Most Underrated Obstacle

[subtleagent]

I got a few to point out. I'd say one is definitely the Narrow. Yeah, not a popular one. Most say the obstacle was too easy and not even functional as a time eater. But I think the length of the obstacle was the problem, it was too short so the obstacle was beaten quickly. If it were the length of say KUNOICHI 2's Kabegiwa Den, Kane and maybe Takeda would've timed out. Also if Shingo reached Stage 2 there is a chance he could fail it due to his clumsiness.

The Circle Slider. It got barely any time despite how hard it was. It took out Akiyama in 17, and Nagano, Tajima and Kawaguchi in 25 among the more established competitors, not to mention it also took out Hioki and Ryo. It also almost took out Honma and Nagano in 17 as well and Jun, Kongu and Takeda in 25. It just had the bad luck of being in a tournament with a kanzenseiha, and one before a retcon.

The Odama comes to mind too. I think it was an interesting idea, despite being kind of too short. And it took out Shane in SASUKE 9 so it had some history.

And of course the Rolling Escargot which I feel was only removed because it was M9's idea and because it caused so many fails in 28 to the point where the producers were scared it was going to kill the revived and recovering SASUKE. It really just came around at a bad era in the show. It took out Shinya, Ryo, Miyazaki, Kanno, Shingo, Kongu, Kawaguchi, Iketani, Mika, and Takeda amongst others in the three tournaments it was in.

[wrestlingfan55]

I was glad to see the Escargot go, so I can't say that.

I'd say the most underrated is the Curtain Slider from 23. Yes, Nagano zoomed through it in a split second (in both attempts...combined), but it was so fun to watch.

[tns8597]

Has to be the Roulette Cylinder for me.

Mainly because the Rumbling Dice was always regarded as such a novel and funky idea at the time, yet was infinitely easier and did basically zero damage. The cylinder takes that novelty and actually adds so many new elements of difficulty to it; having to hang on to vertical bars which are much more taxing on the grip, as well as having drops to shake things up. For me, it was demonically brilliant as a first obstacle, even better so directly leading to the Doorknob Grasper which again further taxes the grip. It took out Brian Orosco the 'American Makoto Nagano' (unwarranted but they did call him that....) as well as a bunch of other guys on ANW, and pretty much everyone who attempted it in Sasuke 26 took a good minute to get through it. Yet Sasuke basically disregarded it from then on, replacing it with the Arm Bike for 27 (which was honestly laughable), then moved back to the Rumbling Dice for 28, which no one struggled with whatsoever. The RC just strikes me as one of those fantastic ideas that got lost in history despite its difficulty and innovation.

I would've also been inclined to put the Floating Boards but I felt that the obstacle got much more coverage by being featured on loads of ANW seasons and other international competitions, so it was defo recognised as one of those 'f**k off hard' additions to a stage.

[azn]

Reverse Fly. Incredibly fun to watch and actually one of the few gimmicky obstacles that worked.

I also think the Subduction Zone and Lumberjack Climb were two obstacles that I feel could have been utilized a lot better in different stages. They could have used the subduction zone in those second stages where they had the brick climb and the same can be said with the Lumberjack Climb, though I also feel it would be a great final stage obstacle

[wrestlingfan55]

Agreed on the Lumberjack Climb. A huge upgrade from the boring Net Climb (or whatever it was called) from 18-29. I think it will be in Stage 4 eventually with a strict time limit.

Since it's fun talking about obstacles, could it be argued that the final Rope Climb in Stage 1 (and/or any of its multiple variations) was underrated? It was the best way to judge someone's strength, so I wonder just how appreciated it really is.

[Kane-Not-Kosugi]

Chain Reaction! I actually think a Chain Reaction comeback would be good in a modern Stage 2 due to more technical obstacles (the Salmon Ladder, Spider Drop transition, and Backstream all require solid technique PLUS speed).

Hardly anyone grabbed the 2nd chain right away, so those extra seconds could honestly put pressure if the time limit were reduced. Still liked the Rolling Maruta there, but in general I miss Chain Reaction.

[SasukeBanzukeNo1 (Moon12)]

I'd probably say the Lamp Grasper (forgive me Nakata lol). Not only did it require grip strength, but it was also hard to try and hold on to those upside-down globes because of their spherical shape. Although it only took out Takeda once and Nakata all three times he's attempted it, Shingo nearly went down on it in 12 until he made some incredible saves and maintained his composure enough to make it across.

Plus, I can't deny that it looks pretty cool. Looking at the obstacle when I was younger, the globes really do look like blue/violet light bulbs--which really gives off the stage three night vibes. It's a shame they had to replace it with the boring curtain cling in 13.

[Kane-Not-Kosugi]

Rope Climb on Stage 1. Yes, the clear rate was high, but the technique people had was AWFUL. There were times 20 second leads were completely blown and would frequently lead to people timing out. Imo it was a better final obstacle than the Lumberjack just cuz it looked awkward and took more time from the runs, meaning there was still pressure even on the final obstacle.