One of the most recent toy crazes to sweep the nation since Pokemon is the new collectible Bakugan card game. Have you heard of Bakugan? If you have children under the age of 15, then you probably have. These toys have become an international sensation, even kids in the Philippines and India are clamoring to get their hands on them. They won the “Toy of the Year” award in both 2008 and 2009, and it looks like there is no stopping their rise in popularity. It is even translated into 15 different languages! What is this game you ask?
First it started out as a Japanese Anime cartoon called Bakugan Battle Brawlers. In the cartoon the kids play a game with these marbles that transform into monsters. The monsters battle in another dimension and to the victor goes the spoils. Essentially the cartoon is there to drive the merchandizing campaigns which seem to be all but endless. The game is played on the cartoon almost exactly the way it is played in real life, minus the talking monsters.
How is the game played? Think marbles meets the 21st century. Essentially the rules are very simple. Magnetic balls are rolled onto metal playing cards and when they hit the metal they pop open and transform. Kids play a series of cards to boost the monster’s power and whoever has the most “G Power” in the end wins. Simple enough… yet very addicting.
The game combines all the fun of a collectible card game with the simple joy of magnetic transforming marble monsters. Boys and girls and even some adults (whom we shall not name…) are loving this game which has simple rules and plenty of room for real strategy. Toys R Us and other retail stores can barely keep these toys in stock, and Spin Masters (the parent company) keeps pumping out more and more new Bakugan toys and accessories. A feature film and a video game are already in the works for what promises to be a top seller this 2009 Christmas. You can learn more about the game and accessories at the Bakugan Toy Blog
