H2H2 / My Favourite H2H2 Parks

MY 10 FAVOURITE H2H2 PARKS
-by mantis

Intro
As the H2H2 season draws to a close and Ed gives a round-up of each team's performance, I thought i'd have a go at choosing my favourites. There were some truly astonishing pieces of work put up to the vote from both rct and rct2, and I certainly had a great time looking at the parks. I'm using this list as an opportunity to say what effect these parks had on me, and why I think they are great examples of rct. Rest assured, all of the parks made this season were accomplished and worthy of recognition...except maybe Rushville! I'd recommend everyone to look at some of the parks on this list in great detail, because i've learnt a hell of a lot from what people have made.

So on to the list:


Battlefield RCT - Coaster Ed & Scarface

The epic battle between Mont Claire and Splendoria...the greatest thing to ever be made in rct. It's funny how Coaster Ed's H2H2 parks are bigger events than his megaparks - which themselves are (regrettably) rare occurences. So, we must thank our lucky stars that he puts all his efforts into making astonishing H2H2 parks and guesting in other parks (see: Cataclysm, WB Hawaii). Battlefield RCT is rct engineering at its peak - unparalleled structures like the Aircraft Manufacturing Plant and the two Bell Towers defy belief, while the Crashed Chopper, Harbor Crane and Power Collector show Ed's total mastery of track scenery. The fact that this park nearly hits the ride limit might indicate how fucking detailed it is...Ed even uses hidden mini-steel track to give the right type of supports to balconies on the Jet Ski Depot. Insane. Not forgetting the 30 timed explosions accompanying the invert that careers through the opposing sides. Writing this I realise it's impossible to describe this park. Just look at it a lot and maybe you'll share the same experience I do - total and utter awe.

Erwindale Forest - Coaster Ed & mantis

I'm including this on the list because I want to write about Ed's work some more - I had little input into the concept and building of this park. This is perhaps the first example we had of Ed's immersion style - in the Icons forum we were all pretty excited about his ideas and you can probably tell from his scrapbook that he was too! When he first sent me the park it was at about 50%, with the coaster layout, trees and Fire Temple in place already. I was bowled over - I found it very difficult to even think of what to build to keep the standard up, so eventually I ended up taking the easy way out by making two buildings and chucking it right back at Ed. I'm glad I did, Erwindale was his achievement. Surprisingly, it had a tough time against Isomania (quite a lot of mud-slinging went on!) but won out in the end. From the custom trees to the splitting coaster, the overgrown foliage to the interactive coaster theming, this park has everything and is everything it could be. Cluttered? HAHAHAHAHAHA don't make me laugh.

Miami 2040 - Fatha'

I wish I could make something like this. I spent a lot of time on Atomkraftwerk and was looking forward to the match-up, and boy what a match-up! This was the third park from Fatha', and he was obviously building up steam with Maui and Sicily - Miami 2040 is vintage Fatha' with a radical, modern spin. The familiar, beautiful lines are there, along with the lush vegetation, faultless layout and seamless theme transitions, but all of it is updated - the track scenery is more sophisticated, the layering more complicated and the whole look is enhanced by many details perhaps lacking from some of his old work (ie the plant monster, motorway supports and stadium). If PoC is all like this, we're in for a hell of a treat. I invite you to zoom out and take in that atmosphere. It's a buzzing metropolis with big buildings, vivid colours and stunning scenery. I dream of making parks like this, but luckily Fatha' makes them so I don't have to try and fail.

Purple Pill Heights - The Judge & ToonTower

It's funny. I was looking through the H2H2 parks and saw this one and thought "hmm, that park was pretty good, and pretty popular too!" And then I realised how long ago it was made and how amazing it was for its time. And how amazing it is for the current rct2 scene too. ToonTower, the man who's turned rct2 from a bad rehash into a thriving creative engine, and The Judge, the Masters member who has all but disappeared . Two great rct'ers, one great park. I really liked first the colours, then the objects, then the waterfalls, then the foliage. I don't think there has been anything much like it since (except maybe Gymkid's Aquazone). When people look back and ask 'what started it all?', I hope Purple Pill Heights is mentioned, because to me it was the catalyst for a new wave of rct2 parkmaking.

