Beyblade

File:Beyblade collection.jpg

Beyblade collection

Beyblade (Diminutive Bey, from the diminutive of Beigoma) is a line of spinning top toys originally developed and manufactured by Takara Tomy, first released in Japan on July 1999. The main premise of the series is that the beyblade is customizable, with interchangeable parts.

Both the toys and their name were inspired by "Beigoma", a traditional spinning top. The concept is similar to Battling Tops, a board game developed by Ideal Toy Company in 1968. The introduction of the toy corresponded with the start of the Beyblade manga series of the same name. In 2002, Hasbro began to sell Beyblade toys internationally (under license from, and produced by, Takara) along with a coordinated country-by-country release of localized versions of the TV series. In August 2008, Takara Tomy released Beyblade: Metal Fusion; the first incarnation of the toy in three and a half years. The series was followed by Beyblade Burst in July 2015.

Now after Beyblade Burst Evolution and Beyblade Burst Turbo, Hasbro is producing Beyblade Burst Rise (known to Takara Tomy as Beyblade Burst GT) .

Rules

The game is played with two players or more. Each player is allowed up to three Beyblades to choose from during a match. Players may use any parts available to them to make their Beyblades as long as they are not restricted (such as in tournament play), but may not switch parts once a match has started. Players may choose from any of the three Beyblades they have with them for any battle in a match. In Beyblade and The Metal saga series, the first player to 1 point wins. In Beyblade Burst, Beyblade Burst Evolution, Beyblade Burst Turbo and Beyblade Burst Gachi, it is up to 2 or 3 points depending on the type of match. A normal match or a match that isn't the finals will most likely be up to 2 points. Final matches are up to 3 points. (In Beyblade Burst Evolution, in the God Bladers Cup (Japan) or International Bladers Cup (English dub), the semi final was up to three points.) A survivor finish is where a top has stopped spinning and the other top still is. That is 1 point. A ring out finish is where a top falls into a hole called a pocket or flys out of the Beystadium. That is 1 point. A burst finish (Beyblade Burst series only) is where a beyblade top breaks into three or more pieces. That is two points. A Battle Royale is where three or more players play. The last top spinning wins.

Points are awarded to the player based on how their Beyblade knocks out their opponent's Beyblade: (names are different depending where you come from, Japanese saying comes after English dub saying.)

• One point is awarded if the opponent's Beyblade stops spinning (Surviver/Spin Finish).
• One point is awarded if the opponent's Beyblade is knocked out of the stadium or into a trap on the edge of the ring (Ring Out/Over Finish).
• Beginning with Beyblade Burst, two points are awarded if the opponent's Beyblade bursts (hence the name) during a battle (Burst Finish).

In the event of a draw (both Beyblades are knocked out of the ring, stop spinning simutanously, or burst at the same time), no points are awarded to either players.

Types of Beyblades

Beyblade type determines play style. The 3 main types have rock-paper-scissors style effectiveness, with Attack generally being weak to Defense, Defense to Stamina, and Stamina to Attack. However, due to the high variability of the custom designs, this is not a hard rule. Balance types may be strong or weak to any of the others depending on specific parts.

Attack/Striker: These Beyblades specialize in attacking other Beyblades. They battle fiercely and try to knock out the other Beyblade as fast as they can. They tend to outperform Stamina-Type Beyblades due to their lack of defense.

Defense/Defender : These Beyblades specialize in knocking back attacks. They tend to travel slowly and are heavier than other types, resulting in opponents being deflected. Their weight also causes them to launch slower, resulting in less stamina. They tend to wear down Attack-types but are outlasted by Stamina.

Stamina/Endurance: These Beyblades specialize in stamina. They are used so they can out-spin the enemy Bey and win. In exchange for a lack of power, their stamina lasts longer against other Type of Beyblades making them naturally advantageous over Defense-Types, which focus on resisting hits.

