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Dran Sword 3-60F

An example of a modern Beyblade from the X Series, Dran Sword 3-60F.

Beyblade is a line of high-performance spinning top toys originally developed and manufactured by Takara and Hasbro starting in 1999.

History

Both the toys and their name were inspired by "Beigoma", a traditional spinning top. The introduction of the toy corresponded with the release of Next Generation Beigoma Battle: Beyblade released in 1999, with Ultimate Frostic Dranzer, Spin Dragoon and Saizo being the first 3 beyblades released. Beyblade was loosely inspired by Pokémon with the main protagonist, "Takao" (Tyson) and the antagonist "Kai" being based on the characters of "Red" and "Blue". Beyblades sold during this beyblade were not originally listed as a "type". Early beyblades were supplied with 3 bit-chips along with the Beyblade. The original idea was that the new toys would possess collectable "bit-chips" which represented the fighting spirit of the player. Again this was based on Pokémon, though a large contribution to this was Hudson, the makers of the very first Beyblade game. Hudson produced several "Pokémon-like" games during this period, which is why the game and the toyline itself both were following a similar format.

Note: the main characters at this point had no surnames.

Turbo g

A Beyblade from the original series, Dragoon.

The period between the Next Generation Beigoma Battle: Beyblade video game and the launch of the toyline under the official name of "Bakuten Shoot Beyblade" was mostly a experiemental stage, although the name "Beyblade" was in use, much of the official name of the series was still being established. One more game, Beyblade Fighting Tournament, released in August 2000 and a manga released in January 2000 under the name "Bakuten Shoot Beyblade" was released as tie-ins with the toys. Beyblades released in this period carried codes to unlock their bits in the game. It was then the concept of the bit-beasts were changed, but the beyblades began to have clear "types" such as "Attack", "Balance", " Stamina" and "Defense". Kai and Tyson were carried on as main characters, with Ray and Max being introduced to the cast. This format was the basis of future incarnations of the Beyblade toyline and storyline. The games were the main established method of promoting the early Beyblade toys at this point.

A later Beyblade anime television series was released, since it was loosely based on the manga it carried the name "Bakuten Shoot Beyblade", it ran between Jan and December 2001. Games become tie-ins with the anime from this point onwards. In 2001, Hasbro began to sell Beyblade toys internationally (under license from, and produced by, Takara) along with a coordinated country-by-country rollout of localized versions of the TV series. However, while both the anime and the manga made it to international sales, none of the tie-in promotional games made it at this point. The manga received two official English dubs later, with the Australian version being released more then a year before the North American version.

The Beyblade toy line went on to be one of the most popular toy lines in the world from 2000–2005 and as of 2005 over 100 million units had been sold worldwide. In August 2008, Takara Tomy released a new generation of Beyblade with a metal outer layer; the first incarnation of the toy in three and a half years. From the Basic System, through the Heavy/Hard Metal System, Beyblades were categorized as Attack, Endurance, Combination, or Survival Types, but when the Hybrid Wheel System was introduced, the Combination, Endurance and Survival Types were renamed as Balance, Defense and Stamina Types, respectively.

These Beyblades may have pictures on them that symbolizes a creature (known as a Bit-Beast) which shows what the Beyblade does, or looks like. In Beyblade: Metal Fusion they have symbols on them that represent one of the 88 constellations in space. Players are encouraged to mix-and-match their Beyblade in order to win.

The main target demographic for the toys is children, especially boys, though there have been manga produced such as Beyblade Battle: Holy Dragon Legend is one of the rare examples of the franchise aimed specifically at girls. Two related manga Explosive Hero Blader DJ and Bakuten Denju Blader DJ were also released to teach about Beyblading techniques.

Game

Rules

Note: These are the rules for the Metal Saga era of Beyblade.

Goal

  • Be the first player to score 7 points or more.

How to battle

  • Both players begin with the signal, "3, 2, 1, - LET IT RIP!" (Go Shoot!)
  • At the signal both players launch their Beys into the Beystadium.
  • One launch per battle; battle ends when one Bey stops spinning.

Scoring

  • If your top spins longer than your opponent, you score 1 point. This is called a Sleep Out.
  • If you touch your opponent during their launch, your opponent scores 1 point.
  • If you don't launch your Bey successfully into the stadium you lose 1 point.
  • If your Bey gets trapped in a penalty pocket, your opponent scores 2 points.
  • If you touch the stadium during battle, your opponent scores 3 points and the battle is immediately over.
  • Compete in multiple battles until one player scores 7 or more points.

