Great review! I rode right after opening weekend in march and it almost immediately dethroned lightning rod from my top spot. I was worried there was so much hype that it would let me down, but I was shocked at how powerful every single element was. Even the smaller hills that seem like RMC’s version of filler really popped, and I’m a sucker for super aggressive rides. Also I’m with you preferring this over steel vengeance, even tho that’s not a popular opinion
Oh, yes. A pure and unadulterated classic Rollercoaster David review, complete with a follow-the-sliding-dot graphic. Great stuff. And yes, I do appreciate your having ridden all the RMCs and ranking this against that complete backdrop. I also suspect that I have a tendency to like what you like in a coaster, so I’m guessing I may love Iron Gwazi just as much as you. Riding it is not on my immediate agenda, sadly, but I will be on Zadra in just over a month, so - according to your review - perhaps that’s not too far off as an experience. Thanks as always for an enjoyable review.
@@Marty_NZ I hear you, Marty, but I’ll be absolutely swamped until the end of the semester in a month’s time, and then it’s off to Europe for … eight weeks!!
I mean you already knew Iron Gwazi is probably my number 1. Great review as always. I think at the top tier RMC level, they're all so good that it becomes a personal preference. I suspect Steel Vengeance's long lines and waits will make me prefer Iron Gwazi too, no matter how elite the ride is. Probably why I love Goliath and Twisted Timbers so much. Make me wait in short lines and allow me to marathon an RMC.
Great review! Been on all of the RMC's in the US other than Jersey Devil, and Iron Gwazi is my #3 overall coaster behind only Steel Vengeance and Lightning Rod. I got 29 rides on it. I still think the Quad down is the single best element on any coaster, and Steel Vengeance is tough to beat for how much they throw at you over that ride. Iron Gwazi was fantastic. The one improvement for me with the ride may be the stall. I feel like Iron Gwazi's pacing is so good, it kind of ruins that element and I prefer the stalls on Velocicoaster and Pantheon over it. The pacing is the biggest strength in my mind. I also didn't have an issue marathoning it. Again great review!
Alan I forgot you're everywhere. Still blows my mind how people love Lightning Rod so much. I literally did it 5 days after Iron Gwazi and it felt like a whole tier lower for me. Oh how i'd love to experience this older and faster Lightning Rod!
@@Marty_NZ Only been in the US, but have the majority of elite coasters in the US. Hopefully Europe next summer. Here is how I tier what I've ridden with RMC's: In my Top 10- Steel Vengeance, Lightning Rod, Iron Gwazi, Twisted Timbers, Outlaw Run In my Top11-20: Storm Chaser, Twisted Colossus, Iron Rattler In my Top 21-30: Wicked Cyclone, RailBlazer, Wonder Women (SFFT), Stunt Pilot In my Top 31-40: Twisted Cyclone, Goliath In my Top 41-50: Joker Outside my Top 50: New Texas Giant
@@alantrotter2077 you're breaking my balls with Goliath. It's just so good though if you look past the amount of elements and how quickly it's over. Still the best stall. I can at least say i've done 4 countries. NZ, USA, Australia and South Africa. Only done 9 USA RMCs though.
Unpopular opinion: I also prefer this to Steel Vengeance, although both of them are absolutely incredible. All the little bunny hill air pops at the end of SV hurt my legs, but it's the death roll in the back seat that wins it for Gwazi for me. My RMC top 3 are 1) Iron Gwazi 2) Steel Vengeance and 3) Lightning Rod. If all goes well, I will get on Outlaw Run and Twisted Timbers this year.
Nice review! I'd say the most important point you missed was the lack of and poor clearance/envelope testing. Just like you mentioned they had years to get everything things in order, whether slow operations, minor issues like the air gates, and most importantly the clearance/envelope testing which is unacceptable
Hello David. I'm the guy you met a little while ago on the restaurant in Denmark. (Asked about your channel) Are there some reviews of a few Danish Coasters coming out? I might've overheard it incase you spoke about it in this video. Been watching a bunch of your videos on both channels, and it's some great content you're posting. Keep up the great work :) And have a good one, it was nice to meet you!
Hi! I've got a bit of a backlog of reviews to work on, as I'm sure you know making videos takes a long time! I will be doing a review of Denmark's newest roller coaster fønix at fårup sommerland soon though.
@@RollercoasterDavid Ah yea I know all about that! A review of Fønix sounds super interesting, I remember you mentioned Fårup. I'll make sure to check it out once you're done :)
The downtime is because of wind, I'm friends with a ride op who works at bgt. IG has a lower wind tolerance than the b&m's there and often needs about 5-10 minutes to let a gust pass bc Tampa's weather is weird, bit of an oversight imo but at least we have a great ride
Unfortunately, it's a 15 minute pause, and every time they make that announcement, it means there was another gust and they have to reset the clock for fifteen minutes, then run it twice before it can reopen. I learned this talking to the staff, as I waited an hour and a half after traveling half the country, and did not get to ride it.
