JoshC. Posted September 18, 2019 Report Share Posted September 18, 2019 8 minutes ago, Wumbamillio said: Total mediocrity wins out again then, because a few sparse objects, shipping containers and broken TVs scrape by as 'good enough'. No wonder we are so far behind many other parks in Europe and people are steadily not bothering to go back to Thorpe Park for the cost. I don't disagree. I wouldn't say totally mediocrity wins "again" though, as there's few cases where it does. Swarm is one of those rarer cases where people have responded well to what's there. 8 minutes ago, Wumbamillio said: If you enjoy it then good but it's not as amazingly themed or a special ride as fans often make out. Feels like you're treading a fine line between opinion and fact here.. For the record, I like Swarm, but it recent years, my enjoyment of it has gone down. This year in particular, where I haven't had a smooth ride this year. Guess that's more unpopular opinion for now.. ^-^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Han30 Posted September 18, 2019 Report Share Posted September 18, 2019 My unpopular opinion - Timber Turd Boat is intense. Sit in the middle of that bad boy and you are pretty much just spinning in a circle - not ashamed to say I almost barfed my guts up on one occasion - that said I get horrendous motion sickness and one up chucked after Quantum and came pretty close on the Flying Jumbos. Re Swarm - I used to love it and it was by far my favourite coaster at Thorpe until recent years - it used to affect my breathing/asthma badly but that’s improved a little (Inferno does the same but not so bad) - I used to love the vest restraints but I now hate them with a passion as they get so damn tight. I think the whole Swarm area is themed well when you look at the sheer scale of it (helicopter/plane/ambulance etc) but the station looks pretty bad now. Definitely agree that the ride is short, and for me my favourite part is the drop off the lift hill - probably not a great sign - a bit like my opinion that the best part of DBGT is the ending when you are not even on the train (though I’m guessing there are other that have a similar opinion given how naff it is). Went off on a tangent there - yeah Timber Tug boat - that’s where the thrills are at - ride it straight after eating and succumb to the adrenaline of anxiously praying whatever you devoured for lunch doesn’t make a second appearance.....on a kids ride 2542464 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted September 18, 2019 Report Share Posted September 18, 2019 3 hours ago, Wumbamillio said: Total mediocrity wins out again then, because a few sparse objects, shipping containers and broken TVs scrape by as 'good enough'. No wonder we are so far behind many other parks in Europe and people are steadily not bothering to go back to Thorpe Park for the cost. If you enjoy it then good but it's not as amazingly themed or a special ride as fans often make out. I would just ask you to name some highly rated rollercoasters in Europe that are themed incredibly well the whole way through. I could only honestly say Oz'Iris and Taron (I know people who think Tarons theme is dull which shows how subjective all this is). From Shambhala, to Untamed, Katun to Nemesis, I struggled and I think I'm relatively well travelled. 2542464, JoshuaA and JoshC. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted September 18, 2019 Report Share Posted September 18, 2019 This will be fun - most of my opinions seem unpopular 😬 Icon is as dull as dishwater - slow, boring and uninteresting - musics alright though. Colossus is up there as one of Thorpes best coasters Desert Race is heide’s best rollercoaster Seaworld have the best coaster line up in Orlando (maybe that’s not unpopular not sure 🤔) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlesberg Posted September 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2019 3 hours ago, Marc said: Seaworld have the best coaster line up in Orlando (maybe that’s not unpopular not sure 🤔 To be fair they have a very solid top 3, more solid than other Florida parks (Manta and Mako were my top 2 favourites in Florida and Kraken was still brilliant). And looking at the direction Seaworld are taking with investments it is only going to get stronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted September 18, 2019 Report Share Posted September 18, 2019 6 hours ago, Mark9 said: I would just ask you to name some highly rated rollercoasters in Europe that are themed incredibly well the whole way through. I could only honestly say Oz'Iris and Taron (I know people who think Tarons theme is dull which shows how subjective all this is). Sure, although I brought up the whole