Note: These are the rules for the Burst/Burst Evolution era of Beyblade.

Goal

  • Be the first player to score 2 (anime) or 3 (app) points or more.

How to battle

  • Both players begin with the signal, "3, 2, 1, - LET IT RIP!" (Go Shoot!)
  • At the signal both players launch their Beys into the Beystadium.
  • One launch per battle; battle ends when one Bey stops spinning or Bursts.

Scoring

  • If your top spins longer than your opponent, you score 1 point. This is called a Survivor Finish.
  • If your Bey gets trapped in a pocket on the stadium and stops spinning, it counts as a Ring-Out Finish to your opponent (the opponent scores 1 point).
  • If you burst your opponent's Bey, you score 2 points.
  • Compete in multiple battles (known as Rounds) until one player scores the decided amount of more points.

Types of Beyblades

Each Beyblade has a different type. It determines what Type they are most best at.

Attack: 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. But, attack types often are not able to spin for as long as other types.

Defense: These Beyblades specialize in using defense. Just like the saying "the best offense is a good defense," they stay in one place and defend themselves from incoming Beyblades so their attacks are almost immune to them, thus making an Attack-Types mismatched against this type.

Stamina: 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 last-longer against other Type of Beyblades making them naturally advantageous over Defense-Types, which focus on resisting hits.

Balance: 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.

Ultimate: Effectively the same as a balance type. Only one beyblade has been released with this type, Sol Blaze V145AS.

Systems

Through the lifespan of the Beyblade toy line, there have been different generations of architectures introduced in the anime.

Basic System (BS)

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 five basic parts:

  • Bit Chip: A decorative plate inserted into the Attack Ring of the Beyblade, adorned with a small icon of a Bit-Beast. In the anime, these creatures' souls were actually housed in the Beyblades themselves.
  • 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.
  • Weight Disk: The Weight Disk affects the power and speed of the Beyblade.
  • Blade Base: The Blade Base determines the direction of the Beyblade's rotation; either clockwise (right) or counterclockwise (left).
  • Tip: The tip determines how the Beyblade spins, and also affects its movement pattern. The Performance tip is attached to the Blade Base.

The first tops consisted of a four-layer part system: Bit Beast, Attack Ring, Weight Disk, and Blade Base; the Spin Gear would lock into the Blade Base, essentially making the top only four layers after initial construction. Upon the arrival of the S- and F-series Beyblades, Spin Gears were introduced that were removable and interchangeable, thus creating a five-layer system.

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, one could purchase magnets that were affixed to the bottom of one's Beystadium, which affected the movement patterns of the Beyblades.

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 Chip, 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 behavior 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, 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. 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. Only used for Torch/Flame and Thunder Pegasus (which are identical except for color).

Blade Base types

  • Instant Release or First Clutch: The Engine Gear triggers at the beginning of the battle, resulting in 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.

Customizable engine weights For the 2 GT Series Beyblades that were released, the Engine Gear that comes withintended for use with the Customizable Engine Weight of each top. The Engine Gears, however, can fit with the "Clutch" bases.

Hard Metal System (HMS)

Beyblade HMS (Hard Metal System) (Known is Japan as the Heavy 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 1.5-2x 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.
  • Weight Disk: HMS (heavy metal system) Weight Disks are completely circular, 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.

HMS blades do not use Spin Gears or Engine Gears, nor do they require them since the blade can be launched from both spin directions. This is possible through the HMS Neo Dual Launcher, which allows such spin-changing.These beyblades were the last ones corresponding to the Original series. A few years later, a new show under the name Metal Fight Beyblade,(Beyblade: Metal Fusion in North America) with new characters and Beyblades made in the same scale as HMS Beyblades, but with a completely different structure, was introduced.

Metal System

Before the beginning of the anime in April 2009, Metal Fight Beyblades were constituted of four parts:

Face Bolt: Hexagonal screw-like piece that fastens the Beyblade together, similar to Bit Protector from the HMS. They feature graffiti-style illustrations on the top (i.e. Bull, Pegasus, etc). With the introduction of the Performance Top System also came the Metal Face Bolts, which are 3.5 grams heavier than normal Faces, therefore they help add weight to a Beyblade. After BB-27, Face Bolts have become blank and stickers now have to be added on them.

