Repeating myself a little from your Duel criticism here, but why does everything have to be just left the same? We upgrade our cars, our phones, redecorate our houses and update our wardrobe as time goes on.
Heck, we don't even have a "1994 form" as it is. The red falls have gone, the station lighting is completely different, half the queue line is no longer accessible and the surrounding buildings are completely different. The monster is in a right state again only a couple of years after it was painted, it clearly needs work doing to it. Even in the wider area, Thunderlooper has gone with Blade in its place, Galactica is now there and Ripsaw has also been and gone. Even saying Oblivion hasn't changed is incorrect - the station/queue line videos have been chopped and changed, some of the queue line buildings are rotting away and the exit shop no longer exists.
Forbidden Valley and the wider park has evolved over time, there's no reason why they shouldn't take an opportunity to further evolve Nemesis providing it still maintains an engaging theme. Alton Towers is a theme park not a museum, and it needs that evolution to continue engaging guests from the past, present and future.
I meant through necessary changes, Duel is valid because of negative or mediocre reviews and the interactive Dark ride element being seen as tacky nowadays. Me wanting HH elements intact is just a personal preference I try to explain why I'd like to see that.
With Nemesis, it's been receiving high praise ever since its debut in 1994.
I just see trying to 'refresh it for a modern audience' as some have been trying to say here doesn't make sense. As much as I don't like Airs retheme into Galactica, it makes sense because it lacked so much teeming that most guests didn't know what it was supposed to be themed around.
But in the last month, people online have been starting to hate on Nemesis' theme from nowhere now, and I'm so bewildered why? People loved the concept and theme as it was for the last 28 years, but in the last month, now people have a big problem with the theme, and want the ride to have an Area 51 Phalanx like theme with the monster just because?? Thats just an incredibly cliche choice. The amount of times Are 51 stuff like theme has been done in parks around the world is almost as common as the Space Sci fi and cowboy theme.
Nemesis' lack of story yet enough to show the concept and makes you to think the rest is what (to me) makes it incredible. It doesn't try to shove anything in the guests face outside of 'Alien monster on earth, dare to ride.'
It doesn't try to do the typical 'This is what happened here (deep narrative), now go ride it.'
This is why I don't like Wicker Man's preshow, because it doesn't matter in terms of ride experience. I do like the carvings in the area though and the small hints. Theming does matter, but when you rely on it too heavily outside of indoor attractions, that's when the problem rises.
A good balance of Theming And Thrill is the Smiler even when it does lack in some aspects of theming elements, it's so close to concept and thematic perfection that you don't need a preshow or backstop to understand it, just the line 'Time to get corrected' and the soundtrack tells you more than enough of what could happen to you. Same with Oblivion. Its the thought of the lack of knowing is what makes these rides so great, they makes you think of the horrors they put their subjects through and what happens to them without ever seeing it. To us, the unknown is a terrifying concept, and John Wardley and the Desigbers of the Smiler did these so well. The rides tease you with the concepts and small hints. The same goes for Nemesis, I already explained how it does show hints to a small visual narrative in the area and its physical theming. It doesn't shove it in your face, but it tells you barely just enough to put the dots together while still not fully understand.
In terms of interior changes, I can see them attempting to put a light display in there when the trains dispatch, like what air did when it dispatched.
