So I saw this topic on another forum and thought it could be interesting here so here it goes. What makes a hyper great? (I'm talking about straight up hyper coasters though; Xcelerator, SoB, Sheikra/Griffon, X2, Millennium Force, Mr. Freeze, Wicked Twister, ect are all in different categories)Heres a list of all the hypers (Inlcuding mini hypers) I've been on ranked and what I think makes them great...
1. Superman - Ride of Steel (SFNE) SROS is a great ride because every bunny hill on this ride has insane ejector airtime, and their is a very cool tunnel which goes under a walkway.
2. Goliath (Walibi World) Goliath Europe is a wonderful ride with a great first drop, insane ejector air, best Stengel dive ever! and it does 2 helices 1 of which is over water.
3. Behemoth Behemoth is an awesome ride featuring a excellent first drop, an assortment of airtime filled bunny hills; a few of which are over water, and a fairly strong helix.
4. Goliath (SFOG) Goliath South is an excellent ride with the best first drop of perhaps any roller coaster because it goes directly over a midway, a number of airtime filled bunny hills, a very strong helix and as an added bonus it goes over a road and completely dwarfs Georgia Scorcher (Think Raging Bull above Iron Wolf lol)
5. Nitro Nitro is a very fun ride with the cool feature of being in the woods adding on to the awesomeness of the ride it has a bunch of airtime and a strong helix.
6. Goliath (La Ronde) Goliath North is a great ride which kind of seemed like a small cross between Nitro and Apollo's Chariot, which is awesome. Goliath North has a lot of airtime and a cool turnaround.
7. Apollo's Chariot Apollo's Chariot is a sweet ride with the awesome feature of being a terrain coaster, it has 2 cool moments of being over water, a good amount of airtime and a fairly strong helix.
8. Superman - Ride of Steel (SFA) SROS is a fun ride in the middle of a field, but has good airtime and 2 big, boring helices.
9. Ride of Steel ROS is a fun ride with good airtime, a very cool section over water and 2 big, boring helices.
10. Phantom's Revenge Phantom's Revenge is a sick ride with a very good second drop and a furious ending with tons of airtime
11. Steel Force Steel Force is a cool ride with good airtime and a cool section high over water.
12. Magnum XL-200 Magnum XL-200 is a fun ride with some insane (sometimes painful) airtime and a great view of the Lake (and another great view during Soak City's peak season )
13.Raging Bull Raging Bull, what can I say? It's a nice ride with great airtime on the first drop, some cool turns and a fun ending.
14. Wild Thing Wild Thing is a fun ride with an excellent moment of airtime on the first bunny hill, and a few more pops of air on the return course.
15. Goliath (SFMM) Goliath West is a pretty good ride with a cool first drop into a tunnel, 1 good pop of airtime and a very strong helix.
Goliath (SFOG), and Superman: Ride of Steel (America) - Full of intense airtime - These are the only rides I enjoy of hypers.
Titan (SFOT) & Goliath (SFMM), Raging Bull, and Millenium Force - In my opinion, these rides don't have much airtime (only a little). Raging Bull probably has the most, but than they trim parts of it that should be airtime galore.
Magnum - It's painful, and in it's own separate category.
Steel Force - I felt almost no airtime at all. Sorry, but I didn't feel it.
The two on top of this post are the only rides I would ride again however. What makes a great hyper in my opinion is basically a ride like an out and back that has a nice helix. I like the non-stop up and down, and than turn me around, and than go back to going up and down.
"I've been staring at the world, waiting. All the trouble and all the pain we're facing. Too much light to be livin' in the dark. Why waste time? We only got one life. Together we can be the CHANGE. So go and let your heart burn bright"
I personally haven't ridden many hypers, but from what I know, I think a good hyper needs lots of airtime. It doesn't have to have a huge 250' drop, but instead, a good layout. A lot of air time hill all connected, and some helices. Also I think head-chopper effects are so much fun.
A good example of a good hyper coaster I believe is either Goliath South, or soon to come, Diamondback. I like the splash down feature on Diamondback. It's cool they are applying it to other roller coasters other than their dive machines.
No it's just Ben_the_bear because of the youtube video (check facebook).
I prefer coasters with that extreme ejector (vacuum) airtime. I like Goliath at La Ronde because in my opinion it has the best floater airtime of any coaster out there and it's totally away from the rest of the park. I don't like coasters that are right by the midway.
I would go back to La Ronde anytime just to ride Goliath again. It's been a few years since I rode Goliath at SFOG, but that one was tied with SROS when I first rode them.
