(Jun. 12, 2019  9:53 PM)Hato Wrote: It's nice to hear the state of both Beyblade and Bakugan from the perspective of somebody in Japan, so thanks Marutti. I've been thinking over how Battle Planet has been doing and it doesn't seem too surprising that it's not doing well in Japan, as hard as that is to say.

It's true that Bakugan never really bloomed in Japan until BakuTech launched, which focused more on the aspect of the game beyond gate cards with more strategic rolling techniques and physical mechanics to beat opponents (knocking them off the card and gimmicks to prevent opponents from landing), and I feel as if Japan is already saturated enough with TCGs that it could be hard for Bakugan to break in. I thought it had a chance because of how BakuTech was received and while this did vary from trying to knock or block other Bakugan it had the fuller card game element, though the price increase in Japan is something that I see could hinder it too. The Japanese MSRP is slightly higher in conversion than the American prices for most of the main line products, but having it be higher for the card deck set (or Start Dash set as I think it's called) is a poor choice as its a pricey entrance cost. The non-necessary products, like the arena and case, are way over the American MSRP which I feel would drive some people away seeing what add-ons are being charged. Back to the TCG though; it's really viewed as monotonous gameplay? That's the most surprising part of all this to me. Sure it's not fast, but with a 40 card deck being your life points it's a good pace for a card game IMO, but I assume the audience prefers the BakuTech strategy more than the card strategy as you mentioned. Really interesting.

Now about the show; I've heard that season 1, Bakugan Battle Brawlers, actually did decent on air and it was mostly the toys which failed. Your perspective seems to line up with what's I've seen, as out of all 2019 anime series currently on air it's Bakugan Battle Planet which had the biggest drop in it's viewership, sitting at about 30% of what it was when episode 1 premiered if I remember correctly. This information is probably from a month ago too, so I would wonder if it would continue to dip in audience and if it did would it be cancelled in Japan. My opinion is that the art style doesn't resonate with the foreign audience either (and maybe not in North America either but that's a different can of worms to open), it's a mix of (modern) anime and cartoon. It could be the plot as well which isn't moving the fastest, but while I can enjoy the show it could just be too slow for some.

That's all I can think of for Bakugan for now. Now, for Beyblade: I am surprised to hear that cheating is seemingly high, I wouldn't expect that to be such a large issue if what you're saying is to that extent. I can see what's going on with Cho-Z being stronger than Gachi, because while I see Gachi as a fun series I guess its hard to compete against the current top tier combos which would mostly be from Cho-Z. There's the variants of Perfect Phoenix, I would assume Hell Salamander and Archer Hercules are still running around, probably some Cho-Z Valkyrie for attack. I wonder how long the impact of this meta will last, because Deathscyther ran right into Dual Layers before getting banned by the WBBA, then the meta moved on to what was Garuda and Spriggan Requiem fun times (no it wasn't fun), which was then proceeded by Cho-Z. Hopefully some new Gachi stuff can come to create more emphasis to be bought. Also, that's my take on the competitive time line so please correct me if I am wrong.

Overall, it's sad to see Bakugan still have issues in Japan (though it is more catered to the western audience) and hopefully Burst doesn't end on a low note.

(Jun. 13, 2019  12:21 AM)UltimateMaster Wrote: I’ll choose Beyblade no matter what

(Jun. 13, 2019  12:21 AM)UltimateMaster Wrote: I’ll choose Beyblade no matter what

(Jun. 13, 2019  12:22 AM)#Fafnir Wrote:

(Jun. 13, 2019  12:21 AM)UltimateMaster Wrote: I’ll choose Beyblade no matter what

I am the same way.