Wheel: Main source of attack from a Beyblade; unlike HMS, the Fusion Wheel is completely made out of metal to compensate for the lack of a Weight Disk. They use various shaped protrusions to lower the spin velocity of an opponent. The Wheel is fundamentally the same as the Attack Ring from the HMS and plastic Beyblades. The shooter connects directly to the Wheel and does not depend on the Face or the Track for a solid connection. The Wheel determines the spin direction of the Beyblade.

Spin Track: The Spin Track is the component of the Beyblade that connects the Fusion Wheel and Performance Tip. The Spin Track determines the height of the Beyblade. Their names (when read with a decimal before the last digit) determine their height in millimeters. For example, Galaxy Pegasus's Spin Track is called 105, which stands for 10.5 MM. Some Spin Tracks have gimmicks which help make multiple good customizations since some of them are significantly heavier than others, like Flame Sagittario’s C145 Spin Track.

Performance Tip: The tip of the Beyblade. It has interchangeable tips which the Beyblade spins on. Movement patterns can be altered with the differently shaped tips that can be used. It is similar to the Blade Base from plastic Beyblades or the Running Core from HMS. The Bottom is indicated by the (sometimes three) last letter(s) of a Beyblade’s name: for instance, Lightning L-Drago 100HF, where HF is the Bottom and stands for Hole Flat. Scythe Kronos T125 EDS, where EDS is the Bottom stands for Eternal Defense Sharp/Spike.

Hybrid Wheel System

Known in Japan as the Hybrid Wheel System. The current system was released in 2008 in Japan and in 2010 worldwide, it introduces new components making the Beyblades more complex including a wheel made of polycarbonate and more technically advanced bottoms.

Names of Beyblades can now be determined by their parts. For example, Storm Pegasus 105RF has a "Pegasus" clear wheel/energy ring, 'Storm' metal/fusion wheel, '105 (10.5mm)' track/spin track, and a "RF (Rubber Flat)" bottom/performance tip.

  • Face Bolt: Playing a much larger role than the bit chip, the face is the screw that holds all parts together.
  • Energy Ring: These are composed of CPC (Polycarbonate). Aerodynamics sometimes are a factor, but usually they are just used for weight.
  • Fusion Wheel: These create a frame for the Energy Ring and make the most contact with the opposing beyblade.
  • Spin Track: These determine the height of the Beyblade. Some are just heights, but some also have special gimmicks, such as metal balls, down-force fans, claws, spinning horns and height switch.
  • Performance Tip: In this system, there are new bottoms to ensure greater performance.

Takara Tomy has also introduced Random Booster Lights, which a random beyblade composed of light wheels instead of fusion wheels can be found.

  • Light Wheel: Found only in Beyblades from Random Booster Lights 1, 2, and 3 by Takara Tomy. It is a similar item to the fusion wheel, but
  1. A light wheel is thick, unlike a Fusion wheel which is sometimes hollow.
  2. Light wheels are not made of metal, instead, they are plastic.
  3. There are only 4 types of Light wheels,being Mad (Light wheel ver. of Dark), Wind (light wheel ver. of Storm), Clay (light wheel ver. of Rock/Counter) and Heat (light wheel ver. of Infinity).

Extreme Top System

The Extreme Top System, or XTS for short, is a line of Hasbro brand Beyblade products released in Beyblade: Metal Masters. They have advanced top designs, light and sound effects, as well as being bigger and more aggresive than normal Beyblades. They are separated into four groups, "Tornado Battlers", "Electro Battlers", "IR Spin Control Beyblades", and ¨Stealth Battlers¨.

  • Tornado Battlers: These Beyblades are preassembled and taller than normal Beyblades and have a "tornado" design that enable them to battle more extreme, tilt, weave, and spin. Some can even escape Penalty Pockets in Stadiums.
  • Electro Battlers: These Beyblades are preassembled, high intensity Beyblades packed with LED lights that create designs and read how the Beyblade is spinning as well as having battle sounds.
  • IR Spin Control: These are Beyblades that are able to be controlled with a Launcher. It can give them a power boost, turn left or right, and activate sounds.
  • Stealth Battlers: These Beyblades that are able to "Fling" Out Weapons While Battling.But they have low stamina once the wepons pop out.

4D System

This 4D System was announced on March 26, 2011 in Japan. It is somewhat of a combination of the Hard Metal System and the Performance Top System(Hybrid Wheel). The 4D's stand for this.

