Next Generation Beigoma Battle: Beyblade

Next Generation Beigoma Battle: Beyblade (次世代ベーゴマバトル ベイブレード, Jisedai Bēgoma Batoru Beiburēdo) was the very first Beyblade video game released, and also acted as a prototype for many of the concepts of the Beyblade franchise. It was a Game Boy Color video game released in conjunction with the first three Beyblades ever produced: Ultimate Dragoon, Frostic Dranzer and Saizo. It is the very first installment of the Beyblade franchise, followed by the manga Bakuten Shoot Beyblade.

Gameplay

Overview

Compared to the rest of the Beyblade franchise, this game represents some unique ideas and concepts that were never carried on into the main Beyblade series itself. It bears more of a resemblance to Pokémon in style and is the only game within the Beyblade franchise which is a true "J-RPG" style. The player goes around the storyline collecting bits and Beyblade parts while fighting enemies and progressing throughout the game.

Each bit-beast has its own unique attack (though some do nothing until their bits upgrade themselves to their final form) and like Pokémon certain ones also evolve when the bits reach a certain experience (there are 3 stages like Pokémon).

At the start of the game, there are limited things Tyson can do. After getting the rank of "C", the player is given TP, the currency of the game allowing them to purchase items, after winning battles TP is now also awarded not just experience for the Bits. The WBA buildings also become available, here you can exchange stores Beyblades, connect to other players or look at each buildings list of trades.

Next Generation Beigoma Battle: Beyblade Type

Each bit also has a typing which contributes a little bit of the battle against other types, much like in Pokémon. The types include Fighting, Electricity, Ground, Dragon, Devil, Ghost, Auto, Sniper, Fire, Mystic, God, Ice, Water, Bug, Space and Historical

Tyson has also a "Power meter" powered by "POW" that goes down over time, requiring him to purchase items to restore it. This represents strain on his arms. If the meter runs dry, he faints and returns to his home of origins. IF you are pretty far into a location this means you have to travel back to the location.

Battling

In battle shot

Before each match, the player selects the order they wish to use each bit in, the match is done as a best 2 out of 3. They can choose from 6 Beyblades they have set, with 3 being chosen at choice. The same Beyblade can be set for all 3 rounds or the player can use a combination of any of their 6 Beyblades, the choice is up to the player.

At the start of the battle the player has a rip cord on the lower half of the screen which must be tapped at just the right timing with the "B" button. If the player taps too fast and the rip reaches the end they risk resetting the bar. It is often best to tap lightly until the last second and hit a extra tap or two to try for a strong launch.

During battle, a player controlled a spinning top, which they viewed from head downwards on the arena. The player was by default in attack mode, but could hold down a "sleep" button which caused the Beyblade to try to rest in the center of the arena. However, the Beyblades stats determine if this is a good idea, so some Beyblades are better off being on the offensive and others being in "sleep" mode (the games defensive mode). Each top has a slowly decaying spin cycle and when they knocked into each other, they bounced off each other. The arena itself had a boundaries line, hitting the barriers too many times would weaken the barriers until they gave way, at this point it was possible for either you or your foe's Beyblades to be knocked out of the arena, losing the round.

Acquiring New Beyblade

You are challenged do you fight (left) gamble your Beyblade (middle) or avoid the fight (right, requires an item)? note; in this instance "Gamble" was chosen but the other Blader refused to gamble a Beyblade

There are several ways to acquire new Beyblades, which are known by their Bit chip, different methods have to be used to acquire all the games Beyblades.

