Nemesis - 1994 B&M Invert located at Alton Towers, Staffordshire, UK!
"Sit back, It's Fright Time!!"
You can guarantee that as every rider stands waiting in the air gates they have those exact words echoing through their mind! Even now as I sit writing this even I have the ride’s iconic theme music stuck in my head and this really is a tribute to just how enduring this ride has become!! For us Nemesis is our number one UK coaster and has remained firmly in the top spot even with the likes of Icon and Smiler opening in recent years!!
Nemesis is simply pure unadulterated adrenaline pumping thrills right from the start! As you climb the lift hill and take your first look down at the unique rocky valleys and landscape below you know you’re in for a treat! Once at the crest you can hear the screams start as you begin your descent into a ride experience that can only be described accurately in one word – INSANE!!
Nemmy (as she has become affectionately known by over the years) whips you down and straight into a corkscrew literally spinning you upside down from the get go! You are then pulled down into what possibly has to be my favourite element of the ride which is the ‘foot tingling’ downward helix before you spin into a Zero-G roll over the station, around a banked corner and down into one of the most loved elements of the ride (The Vertical Loop!). You are then propelled around another upward banked turn before plummeting down under the station exit path and into an insane Zero-G Roll just feet (literally haha!!) away from the rocks around you before being thrown around a final corner and into the break run!
"SIT BACK, IT'S FRIGHT TIME!!!"
This also arguably has to be the most iconic ride creation of John Wardley’s entire career, so much so he has even published a book named ‘Creating my own Nemesis’ and to be fair it’s quite easy to see why he has titled it the way he has! With SW3 (the project’s code name in development) setting the bench mark for the park’s future Wardley created something which his every future development would be compared to in the years to come post opening!
"Simply The Beast since 1994!!"
Overall Nemesis is a real one of a kind experience! With everything from close calls with the rocky ravines around you to foot tingling G-Forces throughout this disorientating experience still manages to pack a punch to this day and will leave you breathless and exhilarated every time! The fact that the ride turned 25 last season has had no affect what so ever on the overall experience and with everything from the iconic roar as you enter Forbidden Valley to the unique and immersive themeing and story line this ride really has become an absolute must for every park goer and remains simply the Beast since 1994 to this day!!
