New In China: <i>Light of Revenge</i> = <i>Cheetah Hunt</i> 2.0

New In China: Light of Revenge = Cheetah Hunt 2.0

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originally posted on 2/4/2022

All photos courtesy of Intamin. View full-sized image.

It’s not a surprise to see a popular roller coaster replicated. When the near-twins are on opposite sides of the world, that makes the duplication more tolerable.

Enter Light of Revenge. This intriguingly named coaster opened at Happy Valley in Nanjing, China, at the close of 2021. Those who have experienced Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (Florida) will recognize the layout. The iconic bird’s nest/windcatcher tower is a dead giveaway. Intamin Amusement Rides supplied this coaster to the Sunshine State in 2011. Now, the new sibling is a close match but differs slightly in its layout. Slightly. And the one lone inversion is still curiously included.

Like Cheetah Hunt, Light of Revenge has a single inversion.
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But there are bigger differences than just track.

The futuristic theming adds dramatic flair to the elements. Metal structures give it a Transformer-esque mojo and clearly amp the cool factor.

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The futuristic theming gives the coaster a dramatic look.
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The biggest change — and for the better — is the advancement of the trains used. Nowhere to be found are over-the-shoulder restraints. After Intamin perfected incredibly comfortable trains with Taron (Phantasialand, Brühl, Germany), this is the smarter go-to carriage of choice. Universal Orlando (Florida) got the memo with Jurassic World VelociCoaster as well.

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Light of Revenge for the most part is a mirror image of Cheetah Hunt. Track length is only slightly different. Light of Revenge is a tad shorter at 4,265 feet compared with 4,429 feet for its Florida cousin. However, Light of Revenge stands 131 feet tall over Cheetah Hunt’s 102 feet (which, of course, could be just owing to the topography).

Another big difference is clearly a night ride — or to be more precise, watching it at night. Lighting on the trains gives them a glowing ambience that provides the wow factor to rides such as Shanghai Disneyland’s TRON Lightcycle Power Run. The green illumination on the trains creates a commanding attraction that demands one’s attention.