1. Trading; Trades an be irreversible and can be made using any of Tyson's bits at hand.
   • Players can trade between each other.
   • Trades are also offered in-game via the machine trade; the computer is located in the WBA building and there are two methods offered this way. Bladers have a certain demand that must be met for each trade if they choose the WBA building trade system. Any suitable Beyblade can be traded if the NPC trading feels it is fair. The computer lists all available set trades within the game, but the player can also put a Beyblade up for trade to which NPCs will then offer their Beyblades for trade. Most of the time, the latter method does not yield many good Beyblades, whereas the set list has at least 1 pricey trade demand on offer.
   • Alternatively, in the offered pre-set list mode, when making the WBA trade these types of trades also can be made with TP instead. The amount the NPC will sell the Beyblade for is not revealed and the player has to make a guess offer. IF the amount is the same or greater than their unrevealed amount they want, the trade occurs. If it is not, they reject the offer.
2. Gambling; At the start of battles, you can also challenge an opponent for one of their Beyblades.
   • At the end of a battle if you win a Beyblade is offered to which Tyson can accept or decline; the Beyblade offered is randomly chosen from the 3 they used in battle. Gambling is the most common way the player will be able to acquire new Beyblades.
   • If you lose the following battle against the foe, then they get to take one of your Beyblades instead.
   • In most cases, the player has this option given by choice to them. However, there are exceptions and a few set NPCs Tyson encounters, only offer this style of battle. In this case when you win unlike random encounters the Beyblade offered is set. There are one or two of these early on who can even prevent Tyson progressing the storyline.
   • Not all NPC challengers will agree with this option and some random encounter NPC variants are more likely to reject or accept then others. So, you do not always have the ability to gamble for a Beyblade to acquire a new one.
3. Storyline; Other bits are given to the player after certain events, including Spin Dragoon which was one of two bits of legend within the game's lore, the other being Frostic Dranzer, which Kai will acquire.
4. Purchasing; some Beyblades are only able to be bought either in the 24-Hour shop or from NPCs. For example, for 3,600TP a man in the park located in Tyson's hometown has one Beyblade for sale.

In regard to the Beyblade storage system, if Tyson has the full 6 Beyblades, he will need to get rid of one of his held Beyblades, of which he can just toss via a menu. Doing so will never get that Beyblade back, so the storage is vital to store access Beyblades to avoid losing them. This means players need to be careful with the Beyblades they carry and are best never to have the full 6 Beyblades on hand, leaving at least 1 in the WBA building storage.

Evolving bits also can happen either by levelling, or by applying certain crystals, something both. If the player applies the Crystal method to a bit that can also evolve into their next form, they can cause early evolution. Others involve trading with other players.

A certain number of the Bits, such as Kai's Frostic Dranzer, can never be acquired and only appear as recorded entries on the Bit chip book.

For a lists of bit-chips, see List of Bit-Beasts.

Characters

Main

• Tyson - an elementary school boy who has become a legend for his Beyblade skills. He lives in Beyside City. He enters the school tournament to obtain his WBC (World Beyblade Championship) license and enter the world tournament.
• Kurumi - Tyson's childhood friend, she has just begun to get interested in Beyblade.
• Rokumaru - Tyson's childhood friend and acting coach, though is physically weak. Tyson first starts to interact with him when he was sick and house bound, he gave him a Beyblade afterwards.
• Kai - a boy who hates Beyblade and wants to make it disappear.
• Jin - a skilled and mysterious Beyblader.

Notes for English Speakers

Language Barrier

Even if you don't understand Japanese, due to the way the game is set up, despite being an RPG it is fairly easy to learn. The game appears more complex than it actually is and other then how to customize Beyblades, the RPG element means you can overcome many difficulties simply by levelling up. So those prepared to grind can spend time levelling up to avoid having to buy Beyblades, though it may take a while to acquire experience.

So long as the Beyblade(s) the player is using is 1 level above the current areas level of Beyblades at least, they can often pull a fair weight in a battle against any Beyblade they meet. For example, in the forest the level is 3-6, so bits above level 6 can compete well enough and by the time the level is higher than 7 in this area they should often be able to walk over NPC blades. In short, like many RPGs the game requires some grinding.

Beyblades on hand

Though given as a starter Bit, the player can choose to ignore raising any bit they want, the game is possible to beat with a single bit due to the match choice set up. The player later can do this even for the bit "Spin Dragon" which is featured as Tysons main bit of the game. Unlike Kai who always ends up with his signature Bit ultimate Frostic Dranzer.