attraction and area when I said it was dull, so if "incredibly themed" you mean ignoring everything other than constant Disney style decoration around the track then no. But now that would be picking things apart and anaylsing. As a decent themed coaster where it actaully adds something to the experience, there are far better even in the same park. Nemesis —The quarry setting is incredible and is what creates half the fun, all of which had to be created for the ride as we all know. You get right down into it, explore over and under the ride before youre even at the station. The waterfalls and the ride over pools, the music, it all comes together for a really exciting ride. Hey it even has some junkyard theming but actually adds some style, not just token vehicles parked on flat ground. Nemesis' landscaping beats The Swarm's car park-coaster style by miles. Eve just looking at it, the ride is an impressive picture. Nemesis Inferno—Simple but good, you queue around some jungle planting then up into a volcano. It sets you up well for the ride. Starting the station at high level then immediately into the tunnel is a great kick off to the ride, really pacey. The interaction with the surrounding paths is great. Very different to The Swarm's pretty piecemeal, empty plaza. Colossus—Well, it used to be much better when it was half over the water, and the station is very cheap. But the bridges over the ride mix things up and hide how formulaic the layout actually is, adds some fun interaction. The planting, music and waterfront queue was originally very good. Felt much more substantial than the Swarm ever did. Black Mamba—A real labyrinth of the coaster through the landscape, buildings, paths. The queue deeper into the village and into the cave is a brilliant set up, keeping a lot of the ride quite secret. Incredibly detailed too. Brilliant moment starting and finishing in complete darkness, very memorable. Taron—Whoever says the theme is dull must be one incredbly jaded enthusist! If we're talking about The Swarm being "good enough for the public" then are we really suggesting the same public would shrug their shoulders walking around Taron? Wicker Man—Miles better, has a lot more character than Swarm, the area is a lot more interactive, the coaster is quite thrilling and fast. Ironically many enthusiasts who love The Swarm scorn Wicker Man for being a pretty average GCI (fair enough, but its still lots of fun) despite the public clearly loving Wicker Man and the theme. Raptor Attack—Yes its a dead simple coaster but I actaully think its more fun and the trail down to the ride is a whole lot more creative than The Swarm's pavement. Baron—Probably the only one on this list where the coaster alone is same as Swarm for me, but the brilliant theme is what makes the difference. Cool preshow, simple and good, great station setting, adds a lot to the ride. Coaster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted September 18, 2019 Report Share Posted September 18, 2019 Thank you, I appreciate the time you've put into that post. Its helped me understand your perspective on The Swarm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Doyle Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 18 hours ago, Marc said: Icon is as dull as dishwater - slow, boring and uninteresting - musics alright though. Seaworld have the best coaster line up in Orlando (maybe that’s not unpopular not sure 🤔) Couldn’t agree more!! iCON - I’ve had faster drives on the m25 during rush hour than this ride. It honestly is just dull to me. Seaworld - 100 percent the best coaster line up in Orlando (Busch still has it in Florida overall though. Especially now with the RMC coming) 3 pretty darn good B&Ms right there!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 On 12/26/2017 at 8:49 AM, Mark9 said: Seaworld Orlando's B&M collection is far superior to Altons B&M collection. Hey @Marc, turns out I'm in agreement with you in an even more controversial way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 22 hours ago, Mark9 said: Thank you, I appreciate the time you've put into that post. Its helped me understand your perspective on The Swarm. Are you being sarcastic? I have to ask haha. Like I say I think there are loads of more fun and better coasters out there, but it definitely seems to be an unpopular opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt 236 Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 I still like the Swarm, but can easily say there are coasters with better theming and/or layouts. For example Fenix at Toverland. It isn’t the biggest or longest wing rider out there, but what it achieves in it’s duration is simply great, as it elegantly yet forcefully flies