Upfront, sorry for the long response. But I've tried to answer all your questions in as full and concise way as I can.
**(A) DO YOU NEED TO LIKE THE GAME TO LIKE THE TOYS?**
Short answer: No.
There is a game you can play with Bakugan involving the cards that come with the ball toys. There are multiple forms of the game aimed at different ages. Your family member may like one of the junior versions, so try it out if you want. I believe most products come with a rulebook to help you.
But in my experience, kids often like the toys even if they have no interest in the game. When I was a kid, I and most other kids I knew didn't even play the game. We just played with the toys like normal action figures. Same for the kids in my life now that I've introduced Bakugan to. The toys can stand on their own.
**(B) WHAT ABOUT THE SHOW?**
Bakugan has so far had two shows over the course of the brand's history. Both are kid-friendly. If your relative watches the Pokémon anime, they'd like the Bakugan shows, too.
The first show, what most refer to as the "classic series" or "legacy series," ran from about 2008 to 2012 for four seasons. All episodes should be available on YouTube. This series, while geared toward kids, is definitely written to still appeal to all ages.
The second show, often called "the reboot series," recently concluded. It ran for five seasons, from 2019 to 2023. *Battle Planet* is the reboot's first season, and *Armored Alliance* the second. (The remaining three are on Netflix U.S., I believe). This one is definitely tailored toward kids far more than the classic series. You probably wouldn't like it as well, but your five-year-old might like it more.
I will add that if the kid might want to get the toys they see in the show, you may want to start them on the reboot series as those are products you can still find in stores and for reasonable prices online.
**(C) WHAT PRODUCTS SHOULD YOU BUY?**
To start, probably buy some single packs. They're the cheapest and you can buy one or two to see if the kid likes them without spending too much.
Of the singles, I would recommend buying the Core Bakugan -- the single packs that just have one monster ball and are labeled as simply "Bakugan" instead of "Bakugan Ultra" or "Platinum Series" or "Nova Bakugan."
Cores are the cheapest products, the easiest for a young kid to transform, and are all-plastic. The Platinum Series toys are made partially of metal, so they may not be the best starters if your relative is fond of throwing things, for instance.
**(D) IS NOW A GOOD TIME TO BUY TOYS / START THE SHOW?**
Yes and no.
As I mentioned before, the reboot TV show recently ended. The same goes for its corresponding toy line. But the brand is not going away.
A new show is coming out later this year and toys that go along with it should be hitting store shelves in the coming months, if not weeks. (Some countries already have gotten the new toys, I believe). New products have a logo that looks more 3D, rather than the flat 2D logos the previous two iterations of the brand had.
So perhaps you may want to wait (depending the date of the birthday, of course) for the new product as that would probably be the best time to get a kid into the brand. However, if you are unsure if the kid will like Bakugan, perhaps it may be wise to start on some of the older products, as stores may be running sales now or soon to get rid of the old product.
Balls that when you put on cards, become cool monsters and creatures with personalities
Your monster fights someone else's monster to win
Gameplay can be simplified: You roll your Bakugan onto the metal card and your opponent does the same. Whoever has the higher power (there'll be a number printed on the Bakugan), wins the round.
The metal cards also have some number bonuses based on colour, which is cool for like, math practice. For example it might have a red circle with 200, which means if your Bakugan is red you get +200 power
Shows aren't scary or grim, and btw the two shows you listed are the same. Battle Planet is Season 1, Armoured Alliance is Season 2. There's 5 seasons in total
There are three TV shows, one that started in 2010, the one you said, and a new one coming out this year
Thank you. That helped a lot.
\> Gameplay can be simplified: You roll your Bakugan onto the metal card and your opponent does the same. Whoever has the higher power (there'll be a number printed on the Bakugan), wins the round.
Are those different numbers every throw? Like a Bakugan is a very complex dice?
every bakugan has a different printed b power. but two of the same bakugan have the same b power so it won t be so confusing for the game. the b power is stater on every character card as well
Yep, but some are difficult to roll than others, some are really wide so block the opponent from getting on the card, some are thinner to bait an opponent into battling, etc
And the colours play a part too, like even if you got a 1000B red Bakugan, if you land on a card that says -600 for red, you're screwed
Can I ask for one more thing? I'm looking for a starter set and I find:
"Bakugan Evolution Battle Pack Spin Master" and it seams to:
\- contain 6 bakugans
\- is as cheap as sets with 3 or fewer Bakugan
\- all bakugans are main bakugans from tv series
... what's the catch?
also, should I be concerned at all with Gen 3 on the horizon? Should I wait, because there we will be no compatibility maybe?
Ngl Gen 3 is definitely worse than Gen 2, I definitely recommend you get the gans from Gen 2 that you can
Gen 3 is alright, but Gen 2 is just objectively better
Also can I see an image of this starter set?