I've only been on SV, so I cannot compare them. I do really enjoy the final elements, though. The bunny hops aren't that great but everything leading up to them is stunningly fun.
A fantastic and insightful review! I absolutely have to agree with you that iron Gwazi is probably superior at least in my opinion to steel vengeance… Right now it’s my favorite RMC… But I still have yet to get out and ride those other ones out of the United States
Iron Gwazi is actually about 300’ shorter than Zadra but Zadra looks to have a shorter prime ride time (duration from the moment the train starts accelerating as it disengages from the chain lift to the brake run)
I wasn't a fan of the small hills at the end of the ride because they slammed my shins into the awful shin guards so for me there isn't a good element except the final ejector hill after the wave turn by the station because of that I don't rank Iron Gwazi as high as many would
@@SunshineStateCoasters hot takes on both of those, however we all experience the rides differently. Iron Gwazi definitely better than Velocicoaster for me, however both would be in my top 10. Lightning Rod barely hangs in my top 25 and I consider it middle to lower tier RMC.
@@Marty_NZ Alright to be fair I think I have 4 or 5 rides on IG and none of those were at night. Lightning Rod I’ve done 12 times and 2 of them were at night including LROTN. And I did it 2019 before the retrack. I just found Lightning Rod’s airtime to be more intense and I really felt like I was flying out of seat! Whereas Iron Gwazi with the exception of the double down/up idk and the final ejector hill I didn’t find the airtime to be as intense or more pronounced. And also I prefer Lightning Rod’s restraints with the grab bars. But VelociCoaster is everything to me, the theming, the story, the queue, the atmosphere, the night rides…. It’s the whole package and I love the Jurassic World Movies so I have bias lol.
@@SunshineStateCoasters that makes sense. I've only had 5 daytime rides on Iron Gwazi, but even then it's better than the others for me. Actually did nightime rides on Velocicoaster with Rollercoaster David himself, and even then it couldn't top my daytime Iron Gwazi rides! I've only recently done Lightning Rod in the same trip as Iron Gwazi and Velocicoaster so can only comment on the post retrack experience and it definitely didn't live up to all the hype. The fact that you like the handles on LROD restraints tells me you're riding coasters wrong lol! Hands should be up at all times! I do wish I could have experienced Lightning Rod in all its former glory, but it sounds like they really neutered it based on my experience. I went in with world class expectations for Iron Gwazi and it still exceeded my expectations. Velocicoaster also exceeded my expectations. It's the whole package for sure.
@@Marty_NZ Well I like to hold on so I can keep the restraints up for more airtime lol. And it worked for me! Alright another thing, Lightning Rod was my first RMC and Iron Gwazi is only my 2nd so I don’t have too much to compare. I’ve only done 85 coasters as of now and Iron Gwazi is still in my top 5. I got a feeling it will go higher but VelociCoaster is my personal best, I think I prefer the overall experience instead of the coaster itself, like Hagrid’s is literally my #6 favorite and I’m not even a Harry Potter fan lol!
The height of Zadra, Iron Gwazi and Steel Vengeance are all about 205’ but the drop of SV IS 200 whereas the drop of both IG and Zadra are about 205’; making the drop slightly bigger than SV and the top speed faster. (The 1’ difference between 205’ and 206’ is completely negligible, especially considering they are height stats and NOT drop stats.)
If a turn is banned more than 135 degrees it’s considered to be an inversion. Overbanked turns never seem that way from the rider’s perspective as it’s natural at those speeds or the laterals would kill you.
Which review should I work on next?
A redo top 20 RMC video, because Top 19 is just a little bit odd.
M&Ds!
What makes Hakugei the perfect roller coaster for you, with a sole focus on Hakugei alone.
So I should maybe have rephrased this question, I meant which review - Velocicoaster, Pantheon or fonix!
@@RollercoasterDavid Fønix easily. I haven't seen an English review of it yet so I'd love to see that.
Great review! I rode right after opening weekend in march and it almost immediately dethroned lightning rod from my top spot. I was worried there was so much hype that it would let me down, but I was shocked at how powerful every single element was. Even the smaller hills that seem like RMC’s version of filler really popped, and I’m a sucker for super aggressive rides. Also I’m with you preferring this over steel vengeance, even tho that’s not a popular opinion
At this point I kind of enjoy teasing the Steve fanboys!
