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ChorpSaway
Oct 9, 2012


[Thanks to my good friend keroberrycola for the banner image!]

Bakugan Battle Brawlers is a Japanese-Canadian animated series made to help advertise the strategic miniatures and card game Bakugan developed by Sega Toys and Spin Masters. The series began airing in 2007 and, while it was a commercial failure in Japan, Bakugan found significant popularity in Canada and the United States. This prompted Canadian co-producer Nelvana Animation to commission three more seasons of the show, which would continue to air until 2012. A reboot of the series, Bakugan: Battle Planet, started airing at the end of 2018 to coincide with the release of the trading card game of the same name.

Bakugan: Defenders of the Core is an action-adventure game released in 2010 for the seventh generation of consoles. Unlike the previous video game in the series, Bakugan Battle Brawlers, Defenders of the Core is less interested in emulating the real-life game of Bakugan and instead provides a more traditional video game experience. The game is split between stealth-adventure sections where you play as a human character, and arena battles focusing on collectible kaiju-sized Bakugan. It actually comes off as an inspired adaptation of something as cynical as an anime based on a toy franchise, providing a simplified but still feature-rich series of video game systems for children and also me to enjoy.

While Bakugan’s plot originally dealt with common shonen anime plot beats about how power corrupts and the importance of reconciling differences between people, its second arc, New Vestroia, aims for higher ambitions. Defenders of the Core takes place in a game-exclusive scenario during the events of New Vestroia. The player takes control of a customizable avatar who has to use his Bakugan battling abilities to bring peace to an alternate reality being threatened by the Vestals, a race of people who have enacted colonialism on the Bakugan home planet of New Vestroia and are now aiming to take over Earth. It’ll make sense later, I promise.





I’m ChorpSaway and growing up with a brother much younger than I has given me an odd sort of fondness for this series. I also think this game is genuinely good and an example of a strong anime tie-in game, especially as a children’s anime tie-in. Joining me are my fellow brawlers TheJayOfSpade, FutureFriend and Taoc, who have no knowledge or appreciation for Bakugan as a franchise. Together we’re going to save the world of New Vestroia and learn a little something about friendship and self-respect along the way.

I will be completing the story mode and showing off all available Bakugan from the campaign, as well as getting all of the collectibles in the game.





Look, I get it, we’re playing a kid action game based on a toy franchise and it’s very silly. That said, I’d like to keep the tone of the thread more light-hearted; I don’t need anyone going hard in on Bakugan just because it’s a ploy to get kids to buy toys. We were all into stuff like this as children, none of you are free from sin.














ChorpSaway fucked around with this message at 17:37 on May 12, 2019

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ChorpSaway
Oct 9, 2012

:siren: LET'S GET THIS STARTED! :siren:



It's time to start a new adventure into the world of licensed anime games, and this time we even get to be an OC, lovingly crafted by yours truly! After a simulation battle goes awry, our character finds himself in a dimension much unlike his own. The Earth is in danger, and the Bakugan Resistance is much more worse for wear. With everyone else out of commission, can our cynical MC learn to love Bakugan and brawl for the fate of humanity?

Junpei
Oct 4, 2015
Probation
Can't post for 10 years!
Oh my god, I had this game and I loved it!

I had the DS version. I also had the first DS game, the one that was a recreation of the card game (throw Bakugan onto cards, play ability cards, compare G-Values, then play a minigame to decide the winner).

I do remember watching episodes of the TV show sporadically, but I don't think I've ever watched the whole thing. I kind of hope someone puts the old show on Netflix or some other streaming service so I can binge it in a fit of nostalgia like I do with Digimon Adventure and Tamers.

Shoeless
Sep 2, 2011
Off to a good start! With this getting its own LP I decided to get the game for a friend of mine who likes odd games based off IPs.

Pyro Jack
Oct 2, 2016
I remember fondly of this game. It's surprisingly good for a game based on a series that most people barely remember and is probably made to ride upon the popularity of other famous animes based on card games.

Philippe
Aug 9, 2013

(she/her)
The whole children's toy advertised as an anime concept is ridiculous, because it means you have to treat something ephemeral as if it was the most important thing in existence. Even given that, MC posing with his little transforming marble is the silliest poo poo.

EasilyConfused
Nov 21, 2009


one strong toad

ChorpSaway posted:

Look, I get it, we’re playing a kid action game based on a toy franchise and it’s very silly. That said, I’d like to keep the tone of the thread more light-hearted; I don’t need anyone going hard in on Bakugan just because it’s a ploy to get kids to buy toys. We were all into stuff like this as children, none of you are free from sin.