Balance/Combination : These Beyblades specialize in a mix of the other three types listed above, giving them no glaring strengths or weaknesses. They use a mix of Attack, Defense, and Stamina Types put together to make an even mix to win.

Stadium

All Beyblade battles take place in a special arena called a Beystadium. It is primarily a shallow plastic tub but may have other features dependent on the purpose of the particular stadium.

Different stadiums were released in different markets. TakaraTomy and Sonokong produce Beystadiums similar to those featured in the manga, with open sections in the walls and openings on the sides to launch into. Hasbro produces stadiums with high walls and pockets that count as a ring-out instead.

Common features of a Beystadium include a shallow impression called a cyclone ridge, which allows Attack type Beyblades to move around quickly without accidentally knocking themselves out, and cyclone points, which are recessed disks in the stadium floor that spin freely to add randomness to a battle. Other features may be specific to the series that the Beystadium is released in, like outer Rail sections in the Beyblade Burst: Turbo being meant for SlingShock Beyblades to move around the outside of the stadium before returning in a straight line toward a certain point.

System

The "Basic System" tops are the first generation of Beyblade tops. They are made entirely of plastic, with the exception of Weight Disks and some tips. These Beyblades consist of four basic parts:

• Bit Chip: A decorative plate inserted into the Attack Ring of the Beyblade, adorned with a small icon of a mythical creature. In the manga, these creatures' souls were actually housed in the Beyblades themselves. Later Beyblades included a clear Bit Protector that prevented damage to the Bit Chip.
• Attack Ring : The Attack Ring determines the blade's effect when it impacts against its opponent, as this is normally the first part to come into contact with the opposing blade. Also, the Attack Ring holds the Bit Chip in place on the top, preventing it from coming off mid-battle.
• Weight Disk : A metal disk that adds weight to the bey and determines its weight distribution and much of its total weight.
• Blade Base : The Blade Base determines how the Beyblade spins and also affects its movement pattern. A Spin Gear on later releases determines the direction of the Beyblade's rotation; either clockwise (right) or counterclockwise (left) dependent on which Spin Gear/Spin Gear Casings is/are used. The BB is attached to the AR.

Magnacore System (MG)

Introduced with the V-series, the "Magnacore" line of Beyblade toys featured magnetic Spin Gears and Weight Disks to attract or repel blades from each other. Additionally, certain Beystadiums had points to attach magnets, which affected the movement pattern.

Engine Gear System (EG)

Engine Gear tops were introduced with the G-series, and retain the same major design of a typical Beyblade, including a Bit Piece, an Attack Ring, a Weight Disk, and a Blade Base; Engine Gear tops, however, replace the typical Spin Gear with a more advanced Engine Gear, which affects the movement of the top during the battle. Each Engine Gear includes a Turbo Winder to wind-up the engine core. When in action, the Blade Base releases the Engine Gear determined by the Blade Base's clutch lock system. This series of Beyblades were the last ones to be made of plastic parts with the exception of the weight disks. The later ones were semi-metal or completely metal.

Engine gear types

• Engine Gear: The default engine gear that comes with most Beyblades in G-revolution, but their tip is varied.
• Turbo Engine Gear: First released with the left-spinning Dragoon GT, the Turbo Engine Gear gives an even more powerful release than that of the original engine gear that comes with a larger turbo winder.
• Reverse Gear: The Engine Gear spins in the opposite direction of the rest of the top. This engine gear is only bundled with Dranzer GT, which uses this gear for a reverse zig-zag attack. Although this attack can be very effective, the Beyblade loses spin when the gear kicks in. As with Dragoon GT, it comes with a larger turbo winder.
• Gyro Engine Gear: This unique type allows the tip of the Beyblade to spin independently. Thus the Beyblade can be launched without a launcher, as a ripcord can be inserted into the Beyblade.

