BEYBLADE: Evolution (3DS) Review

BeyBlades was a franchise that really took off at that awkward phase where everything was too “lame” for me and I had dumped my previously cherished franchises like Pokemon and Digimon (only to pick up the former several years later). I never understood BeyBlade, my experience with the franchise was very limited, if non-existent. But there’s always been a kind of following, however devout, that always seemed to stick by the series through its rather low key releases on both the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Wii. If my math is correct, it’s been at least four years since the last game came out on any system – and BeyBlade Evolution has hit the 3DS. It might include a shiny (and metal) BeyBlade in the package, but how does the game itself hold up?

The general gist of BeyBlade Evolution is that you’re an up and coming BeyBlader who wants to do well in the upcoming tournament, but the tournament itself isn’t for several days. This is where BeyBlade Evolution is an interesting game – there’s no set story to play through, but rather opponents to battle. The game is timed, essentially you have a certain number of (random) battles to play through until its tournament time, during which you’re forced to go up against the champions in the tournament. It’s an interesting way to play – and makes you think out each of your “turns” as you get closer and closer to the championships. It also encourages multiple playthroughs, if BeyBlades is your thing.

At its crux, the gameplay is rather simplistic. Players drop a “Bey” into a ring, and they spin to see which one either is remaining on the arena or which one remains spinning for the longest. It’s a rather simplistic game – and I honestly question why it’s so popular since it seems too effortless to win matches quite easily. The 3DS’s gyroscopic sensor is used to simulate the “ripping” motion which adds a cool layer of authenticity to the game, but it can be jarring to get straight back into the action when 3D is turned on. While the Beys are spinning, the gyroscopic sensor can also be used to aim and shoot “powers” onto the Beys to give them more powers or change their properties or how they react when they come into contact with each other. It’s a simple system that is incredibly easy to grasp, but as a result it does get rather boring rather quickly.

Without totally writing it off, there is a little bit of strategy involved in choosing which of your Beys you’ll utilises in battle. Each of the Beys have different tips, for example, which are more suited to other environmental setups than others (or perhaps are more suited to clashing with certain types of the opponents Beys). This does give the battle system some much needed depth, but it still feels too superficial to keep the entire process interesting.

There are hundreds of BeyBlades available – namely due to the way their parts can be swapped and such to create unique combinations. Between battles, your character can visit different stores to buy all kinds of parts to upgrade their Bey with. These parts will give you the extra edge during the later battles in the game so it’s recommended you visit there as regularly as possible. This is where the obvious similarities between BeyBlades Evolution and other RPGs come out – you’re essentially grooming a party of spinning discs, each with their own attributes to use in battle wherever most appropriate.

The game also features local multiplayer, but with a small visual twist. Every game comes packaged with an AR card that allows players to battle each other using the 3DS camera to carry out their battles in the real world. Each player sees the “arena”, whether it’s your desk or somewhere else, from their own perspective and battle it out. It’s an admittedly cool idea that provides something a little bit different to the standard local multiplayer mode.

The value of the experience BeyBlade: Evolution provides is entirely dependent on what you value in a game. The game itself, at maximum, will take six hours to complete. But as previously alluded to, the game is built to be replayed over and over again to collect and construct different Beys as well as take part in different battles. Depending on whether or not you can be bothered to embark on this arduous journey to collect every single one of the (over 400) pieces of BeyBlades, this game could easily take you twenty or more hours to play absolutely everything through. At the current asking price for BeyBlade: Evolution, it’s hard to believe this group will be too inclusive, however.

Visually speaking, most of BeyBlade Evolution isn’t really much to look out. There’s full 3D modelling during the battles of the arena and the Beys all look great and appear to have a real weight to them. This is probably the best part of the game’s visual presentation. On the other hand, most of the dialogue is carried out with static text boxes that play out over the top of a generically drawn character talking. The art style isn’t particularly endearing, although it is on par with the anime series so that should be commended. The game also uses 3D to its best effect, with the effect being used to separate character artwork from environmental artwork. It’s minor, but it works great – although it’s usefulness is questionable as the battle requires players to move their 3DS around and break the “sweet spot” for the 3D.

BeyBlade: Evolution is a game that is only truly for the fans of the BeyBlade franchise. Unfortunately, that means that I just didn’t enjoy it that much. I appreciate that the battle system is simple and easy to get into, and there’s a minimal amount of depth to keep things interesting. But it’s just a little bit too pedestrian to be as engrossing as other RPGs that are on the market. Every good thing about BeyBlade: Evolution has an equally weighted downfall – It’s worth praising the unique replayability of the game, but the game isn’t interesting enough for repeat playthroughs. The customisation system is deep and robust, but you can get through the entire game without really needing to use it too much. All in all, this is a game for the fans, and the fans only – so if you’re not a fan of BeyBlades, subtract one point from our score.

Rating: 3/5