1. Goliath @ SFMM. An overall great ride. It's not filled with a ton of air-time everywhere, but it's just fun. The drop is nice and slow...then you just FLY into the tunnel. Then the spiral drop after the MCBR feels like you're going to fall out of your seat, and that helix is pretty cool. But the best part of the ride, is the 3rd hill.
2. Desperado @ Buffalo Bills. Uh...I don't know what to say about this. I don't like it very much, and it's my only other hyper. Has some decent air-time,the drop is pretty fun. Everything else is pretty rough.
Well first off, I really wouldnt consider Mr Freeze a Hyper. Traditionally a hyper coaster is a non looping coaster with a drop of over 200 feet. I'd consider Freeze, Manhattan Express and any other 200 foot looper, just a big ass looper
And for what I think makes a hyper great, I cant really pinpoint it, I like various kinds of things, but strong forces both positive, negative or lateral is what i like most, so I guess big drops with alot of strong airtime is what makes me like Hypers.
Now in order of which I've ridden..
1. Desperado- It's an early work by Arrow, they didnt appear to try, though it has a really good first drop, then 2 powerful airtime hills mid ride, the rest of the ride is more of a Mine Train ride and over axles it can be pretty rough though still tolerable. I rank it lowly.
2. Magnum XL200- The first Hyper, and one of my favorites in the field of hyper coaster, it's not smooth or well designed but the simple restraint system combined with some seriously sick ejector airtime, a good first drop and a view that cant be beat always keeps me coming back to it.
3. Raging Bull- When I first rode it during a preview night it had no trims at all and was a good ride, though not really great(at the time it was my #1 though I had only ridden like 62 other coasters at the time). The first drop is spectacular but after that not a whole lot happens, now there are lots of trims, no real forces to speak of outside the first drop, lots of meandering, I like to think of it more as an overgrown mine train.
4. Son Of Beast (it's over 200 and now has no loop, guess I'll include this one for arguments sake)- I havent ridden this since the loop was removed, though the loop was the best part of the ride hands down. Weak first drop, terrible terrible roughness, horrible trains with uncomfortable retrofitted restraints. It's just crap, utter crap.
5. Millennium Force (actually will just list any non-looping coaster over 200 for arugments sake)- Overrated sums it up best. Nice view though you don't get any time really to appreciate it, good first drop and first overbank turn, then it starts getting weak. What hills it has is ok, though the over banks get repetitive and boring. I still rank MF in my top 20 or so overall just cause of the first drop and the view.
6. Wild Thing- the complete opposite of SOB but same side of the spectrum, crap utter crap. The only Hyper Coaster I've ever ridden without a single spot of airtime. It has a terrible first drop, a 0 G's second hill (0 G is not airtime), then after that the turnaround is ok, then the block brakes that bring you to a near stop, then you limp over the final hills which do absolutely nothing at all. And on top of that it has horrible trains, it's like sitting in a bathtub. If you sit in the front seat the front of the train is so high you cant even see the track, and I'm not a short person. I honestly cant place a rank on it, but it'd be close to the bottom of my list. At least it's smooth I guess
7. Mamba- I think this is Morgans second best hyper coaster. Smooth as usual, the airtime isn't really anything to write home about, but it's there especially on the return hills). First drop is ok at best. I think the saving grace of the ride for me is the turnaround, it's a double helix that is right on the ground and the supports make sort of a tunnel and towards the end of the helix the supports are very low and are effective head choppers. I'd call it an acceptable ride, if all Morgans were like this, I wouldn't mind seeing a lot of smaller parks pick up something like that. Oh also, the trains were made alot shorter, so you can actually see outside the car
8. SFDL SROS- Blew me away when i first rode it and other than its terrible retrofitted restraints it'd still be in my top 10-20. Has and awesome first drop, cool low to the ground 90 degree turn over water, then a good hill followed by a pretty good downward helix, then there is a straightaway over water which looks stupid but it sorta works followed by an incredible hill, then a second helix(upward) which gets really boring and sucks alot of speed from the train, this helix probably prevents it from actually being top 10, but after that it has 3-4 awesomely powerful hills for a really hot ending. One of the better hypers I've ridden.
9. SFMM Goliath- This is a coaster I end up liking quite a bit despite the lack of airtime. The first drop is literally a 65 degree ramp and looks funny and does nothing for riders, then a high turn like Bull which like bull is relatively ineffective, then a long drawn out low hill with some pretty cool sustained airtime followed by a turn into the block brake. After that block it really lays the forces on you, it makes my gray out every time, I just love the power of those turns and helicies. I think I have Goliath ranked just short of my top 10, partially due to how short the ride is, and it ends up feeling alittle incomplete.
