Beyblade

Beyblade (ベイブレード) is a line of spinning-top toys originally developed by Takara, first released in Japan in July 1999, along with a related manga series. Following Takara's merger with Tomy in 2006, Beyblades are now developed by Takara Tomy. Various toy companies around the world have licensed Beyblade toys for their own regions, such as Hasbro in most Western countries, Sonokong in South Korea, and Takara Tomy for most Eastern countries.

History
Both the toys and their names were inspired by the beigoma, a traditional Japanese spinning top. The concept is similar to Battling Tops, another spinning top game developed in 1968. The toy line was introduced with an accompanying manga series of the same name in 1999. The manga ran from 1999 to 2004, while the anime only ran in 2001 with 51 total episodes. In 2002, Hasbro sold Beyblade toys internationally (under license from Takara) along with a coordinated country-by-country release of localized versions of the TV series. On July 12, 2008, Takara Tomy released Metal Fight: Beyblade, the second iteration of the toy. The third iteration, titled Beyblade Burst, was released by Takara Tomy on July 18, 2015. The fourth iteration of the toyline, Beyblade X, was released on July 15, 2023.

Game and rules
Aside from informal play, the game had specific rules when it was published for the initial toy line. Such rules underwent occasional modifications based on the particular circumstances of the individuals participating. In the official competition, at least two players engage in the game. Each participant is permitted a maximum of three Beyblades, and swapping out Beyblade parts is strictly prohibited once a match commences. Players can select any of their three available Beyblades for each battle within a game.

In Metal Fight Beyblade, a points system was introduced. In the Beyblade Burst line of toys, Hasbro releases its own rule-set for its toyline. In general, the first player to 3 points will win a match. In the event of a draw (which results if both Beyblades either exit the ring simultaneously, stop spinning simultaneously, or burst at the same time), no points are awarded to either player. The stadium's pockets and entrance are sometimes referred to as an "extended play area" as opposed to a "primary play area" since if a Beyblade gets into one of the pockets but is able to escape, it will not count as a knockout. For the stadium's entrance, if a Beyblade flies there, gets caught there and goes around the stadium but doesn't fall out of the stadium, it will also not be counted as a knockout.
 * One point is awarded if the opponent's Beyblade stops spinning (Sleep Out/Survivor/Spin Finish).
 * One point is awarded if the opponent's Beyblade is knocked out of the stadium or falls into a pocket in the stadium (Stadium Out/Ring Out/Over Finish/KO/Knockout Finish).
 * Beginning with Beyblade Burst, two points are awarded if the opponent's top "bursts" upon collision with the Beyblade disassembling (Crash Out/Burst Finish).
 * Beginning with Beyblade X, Over Finishes count for two points, and three points are awarded if the opponent's top is knocked through the Xtreme Pocket in the special Xtreme Stadium (Xtreme Finish).

Types of Beyblades
There are four main types of Beyblades. There are Defense types, Attack types, Stamina types, and Balance types. The first three of those types have intransitive effectiveness, with Defense generally intended to be effective against Attack, Attack against Stamina, and Stamina against Defense. However, due to the high variability of the custom designs, especially in the metal series, this is not a hard rule. Balance types may be strong or weak to any of the others depending on specific parts. However, they generally don't exceed in any aspect.


 * Attack
 * Attack Beyblades are intended to be great at attacking other Beyblades. With their heaviness, they are used to knock out other Beyblades or, in the case of the burst series, burst the other Beyblades at the cost of having poor stamina. They tend to have an advantage over Stamina Beyblades which have a lack of defense. They usually have flat or rubber performance tips and layers that can grip the opponent. Their intended weakness is the Defense Beyblade.


 * Defense
 * Defense Beyblades are intended to withstand 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 be made of thicker metals and have wide ball-like performance tips, which allows them to potentially wear down Attack types, though they can be outlasted by Stamina.


 * Stamina
 * Stamina Beyblades are intended to outlast opposing Beyblades. In exchange for a lack of power, they tend to be made to outlast other types of Beyblades, making them naturally advantageous over Defense types, which focus on resisting hits. They have sharp cone-shaped performance tips.


 * Balance
 * Balance Beyblades specialize in a combination of the other three types listed above, giving them no glaring strengths or weaknesses. Regardless of their strength, they combine the attributes of Attack, Defense, and Stamina Beyblades but do not excel at any of them. Some Balance Beyblades have Attack, Defense, and Stamina modes, and their performance tips can vary.

Beybattle
An arena called a Beystadium is sold by both Takara Tomy and Hasbro. It is made of thin plastic and shaped like an overturned spherical dome but may have other features dependent on the purpose of the particular stadium. Different stadiums were released in different markets. Takara Tomy and Sonokong produce Beystadiums similar to those featured in the manga and anime adaptations, with open sections in the walls and openings on the sides to launch into. Hasbro produces stadiums with walls that are about 3.7 in tall and pockets that count as a ring-out instead. Common features of a Beystadium include a circular shallow impression, which allows Attack Beyblades to move around quickly without accidentally knocking themselves out. Other features may be specific to the series that the Beystadium is released in, like the rails from the Beyblade Burst Slingshock toy system, the large, almost bowl-like HyperSphere toy system, the noticeably taller Speedstorm toy system. The QuadDrive toy system features a Low mode and High mode similar to its Takara Tomy counterpart along with a detachable, separate Armor tip on the driver, while the similar QuadStrike toy system has armor tips and stadiums similar to drivers from the HyperSphere system. The metal series stadiums also have a "secondary slope", which is a small area about two centimeters thick (that isn't a curve) that exists between the tornado ridge and the centre of the stadium and is right next to the tornado ridge. The secondary slope allows Attack Beyblades to perform a circular pattern that goes through the centre of the stadium as opposed to circling around the Beyblade in the middle, which allows them to knock the Stamina Beyblades that tend to stay in the middle. Due to its resemblance to a flower, such pattern is called the "flower pattern."