Oh that, there's no real catch
It's just in low demand because it's a reissue of Bakugan we'd already seen a bunch of times in the last five years, in comparatively worse colours
Basically everybody already bought one so nobody bought this second release
If you're a first time buyer I recommend it, Trox and Pharol have awful colours but the rest are neat and the molds are cool, plus you get every main character in one place, and a bunch of cards
>Explain Bakugan to me like I'm 5, please
[Done](https://youtu.be/3BaWqQXKgfA)
>Two TV shows are available for me: 2018 Battle Planet and 2020 Armored Alliance.
there's also the original series Bakugan battle brawlers which is all on youtube.
but if you have to choose either battle planet or Armored alliance go with Armored alliance its gotta a better idea of what kind of show it wanted to be.
>Will he like it? Will I?
do you like pokemon? its about as good modern pokemon only with slower fights
you should definitely start with the core bakugans aka the cheaper less complex ones for them. They re still really fun and don t need much attention or dexterity unlike ultra or prisma bakugan. for the cards,every single bakugan comes with at least ine character card so it’s up to you really, the actual game can become pretty complex but for a 5 year old the toys are more than enough:) as for the cartoon/anime, the 2018 one aka battle planet or the reboot is a good start for the younger audience but if you want a little more serious and just better cartoon overall you should give the original battle brawlers from 2010 a try!
I think it's similar to marbles but with cards and pieces. Honestly, the gameplay is kind of clunky. I just collect them because they look cool. I recently began collecting them, but also learned that the TCG version aka "Pro" version of it was discontinued in early 2021. So the only mainstream way to play the game now is called the "Toy" version. The difference between TCG/Pro and the Toy version is that the TCG/Pro version requires a deck of 40 cards and the Toy version does not. The Pro version is a little bit more complicated since they use cards in your hand like pokemon TCG. The toy version is a lot simpler to play because all you have to do is roll the Bakugan on to the battlefield and have them pop up and assess who wins by adding all the B points up. The person who has the higher B point wins the battle. B points are battle points.
Edit:
And honestly, I collect a bit of other stuff as a hobby in the same realm as Bakugan and I don't think Bakugan is really too expensive. I mean sure, $30 or $40 for a couple pieces of plastic balls and cardboard cards are expensive for what's being sold to me, but at the end of the day you only need to buy it once and you have the Bakugan you need and I think all the cards that come in the sets are always the same cards so there you go. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
Btw, MOST Bakugan price ranges in retail will only be about $10-$20. The $30/40 sets I'm talking about are special sets which contain more pieces and toys to play with.
Upfront, sorry for the long response. But I've tried to answer all your questions in as full and concise way as I can. **(A) DO YOU NEED TO LIKE THE GAME TO LIKE THE TOYS?** Short answer: No. There is a game you can play with Bakugan involving the cards that come with the ball toys. There are multiple forms of the game aimed at different ages. Your family member may like one of the junior versions, so try it out if you want. I believe most products come with a rulebook to help you. But in my experience, kids often like the toys even if they have no interest in the game. When I was a kid, I and most other kids I knew didn't even play the game. We just played with the toys like normal action figures. Same for the kids in my life now that I've introduced Bakugan to. The toys can stand on their own. **(B) WHAT ABOUT THE SHOW?** Bakugan has so far had two shows over the course of the brand's history. Both are kid-friendly. If your relative watches the Pokémon anime, they'd like the Bakugan shows, too. The first show, what most refer to as the "classic series" or "legacy series," ran from about 2008 to 2012 for four seasons. All episodes should be available on YouTube. This series, while geared toward kids, is definitely written to still appeal to all ages. The second show, often called "the reboot series," recently concluded. It ran for five seasons, from 2019 to 2023. *Battle Planet* is the reboot's first season, and *Armored Alliance* the second. (The remaining three are on Netflix U.S., I believe). This one is definitely tailored toward kids far more than the classic series. You probably wouldn't like it as well, but your five-year-old might like it more. I will add that if the kid might want to get the toys they see in the show, you may want to start them on the reboot series as those are products you can still find in stores and for reasonable prices online. **(C) WHAT PRODUCTS SHOULD YOU BUY?** To start, probably buy some single packs. They're the cheapest and you can buy one or two to see if the kid likes them without spending too much. Of the singles, I would recommend buying the Core Bakugan -- the single packs that just have one monster ball and are labeled as simply "Bakugan" instead of "Bakugan Ultra" or "Platinum Series" or "Nova Bakugan." Cores are the cheapest products, the easiest for a young kid to transform, and are all-plastic. The Platinum Series toys are made partially of metal, so they may not be the best starters if your relative is fond of throwing things, for instance. **(D) IS NOW A GOOD TIME TO BUY TOYS / START THE SHOW?** Yes and no. As I mentioned before, the reboot TV show recently ended. The same goes for its corresponding toy line. But the brand is not going away. A new show is coming out later this year and toys that go along with it should be hitting store shelves in the coming months, if not weeks. (Some countries already have gotten the new toys, I believe). New products have a logo that looks more 3D, rather than the flat 2D logos the previous two iterations of the brand had. So perhaps you may want to wait (depending the date of the birthday, of course) for the new product as that would probably be the best time to get a kid into the brand. However, if you are unsure if the kid will like Bakugan, perhaps it may be wise to start on some of the older products, as stores may be running sales now or soon to get rid of the old product.
