides like Wicker Man, Icon and others. However, I decided against it, as the fact my rides on Mako still stick so positively in my head compared to anything else I’ve ever ridden, even compared to stuff I’ve ridden more recently, 5 years later kind of says it all as to how much I adored it at the time! So for that reason alone, it’s staying at the number 1 spot until I ride something that dethrones it (I’m not sure whether that’ll happen any time soon), or I reride it and it drops (again, I’m not sure I’ll be reriding Mako any time soon)! You all already know why I loved Mako so much (amazing sustained airtime, smooth, fast, fun, rerideable etc…), so I won’t bore you with details on that front, but I’ll admit I am nervous to reride it, as I’m worried that newly ridden rides like Icon and Wicker Man will make Mako seem less amazing… 10/10
- Icon - Blackpool Pleasure Beach: Controversially, I do really love Icon! I’ve ridden it 4 times on 2 separate visits to Blackpool in 2018 & 2019, and it’s really struck a chord with me, hitting all the right notes each time! It’s fast, it’s thrilling enough to give you a kick but not too intense to be fun, it’s smooth, it’s rerideable, it has some amazing ejector airtime, the trains are lovely, the rapid transitions are great, and on the whole, I see little not to like about Icon from my personal perspective! Sure, the launches aren’t the punchiest (although I don’t personally think they’re as feeble as they’re often made out to be), and the ride as a whole isn’t exactly an intense, pedal-to-the-metal g-machine, but I just find it tremendously, tremendously fun, and it puts a smile on my face and gives me an urge to reride every time! And surely coming off a coaster smiling and wanting to go round again is the most important indicator of enjoyment, is it not? 10/10
- The Swarm - Thorpe Park: I was in a quandary as to whether to give this or Wicker Man (spoiler of what #4 is…) the bronze medal within my coaster rankings, but I ultimately decided to settle for The Swarm. Even though I feel that Swarm is perhaps more objectively flawed than Wicker Man (the tight harnesses possibly bother me more than any niggle I have with Wicker Man), I think it’s slightly more my usual style than Wicker Man, and I do come off of it feeling genuinely elated and with a huge urge to reride every time; in fact, from experience of a quieter day at Thorpe, there’s few things that satisfy me more than multiple back-to-back Swarm rides on a quiet Thorpe evening, in my opinion! It’s one of those coasters where I feel like I could literally go round and round and round on it all day without getting bored or feeling ill; there’s so much I love about it! It’s smooth, it strikes the perfect balance between thrill and fun factor, the sustained hangtime/negative g-force (especially on the first drop and final inline twist) is absolutely sublime, I love the wing-over drop, and overall, I just love it to bits! As I mentioned above, though, the restraints are a minor niggle; they never used to bother me at all, but as I’ve grown taller and generally bigger, I’ve noticed the tightening more, and I’ve generally found them less comfortable. That’s only a very minor niggle, though; Swarm hits all the right notes for me overall, and is more than deserving of my #3 spot! 9/10
- Wicker Man - Alton Towers: I’m not usually a hardcore wooden coaster fan like a lot of enthusiasts, but I’d have to say that Wicker Man is most definitely a ride I make an exception for; I find it tremendously fun, fairly smooth in wooden coaster terms, and very rerideable! The ride is really, really fast, it has some smooth yet exceedingly fun transitions, many surprising pops of ejector airtime, and as I’ve said with the rides above, it strikes the perfect balance between thrill and fun factor, in my opinion! However, the reason I couldn’t rank the ride above Swarm and in my #3 spot is because I did notice a slight rough patch in the ride’s final wicker man pass through on my last ride that detracted slightly (although as I’m the only person to ever notice this, it could have been a one-ride anomaly; that’s certainly a thing with woodies), and my most recent ride in the front row, while still exceptionally fun, didn’t offer quite the same wow factor as my July 2020 rides did. I’d also say that Wicker Man is slightly less my usual style than the rides above it. In spite of this, though, WM still does everything I’d ever want it to; it hits all the right notes and I still absolutely adore it! I’ve also heard very, very good things about Wicker Man as of late, so if it’s running well when I visit Towers again on Monday, it could well find itself sliding back into the top 3! 9/10