Altering Beyblades

How to buy parts; step one locate 24 hours shop

Go to right machine

Select "buy" (on the left, the right option is "sell")

Buy part you want

Confirm purchase (left option, the right option is cancel trade)

If a player does choose to buy parts, inside the 24 hour shop is two machines. The one on the left has the player items and things such as addition Bit chips. It is the one on the right you need for parts. Once you've made your purchase you need to then bring up the games options. On the main menu you pick the top option, scroll to the target Beyblade and then choose the middle option on the next menu to customize. The left option views the Beyblade as it currently is and the right tosses the Beyblade. As mentioned this is aided by most battles being able to win with only 1 invested Beyblade. Due to the battling style, random chance can often be just as important.

To install a part, bring up main menu and select the top option

Select Beyblade to customize, which will be known by its bit chips's name

Select middle option (left bring up the details and right tosses the Beyblade; never do this!)

Select left or right option (parts will either in either option depending on what they are)

Pick part (already equipped parts are highlighted with a "E" next to them)

Alternatively you can alter Beyblades before each battle by selecting the spanner option on the round selection

The game is liner, and you can only go where the storyline wants you to go, if you cannot figure out what to do you just talk to everyone in the current path you have taken. The only time you need to consider backtracking is to get missed Beyblade parts or other items you didn't buy or for levelling up after each section has been completed.

Beyblade Battles

The gameplay mechanics appear fiddly at the start though can be mastered with effort. Mostly its best to stick to the center of the Arena, with exceptions. The biggest issue is the Beyblade "bounces" when it hits things, which can make it difficult to control. However, as the Beyblade levels or parts increase in strength, when two Beyblades clash the Player's bit will suffer less bounce. If the foe's Beyblade is weaker meanwhile, they tend to bounce more off Tyson's Beyblade.

Certain battles may see also special moves used by a Blader, including Tyson himself. Not all bit-chip attacks were all that useful. For example, Tyson faces one Blader whose bit-beast produces a massive hole in the center of the dish, leaving only the outer area left. However, due to an AI error, it was fully possible for the Blader who used it to knock the center out and with it their own Beyblade still within the area. If the player happens to have Tyson's Beyblade on the left-over area outside the hole, it leads to a victory with very little effort. Most special moves could either be exploited or if you knew the bits attack, avoided altogether.

Keeping Tyson going

In the 24-hour shop, you find the "POW" items to restore Tyson's power bar, and these are the only necessary item the player needs. Tyson will warn the player when his power is low and if it gets too low return to his home at the start of the game. This can be problematic if the player has quite far into an area as Tyson, then has to travel back to this location.

POW related items are purchased from the left-hand machine in the 24-hour shop. It is best to wait until Tyson gives the warning for the Power meter being below 50%, then purchasing the POW item for 50TP.

Puzzles

There is only 1 puzzle element, and this is the forest, wherein you must figure out the path through to find other towns. If you pick the wrong path, you end up in the beginning where you started.

Trivia

• Aside from the characters of Kai, Tyson and Hiro, virtually nothing made this game into the future versions of the Beyblade franchises. However, a great number of the initial Beyblade releases are based on the Beyblade and bits of this game.
• In the early 2000's in countries such as the UK, when Beyblade was at the height of its craze on rare occasions, fake Beyblades often carried some of the bit-beasts seen in this game. This wasn't the only game to see its bit-beasts appear on fakes; bit beasts from the 2000 game Beyblade Fighting Tournament game also commonly made appearances.
• Despite being featured in art with his face paint, Kai's in-game avatar doesn't have any face paint on it.
• The characters do not have family names in this version.
• When the manga was first released, it matched closely to events of the game, covering Tyson's period wherein he fought Kai. The manga influence from this game was short lived (being a mere few chapters) and although Kai and Tyson use their final Bits Beyblades Spin Dragoon and Ultimate Frostic Dranzer in the manga, the events leaned towards the following video game Beyblade Fighting Tournament.
• Both Spin Dragon and Frostic Dranzer are noted as the games "Legendary bits".
• The Pokémon-esque design of the game was not unexpected. Hudson had produced several games aside from this one that started out as Pokémon-style games, including Robopon.Some bit designs were based on designs that had also been re-used for the Robopon games Ring and Cross. In fact, some assets of Robopon were also used for the games, though it was notable several members of the development team worked on both games.

Gallery

Confrontation between Kai and Tyson in the forest area

Example of one of the many bit-beasts featured in the game.

Versus screen

A bit attack splash screen (only a few bits had this)

External Links

• homepage