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Smiler vs Nemesis

Smiler or Nemesis

  • Smiler

    Votes: 12 10.4%

  • Nemesis

    Votes: 103 89.6%
  • Total voters
    115
E

Ethan

TS Member
Alright this topic has been a long time coming. After many years of discussion I think this topic deserves its own space. Two of the greatest coasters in the UK head to head. I don’t need to give my opinion it’s more important to see what Towers street thoosies in general think. Let’s look at the positives and negatives of both rides.
Positives:
Smiler- Airtime, hangtime, unique and bizarre theme, addictive soundtrack, visually stunning.
Nemesis- Intense, forceful, terrain heavy, nice theme and backstory, great inversions, one of the best helix’s in the world.
Negatives:
Smiler- Experience can be inconsistent (some rides smooth some quite rough), looking tired and dirty these days
Nemesis- Dead spots, bit short
Let the discussion commence this will be an interesting one
 
I neither rate Nemesis as highly, nor dislike the Smiler as much as others appear to. But regardless, It's still Nemesis. It wasn't Alton Towers without it last year and I'm not really interested in going until it reopens. If it was (and has been) the other way round, the situation would be different.
 
When I visited in Scarefest 2021, The Smiler was down for the rest of the reason. Whilst I do like the ride, I don't think back on that trip and feel that it detracted all that much from the experience.

My next visit was in May last year, and even though I had a great day out, It felt very weird not having Nemesis. It was like a core part of the day was just gone.
 
Nemesis by an absolute country mile for me, it’s a layout with purpose and not just loops for loops sake. A lot more re rideable too
 
Always Nemesis.

The Smiler has not aged well and even though it still feels like a newish coaster on the lineup it rides like its near the end of its life.

Nemesis even at the end of its life was still an amazing ride and one of the coasters I would not want to miss on a visit.

I was at the Neme21s event after winning the competition they set and me and my eldest boy rode with Mr Wardley & Varney and we did 13 rides back to back......I did feel ill after the last ride to be honest.

I remember Nemesis when it first opened and the street band playing dustbins as drums and making beats using the ride structure.

I was also on park for the Smiler opening and it was exciting but very soon just became a coaster that if the queue was to long or you didn't have fast pass then we would give it a miss.

So Even after all these years I am really looking forward to Nemesis re-opening whereas if they announced the Smiler was to be demolished it would be a loss but I wouldn't be that fussed.

Just my opinion of course...
 
It's Nemesis for me, by a long way. I can understand why people prefer The Smiler, though.
 
It's smiler for me, it's my favourite coaster in the country closely followed by nemesis and then icon (probably even more controversial around here).

The ride feels like an abomination of engineering, it's also the ride that got me into theme parks, I was 13 and saw smiler adverts on the TV every day and told my mum how much I wanted to go ride it every time I saw it on the TV.

I finally went the month after it was open and I was blown away the moment I saw it in person and this was my first ever visit to Alton towers in 2013, after that it ignited my interest in theme parks.

Ride experience wise, I don't find it's roughness a problem, I had one really bad ride in 2021 or 2022 when I got completely stapled, I just love it's length, intensity, airtime.
Mind you I could go on for hours about how much I love nemesis too but I'll leave it at that.
 
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Although I had a glass smooth first ride on Smiler in 2022 and really enjoyed it, Nemmy will always be number 1 for me (missed her so much last season). It should be Nemmy v Smiler, not the other way round 😉😛
 
Nemesis and it’s not even close.

It’s like comparing a Champions League quality football team that is the best in the country against one that’s clinging on to stay out of the relegation places in the league and that every season is like looking in danger of slipping down a tier.

Basically Nemesis is Man City and the Smiler is Everton.
 
I do not usually like to count the chickens early, but this looks to be a bit of a....

1707843234745.png

No surprise really, it is the world renown Nemesis after all.
 
Ethan said:
Alright this topic has been a long time coming. After many years of discussion I think this topic deserves its own space. Two of the greatest coasters in the UK head to head. I don’t need to give my opinion it’s more important to see what Towers street thoosies in general think. Let’s look at the positives and negatives of both rides.
Positives:
Smiler- Airtime, hangtime, unique and bizarre theme, addictive soundtrack, visually stunning.
Nemesis- Intense, forceful, terrain heavy, nice theme and backstory, great inversions, one of the best helix’s in the world.
Negatives:
Smiler- Experience can be inconsistent (some rides smooth some quite rough), looking tired and dirty these days
Nemesis- Dead spots, bit short
Let the discussion commence this will be an interesting one
Click to expand...

I would have said making this poll makes you a glutton for punishment but I suppose the fact you happily re-ride Smiler day-in day-out proved that already.

Its obviously Nemesis all the way, now if the build quality on Smiler (both track and theming) were better I would like the ride as you are right it has an interesting layout, but it’s just so badly put together I really dislike the thing.
 
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