originally posted on 5/27/2024
Photo: Courtesy of Alton Towers. View full-sized image.
Enthusiasts who are old enough will be astonished to contemplate that Nemesis is 30 years old. For that matter, in the early-to-mid-1990s, Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) were the new kids on the block. Younger coaster fans will think of the Swiss manufacturing company as one that has “always been around.”
In 1994, there were only a small number of inverted coasters. It was the innovation that took the amusement industry by storm. Batman The Ride at Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Illinois) was the first inverted coaster to open in 1992, and it dropped jaws. People flew across the country just to experience this incredible development in roller coaster technology. The floor dropping away, feet dangling, the heartline roll — it was mesmerizing. After it debuted, parks quickly lined up to get one. Among them was Alton Towers (Staffordshire, England). Nemesis was the fifth such coaster in the genre to premiere.
Nemesis is one of the oldest of Bolliger & Mabillard’s inverted coasters but was consistently considered among the best of the breed. This is the ride’s original look.
Photo: Brian Peters. View full-sized image.
But what an installation! One of the aspects Alton Towers is known for is its restriction forbidding building above the tree line. To put in a big new coaster that produced high thrills, some ingenuity was called for. To get the drops it needed for speed, ravines and trenches were dug. There is more than 100 feet of elevation change, owing to the deep crevices within the attraction. In addition to that, designer and architect John Wardley came up with an immersive, eerie storyline to enshroud the ride: Nemesis. Segments of track morphed into an alien life form (which was the station). Blood-red waterfalls flowed under riders’ feet. There was an extraterrestrial vibe that just checked all the boxes on the cool-factor charts.
For close to three decades, Nemesis served as a signature attraction for Alton Towers, even with an ever-growing lineup of coasters — including two first-of-their-kind B&Ms: Oblivion and Air. But in 2022, the park announced that the coaster would be closed in 2023 so that the majority of the ride could receive new track. (The station and lift remained the same.) Its final runs took place in November of 2022.
Nemesis Reborn is a thorough reimagining of the classic coaster with new track and theming elements.
Photo: Courtesy of Alton Towers. View full-sized image.
Fast forward almost 16 months to 2024. Nemesis Reborn returned in March, and it returned with a vengeance. Had the park just replaced the track, it would have served its purpose. After all, Universal Islands of Adventure (Orlando, Florida) pretty much did that with Incredible Hulk Coaster from 2015 to 2016. But no. The ride received not only new track but also a thematic overlay that simply screams “Wow!” The front of the station has now taken on a dramatically startling appearance with a huge three-dimensional eye that blinks and stares. Fog is blown on riders and hovers in the cavernous trenches. Teeth surrounding the eye move and threaten. The station pulses with illuminated veins and arteries as guests feel as if they have been engulfed into the internal organs of the alien lifeform. It’s an A+ makeover. Wild and weird.
Fog is an addition to the coaster’s infamous trenches.
Photo: Courtesy of Alton Towers. View full-sized image.
The coaster layout itself remains unchanged. Four inversions, 2,349 feet of track, 50 mph. It’s all still wonderful. The track itself is now vibrant in stark black with bright red veins pulled along its length. The queue stretched within the layout also has storytelling touches with a crashed helicopter, thematic props and storytelling “mystery” taking place. A soundtrack and sound effects keep the mood front of mind.
Nemesis Reborn replaces the coaster’s original gray color scheme with black and red.
Photo: Courtesy of Alton Towers. View full-sized image.
Nemesis was always considered to be a B&M inverted masterpiece, but kudos go to Alton Towers for the elevated approach to take it to the next level. Nemesis Reborn is a masterpiece magnified.
On opening day, guests waited more than an hour in a queue — for the gift shop! That speaks to the power of a self-created intellectual property that carries a mystique of this magnitude.
An article on Nemesis Reborn does bring up an observation worth mentioning, particularly to those with high interest such as ACEers. This is the second B&M roller coaster that has invested in retracking. Europa-Park recently retracked its indoor EuroSat coaster (Mack Rides), opting for smoother track using today’s engineering. Numerous Arrow coasters have been lost to time, owing to the lifespan of the structural integrity of those installations. Is this a challenge the amusement industry will face more frequently as steel coasters — particularly extreme ones — reach a certain age? It bears watching.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News
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