Diamondback

Heading into its fifth decade, Kings Island had built hyper-class credibility through Cedar Fair's design relationships with Bolliger & Mabillard, and Rivertown's open lakefront acreage offered enough room for the kind of sprawling out-and-back layout the manufacturer's hyper coasters are known for.

Diamondback opened in 2009 as the park's tallest coaster at the time, climbing to 230 feet before a 215-foot first drop at 74 degrees sends trains through 5,282 feet of track and ten total drops, finishing with a splashdown over the Rivertown lake. Open-air, stadium-style seating — each row set a few inches higher than the one ahead of it — gives every rider comparable sightlines, a signature B&M hyper-coaster touch.

The ride quickly became a fixture of major enthusiast and trade rankings, placing among the world's top steel coasters in nearly every poll since its debut.

Diamondback still ranks as one of Kings Island's most consistently well-reviewed coasters, valued as much for its floater airtime as for the panoramic views across Rivertown's lake.