(Jun. 13, 2019  3:23 PM)CitrusNinja3 Wrote: I think both games are very satisfying to play and watch, but Beyblade is the overall winner in my book. I'm an only child, so I have to do pretty much everything on my own or with my parents, who aren't very knowledgable about any games I play. I like the idea of Bakugan, but because you have to have 2 players, I wouldn't be able to play more than 1 or 2 actual games of Bakugan per month. I used to spend hours on end with my neighbors playing Bakugan and watching TV at the same time, but now I'm on the other side of the United States, so I can't really do much with my Bakugan anymore unless I play with one of my younger friends. Honestly, Bakugan seems like a lot of the same thing: Rolling towards a Gate Card or BakuCore, hoping that you land on one, and hoping that your Bakugan's G-Power/B-Power is stronger than your opponent. Unless you play the Battle Planet TCG, which is hard to do unless you're a hardcore collector, there is very little strategy. Sure, maybe a different rolling technique can ensure that you land on a BakuCore uninterrupted, but that's pretty much it for the basic non-TCG version of the game. In Beyblade, you can use different strategies based on the specific combination of parts that you choose. Also, a TCG requires an insane amount of luck for you to actually get the cards that you want or need fo a Deck, while Beyblade doesn't force you to be lucky to win. Finally, as I stated in my Organizer's Quiz, my favorite part of Beyblade is how unpredictable a battle could be. It's very exciting to see a random big hit occur or even having a Dual Layer Bey and a Cho-Z Bey double Burst. Yes, these things can happen, but not many people expect it. Then, they start screaming and cheering. Bakugan doesn't have those kind of moments because it's too focused on "checkmating" your opponent rather than waiting to see what could happen if human control is gone.

(Jun. 13, 2019  3:47 PM)BoogietheBlader Wrote: If I'm being honest, I'd say bakugan. The first season (Battle Brawlers) had a really interesting plot, and the reboot isn't bad. I actually enjoyed it so far. As for the game, I like the unique Bakugan and the different rolling techniques there are. I also like the strategical aspect as well!

With Beyblade, I kinda feel like if you don't buy what's top tier, you lose. Bakugan may have this problem in the future but it's not as present right now because there haven't been a lot tournaments. Plus they are doing making an effort to listen to the community, so that might prevent the previous problem.

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(Jun. 13, 2019  3:23 PM)CitrusNinja3 Wrote: I think both games are very satisfying to play and watch, but Beyblade is the overall winner in my book. I'm an only child, so I have to do pretty much everything on my own or with my parents, who aren't very knowledgable about any games I play. I like the idea of Bakugan, but because you have to have 2 players, I wouldn't be able to play more than 1 or 2 actual games of Bakugan per month. I used to spend hours on end with my neighbors playing Bakugan and watching TV at the same time, but now I'm on the other side of the United States, so I can't really do much with my Bakugan anymore unless I play with one of my younger friends. Honestly, Bakugan seems like a lot of the same thing: Rolling towards a Gate Card or BakuCore, hoping that you land on one, and hoping that your Bakugan's G-Power/B-Power is stronger than your opponent. Unless you play the Battle Planet TCG, which is hard to do unless you're a hardcore collector, there is very little strategy. Sure, maybe a different rolling technique can ensure that you land on a BakuCore uninterrupted, but that's pretty much it for the basic non-TCG version of the game. In Beyblade, you can use different strategies based on the specific combination of parts that you choose. Also, a TCG requires an insane amount of luck for you to actually get the cards that you want or need fo a Deck, while Beyblade doesn't force you to be lucky to win. Finally, as I stated in my Organizer's Quiz, my favorite part of Beyblade is how unpredictable a battle could be. It's very exciting to see a random big hit occur or even having a Dual Layer Bey and a Cho-Z Bey double Burst. Yes, these things can happen, but not many people expect it. Then, they start screaming and cheering. Bakugan doesn't have those kind of moments because it's too focused on "checkmating" your opponent rather than waiting to see what could happen if human control is gone.

Well, there's more than just "hoping" you're bakugan lands, you could try knocking your opponent out of the way as well. And you kinda contradicted yourself. But hey, everyone has their own opinion.

(Jun. 13, 2019  3:56 PM)SCitrusNinja3 Wrote:

(Jun. 13, 2019  3:47 PM)BoogietheBlader Wrote: If I'm being honest, I'd say bakugan. The first season (Battle Brawlers) had a really interesting plot, and the reboot isn't bad. I actually enjoyed it so far. As for the game, I like the unique Bakugan and the different rolling techniques there are. I also like the strategical aspect as well!

With Beyblade, I kinda feel like if you don't buy what's top tier, you lose. Bakugan may have this problem in the future but it's not as present right now because there haven't been a lot tournaments. Plus they are doing making an effort to listen to the community, so that might prevent the previous problem.

---

Well, there's more than just "hoping" you're bakugan lands, you could try knocking your opponent out of the way as well. And you kinda contradicted yourself. But hey, everyone has their own opinion.

