Customer Reviews

Beyblade Metal Fusion Super Vortex Battle Set

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Length:: 0:16 Mins

This is a great idea for a toy series and this is a solid starter set. Think of this as an upgrade from Pokemon for kids who want to see their creature battles in real live action.

There's a plastic arena (a bit flimsy but not bad), and the idea is that two players select their Beyblades (metallic tops) based on the arena style and on which Beyblade their opponent has selected. They insert the rip cords into the releasers, then mount their tops and, on the count of three, let 'em rip. The last top standing wins - but there are a few other ways to score points, and if someone misses the arena they lose.

Who wins each game has a lot to do with the "personality" of the top - different tops are weighted and shaped differently, and that affects their spin speed, their spin style, their spin endurance and their power relative to other tops. That means that all other things being equal, a given top has advantages over some and disadvantages over others, and may work better than some in some arena types and worse in others. There's a degree of skill here in selecting which top to use in which arena and against which player; there's also skill in deciding on an angle and trajectory of release. I imagine that with some experience and a range of different tops a given player could get very good at winning.

Having said that, with this particular set, the "Pegasus Storm" top tends to win almost every time over the "Drago" whenever both are properly launched (see attached video for proof!). You can, however, take them apart and rearrange the components to create a new set of Beyblades. Still, to really gain the benefit of this set and get a feel for the overall possibilities of the game you'd want to pick up a few more of the Beyblades.

This is my first introduction to the game. My kids liked it and I can see where it could really catch on, like a modern version of competition marbles (or, I'm reminded of Stompers - a battery powered truck you could pit against other trucks in monster truck style battles - that were popular when I was a kid). It would be a lot of fun at parties with a bunch of kids who each had their own set and wanted to play a tournament. The set includes "playoff" style cards so you can determine who wins in a runoff. Fun stuff. I know I would have loved these when I was a kid.

Basically, spinning tops bouncing into each other. The real intent, by the maker, is to get you to keep buying new tops and arenas. The question I have is, Will it catch on as a must-have collectible? My 9 year old son played with it and says he likes it. It took forever for both of us to figure out how to get the tops put together right, but once you figure it out it's ok. He figured out that there are other types of tops that react in different ways, i.e., the way they spin, how long they spin and how they react when they hit another top, but you have to buy them. He also says there are other stadiums. As an adult, I don't have a lasting interest in it. My son hasn't asked for more, either. I think spinning tops are fascinating and fun, but after a while, it becomes rather predictable. I understand this toy is trying to make it more unpredictable, but I've seen attempts to make simple toys into something more fall by the wayside before. Be prepare for a played-for-one-day toy, or a neverending quest to buy everything they've got (I bet on the former).

Update 12/16/11: Turns out these things do have staying power. I've been reading about how they have successfully re-introduced these toys and they are selling well. My son did go through a second round of playing with them and he reports others in his school have them, as well. So, it may be a good bet for a present.

Like the title says, this product is great! The Stadium is waaaay better than the thunderwhips. The stadium has more of a curve than the thunderwhips. It also doesn't have any unusual placement of knock-out holes. Because it is a very good stadium, it does not have any knock-out holes( i think that's a con). The whole set includes Storm Pegasis,( this is just a recolor...It's not a galaxy as i thought)Lightning L Drago, Ripcords, Launchers, and the Stadium.Oh, i forgot, it also comes with a rule book, tournament sheets,and etc.

Pros:
~ Good stadium
~ Comes with L Drago
~ Everything you need to get started in beyblade

Cons:
~ No knock-out holes in the stadium
~ the stadium is a bit smaller than the thuinderwhips
~ Pegasis is just a recolor of Storm Pegasis
~ In the package i got, it had no stickers.
~ Paint on Pegasis comes of pretty easy.



OVERALL THIS IS A MUST HAVE!!!!

Beyblade is Hasbro's take on that old Ideal/Mattel game of Battling Tops . This is generally a successful version of the older game. In some ways it is faster but in others a little less exciting.

Inside the package you will find two pre assembled Beyblade tops, two launchers with rip cords, the stadium, a set of score cards and the instructions. The build of the tops seems pretty solid. They are made of both metal and plastic components but are definitely made to take some abuse. The launchers seem competent, but are mostly plastic and a little flimsy in comparison. The stadium itself is made of the stuff that thick, disposable, plastic cups are made of and would crack or crush easily if stepped on by a younger child. The angular depressions on the side of the stadium make for a cool look, but don't really contribute to the function. The central depression, however, is curved just enough to keep the tops spinning in the center and actively colliding.

Whereas the original Battling Tops were wound around with string and launched at the side of the stadium, the Beyblades tops are placed in the launchers. Tops placed in the launchers are held in the players hands, powered by a quick tug on the plastic rip cord, and released into the stadium. Each top has its own launcher (indicated by the sticker on top of the Beyblade top and on the launcher itself. The tops spin in opposite directions, so they will not fit into the wrong launcher.) The tops whizz furiously into the stadium, bouncing against each other and to the sides of the stadium. You have some control over how the top launches by changing the angle of the launch or moving the launcher as you power up the top.

The Beyblade tops come fully assembled, but can be disassembled into 5 pieces that can be mixed and matched in a limited way to change the characteristics of the spin. Although the set comes with only two tops, Hasbro has many more available for purchase and also has different stadiums available to keep things interesting. Different tops have different components that can be mixed and matched as well, to make custom combinations.

The Beyblade tops definitely outclass the original Battling Tops in terms of sheer speed and mass. However, the Battling Tops were lighter plastic and you had the added excitement of a top getting ejected from the stadium while colliding during a battle. Given the general heft of the Beyblades, the competition ends when one of the tops stops spinning. The only time we experienced tops outside of the stadium occurred due to a mislaunch at the beginning of a bout and had nothing to due with collisions or the battle at hand. So the Beyblades get points for speed but Battling Tops get higher marks for excitement.

