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Beyblade is a brand name for a line of spinning top toys originally developed and manufactured by Takara Tomy, first released in Japan in July 1999. The main premise of the series that the Beyblade (sometimes shortened to "Bey" or "Blade") is customizable, with interchangeable parts.
Both the toys and their name were inspired by "Beigoma", a traditional spinning top. The concept is similar to Battling Tops, a board game developed by Ideal Toy Company in 1968. The introduction of the toy corresponded with the broadcast of the Beyblade anime television series of the same name. In 2001, the series was licensed by Korean toy maker Sonokong. In 2002, Hasbro began to sell Beyblade toys internationally (under license from, and produced by, Takara) along with a coordinated country-by-country release of localized versions of the TV series. In August 2008, Takara Tomy released Beyblade: Metal Fusion; the first incarnation of the toy in three and a half years. The series was followed up in 2015 with Beyblade: Burst.
Rules
The game is played with two players. Each player is allowed up to three Beyblades to choose from during a match. Players may use any parts available to them to make their Beyblades as long as they are not restricted (such as in tournament play), but may not switch parts once a match has started. Players may choose from any of the three Beyblades they have with them for any battle in a match. The first player to reach seven points wins.
Points are awarded to the player based on how their Beyblade knocks out the opponent's
One point is awarded if the opponent's Beyblade stops spinning (Spin-out).
One point is awarded if the opponent's Beyblade is knocked out of the stadium or into a pocket on the edge of the ring (Ring-Out).
Beginning with Beyblade: Burst, two points are awarded if the opponent's Beyblade bursts (hence the name) during a battle (Burst Finish).
In the event of a draw (both Beyblades are knocked out of the ring, stop spinning simultaneously, or burst at the same time), points are awarded to both players. If both players reach seven points as a result of a draw, the first player to definitively win a battle is the winner.
Types of Beyblades
Beyblade type determines play style. The three main types have a rock-paper-scissors style effectiveness, with Attack generally being weak to Defense, Defense to Stamina, and Stamina to Attack. However, due to the high variability of the custom designs, this is not a hard rule. Balance types may be strong or weak to any of the others depending on specific parts.
Attack/Striker: These Beyblades specialise 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 defence.
Defence/Defender: These Beyblades specialise in knocking back 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 wear down Attack-types but are outlasted by Stamina.
Endurance/Stamina/Survivor: 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.
Combination/Balance: These Beyblades specialise 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.
Stadiums
All Beyblade battles take place in a special arena called a Beystadium. Most stadium
Different stadiums were released in different markets. TakaraTomy and Sonokong used Beystadiums similar to those featured in the anime, with open sections in the walls and openings on the sides to launch into, while Hasbro designed new stadiums with high walls and pockets that counted as a ring-out instead.
Common features of a Beystadium include a shallow impression called a cyclone ridge, which allows Attack type Beyblades to move around quickly without accidentally knocking themselves out, and cyclone points, which are recessed disks in the stadium floor that spin freely to add randomness to a battle.