around it’s surroundings. The queue, theming are surroundings are simply magical with it’s charming, mysterious and whimsical details that are accompanied by an arguably lovely soundtrack (I know some of you will disagree). I won’t deny that I still like the Swarm, but it is comparatively lower on my favourite list. About 3/4 years ago it was still in my top 10 coasters, whereas now it is only in my top 30 at best. I really don’t think the appealing state of the remover theming in the station has helped as it is now a right mess. As for ‘’elaborate/impressive’’ themed rides in Europe, I’ll drop a few examples even if they’ve already been covered. N.B excludes Disney. Baron1898- Efteling Flying Dutchman-Efteling Wodan-Europa Taron- Phantasialand Black Mamba- Phantasialand Shambhala- Port Aventura Oziris-Parc Asterix Wickerman- Towers Pegasus- Parc Asterix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattgwise Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 14 minutes ago, Loggers Creek said: The queue, theming are surroundings are simply magical with it’s charming, mysterious and whimsical details that are accompanied by an arguably lovely soundtrack (I know some of you will disagree). It's essentially the Thorpe park melody and then a dull fantasy track that sounds the same as most of the other music in the park (and imasnore in general) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 1 hour ago, Wumbamillio said: Are you being sarcastic? I have to ask haha. Like I say I think there are loads of more fun and better coasters out there, but it definitely seems to be an unpopular opinion. Completely serious. I think The Swarm is very popular with those that haven't ridden a huge amount of stuff. I think that's where the perception of its rating come from as I hardly hear it spoken about at all to be honest. SteveJ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 Not even the best Merlin wing rider is Swarm (Raptor is supreme!) Also classing Shambhala as a themed ride is weird, because it's not really... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshuaA Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 Yeah Shambhala has the station and a few spaced out objects of theming, though other than that it really isn't a themed experience.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hethetheth Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 It feels wrong even saying it, but I feel like I might actually prefer the ride experience of Nemesis Inferno compared to Nemesis. I have, for the longest time, preferred Nemesis to Inferno. However, on my last visit to Towers I didnt enjoy it nearly as much. In fact I found the runaway highlight to be Wicker Man! I'm going to Thorpe Park for the first time in a year next month and I'll see how I feel about it then, but if you asked me this second which one I'd rather ride, it is Inferno. It's smoother and generally more comfortable. I suspect my change of heart is related to my gradually decreasing tolerance for intense forces. As I get older I find myself getting dizzier and nauseous more easily. This has resulted in my ride preferences trending towards airtime and speed over forces. I would call Black Mamba my favourite invert I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 13 hours ago, Benin said: Not even the best Merlin wing rider is Swarm (Raptor is supreme!) Even that is wrong, I'm afraid. Flug is king. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Han30 Posted September 21, 2019 Report Share Posted September 21, 2019 3 hours ago, Hethetheth said: It feels wrong even saying it, but I feel like I might actually prefer the ride experience of Nemesis Inferno compared to Nemesis. I have, for the longest time, preferred Nemesis to Inferno. However, on my last visit to Towers I didnt enjoy it nearly as much. In fact I found the runaway highlight to be Wicker Man! I'm going to Thorpe Park for the first time in a year next month and I'll see how I feel about it then, but if you asked me this second which one I'd rather ride, it is Inferno. It's smoother and generally more comfortable. I suspect my change of heart is related to my gradually decreasing tolerance for intense forces. As I get older I find myself getting dizzier and nauseous more easily. This has resulted in my ride preferences trending towards airtime and speed over forces. I would call Black Mamba my favourite invert I think. There are plenty of people who prefer Inferno over Nemesis. I personally prefer Nemesis - I enjoy the layout more and the fairly compact layout of Inferno often makes me dizzy (it’s the only coaster at Thorpe that has made me sick). That said, last Monday I rode Inferno front row and enjoyed