Launching
A device (often referred to as a BeyLauncher) is used to rapidly spin the Beyblade and eject it into the stadium. Select launchers have different levels of power depending on the gears inside of them paired with the user's own launch strength. Launchers differ in size and shape, with some of them using Ripcords (long sticks of plastic with grips on the end and teeth on the sides to strike the gears of the launcher when pulled) and others using Strings (long strings with grips on the end that are connected to a gear that has a retracting mechanism to strike the gears of the launcher with slightly more power). String launchers are preferred by most players because of their launch power. Different series such as 2000/Original, Metal Fight/Fusion, and Burst launchers cannot be used with others.

Launching is often accompanied by a catchphrase. In the Takara Tomy version, this would be "3, 2, 1, Go Shoot!" (3、2、1、ゴーシュート!). In the Hasbro version, this would be "3, 2, 1, Let it Rip!"

Burst Series
These toys are designed so that the top may separate if it has sustained enough hits, which creates a "burst" due to a unlocking mechanism and a spring in the performance tip. The Burst System consists of 3 parts, the "Energy Layer", the "Forge Disc" that contains most of the weight, and the "Driver", which is the equivalent of the metal series "Performance Tip", that controls the behaviour of the Beyblade. For example, Victory Valkyrie B.V has the 'Victory Valkyrie' or 'V2' Energy Layer, 'Boost' Forge Disc, and a 'Variable' Driver.

Toys "R" Us started distributing this system in Canada in September 2016 and Hasbro started distributing the toys in the United States in January 2017.

As the longest-running Beyblade series, Burst has had considerably more subsystems than its predecessors. These are:


 * The Dual Layer system, where the layers are made of two inseparable plastic parts.


 * The God Layer/SwitchStrike system, where each "layer" has its own gimmick, and the introduction of the core discs: discs that can now be attached to plastic parts called frames that add weight to the bey and feature their own characteristics.


 * Takara Tomy's Cho-Z Layer system, in which every "layer" features metal, increasing their weight.


 * The SlingShock system, Hasbro's counterpart to the Cho-Z system, featuring tops with different modes, designed to climb rails when switched to SlingShock mode. All beys excluding Dread Hades and Breaker Xcalius, however, lacked the metal found in their TT counterparts. This system marked a turning point; Hasbro would start to do their own systems rather than releasing the same beys as Takara Tomy in their main line.


 * The GT Layer system (GaTinko Layer System), which was released by Takara Tomy and featured customizable "layers," altering performance. Many "discs" in this system also began to have their own gimmicks.


 * Hasbro's HyperSphere system, released as a counterpart to the GT system, features large, bowl-shaped "performance tips" designed to climb special HyperSphere walls and strike the other Beyblades while descending.


 * Takara Tomy's Superking/Sparking system altered the construction of the tops by introducing "chassis," replacements for "forge discs" that heavily increased weight. In addition, new launchers were released, which gave off sparks when used, hence the name "sparking".


 * The SpeedStorm system (Hasbro's equivalent to the Superking/Sparking system), features taller tops designed to gain speed or change direction in the SpeedStorm BeyStadiums.


 * The Dynamite Battle Layer system, once again features customizable "layers," this time with both a "High" and "Low" mode, intended to shift the top's center of gravity. High Mode is more aggressive and is easier to knock over. Low Mode is more balanced and has more stamina.


 * The QuadDrive system was released from Hasbro in replacement of the Dynamite Battle layer system. These layers have plastic weights, instead of metal armours, that allow the Beyblade to switch from "Core" and "Apex Mode". Their drivers also feature additional pieces (called Armour Tips) that increase the height and variation of how the Beyblade moves along the stadium. A new Stadium was also released that features levels of playing fields that alternate the bey’s path. This is the first system that was designed by Hasbro, and it is the first one that doesn't rely on the type of stadium to function.


 * The BU Layer system would be the most current iteration which features the same concept as the Beyblade Burst DB system but is a different line of Beyblades that are callbacks to previous fan favourites which never got an upgrade like Chain Kerbeus or Xiphoid Xcalibur. These Beys do not get an anime season release but can be assumed to be used by their original users from the God Series.
 * Just like the BU Layer system, the QuadStrike system is supposed to be an upgrade from the QuadDrive system, however, the Armor Tips now are large and bowl-like, similar to the HyperSphere Drivers.

Popularity
Beyblades were the "most sought-after toy for Christmas 2002" in the UK, and won the British Association of Toy Retailers award for "Toy of the year" in 2002. They were the top-selling battling toys in the US in 2011. By 2003, more than 5 billion Beyblade tops were sold in the United States.