Sunday Special: Nemesis VS Oblivion

Today is Sunday which mean its time to pit two different attractions against each other!

But seeing as this week we are continuing our celebration of Alton Towers, I thought it would be fitting to focus on two different coasters.

These coasters made our quiet park nestled in the Staffordshire countryside, into a world famous destination!

Nemesis Vs Oblivion

Both of these coasters were manufactured by B&M. 

One is a suspended coaster, the other a dive machine.
They both represent a first for the nation, if not the world.
In fact, it could also be said that they paved the way for other coasters of their same model around the world.

But which wins this battle?
Well, to keep things simple, today we will be focusing on just two key elements, that I think make or brake a rollercoaster.

Theming and Thrill.

As always please remember, these are just my opinions and thoughts. We all have our own, which is what makes being a part of a coaster community the best!

So let's head into the 'Oblivion'...  oh dear...

Theme 

Oblivion opened at the beginning of the 1998 season, it has a great theme, one that was totally perfect for its time. 

The ride centres around a strange industrial and slightly scientific building. 

The design of the architecture surrounding the coaster is very modern and minimalistic. 

 

With a simple and bold colour scheme of orange and black, the designers clearly wanted this ride and its branding to stand out It still does to this day! 

Almost anything around the resort, with orange and black markings or colouring, anyone will instantly relate to the attraction! 

 

The use of bare, high, concrete walls, strange videos of post-modern visuals, strobe lighting effects, and of course, the booming techno soundtrack, all create an intense build up to the coaster! 

Who can forget the random Tesla coil randomly placed inside the line! 

in the case of Nemesis, this takes a different approach. 

Using some good old classic story telling. 

Opening in the 1994 season, nemesis thrilled the nation, this coaster was unlike anything anyone had seen in Europe!

Rather house the coaster in a normal style station and show building, they themed the entire surrounding area. 

Themed to an alien landing in the middle of the park, the coaster station was in the heart of this horrid supernatural beast. 

guests would have to enter the line and venture through the baron landscapes into the alien, in order to board the coaster at the station. 

The attention to detail here is fantastic, from the blood water falls within the baron landscape, to the way the track interacts with the show building and set pieces surrounding the area. 

perhaps what's also very noticeable was the story behind the ride. 

A whole set of characters and a build up, added addition sespense to those waiting for the ride, not to mention the marketing of the ride itself. 

Its these various elements that make the theming around Nemesis the winner here. The story really evolves around you, which comes to a climax when entering the station.

When comparing this to Oblivion, the moment you enter the station can feel somewhat underwhelming. 

So all in all, the point goes to Nemesis! 

Nemesis: 1   -   Oblivion: 0 

Thrill 

While Both these coasters have their fair share of thrill, I feel they each have their strong points and elements. 

Nemesis is famous of course for being a world class suspended coaster. 

It has some incredibly intense moments, where you really can feel the forces. 

From the vertical loop, to the cobra rolls, to the punchy stall turns and helixes, the layout for Nemesis is something to behold. 

As I mentioned before there are some great near miss elements also, diving through holes, under rock work and bridges. 

Comparing Nemesis to Oblivion, is a challenge, as Oblivion ( quite clearly ) can't win on its layout. 

But Oblivion is special for it's own reasons. 

Yes it has a basic layout, with a drop into a banked turn. 

But oblivion being the first vertical drop coaster in the world, has some of the most intense forces in a coaster around the world. 

With the whole ride cantered around the drop, the drop being on full view ( usually with an audience watching ) and the giant blackhole in which riders fly into, it creates an enormous amount of suspense.  

This in turn, almost masks that basic layout and adds another phycological element to the ride. 

This when paired with the 90 degree, 180ft drop makes this far more thrilling than Nemisis. 

so for this round the winning coaster is Oblivion! 

Nemesis: 1   -   Oblivion: 1

Overall 

Well would you look at that! We have a tie! 

yes, it is a tie, both of these rides our world class coasters in their own right. 

In my eyes they both win and deserve a place in the museum of trophies for the UK Theme Park Industry ( if there was such a thing...) 

Do you agree? Do you have you own thoughts on the coasters? 

Leave a comment below, or get involved on our insta : @coastersamblog 

Keep your eyes peeled on the blog and socials for more articles this coming week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday!

But for now... 

See ya! 

Sam x