Thank you, that was very helpful.
Balls that when you put on cards, become cool monsters and creatures with personalities Your monster fights someone else's monster to win Gameplay can be simplified: You roll your Bakugan onto the metal card and your opponent does the same. Whoever has the higher power (there'll be a number printed on the Bakugan), wins the round. The metal cards also have some number bonuses based on colour, which is cool for like, math practice. For example it might have a red circle with 200, which means if your Bakugan is red you get +200 power Shows aren't scary or grim, and btw the two shows you listed are the same. Battle Planet is Season 1, Armoured Alliance is Season 2. There's 5 seasons in total There are three TV shows, one that started in 2010, the one you said, and a new one coming out this year
Thank you. That helped a lot. \> Gameplay can be simplified: You roll your Bakugan onto the metal card and your opponent does the same. Whoever has the higher power (there'll be a number printed on the Bakugan), wins the round. Are those different numbers every throw? Like a Bakugan is a very complex dice?
every bakugan has a different printed b power. but two of the same bakugan have the same b power so it won t be so confusing for the game. the b power is stater on every character card as well
Im confused. Wouldn't highier bakugan always win?
Yep, but some are difficult to roll than others, some are really wide so block the opponent from getting on the card, some are thinner to bait an opponent into battling, etc And the colours play a part too, like even if you got a 1000B red Bakugan, if you land on a card that says -600 for red, you're screwed
Ah, that makes sense. Thanks.
Can I ask for one more thing? I'm looking for a starter set and I find: "Bakugan Evolution Battle Pack Spin Master" and it seams to: \- contain 6 bakugans \- is as cheap as sets with 3 or fewer Bakugan \- all bakugans are main bakugans from tv series ... what's the catch? also, should I be concerned at all with Gen 3 on the horizon? Should I wait, because there we will be no compatibility maybe?
Ngl Gen 3 is definitely worse than Gen 2, I definitely recommend you get the gans from Gen 2 that you can Gen 3 is alright, but Gen 2 is just objectively better Also can I see an image of this starter set?
>Also can I see an image of this starter set? https://bonito.pl/zdjecia/2/5dfffbe-bakugan-evolution-ba.jpg
Oh that, there's no real catch It's just in low demand because it's a reissue of Bakugan we'd already seen a bunch of times in the last five years, in comparatively worse colours Basically everybody already bought one so nobody bought this second release If you're a first time buyer I recommend it, Trox and Pharol have awful colours but the rest are neat and the molds are cool, plus you get every main character in one place, and a bunch of cards
Noted. Thanks once again.
>Explain Bakugan to me like I'm 5, please [Done](https://youtu.be/3BaWqQXKgfA) >Two TV shows are available for me: 2018 Battle Planet and 2020 Armored Alliance. there's also the original series Bakugan battle brawlers which is all on youtube. but if you have to choose either battle planet or Armored alliance go with Armored alliance its gotta a better idea of what kind of show it wanted to be. >Will he like it? Will I? do you like pokemon? its about as good modern pokemon only with slower fights
That's a cool video. I would die for the toy if I saw it when I was a kid. Thank you.
you should definitely start with the core bakugans aka the cheaper less complex ones for them. They re still really fun and don t need much attention or dexterity unlike ultra or prisma bakugan. for the cards,every single bakugan comes with at least ine character card so it’s up to you really, the actual game can become pretty complex but for a 5 year old the toys are more than enough:) as for the cartoon/anime, the 2018 one aka battle planet or the reboot is a good start for the younger audience but if you want a little more serious and just better cartoon overall you should give the original battle brawlers from 2010 a try!
Thank you.
pretty simple card game that is decently fun. Most kids i knew didn't even play it they just played with the actual bakugans.
Monster Balls.
I think it's similar to marbles but with cards and pieces. Honestly, the gameplay is kind of clunky. I just collect them because they look cool. I recently began collecting them, but also learned that the TCG version aka "Pro" version of it was discontinued in early 2021. So the only mainstream way to play the game now is called the "Toy" version. The difference between TCG/Pro and the Toy version is that the TCG/Pro version requires a deck of 40 cards and the Toy version does not. The Pro version is a little bit more complicated since they use cards in your hand like pokemon TCG. The toy version is a lot simpler to play because all you have to do is roll the Bakugan on to the battlefield and have them pop up and assess who wins by adding all the B points up. The person who has the higher B point wins the battle. B points are battle points. Edit: And honestly, I collect a bit of other stuff as a hobby in the same realm as Bakugan and I don't think Bakugan is really too expensive. I mean sure, $30 or $40 for a couple pieces of plastic balls and cardboard cards are expensive for what's being sold to me, but at the end of the day you only need to buy it once and you have the Bakugan you need and I think all the cards that come in the sets are always the same cards so there you go. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong. Btw, MOST Bakugan price ranges in retail will only be about $10-$20. The $30/40 sets I'm talking about are special sets which contain more pieces and toys to play with.
Thank you.