  • Different Material
  • Divided Wheel
  • Dynamic Drive
  • Deep Custom

Naming the Beys, has changed. For example, Big Bang Pegasis F:D, "Big Bang" is the Fusion Wheel, "Pegasis" is the 4D Energy Ring, and "F:D" is the 4D Performance Tip. However it is not always like this. L Drago Destroy F:S is a good example, as it does not have an Energy Ring, making "L Drago" come before "Destroy".

  • Face Bolt: Plays the same part as the Metal System.
  • 4D Energy Ring: The Energy Rings are now made of metal compounds; a power-like substance to be heavier. Sometimes, Beyblades will not have an Energy Ring like L-Drago Destroy F:S.
  • Fusion Wheel: This time, the Fusion Wheel is in several parts. For Big Bang Pegasus F:D, it has 3 parts for the Fusion Wheel. Not all Beyblades have these parts. It can have a different amount of parts. The parts can be:
    • PC Frame: The PC stands for Polycarbonate as that is what was made to create it. It is clear like an Energy Ring. It is meant to absorb shocks but not all Beys have it.
    • Metal Frame: The metal part of the Fusion Wheel. It can be put in different ways which will change the mode of a Beyblade.
    • Rubber Frame: The rubber part of the Fusion Wheel. It has similar functions to that of the Metal Frame, therefore it can be used to spin-steal from left-spinning beyblades(e.g. Gravity Destroyer). It is exclusive to Fusion Hades' Fusion Wheel.
    • Core: The Core sits at the bottom of the Fusion Wheel and is as it's name implies, is the "core" of the Fusion Wheel. It is used to prevent the Bey being inserted into a Left or Right-spin Launcher depending on the Bey's movement.
  • 4D Performance Tip: The 4D Performance Tip is a fusion of the Spin Track and Performance Tip. These Tips have an automatic mechanism which changes the Tip during battle. Take Big Bang Pegasus F:D for example, at first during battle, it acts as a Semi Flat Tip, but when it starts to lose its spin velocity, it acts as a Rubber Flat.

Synchrome System

The Shogun Steel Top System (marketed as "Beybattle Tops with Synchrome Technology") was released on March 31, 2012 in Japan and worldwide in Fall 2013.

Burst System

The Burst System features Beyblade tops with a dynamic "Burst" feature designed to burst into pieces while battling. The Beyblade tops in this system are composed of 3 parts that can be customized for battle, the Layer/Energy Layer, the Disc/Forge Disc and the Driver/Performance tip.

Differences between brands

There are several differences between beyblades made by Tomy, Sonokong, and Hasbro:

  • Hasbro uses big walls and Penalty Pockets for their Stadiums, while Tomy and Sonokong have Stadiums with gaps in them for Stadium Outs.
  • Hasbro has weaker adhesives for the Beyblade stickers
  • Hasbro has changed the names of some Beyblades, such as Beafowl and Cancer.
  • Initially, some Beyblades released during V-Force had no MG Core but a weighted non-magnetic core. Hasbro replaced many of these with magnecores. There are no longer MagneCores in Hasbro V2 Beyblades (BBA Championship Series). In the same way, Hasbro added the Engine Gear to several Beyblades that originally did not have an engine gear (Metal Driger, Gigars etc.).
  • Hasbro's version of the Customize Clutch Base (Dranzer V2) has had the clutch removed and was originally fixed in the sharp position and could not be changed. Later releases contain a properly working clutch.
  • Hasbro's version of Uriel 2 was named Capricorn Strike G. It has a golden colored gyro (Flame Pegasus) instead of the original Weight Disk/Support Parts/Blade Base/Spin Gear.
  • Hasbro changed Trypio's Attack Ring to not be able to fly as well as changing the edge of the attack ring to a rounded edge instead of the original flat edge.
  • In the Original Series, Hasbro released many of the Random Booster Beys as individual releases, in a different system rather than their original.
  • The initial version of Driger V made by Hasbro had a completely sharp metal tip on the blade base, while the Takara version had a semi flat tip. Many fans complained about Hasbro's change, and Hasbro later changed the metal tip to be semi-flat.
  • Hasbro's versions of the "Hidden Spirit" Beyblades had small joints for the "dragon parts" to attach to on the Attack Ring, while in Takara's version they attach to the Blade Base, so they look like the Blade in the anime, but neither version is launchable.
  • The "Heavy Metal" System was marketed by Hasbro as the "Hard Metal" System.

Trivia

  • Beyblades get the first part of their name "Bey" from "Beigoma" (ベーゴマ) spinning tops they were inspired by.
  • Referees in Japanese tournaments and the franchise are often known as "DJ"s. This name is a play on words.
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