That being said, my kids aged 7, 11, and 14 had a blast playing with this game. The younger children were fascinated by the battles themselves. My oldest was interested in seeing how mixing and matching of components would change the outcomes of the battle. Although Beyblade has a rulebook, the kids (at this point) were just fascinated by the tops themselves, so we didn't venture into this aspect of the game. Even so, the game kept them riveted for over two hours, so as a Dad I can't complain.

On the whole, this is an interesting version of an older game. Recommended.

The Beyblade Metal Fusion Super Vortex Battle Set is a complete set up. i would say that this Might be a good option for children who do not already have either the tops or an arena. In terms of quality, it is not as good as what you get purchasing each of the items individually. My son has 3 other arenas, and I have lost count of the tops (many of which he received as gifts). Everything about this set is generic, from the shape of the arena to the type of bayblades included. My son literally played with it for a few minutes before he lost interest. Many of the other tops have special unique features: they are either trick tops, weighted for battle, have something visually interesting, something which sets them apart individually. The ones included with this set are pretty plain vanilla (though my son noted that if you take them apart and put them back together mixing the parts you can get it to do some mildly interesting effects). of the ones in his collection, his personal favorite is the remote control top (although he commented that his friends thought he had an unfair advantage when he played with it). The other arenas are unique shapes and/ or have obstacles of sorts which effect the path of the tops. One of them is a folding arena for travel (which is good if he takes them to school, the playground, a friend's house).
if you have anything fragile in your house, or floors/ surfaces which can be scratched, you do want an arena to contain the tops. That said, this is the flimsiest of the ones he has. The only thing which would recommend this set is that it is a complete set and might make a nice gift for a child who does not already have either tops or arenas. For those who do, the items which are sold individually are sturdier, better made.

I have to say that I had never heard of Beyblade before this. As soon as I got this home, my sons (8 and 10) took over. They had a blast! Basically, this is a simple battling tops toy. There are some rules other than "last man standing" for point scores, but the basic idea is that whoever's top is still spinning last wins. The tops come apart to be customized (although this is a starter kit, so you'll have to buy more stuff it you want to customize) for performance characteristics. I have to admit that I don't see any differences in the way the tops perform, but my sons do. They've already started planning more purchases in this line, and I have had to add Beyblade to the DVR (there's a cartoon to go with this).

About the only negatives I can add are these. The arena is pretty flimsy. Very thin and flexible plastic. It looks like it would break very easily, but as long as no one leans on it or stacks anything on it, it should last. Likewise, the ripcords appear flimsy too, but they are holding up so far. Second, I would not recommend this for really young children. It is not that it might be a choking hazard, but the tops are mostly die cast metal and they are going pretty fast. There is the potential for injury with very young children. The instructions warn against leaning on the arena while the tops are in play, and your children need to be old enough to understand that a metal top in the eye could cause some damage.

Interesting toy. The competitive way it's intended to be played doesn't seem to be my son (age 8) uses it. He and his friends have played with this repeatedly, but they seem to just enjoy watching the action of it. The appeal seems to be the tornado-like action of the tops, the inevitable collisions, the metallic sound of the tops knocking each other.

Actually figuring out how to use the tops initially took a bit, and the tops come apart a little too easily. The bowl is made of lightweight plastic, so you don't want anyone to accidentally sit on it, lest it crack (which ours has).

By far, the thing I like most about this toy is it's portability and it's suitability to getting other children interested. My son has brought it along to his sister's soccer game (which he has little interest in) and quickly found someone to play with. The bowl itself makes it easy to carry the tops without dropping them, so the toy comes home without any pieces missing.

These really cool tops spin in a stadium with a lot of force.
They are fun to battle and are easy to spin. Spin time of a single top not in battle can easily exceed 1.5 min.
The pull cord is durable and even after many full force spins it has not stripped or slipped.

While the tops are well built, heavy, and durable showing no signs of wear or flaking after many battles, the stadium itself is very lightweight plastic. It will stand up on its own weight, but is is very flexible and seems fragile. Keep out of the way of footsteps!

Beyblades are making a comeback, it would seem.

My kids only recently discovered these shiny spinning tops known as "Beyblades" They can't seem to get enough of watching them spin around and bump each other in the red plastic "Battle Arena." The plastic battle arena is made similar to a very inexpensive dog dish. There are contours on the bottom of the bowl to direct the path of the Beyblades towards the center. Whichever top spins the longest, wins. Simple, yes, but for some reason the kids really like it.

This new battle "arena" is a bit more sturdy than the previous ones made a few years back, but I still wouldn't want to accidentally step on it. Doing so would probably crush it or cause it to split. There is no support beneath it. This keeps it light weight, which does have advantages.

The two Beyblades that come with this set spin really well. We have found some of the individual Beyblades you can buy are not always the best spinners.

The Beyblade designs are NOT all interchangeable with each other. There are at least two different Beyblade top designs that are not interchangeable. Each comes with it's own "tool" which works similar to a wrench for taking the beyblade apart. If you get a matching style of Beyblade, the top color can be changed, and sometimes the type of tip it has can also be interchanged.

My daughter and son both enjoy this game.

I had been looking to purchase this item and I looked around all of my major department stores. That said, I found the product for my son at wal-mart for half of the price listed on Amazon. I would advise getting the product for your child...Just not from here. All of the Beyblade items that I have looked at on this site are double or more, what they are listed for at wal-mart. However, if this is your best option...Get it. And get it, now. It is a fun introductory set that will let them play with a friend, as well.