- Mine Blower - Fun Spot Kissimmee: I know that 2 wooden coasters in my top 5 might possibly contradict my earlier statement about not being a hardcore wooden coaster fan, but Mine Blower is the other ride that I’d say I make an exception for! I should preface what I say about Mine Blower by saying that I only had one ride on it, in the front row, with a practically empty train. However, in spite of this; Mine Blower did impress me, and I think there’s a lot to like about it! The ride is fast-paced from start to finish, and I absolutely love that bouncing, darting sequence of airtime moments the ride incorporates! I also love the ride’s sole inversion; that zero-g roll provides a really excellent moment of sustained hangtime! I know it’s in stark contrast to the more abrupt, erratic sensations in the rest of the layout, but I really like how the start of the ride contrasts with the rest of it! I was slightly worried about Mine Blower’s roughness prior to riding, as I have a low roughness tolerance and I’d heard numerous reports about Mine Blower’s roughness, but on the front row, I’d personally say I didn’t find it overly rough; no more so than something like Wicker Man, anyway. One slight caveat I admittedly have is that I don’t like the trains as much as the GCI trains; the restraints are a bit tight, and I think the GCI rolling stock generally feels a bit more comfortable, in my opinion. Overall, however; even though I’d say Wicker Man just edges it for me in terms of woodies, I was very impressed by Mine Blower, and I’d say it’s a more than worthy candidate for a favourite woodie! 9/10
- Oblivion - Alton Towers: This ranking may surprise some; heck, it even surprises me seeing as despite really liking it for many years, I’ve never had it above my top 20 previously, and I was actually not a huge fan of it on my first ride back in 2013. However, a ride in April 2021 really put this coaster into perspective for me. On my last ride, the sustained airtime over the drop was absolutely sensational (easily my favourite Alton Towers airtime moment), the sense of speed and raw thrill in the tunnel was unrivalled, and even the airtime into the brakes was surprisingly great! Since riding SheiKra in 2016, I’d always ranked that coaster a fair bit higher than Oblivion, but I’d have to say that Oblivion in 2021 wowed me slightly more than my ride on SheiKra in 2016 did, from memory (although it must be said that my memory of SheiKra is getting somewhat hazier; I’d have to reride SheiKra to be sure). As much as Oblivion may not have SheiKra’s extra padding elements-wise, something I’ve grown to appreciate about Oblivion (and “one-trick pony”-style coasters in general) is how concise it is. It’s a hit of raw adrenaline that doesn’t faff around; it gets straight to the point. Out of the two “one-trick pony” coasters I’ve done (Oblivion & Stealth), I’d say they’re both pretty interchangeable (spoiler; Stealth is #7!), but Oblivion slightly edged it for me because as much as it lacks a raw gut-punching sensation quite like Stealth’s hydraulic launch, I find it a bit more comfortable (I’m not a huge lover of the more cramped trains and bulkier restraints on Stealth, and the ride also has an ever-so-slight rattle that Oblivion doesn’t; at least, it did in the front, anyway), and I’d also say that Oblivion is more consistent between seats; Oblivion feels pretty similar anyway, whereas Stealth is notably enhanced by riding in the front row, in my opinion. Overall, this is probably the highest I can justify placing Oblivion given the one-note, short nature of the ride experience, but pound-for-pound, it delivers all I could ever want from it! 9/10
- Stealth - Thorpe Park: As I alluded to above, this could quite easily have been #6, as I’d say it and Oblivion are fairly interchangeable, although I went with Oblivion above Stealth as I feel like Stealth has 1 or 2 very slight flaws and caveats that Oblivion doesn’t. But let’s cut to the chase; I love Stealth, and similarly to Oblivion, I had a ride in July 2020 that really put it into perspective for me and made me rank it far more highly! I rode in the front row, and it made me realise all the things I love about it; the launch is a raw gut-punch, quite unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced (even Rita’s launch), and the top hat provides some surprisingly brilliant airtime! There’s another little airtime moment before the brake run, too! Overall, I have a very similar review of Stealth to the review I had of Oblivion; the success rate of the ride’s elements in terms of whether they deliver is virtually flawless, and pound-for-pound, it scores top marks. I’d also say the same as I did about Oblivion above in terms of loving Stealth’s conciseness; yet again, it’s a raw hit of thrill that gets straight to the point. However, as I said with Oblivion above; Stealth’s elements are very few. The ride is short and somewhat one-note by nature, which ultimately limits how highly I can rank it. I’ll also reference the slight flaws that place it marginally below Oblivion once again; the trains aren’t as comfortable, it’s less consistent/more dependant on circumstances (although it delivers in every row, I’d certainly say that the front is Stealth’s “magic row”, for sure), and the ride has a very slight rattle that Oblivion doesn’t (although this inhibits the ride to a much lesser degree than the other two flaws I’ve listed, in my opinion; it’s only a very slight rattle, or at least was in the front row). Overall, though, I think Stealth is a fantastic coaster, and a hit of raw adrenaline quite unlike anything else I’ve ever done! 9/10