it SO much more. Anything pretty much that moves quick or spins gives me terrible motion sickness so I sympathise however I always take motion sickness tablets which definitely help (stugeron - you can get it over the counter). On the subject of forces - that’s something that has affected me in the past couple of years - I often struggle to breath and occasionally grey out on The Swarm and the only thing that stops it happening on Inferno and Nemesis is keeping my legs out straight all the way round (weird but it helps) I absolutely love Black Mamba - after my first ride on it I said “that’s better than Nemesis” however after my second ride it got relegated to just under nemmie purely because the first part of Mamba is brilliant but towards the end it just loses a lot of its force - Nemesis for me is brilliant from start to finish. The station turning on Black Mamba though is amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted September 21, 2019 Report Share Posted September 21, 2019 9 hours ago, Mark9 said: Even that is wrong, I'm afraid. Flug is king. Much like the rest of Heide, I found it bland and actually kinda rough... Must be that park... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted June 17, 2020 Report Share Posted June 17, 2020 New 2020 perspectives. Now including bloggers and vloggers. - People who think preferring Nemesis Inferno to Nemesis is some kind of hot take and controversial. It's really not. - There's a certain level of humour out there that think calling a ride 'Nemesis Inferior' or 'Poo Fire' are the peak of humour. The only rollercoaster name adaptation that is acceptable is 'Intrimidator' - LONG videos. I'm sorry, most people don't even spend 30 minutes in the Alton Towers Gardens so how in the hell can I be expected to watch a 42 minute video on the subject, NO. - RMC THIS, RMC THAT. My god, can we just have an old style wooden rollercoaster that people just leave alone. RMC are a fantastic ride manufacture but there is room for both types of ride. Martin Doyle, JoshC., Matt 236 and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt 236 Posted June 17, 2020 Report Share Posted June 17, 2020 Can understand a lot of the woes there. I think the people calling it Poo Fire for the sake of humour and opinion are being a little silly. I completely understand why some people might dislike the ride given it’s not the biggest,fastest or even most exciting (gasps) but that doesn’t mean it’s no good. Whilst I personally prefer Helix and even Icon (controversial maybe), there are still a lot of things I like about the ride, from it’s launch/dark ride section, ride interactions and last inversion. Not to mention it’s a throughput monster (pre-covid at least). On the note of unpopular opinions, here’s mine. Blackpool has the best collection of dark rides in the U.K. Martin Doyle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Doyle Posted June 17, 2020 Report Share Posted June 17, 2020 12 minutes ago, Matt Creek said: On the note of unpopular opinions, here’s mine. Blackpool has the best collection of dark rides in the U.K. Wait....this is UNpopular!!?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glitch Posted June 17, 2020 Report Share Posted June 17, 2020 40 minutes ago, Mark9 said: - LONG videos. I'm sorry, most people don't even spend 30 minutes in the Alton Towers Gardens so how in the hell can I be expected to watch a 42 minute video on the subject, NO. I rather enjoyed Shaun's video of the gardens, as someone who doesn't have the time to go up to Towers every year, its nice to see something which I wouldbn't have time for whilst on park. The two vlogs currently sit on a combined 130k views. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted June 17, 2020 Report Share Posted June 17, 2020 23 minutes ago, Glitch said: I rather enjoyed Shaun's video of the gardens, as someone who doesn't have the time to go up to Towers every year, its nice to see something which I wouldbn't have time for whilst on park. The two vlogs currently sit on a combined 130k views. Looks at topic title Looks at my post Looks at your post wait, THERE'S TWO VLOGS ON THIS?! Christ alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted June 17, 2020 Report Share Posted June 17, 2020 1 hour ago, Mark9 said: - There's a certain level of humour out there that think calling a ride 'Nemesis Inferior' or 'Poo Fire' are the peak of humour. The only rollercoaster name adaptation that is acceptable is 'Intrimidator' Adaptations are still okay for good rides though, right? I don't want to live in a world without being able to say Joyvelen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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