People are hotly-antipicapting the upcoming release of the Nintendo Switch 2, but that doesn’t mean a lot of people aren’t clamoring to get their hands on the current Switch, either, or that it isn’t still the hot toy of the moment for kids old and young. Yet for the first time since its release, a different toy was at the top of many lists of most-wanted toys by kids this past Christmas: BEYBLADE.
The long-running series has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years, but it would be fair to call this current period a true boom for the long-running toy series. BEYBLADE was listed by CoroCoro Comic magazine as being more in-demand than a Nintendo Switch by young boys this past Christmas, a startling fact until you realize just how much the series has transformed in recent years. There's a new anime series that builds up the intensity of matches, rule changes to make matches more balanced and exciting, attempts to appeal beyond young boys with competitive events and spin-off stories that cater to all ages.
BEYBLADE has changed, and it’s better for it.
The current iteration of the series goes by the name of BEYBLADE X, and with this rebranding came a number of rule changes. The core game remains the same: first you build a custom spinning top made up of various modular parts. This includes the actual spinner itself, known as the bit, the core of the spinner known as the ratchet, and the outer design, known as the blade. These parts when combined create an offensive, defensive or balanced spinning top that is then launched into a special arena to duke it out with another to be the last one standing.
BEYBLADE X brought a few new ideas to the table. The arena, more than a standard oval or circle, is now angular and jagged, designed to interlock with the bits upon contact to expedite the momentum of these spinners and launch them back into battle, making conflict more dynamic. Matches are also decided on a point system that encourages greater action over merely outlasting your opponent: you can gain points needed to win simply by being the last spinner standing, sure, but launching your opponent out of the ring will earn bonus points.
The result speaks for themselves. BEYBLADE has looked childish for years - far from a bad thing, but one that made it easy for young audiences to grow out of the franchise or, worse, for deriders to deem the game uncool due to simplicity and silliness. When you’re young, what your older siblings and adults care about always seems more interesting, and their approval matters. In that sense, BEYBLADE X is a runaway success. More than simply making the game dynamic enough to excite younger audiences, they made it cool enough that even older audiences want to join in the fun.
TAKARA TOMY recruited older teenagers and young adults, not just kids, and made them a part of promotional material. While competitive BEYBLADE has always existed, this was now something toy maker TAKARA TOMY deemed it important enough that they wish to establish it as a sport. To accompany that, they have brought the game to events like Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival and other events, set up in-store tournaments, and established a full competitive pyramid with enticing prizes for winners.
For all it may seem like a game of chance - you use the launcher to send your BEYBLADE into the ring, but after that you’re at the mercy of the spinner and can only watch on from the sidelines - there’s a surprising amount of tactical nuance and skill that guides the best players to victory. The modular blades can be combined into countless unique combinations that emphasize certain attributes and have their own strengths and weaknesses in trying to unbalance an opponent, making even the choice of blade a key consideration for top players. This extends to the way you launch your blade into the arena.
Never mind that it’s just fun to watch.
The game brings a unique joy and fun for young kids who can easily carry the battle arena to a friend’s house and play before sitting down to watch an episode of the anime, without sacrificing the depth and kinetic variety needed to hook an older demographic. At tournaments there are divisions for young and older players, with significant uptake in attendance for both.
In TAKARA TOMY’s 2024 financials, the company noted a growing interest from ‘kidults’ - adults with a playful mindset, in their words - for toys that encourage creativity and community such as this. ‘BEYBLADE has now become a global IP that transcends gender, age and nationality’, as the company puts it, with their 18.8 billion yen profits being credited in part to the franchise’s spread and growth.
If anything, this so-called kidults demographic, and the implications it brings for a community built for everyone, is perhaps the root of BEYBLADE’s newfound success over the last year in this new BEYBLADE X iteration. Changes to the core game have taken a kids toy and reimagined it for a new generation. It's proof that adults can play and events can actively outreach to new audiences through initiatives like simultaneously support womens-only tournaments, without losing your core audience in the process.
Particularly in a post-COVID environment, the boom in trading card games and kids toys among all demographics can be viewed as a childish regression by some, but it’s also because these toys are some of the few remaining activities that actively encourage people to come together, meet new people and play as a community within their core design. Kids will meet in school and let it rip on the playground or in the classroom, but for an older audience that even in Japan is facing less security and lower future prospects, a chance to affordably participate in a game that encourages you to participate and meet new people is an asset.
Particularly in bustling cities like Tokyo, card shops have proven a strong home not just for those playing but as a community space to meet and play something they love with friends and strangers. I’ve seen this expand to catching a game of Pokémon Trading Card Game while walking through Yoyogi Park. BEYBLADE X’s success can be drawn to this factor, keeping it cool for kids and making it cooler thanks to seeing the people they look to willing to have fun with the same toys they enjoy.
It's new and exciting. No wonder it was such a hit with young kids, and it's hard to see that momentum slowing down any time soon.
