Bakugan: Battle Brawlers Review

I avoided Pokemon when it crossed the seas and walked into my childhood, the thought of buying a Tamigochi never entered into my mind when they first appeared, and I was too old to get into Digimon when it first wandered into our green and pleasant land, so you can imagine how confused I was when started playing Bakugan: Battle Brawlers.

Honestly I had no idea what it was all about.

One short trip to the internet later I was a little more clued up about the franchise, which revolves around the gathering and use of 'Bakugan' - monsters which are used to fight against other monsters used by other brawlers (sounds familiar doesn't it?)

In the actual real world the game requires small children to roll these Bakugan balls onto magnetised cards, which make the balls unfold into their beastly form... and sit there while the children compare stats and choose attacks.

Obviously it's a little more advanced than that, but the details are a little too complicated to write down in full. Luckily the computer game version is a little bit more exciting.

The game centres around the Bakugan Ultimate Battle Tournament. You have to create a character; level up the Bakugan you possess, buy 'G-Power cards' (which are used in the battles to decide the victor) and trade, sell or buy new warriors to use in the battles.

There isn't a massive variety of Bakugan to buy, and I found that once you've got the ones you're happy with it's easier just to boost those Bakugan rather than just keep buying new ones you then have to level up again.

There isn't a massive variety of Bakugan to buy, and I found that once you've got the ones you're happy with it's easier just to boost those Bakugan rather than just keep buying new ones you then have to level up again.

Once you enter the tournament the game plays pretty much like the board game, just with fancier graphics and (I'm assuming) less angry children trying to relieve you of your 'keepsies'.

After choosing a Bakugan you roll the little ball on to the match area, while your opponent tries to knock it off course. You also have the chance to grab some powerups as the ball rolls into play.

Upon reaching the destination your Bakugan unfolds for battle and you can trigger one of the three pre-set attribute cards to boost the little beastie's fighting power (G-Power), which can then be boosted again by playing a minigame - either shooting icons, rotating the analogue sticks or playing a guitar hero-style rhythm button-basher. Your opponent then rolls his Bakugan into the battle, repeats the same minigame G-Power building exercise, and you're ready for your two little bruisers to duke it out. But then, at the climax of the build-up, your Bakugan hit each other once, and the weaker warrior loses. That's it.

It seems unlike the Pokemon series, Bakugan aren't designed for long-term fighting, and all that build-up leads to an unsatisfactory fight, every time. Why the developers of the series decided to make the Bakugan battles all about the strategy and not about the fight itself I don't know, but it's a shame the game has stuck so firmly to its real-world equivalent.

It seems unlike the Pokemon series, Bakugan aren't designed for long-term fighting, and all that build-up leads to an unsatisfactory fight, every time. Why the developers of the series decided to make the Bakugan battles all about the strategy and not about the fight itself I don't know, but it's a shame the game has stuck so firmly to its real-world equivalent.

Graphically the game is nothing special, but its kitschy look and bright, pulsing effects make the game fun to watch and play. Seeing your Bakugan morph from ball form is surprisingly enjoyable, especially when you see what the Bakugan would look like if they were actually beasties, rather than little transformer-balls that roll around a magnetic grid.

The sound is also a mixed bag. While the battle effects and music are pretty decent, a repetitive series of noises played during certain events can quickly start to grate on you, as do the voice actors, which (while being true to the series), are the typical Japanese version of Western children, and are typically annoying as a result.

Summary

Overall I'd say the first foray of the Bakugan series into the world of videogaming is a mixed bag. While fans of the series might find a lot to enjoy here, I was not all that impressed with the emphasis on mini-games and prior planning required for the tournament itself, which really should have been about how the battles play out. Generally, it's one for the kids.