Developer/Publisher: Activision
Genre: RPG
Price: $29.99
Acquired: Review Copy Provided by Publisher
Verdict: Unless you really enjoy the cartoon and play the card game, or have done everything in Pokemon, rent first
Pros: Some strategy in deck building. Can be played in short bursts.
Cons: Almost chore-like mini games. Doesn’t feel original. Story feels like an afterthought. Not a lot of variety in the Bakugan. Game is short.
When I started playing Bakugan, my first thought was that I had just picked up a stripped down version of Pokemon. When I stopped playing Bakugan, my last thought was that I had just finished a stripped down version of Pokemon. The game had potential, but never really felt like it expanded on what could have been a great idea.
Bakugan starts you off by choosing a specific colored faction (orange, red, yellow, purple, blue, and green). You are never really told why you are making this choice or if it provides any benefits. You are given a brief intro story and then put into a tutorial of how to play the basics of the game. That is pretty much it for the rest of the game. It is a shame, as from what I have read from external sources, there is a lot more to this story than what the game leads on.
After you finish the tutorial, you can go to the shop to buy ability cards, Gate cards, and Bakugan. You can go to the park to practice up and earn money for the shop. You can also go fight in the tournament. Lastly, you can go to your room to build your deck, save your game, and view hints and awards you might have accumulated along the way.
Gameplay is fairly simple. You choose a Gate card and it is thrown into the arena. This throw is not random, as it is always on the same tile closest to your opponent. You can then choose an ability card that can be used before the battle or during the battle. You then throw your Bakugan, which starts as a marble, into the arena and steer it towards either your card or your opponent’s card. You move your Bakugan around the arena with swiping gestures. Once you land on a card, hopefully yours, your Bakugan pops open.
Your opponent follows the same process. If you and an opponent land on the same card you go into a duel for the Gate card. The first part of this step is seeing both of your marbles transform into their monster form. You then get to see the Gate card. Now if you landed on your card, you should already know, and hopefully have the upper hand. If you landed on an opponent’s card, you could start off with a bad handicap. Gate cards also determine the mini game you will be playing during the battle.
Once battle commences, you begin the mini game portion. These mini games are relatively easy. You could be tapping on symbols as they cross in front of you. Another will have you scribbling on a large symbol. They are not brain surgery, but after an hour, they amount to little more than a chore.
There are three ways to win a battle. One is to get two of your own Bakugan on the same card. This is an instant win. Another is to fight it out and win the battle. The last is to throw your Bakugan and have it knock off the opponent’s Bakugan from the card. So this does lead to a bit of strategy, as a properly placed Bakugan can make it harder for your opponent to get onto the card to fight it out.
You will be fighting one of three different battle types. The most common is one vs one. You also have a two vs two. Last there is a free for all with four players. The free for all proves to be the most fun, and it is sad that there are not more of those fights in the game.
So where does the strategy come in? It comes in the form of your deck building. Choosing Bakugan, abilities, and Gate cards can all help in your quest to be the top battle brawler. Gate cards will give boosts to certain types of Bakugan, null all abilities, and determine how the battle will play out.
Ability cards are the game changing cards, as your choices can make it easier or harder to win. One ability is restarting a battle if you’re losing. Another is swapping your starting score, with your opponent’s. These are really a compliment to the Gate cards. I almost never restarted a fight, yet the computer loved to do that to me. I guess I can scribble better than the CPU likes.
One downfall to all this is that there doesn’t feel like there is a good variety of Bakugan. You will go to the store and look at the Bakugan only to find that there are the same creatures, just in a different attribute color. It all adds to the feeling of the game just skimming the surface of something much larger and better.
Your Bakugan level up as you play them in battle. You can choose an ability to level at each level up. Things from how well your throws work, to how easily the Bakugan will be attracted to the cards. The higher the level, the more starting points the Bakugan get. This makes all the difference in your mini games, as you might not have to tap or scribble so frantically to win.
The game’s presentation is not the worst, but it is definitely not top-notch either. Your character looks ok, and you have some customization over your character. The arenas look very pixelated though. It would have been nice to see a bit more detail put into how your Bakugan look and how the arenas look. With so much time spent in the arenas, more attention to detail here would have been nice. The music doesn’t fare much better. It is a mix of electric guitar rock that doesn’t really feel right in such a cartoony game. I don’t expect a symphonic score for this game, but the electric guitar just felt out of place.
Overall, the game felt shallow. You are never really given a story, and the game can be beat in under four hours. Your selections in the store are limited. I beat the game and never deviated from what I was given at the start. If you are a fan of the anime series or the card game, this might be something to look at. For those looking for something to contend with the likes of Pokemon, this really is not it.
Popularity: unranked [?]
