X-Flight: X-Flight is alright. I'd say it is the worse wing coaster out there, but none of them are bad. They didn't have the space to do much, and what they came up with? Better than Iron Wolf, I suppose. I have yet to ride X-Flight, but it's not on my coaster wish list, that's for sure.
Leviathan: I'd say Leviathan was suppose to top all the new coasters this year, but it's maybe near the middle. I don't understand why they put it at a park with a hyper, because besides the height and speed, not much is different at all. It's not unique other than the first drop and speed, but it's not bad because of this, and I found Leviathan fun, but it really shouldn't be at CW. Overall: 7/10
Verbolten: Certainly not the best one this year. It is too short, and there is way too much in the building. Big Bad Wolf was better, but they removed it not because it was bad, but because it was getting to cost too much. I wanted to see something that'd replace BBW and Drachen Fire. It sure did, but only landwise. I wasn't expecting a whole lot here, but it's not horrible. Overall: 6.5/10
Wild Eagle: The course seems a bit on the short side, but Wild Eagle delivered pretty well. Dollywood didn't really need another inversion coaster, but the wing rider without inversions is like "Dragon Challenge" without the duel. Wait... Overall: 8/10
Skyrush: Skyrush certainly impressed me. At first it seemed a little weak, but a ride on it, especially on the side, changed any negative thought of mine. The first drop is great. Overall: 7/10
Manta: I would have rather seen an original name, but sometimes I think I care about that stuff too much. Manta is great for all the restrictions they had, and it makes me want to go to SWSD. A coaster is what they needed, and a coaster is what they got. Overall: 8.5/10
Apocalypse: About as good as a 21 year old stander with new paint and a new home can get. No B&M coaster needs to be torn down obviously, but relocating it? Is it really worth it? Overall: 5/10
Wodan, The Swarm, and Shambhala: 3 great european coasters. No problem with any of them. Wodan: 8/10, Swarm: 8/10, Shambhala: 9/10
Goliath: Another Goliath? And they didn't even paint it. Lame. Overall: 5/10
Stinger: Same reaction as Goliath, but it got new paint and a new name. Still, it's just an inverted boomerang. Overall: 4.5/10
Superman: Ultimate Flight: S:UF is good for the space, but the rest seems just okay. I hope Knott's doesn't get one of these. This is another, "Well, it's cool, but let's just keep it Six Flags." Overall: 5.5/10
What is your opinion? The only ones I've been on are Leviathan, Verbolten, and Skyrush, so you can probabuly prove me wrong on some of these.
Leviathan: This was great. A good mix of speed an airtime, an excellent first drop, and an uninterrupted ride from start to finish. It does end abruptly, but I don't think the ride feels too short. It's also not the most extreme or forceful, so if you want ejector airtime and blackouts this isn't the ride for you, but if you just want a fun ride this will do it. Out of all 16 coasters at Canda's Wonderland, it was my favorite and is one of my top ten steel coasters.
Manta: I don't know how to rank this ride. It is the best family coaster I've been on and it is an excellent ride, especially for its size, but the ride is just too small to compare to larger coasters. I have a feeling this will revive interest in SeaWorld San Diego since the park hasn't really done anything major in a while.
As far as other coasters go...
Verbolten: This looks like an excellent family coaster, but at the same time it appears a little too gimmicky. I haven't been on the ride so I could be absolutely wrong, but I've got a feeling this wouldn't be getting nearly as much hype if it wasn't for the drop track.
The three Wing Coasters: I haven't been on any of them, but both US versions look good. Wild Eagle looks like the best of the three, and X-Flight appears to be the most intense. Swarm, on the other hand, looks like is probably somewhat disappointing as it appears slow and has a relatively uninteresting layout.
Wodan Timbur Coaster: Looks like another winner for GCI. I can't wait to see what CGA's 2013 coaster will be like (the announcement is tomorrow).
Skyrush: I've heard this ride is great, and I definitely believe it when people say this is the best new for 2012 coaster. However, I don't think it would be my type of ride simply because I'm not a fan of super intensity rides (most people love Intimidator 305, but I wouldn't go out of my way to ride it).
