Video game reivew: Bakugan is for fans

Game title: "Bakugan: Battle Brawlers"

Platform: DS, PS2, PS3, Wii (reviewed), Xbox 360

Studio: Activision, NOW Productions

Rated: E for Everyone

Score: 8 of 10

THE REVIEW: If you have an elementary school child, chances are, you already know all about Bakugan. They are quite a craze and are coming at kids from all sides with cartoons, games and toys, and chances are good they have shown up on Christmas wishlists in one form or another. Its only natural that the ball-shaped toys (that roll and then unfold when activated by magnetic cards) would find their way to game platforms where they can be played and collected just as they are in real life.

Play is similar to hands-on play with a few tweaks like battlefield obstacles and bonuses that aren't available in the non-digital world. Players wield their toy-monster Bakugans and supplement their powers with playing cards. With a story from the creators of the animated series, the game feels familiar if players enter the story mode. They can also choose to just battle in arcade mode, but interest will wane quickly for most.

With some light role-playing elements, characters customize an avatar with clothing and hair that follows the style of the cartoon series — a big plus for kids who already enjoy it — or characters from the show are also available. Collectors will be pleased to find 40 Bakugan and a couple hundred cards which, apparently, include some never seen elsewhere.

Amittedly, the game and story are designed for kids, and some games "play up" pretty well, but this one is designed exclusively to pre-teens who already think the Bakugan universe rules. Intellectually interesting for a short time, things became repetitive and stale rather quickly, so it may not make a lot of adult converts. But for those already versed in the lore and attending an elementary school near you, this game is nirvana. Instead of playing games on a table or a floor, the game takes you to a fully realized arena with unique features, and eliminates the need to bug parents for a trip to a brick and mortor store to buy more plastic toys. (Well, at least until the game ends.) Players must buy in-game cards and creatures with funds coming from fought battles.