Blood Island Adventure - Coaster Ed

This park is very funny. Zoomed out with hidden rides, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was pretty empty - no architecture, for starters. Oops, no, all the buildings are made from ride stations, wooden rooves and other architectural accents. There goes Ed again, making up his own rules for the game...and not only getting away with it, but blowing the competition apart. You wonder whether Ed's beast trainer isn't getting worn out - he uses it so much he even has to plan which hack he does first to make sure the track is seen in the right order. Holy Shit. Perhaps i'm biased because this park is based on Monkey Island, perhaps i'm not. When I first opened the park I wasn't sure...lots of stuff to get my head around and lots of things to be confused by, not to mention the multi-leveled, multi-tracked ride. But now i'm hooked because the scenery stacking, building hacking and scenery are all so absorbing . Look at the abstract squares - Ed's used mini-golf track to make it more checkered! Look at the buildings - Ed's planned it so there are stacked objects on top of the towers. Look at the effigies, fires, rice fields, mine shafts and shipwreck. It's the work of someone so utterly brilliant at RCT that they transcend the expectations of anyone. He even hacked virginia reel under the mine track rooves to fill in the gaps...*shakes head in disbelief*

Anuradhapura - Creator & Posix

Aside from the bemusing names I find it hard to fault this park. The log flume is one of the best ever, featuring a (working) double drop, extreme landscaping and some of the tallest architecture i've ever seen. Small hacks enhance the theme - look for path under awnings, stacked buttresses and path scenery. The colours are also very appropriate; adventurous textures and tree selection bring the park to life. And check out that awning/stacking combination on the Parakramabahu Souvenirs building. Posix excels at little touches like that - i'm sure he'll tell you that this is crap compared to his newer, RR style work (although he seems to hate most of that too...), but to me this is a beautiful example of the strengths of LL.

Maui Xtreme Resort - Fatha' & TPM

At the time I supported my team in the thread and with my vote - of course I did, and El Dorado was an excellent rct2 park. But looking back, this is definitely a park worthy of winning that round. Ignoring the (unfortunately) regular messiness we've seen in some Fatha' parks, the Grinch and TPM have made a park that contains a lot more than you'd realise on first glance - two unique and (quite frankly) groundbreaking rides and a classic hotel would normally be enough for a megapark, let alone a minipark. In fact, the only part of the map that isnt wholly impressive is the rapids, but only because it seems to break awkwardly with the main theme. I couldn't be sure, but Kileua Skates Xtreme may have paved the way for parts of Tektonic Ridge in Cataclysm, the kind of buildings and textures seen in this park are obviously heavy influences in lots of current work. Stunning, really.

Spirits Bay - Posix & ToonTower

A formidable pairing produce a park that both surprised and delighted me. Not because I didn't know they could make something so wonderful (they are two of the best out there!), but more because the theme is so individual. I don't think i've seen anything like it. Following in Ed's footsteps, perhaps, Posix and ToonTower filled this park with little touches involving extensive use of the beast trainer. Stacked barrels, totem poles and egyptian blocks are just the start - check out the checkered roof effect made by hacking chinese gongs together, or the incredible Orca statue. All of this is backed up with a wonderful wooden coaster - Thunderbird. This is a strong contender for coaster of the season, with its twisting, multi-circuit layout and exciting theming interaction. Well done Toon and Posix for creating an utterly charming park which really made me smile.

City Of Lights - Corkscrewed & Foozycoaster

One of the first rct2 parks in the competition, 'Ville des Lumieres' was a masterclass in atmosphere. The architecture is very detailed by todays standards, and the atmosphere is heightened further by exemplary tree, colour and texture selection. Touches like the smoke and creeping foliage are what drew me into the park, and the coaster is a fitting addition. Foozy has since shown his continued ingenuity with rct2's architecture engine (Steps out of the shadows...) and Corkscrewed continues to show off both his realism and coaster design (Meadowbrooke Falls and Elemental, his NextElement entry). Lovely flag, too

You've Come A Long Way Baby - Harakiri & x-sector

What list of my favourites would be complete without contributions from both Kiri and x-sector? None, really. Although Kiri's contribution to this park was just the coaster layout for I'm #1 So Why Try Harder, he still manages to make a splash - the layout is a trademark combination of flowing curves, unorthodox elements and overall finesse. Then we get x-sector's eclectic theming which he only hinted at in Evolution and Outrage - i'm lucky to have seen some of his latest work and be prepared to have all your ideas about what rct can do blown to pieces. The multi-hacked water coaster Soul Surfing is a perfect example of x's vision, with cool set-pieces and impeccable hacking. If this park hadn't been up against Battlefield it would have got a lot more recognition than it did - this is the time for catching up on all that, and this is just my way of saying well done on a great H2H2 park.

Other Mentions
Sicily - Fatha' & natelox
Indiana Ridge - Roomraider & RRP
Myttica Resort - Corkscrewed
Horstmann Laboratories - Midnight Aurora & Posix
Maude Flanders' Praiseland - aero21 & ToonTower
Corozal - natelox & TPM
Valley Of The Kings - GigaForce & x-sector
El Dorado - PyroPenguin & Foltzentator
Og's Paradise - Ozone
Ginnungagapet - Midnight Aurora


Now go and look at all the parks again, because they're worthy of our attention. I can't imagine what amazing things we'll see in H2H3, but personally i'm looking forward to the heated competition of Park Wars first. Let us take a little breather from miniparks and get ready for some great advertising and great parks from all the teams in PW.