Blade base types

• Instant Release or First Clutch: The Engine Gear triggers at the beginning of the battle, resulting in a type a large burst of speed almost immediately after launch.
• Steady Release: The Engine Gear triggers at the beginning of the battle, but releases earlier because of the weight of the Beyblade on the larger or wider revolving blade base, which is attached directly to the engine gear. Used in Rock Bison and Wolborg 4.
• Hit Release or Final Clutch: The Engine Gear triggers when the blade base collides with an object, or when the Beyblade is running out of spin, and releases a quick burst of speed. The clutches must be pulled prior to winding the spin gear.
• Middle Clutch: Built exclusively for Dranzer GT, the middle clutch has a similar design to the Final Clutch Base, but releases the engine gear in the middle of the match; earlier than a final clutch but not instant as in the First Clutch base.

Hard/Heavy Metal System (HMS)

Beyblade HMS (Hard Metal System) is a line of Beyblade toys released after the Engine Gear line of blades in respect to the anime series. This series, unlike ones in the past, use smaller pieces made mostly of metal. HMS Beyblades have a distinct advantage over previously released Beyblades, that being that their spin velocities are 1.5-2× faster.

These tops are composed of a four-layer part system:

• Bit Protector: This holds the parts together, unlike its plastic counterpart, the Bit Chip, which was merely decorative. With the release of the first 5 HMS Beyblades, 2 different stickers for made for the Bit Protector, one of a "bit beast" and one of the emblem. The emblem stickers were the only ones that appeared in later Beyblade toys.
• Attack Ring: This is composed of an inner metal part screwed to an outer ABS caul. Typically there would be a ring made of plastic that connected to the second ring made of metal. The attack rings were fashioned in many different styles.
• Weight Disk: HMS Weight Disks are completely round, unlike plastic Weight Disks which were shaped as hexa-, octa-, and decagons. There are also Customizable Weight Disks, which have plastic and metal parts, the plastic parts giving the Weight Disk a certain feature.
• Running Core: The Blade Base of HMS. It goes through the weight disk & attack ring and attaches to the Bit Protector. This piece also replaces the Spin Gear/Engine Gear. Spin direction is now determined entirely by which launcher is used.

Beyblade Metal System (Pre-HWS)

• Face Bolt: A screw which holds the bey together
• Wheel: A metal piece that makes up the main point of contact against the opposing Beyblade, and allows you to launch.
• Track/Spin Track: The part of the bey which connects to the face and helps to hold the top together. It also defines the height of the top.
• Performance Tip: The driver will change the spin patterns of the top as well as its stamina in battle. Flatter tips will cause Beys to behave more aggressively, while pointed ones create a stable, calm spin pattern.

Hybrid Wheel System (HWS)

This system was released in 2008 in Japan and in 2010 worldwide. It was rebranded as the Performance Top System in Hasbro markets. It introduces new components making the Beyblades more complex, including a wheel made of polycarbonate and a wider variety of bottoms. These kinds of Beyblades were sold under the Beyblade: Metal Fusion brand. All parts of an HWS Beyblade are plastic except for the Fusion Wheel. A socket wrench like Tool is used to assemble the Beyblade, locking the Face Bolt and Performance Tip to the Spin Track. The main difference from the earlier Metal System is the replacement of the lone die-cast Wheel with a combination of a plastic ”Energy Ring/Clear Wheel” and ”Metal/Fusion Wheel”. This was done to prevent breakage of launcher parts.

Names of Beyblades can now be determined by their parts. For example, Storm Pegasus 105RF has a 'Pegasus' Energy Ring/Clear Wheel, 'Storm' Fusion Wheel/Metal Wheel, '105(10.5mm)' Spin Track/Track, and a 'RF (Rubber Flat)' Bottom/Performance Tip.

4D System

4D system Beyblades were introduced in March 2011. It is an expansion of the Hybrid Wheel System which introduced new parts including the 4D Fusion Wheel and 4D Bottom. Additionally, the plastic parts of the wheels are made of a heavier, stronger material.

