Ooo we're back on this thread again i see. Well I'll keep it short and sweet for my up to date list on the towers coasters:I’ve had a major rethink of my coaster rankings (if you want to see all 74 coasters I’ve done ranked, go to the top ten coasters thread), and this has changed a few things rankings-wise for the coasters at Towers since I last posted in this thread. So, I’ll show you my rankings and put a little bit of info for any updated rankings:
- Wicker Man (10/10, #3 overall, no change)
- Rita (8/10, #13 overall, no change)
- Oblivion (8/10, #17 overall, no change)
- Nemesis (8/10, #19 overall, +2) - As much as Nemesis isn’t my favourite coaster at Alton Towers like it is for most, I do always think I underrate it somewhat whenever I rank it these days. As much as it does have a slight headbanging problem in 1 or 2 of the inversions that detracts from it a bit for me, I do always enjoy it when I ride it, and I do think it has many great qualities! The ride is so unique, and really has its moments in terms of intensity and thrill; Wardley did a great job with the space on offer, in my opinion!
- Thirteen (7/10, #22 overall, no change)
- Galactica (7/10, #26 overall, -2) - Galactica may not be the most intense of coasters, however it’s just a really, really nice ride, and that’s what I like so much about it! It’s very, very smooth, is decently paced and I just think it’s a pretty fun ride, on the whole! However, the reason it’s dropped for me is because as much as I do quite like Galactica, I’m becoming more unsure whether the flying coaster ride type and what it does is really a type of ride that ranks really highly for me. I do also find that one bit that detracts from it slightly for me is the fly-to-lie; while it’s much more palatable forces-wise than the pretzel loop on Manta at SeaWorld, I still don’t find the g-forces rushing to your head a particularly comfortable sensation. I still think that Galactica is a really nice ride on the whole, however!
- Runaway Mine Train (6/10, #30 overall, no change)
- The Smiler (5/10, #38 overall, +2) - While The Smiler is far from my favourite coaster, I do think I was far too harsh on it in my last appraisal of Towers’ coasters. I do think it’s a somewhat rough coaster, and that detracts from it a fair amount for me, but I’d say it’s the smoothest of the Gerstlauer thrill coasters I’ve done; it’s got a very strong vibration, and a couple of bumps, but it definitely doesn’t leave me with a thumping headache every time like Saw at Thorpe does. However, my point about roughness does still stand, and it does still detract from the ride considerably for me; I’m actually a huge fan of the layout, and I think it has a lot of potential. If only Smiler was smoother, I think it could rank quite highly for me!
- Spinball Whizzer (4/10, #46 overall, -1) - I admittedly haven’t ridden Spinball since 2017, so it probably needs a reride so I can refresh my memory of it, but I remember it being surprisingly jerky last time I rode, so that detracted from it a bit for me, in spite of it having a fairly fun layout.
- Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure (3/10, #59 overall, -1) - Octonauts is really great for what it is; it’s well-themed, comfortable and offers two laps of the circuit! However, it is ultimately a roller coaster designed for the very youngest guests, so that limits the heights it can really reach within this ranking.
1. The smiler
2. Nemesis
3. Wicker man
4. Oblivion
5. Galactica
6. Rita
7. Th13teen
8. Spinball whizzer
9. Runaway mine train
Haven't ridden octonauts. So overall its not changed at all really from what I remember. Interested to see how the rides are running this year, can't wait to get back!