For the most part what I remember from my days of playing Bakugan are hoping that the Bakugan lands. Plus, in the original series, it was a lot harder to prevent your opponent from landing on a card because they had a lot more time to think and the cards were big. Even in Battle Planet, it's hard to block your opponent because you don't know how or where they're going to roll. Sure, there's some strategy, but Beyblade has strategies that depend on what kinds of combinations are being used on both sides rather than having just a few universal strategies.

(Jun. 13, 2019  4:35 PM)BoogietheBlader Wrote:

(Jun. 13, 2019  3:56 PM)SCitrusNinja3 Wrote: For the most part what I remember from my days of playing Bakugan are hoping that the Bakugan lands. Plus, in the original series, it was a lot harder to prevent your opponent from landing on a card because they had a lot more time to think and the cards were big. Even in Battle Planet, it's hard to block your opponent because you don't know how or where they're going to roll. Sure, there's some strategy, but Beyblade has strategies that depend on what kinds of combinations are being used on both sides rather than having just a few universal strategies.

That's where the TCG comes in. You can make strategies based on the combination of bakugan from different factions. Also each bakugan faction has a different focus. Like darkus focuses on sacrificing cards, and aquos foucuses on lower cost cards.

(Jun. 13, 2019  4:35 PM)BoogietheBlader Wrote:

(Jun. 13, 2019  3:56 PM)SCitrusNinja3 Wrote: For the most part what I remember from my days of playing Bakugan are hoping that the Bakugan lands. Plus, in the original series, it was a lot harder to prevent your opponent from landing on a card because they had a lot more time to think and the cards were big. Even in Battle Planet, it's hard to block your opponent because you don't know how or where they're going to roll. Sure, there's some strategy, but Beyblade has strategies that depend on what kinds of combinations are being used on both sides rather than having just a few universal strategies.

That's where the TCG comes in. You can make strategies based on the combination of bakugan from different factions. Also each bakugan faction has a different focus. Like darkus focuses on sacrificing cards, and aquos foucuses on lower cost cards.

(Jun. 13, 2019  7:10 PM)CitrusNinja3 Wrote:

(Jun. 13, 2019  4:35 PM)BoogietheBlader Wrote: That's where the TCG comes in. You can make strategies based on the combination of bakugan from different factions. Also each bakugan faction has a different focus. Like darkus focuses on sacrificing cards, and aquos foucuses on lower cost cards.

But as I said before, it takes a lot of collecting, luck, and dedication to get the cards that you want, and you might not even get them.

(Jun. 13, 2019  7:10 PM)CitrusNinja3 Wrote:

(Jun. 13, 2019  4:35 PM)BoogietheBlader Wrote: That's where the TCG comes in. You can make strategies based on the combination of bakugan from different factions. Also each bakugan faction has a different focus. Like darkus focuses on sacrificing cards, and aquos foucuses on lower cost cards.

But as I said before, it takes a lot of collecting, luck, and dedication to get the cards that you want, and you might not even get them.

(Jun. 13, 2019  6:58 PM)Crumok Wrote:

(Jun. 13, 2019  4:35 PM)BoogietheBlader Wrote: That's where the TCG comes in. You can make strategies based on the combination of bakugan from different factions. Also each bakugan faction has a different focus. Like darkus focuses on sacrificing cards, and aquos foucuses on lower cost cards.

Too add to that, there's also human error to take into account. Some games you'll be rolling like a champ! Getting a bakucore on every roll. Other games, it's like your playing blind. Nothing works out! Your rolls are going left, right, backwards! It's crazy! You start thinking your Bakugan are defective, or superglued together! (obviously when your opponent tries them they open fine...)

In the meantime, your opponent is on his second team attack and you have like 10 cards left in your deck. 

It's fun, and takes more strategy than some people know. (ESPECIALLY with how you build your deck!) But again, you need good/right cards to play with the Bakugan you have. It's why early on, I stopped buying the Bakugan I liked/wanted and just bought the ones I had the evolutions/most cards of. Which again, kinda killed the game for me.

(Jun. 13, 2019  8:50 PM)BoogietheBlader Wrote:

(Jun. 13, 2019  7:10 PM)CitrusNinja3 Wrote: But as I said before, it takes a lot of collecting, luck, and dedication to get the cards that you want, and you might not even get them.

There's a site called TCG player. You can get the exact cards you want there.

(Jun. 13, 2019  9:07 PM)CitrusNinja3 Wrote:

(Jun. 13, 2019  8:50 PM)BoogietheBlader Wrote: There's a site called TCG player. You can get the exact cards you want there.

It probably costs more on there though and not many casual players know that it exists.