Oh, yes. A pure and unadulterated classic Rollercoaster David review, complete with a follow-the-sliding-dot graphic. Great stuff. And yes, I do appreciate your having ridden all the RMCs and ranking this against that complete backdrop. I also suspect that I have a tendency to like what you like in a coaster, so I’m guessing I may love Iron Gwazi just as much as you. Riding it is not on my immediate agenda, sadly, but I will be on Zadra in just over a month, so - according to your review - perhaps that’s not too far off as an experience.
Thanks as always for an enjoyable review.
I'll go cry in my Arrow loop and corkscrew this weekend. You should really do a weekend trip to Iron Gwazi. It's that good.
@@Marty_NZ I hear you, Marty, but I’ll be absolutely swamped until the end of the semester in a month’s time, and then it’s off to Europe for … eight weeks!!
I mean you already knew Iron Gwazi is probably my number 1. Great review as always. I think at the top tier RMC level, they're all so good that it becomes a personal preference. I suspect Steel Vengeance's long lines and waits will make me prefer Iron Gwazi too, no matter how elite the ride is. Probably why I love Goliath and Twisted Timbers so much. Make me wait in short lines and allow me to marathon an RMC.
Great review! Been on all of the RMC's in the US other than Jersey Devil, and Iron Gwazi is my #3 overall coaster behind only Steel Vengeance and Lightning Rod. I got 29 rides on it. I still think the Quad down is the single best element on any coaster, and Steel Vengeance is tough to beat for how much they throw at you over that ride. Iron Gwazi was fantastic. The one improvement for me with the ride may be the stall. I feel like Iron Gwazi's pacing is so good, it kind of ruins that element and I prefer the stalls on Velocicoaster and Pantheon over it. The pacing is the biggest strength in my mind. I also didn't have an issue marathoning it. Again great review!
Alan I forgot you're everywhere. Still blows my mind how people love Lightning Rod so much. I literally did it 5 days after Iron Gwazi and it felt like a whole tier lower for me. Oh how i'd love to experience this older and faster Lightning Rod!
@@Marty_NZ Only been in the US, but have the majority of elite coasters in the US. Hopefully Europe next summer. Here is how I tier what I've ridden with RMC's:
In my Top 10- Steel Vengeance, Lightning Rod, Iron Gwazi, Twisted Timbers, Outlaw Run
In my Top11-20: Storm Chaser, Twisted Colossus, Iron Rattler
In my Top 21-30: Wicked Cyclone, RailBlazer, Wonder Women (SFFT), Stunt Pilot
In my Top 31-40: Twisted Cyclone, Goliath
In my Top 41-50: Joker
Outside my Top 50: New Texas Giant
@@alantrotter2077 you're breaking my balls with Goliath. It's just so good though if you look past the amount of elements and how quickly it's over. Still the best stall. I can at least say i've done 4 countries. NZ, USA, Australia and South Africa. Only done 9 USA RMCs though.
Great review, thanks!
Unpopular opinion: I also prefer this to Steel Vengeance, although both of them are absolutely incredible. All the little bunny hill air pops at the end of SV hurt my legs, but it's the death roll in the back seat that wins it for Gwazi for me. My RMC top 3 are 1) Iron Gwazi 2) Steel Vengeance and 3) Lightning Rod. If all goes well, I will get on Outlaw Run and Twisted Timbers this year.
Nice review! I'd say the most important point you missed was the lack of and poor clearance/envelope testing. Just like you mentioned they had years to get everything things in order, whether slow operations, minor issues like the air gates, and most importantly the clearance/envelope testing which is unacceptable
Hello David.
I'm the guy you met a little while ago on the restaurant in Denmark. (Asked about your channel)
Are there some reviews of a few Danish Coasters coming out? I might've overheard it incase you spoke about it in this video.
Been watching a bunch of your videos on both channels, and it's some great content you're posting.
Keep up the great work :)
And have a good one, it was nice to meet you!
Hi! I've got a bit of a backlog of reviews to work on, as I'm sure you know making videos takes a long time! I will be doing a review of Denmark's newest roller coaster fønix at fårup sommerland soon though.
@@RollercoasterDavid
Ah yea I know all about that!
A review of Fønix sounds super interesting, I remember you mentioned Fårup.
I'll make sure to check it out once you're done :)
The John Hammond (Jurassic Park) accent really adds something to these reviews.
Not had my voice compared to Richard Attenborough before, but it should work well for my upcoming velocicoaster review!
The downtime is because of wind, I'm friends with a ride op who works at bgt. IG has a lower wind tolerance than the b&m's there and often needs about 5-10 minutes to let a gust pass bc Tampa's weather is weird, bit of an oversight imo but at least we have a great ride
Interesting, I wonder what causes the restriction, as it doesn't feel close to stalling at any point.