Finally, thanks to Iris and everyone involved in H2H2 - i'm sure everyone will agree that it's been a LOT of fun!

-mantis

(P.S. GO ICONS! )
(P.P.S. If any details are incorrect, like names/makers, i'll change them)

I agree with your list really mantis. I wasn't really a fan of Purple Pill Heights, I'm not sure why but I really wasn't I didn't know what all the hype about that park was so that wouldn't be on my list and I would take YCALWB off the list as it was rubbish. harakiri's invert was good but the park was weird.

TOP 5 IMO

1. BATTLEFIELD - CREDIT TO ED, AMAZING. I CAME UP WITH A THEME, HE EXPANDED ON IT IN TRUE ED STYLE.

2. MIAMI - TYPICAL FATHA, I THOUGHT SHUD HAVE WON ATOMKFRAFTWERK.

3. ERWINDALE - YOU CRAZY BASTARDS - LOVEL ATMOSPHERE

4. PPH - ONE OF THE FIRST RCT2 H2H. VERY WELL DONE AND DIFFERENT.

5. SICILY - JUST PLAIN BEAUTIFUL

Hey MiCool, Mantis forgot us!

Kai

Hey MiCool, Mantis forgot us! 

Kai 

Kai - I'm going to put this bluntly: you made a board game which I hate with a passion and filled it with rides and theming which I found pretty crap compared to most everything you've done in the past. Sorry

The only reason Sicily doesn't get a write up is because i'd already done Miami+Maui...We wouldn't want the Mean Greens getting TOO much credit now would we? I liked Nate's rapids the best in that park.

^Someone didn't notice the ---->



Nice write-up on the other ones Mantis...

Kai

WHAT, MANTIS???


You don't like the board game?...

Anyone notice that 5 of Mantis' top 10 lost their respective rounds? Life's so unfair sometimes...it seems that oft times some of the best parks made in the whole competition ended up head to head while some of the worst won by forfeit.

That was the tale of the season. You either had stuff like Lakers vs Spurs / Mavs vs Kings or you had the Orlando Magic vs the Cleveland Cavs. Oh well.

Ed definitely is the MVP of H2H. What he did was nothing sort of jaw-dropping, and he really revolutionized the game again, when everyone had thought that nothing new could come out of RCT 1 anymore.

Mantis, you just should have included more of my parks.

Haha Like...the other one! Hehe.

Kai/Micool - just saying why

Toon - sucks, doesn't it? That's why I wanted to write about them...they deserve my respect

Just thought i'd point out that the Icons and the Mean Greens put out four kick-ass LL parks for the finals - stick that in your rct2 pipes and smoke it

My Top 10 List (in no order):

1. Horstmann Labratories
2. Erwindale Forest
3. Spirits Bay
4. Purple Pill Heights
5. Falcon's Ridge
6. Maui Xtreme Resort
7. Anuradhapura
8. Livewires
9. Battlefield RCT
10. Atomkraftwerk

Hey guys where can I download the RCT2 stuff from this???

Thanks, Mick

^- Yes where? I esspecally want Purple Pill Hieghts. I have most of the others... All of them Corkscrewed built anyhow. I want PPH!

ride6

^- Yes where?  I esspecally want Purple Pill Hieghts.  I have most of the others...  All of them Corkscrewed built anyhow.  I want PPH!

ride6

PPH: http://rctm.kaibueno...ill_heights.zip
Maude Flanders' Praiseland: http://rctm.kaibueno..._praiseland.zip
Erwindale Forest: http://rctm.kaibueno...dale_forest.zip

That's just a few of the H2H2 parks that were made by members of RCTM with their partners.

There are more on this page (in the Associated Group Parks section): http://rctm.kaibueno.com/members.htm

Also, I know many are missing, so I'll upload them as soon as I can get time.

You're welcome.

Kai

8. Livewires

Nice to see Livewires is on your list Thorp.

Thanks, Kia. I already got it through a link mantis provided in another thread. Nice to see that someone cares anyway.

ride6

Thanks Kai, didn't even think to look there.

Ride6 what link from Mantis....?

^- In the Pufferfish review.... It has all the H2H2 parks there. very nifty.

ride6

Just thought i'd point out that the Icons and the Mean Greens put out four kick-ass LL parks for the finals - stick that in your rct2 pipes and smoke it

Yeah, but who got your to the finals in the first place, and what type of park was that?

*feigns nonchalance*