Relocations: A lot of enthusiasts look down on relocations, but I see them as a good way to add a new coaster (for that market) at a cheap price. I don't know about Apocalypse, but I never heard great things about Iron Wolf. I did enjoy Deja Vu when it was at SFMM, and based on my experience at SFNE last year Goliath is probably the second or third best coaster in the park. The same goes for Stinger: I enjoyed it as Invertigo at CGA, and I'm sure that Dorney Park's guests are enjoying it (although I haven't been to Dorney Park so I'm not sure where it would place in their lineup).
Superman Ultimate Flight: I'll be riding this next year, but from what I've heard it has been a great addition to the park. The ride certainly looks like the most bizarre coaster of 2012 and I'm sure it gives a fun (although very short) ride.
I think that's most of the majors for 2012.
People are selling Verbolten a little short. It's not meant to be a "scream machine." It's a "family" coaster, and it has some relatively intense sections. The course through the building is as good as Revenge of the Mummy, and while the drop is not as good as advertised, it's still something you're not going to find on any other US coaster right now.
The 2 US wing coaster are both solid installations. However, with any B&M design, the first couple are rarely up to the potential of the style. The real question is if Gatekeeper will be the pinacle of the wing coaster or just a stepping stone to an even better design. It took B&M 3 years before they really hit with a flyer, and Tatsu and Manta are now two of the best coasters in the world, regardless of type. I think the wing coaster may just be a natural progression to a rebirth of the 4D coaster, just like loopers like Hulk and Kumba did for the floorless coaster, and Skeikra paved the way for Griffon and it's own floorless upgrade.
Leviathon is a waste of steel. It doesn't take advantage of its height with a layout truncated by at least 2,000 feet. I'm disappointed that B&M would play along with Cedar Fair on that coaster, but I guess they still got paid, which is all that really matters in this business.
The only other new installation I've ridden this year is ThighCrush. I couldn't pay attention to the ride because it was trying to break my legs. So like its predecessor I305, I'm going to skip it until SkyRush 2.0
Just kidding, that'd be crazy! :)
I really enjoyed Verbolten! To be honest when I talked to others about the ride, the drop was something that surprised us. It wasn't the focal point of the coaster, but overall the ride is great for families and thrill seekers alike. I'm glad that they took at least some thought with this coaster after it's sister coaster Cheetah Hunt, (which looks much more intense). My girlfriend and I rode this ride multiple times during our visit and it became our new park favorite. 8.5/10
The Wing coasters: I have a soft spot for DollyWood so Wild Eagle naturally appeals to me (1st or tied for it). X-Flight is pretty big and looks pretty good. I guess it's the best they could do with the space. Even though this and X-Flight are near identical, The Merlin Group crushes Six Flags in the theming department.
Manta: Looks like an amazing family experience especially with the confines of what they could do. I'd love to get a ride on it.
SkyRush: Looks to be coaster greatness! Whether my body would fully survive is another story.
The Megas/Hypers Worldwide: Leviathan looks big and fast but after the drop I lose all interest. Shambala, the same thing I guess, but PortAvenutra didn't have a hyper so it's okay.
I can't remember any others at the moment.... or some of them really weren't on my radar. But the Euro Coasters are usually a great ride.
SFGA has been lucky to have something new for the past five years. I'd say X Flight is a hit!
Anthony, X Flight is the least impressive. Worse might not be the best word. They are all great, but compared to Raptor, Wild Eagle, and the Swarm, it ranks behind them. Now that I know what a wing coaster feels like (in general), I look at the others and it simply isn't the best. Wild Eagle and X Flight are not similar at all, but I know what riding a wing coaster feels like. Because of this, I feel totally within my legal rights to say it is the fourth best wing coaster in the world. Great America needed something new and something major. That is what they got. All the wing coasters are impressive, but my opinion is X Flight being fourth. That is mine, and you have yours. Man, this post is like politics! Rough... :)
