Bakugan Battle Brawlers (Playstation 2)

I personally do not know anything about this game, but I know my nephew is getting a lot of enjoyment from it.

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My kids have been waiting for this game to come out for months. Their verdict: The DS version of the game is leaps better. This one has some explanation once you start but the mechanic for battle--moving the two analog sticks on the PS2 remote-is neither fun nor friendly. The kids both said the DS version is much more friendly as it uses the stylus and the controls are much better. The graphics are pretty good but nothing too great-we can and should expect more at this stage of the PS2 life cycle.

The end result is that the game can be fun provided you can handle the control's and you don't get bored. Even though my kids eat, sleep, and breathe Bakugan they've had no problem playing for about 1/2 hr and then turning it off for a while. For a game they have been waiting months for that's bad. As an example I could not pry Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days out of my daughter's hand and she used every second of her alloted game and tv time playing the game. My son did this recently with Scooby Doo First Frights. The kids have now completed both games and are on a second and third playthrough. Based on what I'm seeing now I suspect the PS2 version of Bakugan will end up in my trade in pile inside a month.

My advice: Get them more Bakugan's or get the DS version. If you have a Wii maybe try that one-it is possible they've come up with some good controls for the Wii version but we haven't played it. Especially for younger gamers-my kids think this game will just be too frustrating for anyone under about 8-9. Only recommended for die hard fans and even then you as the parent should plan on immersing yourself as well in the world of Bakugan because your kid will likely need some assistance.

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I typically am more judicious with 5 star reviews - in this case, the 5 stars comes from my 7rd old. He is an above average reader and his math skills are exceptional. He also is a Bakugan nut. He has collected nearly 200 Bakugan since the craze began and knows the in and outs of the rules. Finally, he is pretty good at video games and has no problem handling some of the more difficult platforming games. I mention all of this becuase I was relatively lost when he was explaining what was going on. Bakugan:BB was way over some of his friend's heads that came over. 3rd grade is probably a good starting point if your child does not meet the above criteria.

Bakugan:BB looks exactly like the cartoon. It's bright, colorful, has lots of funny dialouge and plenty of mini games sprinkled in the battles to keep the game entertaining. Apparently, every Bakugan ever made appears in this game for collecting and leveling up. One of the other reviews said that the controls were too tough for the kids playing, if your chld struggles with multi-button functions, they will struggle with Bakugan. Most of the games require reading, math skills and being able to control both sticks and buttons simultaneously. On a side note, it is also family friendly, which is a nice change of pace.

Bakugan: Battle Brawlers is a great representation of the show and toys. If your child is a fan, this is a great pick up.

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