- Montu - Busch Gardens Tampa: My memories of Busch Gardens Tampa are getting hazier with time, as it’s close to 5 years since my first and only visit, but I do remember very much liking Montu! I remember it being relatively smooth, as B&Ms mostly are, but also packing a real punch! It was a long ride, but one that kept its momentum throughout, and it had many awesome inversions and moments of positive force! The one ride I had certainly sticks out as my favourite ride I’ve had on a B&M invert, and I remember really liking it at the time, but I’m unsure whether I’d rank it quite as highly now, as my tastes have changed slightly towards rides with more negative g’s and a wider variety of forces on offer as opposed to rides with little aside from positive g’s. Still, Montu is a fab invert, in my opinion! 9/10
- SheiKra - Busch Gardens Tampa: As I alluded to in my musings about Oblivion above, this is probably a tentative ranking until I get a reride on SheiKra, but in spite of me now saying I rank Oblivion a bit higher, I did still really like SheiKra, from memory! The ride is massive, which adds a certain element of fear to it, and I remember the drops and big, swoopy elements being really nice! I really do need a reride, though; based on my recent experience with Oblivion, it might well end up pushing SheiKra up a few spots… 9/10
- Nemesis - Alton Towers: I previously had SeaWorld’s Kraken here, but as much as I remember that being great at the time, I only had one ride and it’s getting ever longer since I had that ride, and I feel like Nemesis deserved a spot given how brilliantly it was running last time I rode it, so I slid Nemesis into the #10 spot instead. Nemesis is a coaster I don’t rate as highly as I used to, but I have to say that it was running excellently on my most recent ride in April 2021! The ride was glass smooth, with just the right amount of force, no headbanging, and decent pacing through elements that can sometimes feel like dead spots, so for what Nemesis is, there’s honestly nothing I could majorly criticise about my last ride! Not to mention I admire its raw brilliance as a structure and a feat of engineering; it still blows my mind how John Wardley packed so much into that pit! I also have a long relationship with Nemesis, and it’s perhaps one of my most ridden coasters of all time (I’d have to work that out…), so I do have a lot of love for it, in that regard! However, although it delivers for me in every row, I would say that Nemesis definitely has a “magic row”, and for me, that’s the front! There’s nothing quite like the sense of speed you get on Nemesis’ front row from feeling like you’re just narrowly missing the rock, and you truly feel at mercy to the ride on the front row in a way you simply don’t in the other 7 rows! Overall, I still think Nemesis is a fantastic inverted coaster that I always really enjoy; even if I don’t rank it quite as highly as others, that’s simply because as I said about Montu above, I don’t personally rate coasters focusing exclusively on positive g’s quite as highly as I used to. 9/10
So, that’s the top 10! In hindsight, I really did fail miserably at my mission to be succinct, didn’t I?
For a bit of further context, here’s my top 30 coasters, along with my personal rating out of 10 for each of them:
Matt N’s Top 30 Coasters as of June 2021 (without descriptions)
- Mako - SeaWorld Orlando (10/10)
- Icon - Blackpool Pleasure Beach (10/10)
- The Swarm - Thorpe Park (9/10)
- Wicker Man - Alton Towers (9/10)
- Mine Blower - Fun Spot Kissimmee (9/10)
- Oblivion - Alton Towers (9/10)
- Stealth - Thorpe Park (9/10)
- Montu - Busch Gardens Tampa (9/10)
- SheiKra - Busch Gardens Tampa (9/10)
- Nemesis - Alton Towers (9/10)
- Kraken - SeaWorld Orlando (9/10)
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (8/10)
- Revenge of the Mummy - Universal Studios Florida (8/10)
- Incredible Hulk - Universal’s Islands of Adventure (8/10)
- Rock’n’Rollercoaster - Disney’s Hollywood Studios (8/10)
- Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa (8/10)
- Nemesis Inferno - Thorpe Park (8/10)
- Galactica - Alton Towers (8/10)
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit - Universal Studios Florida (7/10)
- Rita - Alton Towers (7/10)
- Cheetah Hunt - Busch Gardens Tampa (7/10)
- Megafobia - Oakwood (7/10)
- Slinky Dog Dash - Disney’s Hollywood Studios (7/10)
- Avalanche - Blackpool Pleasure Beach (7/10)
- Thirteen - Alton Towers (7/10)
- Space Mountain Alpha - Disney’s Magic Kingdom (6/10)
- Expedition Everest - Disney’s Animal Kingdom (6/10)
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train - Disney’s Magic Kingdom (6/10)
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Disney’s Magic Kingdom (6/10)
- Runaway Mine Train - Alton Towers (6/10)
So, that’s the top 30, of the 74 coasters I’ve done! As you probably know, my list and my opinions are fairly fluid, so this could well have changed again substantially by the next post I make in here, as I’m very indecisive!
If you’re looking for a certain ride you think I might have ridden and it isn’t in there, here’s my complete ranking of all 74 coasters I’ve done on Captain Coaster:
https://captaincoaster.com/en/tops/192