Unfortunately, it's a 15 minute pause, and every time they make that announcement, it means there was another gust and they have to reset the clock for fifteen minutes, then run it twice before it can reopen. I learned this talking to the staff, as I waited an hour and a half after traveling half the country, and did not get to ride it.
Wait have you ridden Fønix already??! My countrie!!
Great review!!
it's a fun coaster, I stopped by last week as return flights to Billund were only £11!
@@RollercoasterDavid that is insanely cheap! Great choice.
Sadly car hire was extortionate, but I was able to split it with a friend and offset it against then cheap flights!
@@RollercoasterDavid Yeah Denmark isnt cheap at all haha..
Nice review, so Iron Gwazi is the 2nd best RMC in you opinion? Also is it overall a top 3,5 or 10 coaster for you?
I've only been on SV, so I cannot compare them. I do really enjoy the final elements, though. The bunny hops aren't that great but everything leading up to them is stunningly fun.
A fantastic and insightful review! I absolutely have to agree with you that iron Gwazi is probably superior at least in my opinion to steel vengeance… Right now it’s my favorite RMC… But I still have yet to get out and ride those other ones out of the United States
Thanks! If you liked this video you'll probably like my other coaster review videos I've punished.
Iron Gwazi is actually about 300’ shorter than Zadra but Zadra looks to have a shorter prime ride time (duration from the moment the train starts accelerating as it disengages from the chain lift to the brake run)
I wasn't a fan of the small hills at the end of the ride because they slammed my shins into the awful shin guards so for me there isn't a good element except the final ejector hill after the wave turn by the station because of that I don't rank Iron Gwazi as high as many would
Same here, I overhyped myself… Lightning Rod is still better imo. But none of those compare to VelociCoaster!
@@SunshineStateCoasters hot takes on both of those, however we all experience the rides differently. Iron Gwazi definitely better than Velocicoaster for me, however both would be in my top 10. Lightning Rod barely hangs in my top 25 and I consider it middle to lower tier RMC.
@@Marty_NZ Alright to be fair I think I have 4 or 5 rides on IG and none of those were at night. Lightning Rod I’ve done 12 times and 2 of them were at night including LROTN. And I did it 2019 before the retrack. I just found Lightning Rod’s airtime to be more intense and I really felt like I was flying out of seat! Whereas Iron Gwazi with the exception of the double down/up idk and the final ejector hill I didn’t find the airtime to be as intense or more pronounced. And also I prefer Lightning Rod’s restraints with the grab bars. But VelociCoaster is everything to me, the theming, the story, the queue, the atmosphere, the night rides…. It’s the whole package and I love the Jurassic World Movies so I have bias lol.
@@SunshineStateCoasters that makes sense. I've only had 5 daytime rides on Iron Gwazi, but even then it's better than the others for me. Actually did nightime rides on Velocicoaster with Rollercoaster David himself, and even then it couldn't top my daytime Iron Gwazi rides! I've only recently done Lightning Rod in the same trip as Iron Gwazi and Velocicoaster so can only comment on the post retrack experience and it definitely didn't live up to all the hype. The fact that you like the handles on LROD restraints tells me you're riding coasters wrong lol! Hands should be up at all times! I do wish I could have experienced Lightning Rod in all its former glory, but it sounds like they really neutered it based on my experience. I went in with world class expectations for Iron Gwazi and it still exceeded my expectations. Velocicoaster also exceeded my expectations. It's the whole package for sure.
@@Marty_NZ Well I like to hold on so I can keep the restraints up for more airtime lol. And it worked for me! Alright another thing, Lightning Rod was my first RMC and Iron Gwazi is only my 2nd so I don’t have too much to compare. I’ve only done 85 coasters as of now and Iron Gwazi is still in my top 5. I got a feeling it will go higher but VelociCoaster is my personal best, I think I prefer the overall experience instead of the coaster itself, like Hagrid’s is literally my #6 favorite and I’m not even a Harry Potter fan lol!
The height of Zadra, Iron Gwazi and Steel Vengeance are all about 205’ but the drop of SV IS 200 whereas the drop of both IG and Zadra are about 205’; making the drop slightly bigger than SV and the top speed faster. (The 1’ difference between 205’ and 206’ is completely negligible, especially considering they are height stats and NOT drop stats.)
I could re ride this all day. Along with month.
If a turn is banned more than 135 degrees it’s considered to be an inversion. Overbanked turns never seem that way from the rider’s perspective as it’s natural at those speeds or the laterals would kill you.
This Isn’t your fault, but why do they call it a down drop? Don’t all drops go down? isn’t that term redundant?
I think Sv blows Iron Gwazi away
Ofc you do and you probably haven’t even ridden iron gwazi