10.Titan at SFOT- See above but with an added double helix before the block which completes the ride and adds the needed ride time, and it's insanely powerful. Still in my Top 10
11.Steel Eel at Seaworld Texas (it's considered a mini hyper and is styled in the genre of hyper)- I had low expectations going into that one, heard it sucked, but I thought it actually delivered a pretty good ride. Not top 10 by a long shot, but it had some pretty decent airtime, I found it to be a really really fun ride, nothing to write home about, but I could have ridden it all day and had fun.
12.Phantoms Revenge- Morgans (admitted) mistake, it wasn't supposed to be that fast and powerful, but it is, just the way I(and Kennywood) like it. It's a coaster that kicks your ass with crazy powerful abrupt airtime, some nice turns, an amazing view and some of the best Hyper trains I've ridden in (that haven't lost riders). It's in my top 10 overall, and I love it and cant wait to ride it next year with all the work being done on it (they are removing the rest of the old arrow track on the first drop and hill)
13.SFGAdv Nitro- Another one of my favorite hypers, it's in a nice forrest setting away from the park, has some great airtime, good forces in the helix before the block brake, a pretty nice layout and like the rest of the B&M hyper trains, is comfortable. This is currently my favorite B&M Hyper and is in my top 10, only thing that could improve it is a better first drop (it seems like the pre drop as seen on Bull makes for a much more powerful first drop, though that could also have been a design flaw on B&M's part seeing as it's so out of character with the rest of the ride).
14.Steel Force- Morgan Hyper coaster, It follows the stock design of 205 foot drop into a hill, turnaround, block brake then repetetive return hills back to the station. It's ok, it has alittle airtime, though I think when I rode it, it was going a hair slow. Basically I'd stick it in purgatory, right in the middle of my lists, nothing great, but nothing really offensive. It's sorta just there.
15.SFA SROS- Mirror image of SFDL's SROS but in an uglier setting in a terrible park, though it's still a great ride, though it was in bad shape every time I went, the last time I was there I had second thoughts about riding it. But as it's a mirror, it mirrors my thoughts of SFDL's. However it may go just alittle faster for whatever reason, at least it felt that way.
16.Apollo's Chariot- Another early B&M Hyper Coster, it just doesnt do much for me, it's drop is not quite as powerful as Raging Bulls, though the rest of the layout wins over RB hands down. Though again it sorta suffers of forcelessness. Though it has a cool view and is in a nice wooded setting. Also I give it points for guiding Fabio's schnoz into that goose on Media Day killing the goose and gashing open his face.
17.SFNE SROS- Love it, tied for my #1 spot with ExGe. It's just got everything, extreme airtime, great first drop, good curves/helicies, mindblowing mist filled tunnels, it's just a spectacular ride.
18.Pepsi Max presents: The Big One- The greatest first drop I have ever ridden in my entire life. It puts the fear of god into you, it literally tries to tear you in half. After that though, think of it as a Mine Train. Though I do really like the shockingly high turn over grand national, I didn't realize it was a turn that's about 160 feet in the air and was pretty cool. I give it props for the first drop and again it goes into the middle of my lists.
19.Six Flags Holland Goliath- Very Meh, it looks awesome, especially at night, but it just didn't perform when I rode it, Airtime was somewhat weak, and the banking changes at the tops of hills pale in comparason to ExGe's. Stengel dive was different, not sure what to think of it, didnt do much for me. Though Anticipointment may have come into play, but it seemed to be the common opinion in the group that day. Robin Hood right down the midway was the real star of that ERT session
20.Colossos @ Heide Park (Yeah, it's wood but it's close to 200 feet, non looper, and rides like steel)- An Awesome ride, top 10 on my wood list, cool setting, good first drop, insane ejector hill, cool turnaround, lots more airtime, a mediocre helix followed by a really hot ending with 3 sweet bunny hops.
21.Expedetion GeForce (again, a Mini Hyper)- Tie for my 1 spot for steel, just like SFNE it's got everything, a sweet twisting first drop, powerful hills, a few overbanks, a sweeping diving helix over their rapids ride, the absolute best directional change that's at the crest of a hill that I really cant describe, then alot more airtime, there is a trim before the ending which probably slows it down, but it's still extremely powerful airtime. I'd kill for one of these in the states.
22.Silver Star @ Europa Park- It's a parking lot coaster cleverly themed to cars (it works believe it or not), but as far as the ride itself, it's the only non Mack made coaster in the park, and the park is Macks showroom so obviously it cant outshine their own rides, so all the trims are turned up to the max. It's vaguely a clone of Nitro but with so many trims and very week to non existent airtime. Ending is sorta neat crammed in between some buildings but in the end the ride really doesn't accomplish much, though the themeing in the queue and station is top notch, everything is Mercedes and racing themed.
23.Top Thrill Dragster- One trick pony though it's a hell of a trick, good speed, I like TTD but it's not spectacular.
