Did you know that Steel Dragon's meganormous lift hill has two chains (because it's so meganormous)? One loop for the lower half and one for the upper half. I think – again, don't make a bar bet on it – that's another one-of-a-kind feature.
I really should have gone up in the wheel. From high above, you can see the rivers and sea that border the park (one more pointedly Cedar Point-like characteristic). "Nagashima" actually means "long island."
So I'd recommend a ride on Steel Dragon for the views alone. They are sweet. Fleeting, but sweet.
And you cannot knock that first drop. Even though its 65-degree angle of descent is way off Millennium Force's 80-degree plunge, it's plenty steep enough.
Of course, aerodynamic concerns are very important on a ride that hits 95 miles per hour, but if there was a little more "dragon" going on in the lead car, I'd be even happier with the new trains.
Even if it was just painted on, make it look a little more like a "Divine Demon-Dragon Gaiking" sort of thing. Seems like a bit of a missed opportunity. Anyway, look at that drop; that is one titanic mofo. I will cop to having a moment at the bottom of this first blisteringly fast dive: "I am riding a giga-coaster in Japan."
It may not be the most aggressive roller coaster in its weight class, but you gotta love that the Dragon's second hill is 252 feet tall. That's impressive. And the third hill, the one pictured above, that dumps you into the knot of turns at the far end? It's 210 feet tall, higher than some hypercoasters ever get.
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