The 4D Fusion Wheel replaces the standard Fusion Wheel. It is made of multiple parts, including the PC Frame, Metal Frame, and Core. Some omit a standard frame and core design, such as L-Drago Destroy which has an upper metal frame to replace the Energy Ring and a lower PC core with rubber inserts to replace the Fusion Wheel, essentially flipping the common construction of most tops from this system.

The 4D Bottom replaces the Spin Track and includes a built-in gimmick involving the tip, such as being quickly changed between battles without disassembly, changing performance based on stamina, or spinning freely on a bearing.

Zero G/Shogun Steel System

The Zero G System continues the trend of the Hybrid Wheel System by using compatible parts. In uses the same engineering for the Spin Track and Performance Tip while introducing parts that can be used in place of others. The Crystal Wheel and Warrior/Chrome Wheel replace the Fusion Wheel and Energy Ring, while a similar but slightly longer Face Bolt is used due to the extra thickness of the new wheels. Stadiums for this system have rounded bottoms that cause them to pivot, which changes the movement patterns of the battling Beyblades. Additionally, the Crystal Wheel may be replaced with a second Warrior Wheel to create a heavier Synchrome Beyblade.

Burst System

This system is designed in such a way that the top may separate if it has sustained enough hits, which creates a burst gimmick due to a spring in the Performance Tip. The Burst System consists of 3 parts:

• Energy Layer: The top part of the Beyblade, it is the part where the launcher attaches as well as where most contact during battles takes place. They consist of a two-piece polycarbonate disk. Those that have inner layers with exposed edges are called Dual Layers. A later upgrade, called the God Layer System in Japan and SwitchStrike in Hasbro releases, introduced multi-piece Layers with gimmicks similar to earlier series. Beyblade Burst Cho-Z succeeded the God Layer System and contains metal and has a more ornate design. The metal was omitted for the Hasbro release as Beyblade Burst: Turbo but still follows the designs of the Japanese toys. They can also be fitted beneath the layer with a Level Chip, which reduces problems from the bey. (Only Turbo, and some layers do not support this.) In Beyblade Burst Rise, the layer is now a 3 piece part with the Gatinko Chip, Weight, and Base. The Gatinko Chip provides the teeth needed to keep the layer together, the Layer Weight imitates the Forge Disk and adds weight to the layer, and the Layer Base provides the shape of the Beyblade, and what abilities it has.

• Forge Disc: Analogous to the Weight Disc from the original series, it provides much of the weight and how that weight is distributed across the Beyblade. In the two initial years, the disks were only metal with some of them having plastic. This is the case with most GT beys as well. The release of the SwitchStrike tops saw the release Two-Part Forge Discs which could fit a plastic part underneath the disk, called a Frame. They provide minor amounts of weight, but are primarily used to affect how well the Beyblade spins while knocked over, dubbed Life After Death by the community, or lower the center of gravity with a select few of the frames. A few disks have received upgraded forms marked by an apostrophe (ie. 8' and 1').

• Performance Tip: This component serves as the base of the Beyblade top upon which supports the other components as well as point of contact for the stadium floor. Drivers affect the agility, balance, and movement speed based on their shape. Starting with Beyblade Burst: Turbo, Hasbro added their own variations of Drivers which can extend for extra height and speed as part of the SlingShock system. Takara Tomy has also added the upgraded ' (Dash) versions to certain drivers, mainly ones labelled as Attack and Balance types with one exception in Keep' which is labelled as a Defense type.

Extreme Battle System

is a system of Beyblade by Hasbro released in Beyblade: Metal Masters. They are separated into four groups, "Tornado Battlers" (taller, all plastic), "Electro Battlers" (light and sound effects), "IR Spin Control Beyblades" (remote controlled), and ¨Stealth Battlers¨ (hidden weapons released by centripetal force). None of these can be customized.

Beyblade Burst Micro is a miniature scale version of the main Beyblade Burst series. Because of their small size, the tops can only be customized by changing the tips.

See also

• Battling Tops
• Spinja
• Ninjago
• Spin Fighters
• Battle Strikers

External links

• Official website