Within the last few weeks my boys have become obsessed with Bakugan toys. Now, f you are like me – reading this and thinking - WTF is a Bakugan toy?  You need to read this post.  You REALLY need to read this post if you have boys.   

Because I had know idea what-the-heck my boys were suddenbly obsessed with, I turned my friend Rob who writes for Topless Robot – a nerd news blogger – for help (and a guest post!). 

If your boys have come to you wanting Bakugans, this post will help you understand why they’re OK, What the heck they are talking about, and how this is just the begining!!!

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What the heck is a Bakugan?

It’s a monster from another dimension called Vestroia who has come to regular Earth as a highly collectible toy. Obviously, “Bakugan” can refer to the game in general, but it specifically means the spherical monster toys which are the game’s key component.

Why is my kid freaking out about this?
Lots of reasons, but mainly because Bagukan Battle Brawlers is like a collectible card game which also uses toy, and thus combines the popularity of Yu-Gi-Oh with… well, action figures. Plus, the toys themselves are pretty cool; they start out as small spheres, but when kids roll their Bakugan onto the game’s metal card, the toys actually transform automatically into toy monsters via tiny, internal magnets. Since the toys are used (and transform) during gameplay, they’re integral to the game – unlike similar collectible games, where the toys are just merchandise.

How do you play?
It’s actually pretty simple, which is likely part of the appeal for younger kids (it’s way less complicated than Yu-Gi-Oh). Each player starts with three metal Gate Cards, three Ability Cards and three Bakugan. During each turn each player sets down a Gate Card, and each turn kids have to roll their Bakugan, trying to get them to stop on the cards (the toys’ magnet help considerably). When each player has a Bakugan on a Gate Card, a battle ensues.

And what then?
Actually, math happens. When the Bakugan toys open up, they have a “G Power” number on them, and the higher number wins. However! Each Gate Card adds a different number to each Bakugan, and kids can use their Ability Cards to increase their Bakugan’s (and their opponent’s) G Power as well. All these are added up, and the highest number wins.

What do they win?
The Gate Card, since the first player to collect three Gate Cards wins.

What’s the difference between the monsters?
Here’s where the information can get a little overwhelming, so feel free to skip this if you want to keep it simple. Each Bakugan hails from one six different parts of Vestroia based on different elements – fire, water, wind, earth, light and dark (also, each land has its own ridiculous name). Now, each Gate Card and Ability Card gives different G Power additions to different elements, and affects each Bakugan’s G Power. 

And that’s it?
Oh, heavens no. I was just trying to keep it simple for you. There are things called Traps, huge Bakugan called Deka, and plenty of other things to purchase, such as special launchers to roll the Bakugan into play; special holders and storage devices, an arena, and videogames.

How much is this going to cost me?
Well, obviously, the main things the kids collect are the cards and the Bakugan, and a starter pack – with includes everything a kids need to play (besides a friend with a similar set) is $10 on Amazon. Extra cards and toys can cost anywhere between $6 and $26.

Is this game going to destroy my child’s sanity?
Only in the sense that any kind of collecting can be kind of stressful. But it can be equally exhilarating to find that Bakugan or card he/she has been searching for.

What about the cartoon?
The short version is that it’s about kids who play Bakugan in order to save the fictional world of Vestroia. The long version includes a great many pronouns, so again, you might want to skip it for your own sanity, but here goes: An evil Bakugan named Naga tried to absorb powerful artifacts called the Infinity Core and Silent Core to get more powerful. It didn’t take, but caused a rift in dimension that sent the Bakugan to Earth in convenient toy form, along with Gate Cards and Ability Cards. Now kids across the planet play Bakugan Battle Brawlers (in the cartoon), and few realize that the games correspond to actual battle in Vestroia. One of the few who does is Dan Kuso, who is searching for the pieces of the broken Infinity and Spirit Cores along with his pals and his Bakugan, especially the red dragon Drago, before Naga and his human partners find them. Over the course of 52 episodes, Dan and Drago meet a lot of friends, defeat a lot bad guys, and play a heck of a lot of Bakugan Battle Brawlers. By the end, Dan and Drago defeat Naga and save Vestroia.

So it’s over?
Not really, since Bakugan: New Vestroia began on April 12^th.

A new cartoon?!
Yes, starring Dan and Drago and old friends and new friends and heck of a lot of new Bakugan monsters for the collecting. Right now, the heroes seem to be trying to defeat the evil Vexos corporation, but this could change before the end of the series.

This is hurting my head.
Then I probably shouldn’t tell you about the Bakugan: New Vestroia game.

AARRRRRGGGGH.
No, it’s okay – except for your wallet and pocketbook. The “New Vestroia” rules are exactly the same as the original rules, except players use six Gate Cards, six Ability Cards, and six Bakugan when playing. Meaning a kid needs a bigger arsenal of cards and toys to play. Funny how that works out, huh?