24.Kingda Ka- They taught the pony another trick, makes it slightly better, but still nothing spectacular.
25.ElToro (See Colossos at Heide)- Top 5 on my wood list, just a really great coaster that's been reviewed to death and I agree with most of it. Got sick airtime, good drops, nice turns, and the ending wasn't as lame as I was expecting.
Last edited by FParker185 on December 24th, 2008, 11:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Favorite Wood Coasters: The Voyage, Ravine Flyer II, Thunderhead, Balder Favorite Steel: Voltron Nevera, Steel Vengeance, Expedition GeForce, Olympia Looping Parks visited: 232, Coasters Ridden: Steel: 894, Wood: 179, Total: 1073
My favorites from best to worst (not including, wood, or inverting, or suspended coasters):
1. SROS at SFNE The first half is loaded with airtime and the second half is loaded with crushing positive g's then rip your legs off ejector airtime at the top of those small hills. Amazing ride. Also the speed it takes going into the relatively short brake run freaks me out knowing those brakes have failed a time or two before .
2. SROS at Darien Lake Very underrated coaster, the helix over the lake after the first drop is insane and the last 2 hills are ejector airtime heaven. Because of those 3 elements you can cut it a lot of slack for the bizarre layout.
3. Millennium Force at Cedar Point MF isnt really a great hyper, the layout is a snoozefest and the overbank turns are repetetive and lame. But big points for the great view, huge drop, and speed it maintains makes it overall more excieting than those ranked lower and the wind in the front row is crazy.
4. Goliath at LaRonde I really liked the view, and it crowns the hills way faster than any other B&M hyper for some wicked airtime which is why its ranked above the other ones.
5. Nitro at SFGADV Surprisingly intense, has some decent air, and a really good setting. The only thing that kinda sucks about it is that its at Great Adventure so it looks really beaten up and has faded pink stairs leading to a rusted out tin box for a station which is extremely ugly (and really bothers me for some reason), but other than that its a great ride.
6. Behemoth at Canadas Wonderland The trains are really cool and the ride looks really cool (and is a good ride), but it didnt blow me away or anything. Typical slow B&M hyper airtime, although I do remember liking the ride near the front much better.
7. Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg Havent ridden this since 2000 but I remember it being pretty good, from POV's now it looks like theres some trimming action but the terrain is great, so points for that.
8. Raging Bull at SFGAm Major points for the drop in the back row. Other than that not very excieting, its much better with the trims off (or during sustained rain when they slide) but that 4th hill, the wanna be stengel dive thing, is so slow it just pisses me off while im riding it .
9. Wild Thing at Valleyfair Was better than I was expecting (from what I had heard Morgan hypers suck), drop and 2nd hill seemed decent airtime wise and the turn around was really smooth. Not the greatest of hypers but wasnt as boring as I thought it would be.
10. Magnum XL 200 at Cedar Point This ride blows. It was meh in near the back of the train but then I made the mistake of riding it in the so called ejector seat (1:3). Sitting in that seat going into the butterfly turnaround it abruptly smashes you against the side of the train (worst coathanger design ever). When I hit the trim brake there the first thing I thought was "thank god!" The pyramid bunny hills are just retarded. Normally im a big fan of rough Arrow coasters that most people hate, but figure the one most people like I hate .
11. Desperado at Buffalo Bills Horrible transitions, you get slammed to the side on every hill. Terrible coathanger design combined with bad maintenence = bad coaster. Rode it, hated it. Didnt believe it could be as bad as it was so I rode it again to make sure which confirmed it.
I would love to go on KIngda Ka someday but the ride lasts for like 20 seconds right? These giga coasters are good but too short and anything at Cedar Point is like 1-2 hours minimum at peak summer months. No flash passes. Have to wait.
The best hyper to me is Magnum XL-200. That is some aggressive airtime...yes aggressive. I took my sister on it & she hates it, thinks its the worst coaster in the world. A lot do not like it cause they say its painful.
I think what makes it so great is the large drop into a series of way smaller ones and hills. the speed keeps at a constant. the tunnels are a great effect as well...they are simply ...well done haha. I think its great. that is all.
JordanSDMF wrote:I personally haven't ridden many hypers, but from what I know, I think a good hyper needs lots of airtime. It doesn't have to have a huge 250' drop, but instead, a good layout. A lot of air time hill all connected, and some helices. Also I think head-chopper effects are so much fun.
A good example of a good hyper coaster I believe is either Goliath South, or soon to come, Diamondback. I like the splash down feature on Diamondback. It's cool they are applying it to other roller coasters other than their dive machines.
Diamondback is the #1 ride I want to go on at the moment and probably never will...
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