Personally, I can't think of anything more evil than selling toys. Except stiffing Taoc of all that sweet YouTube Red money.

Waffleman_
Jan 20, 2011


I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna!!!

Did you know:

Bakugan is apparently very popular in South Africa. It was on all the time when I lived there and it was a whole lot.

FeyerbrandX
Oct 9, 2012

Customizable OCs with goofy accessories fighting against masked grimdark nerds?

It seems like I've seen something like that before in the last year or two. I'm sure I'm imagining things.

RareAcumen
Dec 28, 2012




Oh wow, this game let's you fly even longer than Anthem does!

Chimera-gui
Mar 20, 2014
It's worth noting that while this game is based on the second series of the original continuity, the franchise was actually rebooted December of 2018 as Bakugan Battle Planet.

In that series, Subterra was merged into Ventus to cover nature in general with a new, non-elemental faction named Aurelus which is described as the Attribute of Creation introduced while Aquos, Darkus, Haos, and Pyrus carried over unchanged.

Chimera-gui fucked around with this message at 04:16 on Mar 11, 2019

Waffleman_
Jan 20, 2011


I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna!!!

Chimera-gui posted:

In that series, Subterra was merged into Ventus to cover nature in general with a new, non-elemental faction named Aurelus which is described as the Attitude of Creation introduced while Aquos, Darkus, Haos, and Pyrus carried over unchanged.

I don't understand what any of this is supposed to mean, and I musta saw at least one episode of Bakugan a day for a year and a half.

Chimera-gui
Mar 20, 2014
Bad wording on my part but I was referring to the reboot where Ventus was merged with Subterra to become the element of Nature rather than just Wind as it was in the original continuity.

A new faction named Aurelus was also introduced, being described as the Attribute of Creation.

Chimera-gui fucked around with this message at 04:15 on Mar 11, 2019

Waffleman_
Jan 20, 2011


I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna!!!

I don't know what any of the words mean is the thing.

Arcade Rabbit
Nov 11, 2013

I remember my little brother and his friends being big fans of Bakugan when he was a kid. I never shared the same interest, but I do remember being amused by the toys themselves. They fit a surprising amount of creativity into the little marbles, between the number of designs they had and the way they all folded out of the same uniform shape.

ChorpSaway
Oct 9, 2012

:siren: SUPER UPDATE TIME! :siren:



While we may have saved Japan for now, there are other parts of the world being corrupted by the Vexos Crystals! It's time to visit jolly ol' England, but we have no time to enjoy the sights and sounds as we're immediately thrust into another conflict! And things get even weirder for poor Chorps as he learns more about his destiny in this alternate world!



:siren: WOW, A PODCAST! :siren:


YouTube

MP3 Download

It's finally time for us to count down the greatest, and maybe not so greatest, anime of 2018! Joined by JordanKai once again, we spend a staggering four hours going over everything we thought of the previous year of anime, and look forward to 2019 with bright eyes!

RareAcumen
Dec 28, 2012




I was kinda expecting the commentary to get side tracked a lot quicker so I wasn't expecting anyone else to bring up it being weird that none of the Bakugan talk outside of the dragon in cutscenes.

Shei-kun
Dec 2, 2011

Screw you, physics!
No mention of Cricket or Tea 0/10 no authenticity

Waffleman_
Jan 20, 2011


I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna!!!

Bakuguv

RareAcumen
Dec 28, 2012




Bakugan: Cor Blimey Brawlers

Chimera-gui
Mar 20, 2014
Elfin is basically a homage to Sailor Moon especially after evolving into Minx Elfin who in the game uses the name and ball form of Dual Elfin do to both Minx Elfin's toy not being released outside of Japan for some reason and Dual Elfin not having its own Bakugan form despite actually getting released here.

FeyerbrandX
Oct 9, 2012

Bugs Bunny would make a much better decoy than just "Tower of London, Ontario"

Ice Train
Nov 17, 2012

Orca lady?
So the plot of this game is that the Nazi baddies are trying to destroy the world's monuments. That is basically the plot of the first episode of Danger 5. This has made me mad because that show is not on any streaming services and DVD and Blue ray copies are almost nonexistent and I can't even :filez: it. So screw this game for reminding me of Danger 5.

FractalSandwich
Apr 25, 2010
Chorps, what the hell have you done to my Youtube recommendations?



Not only does it want to show me clips from an anime I don't know anything about, they're on a channel run by a Touhou character.

Shei-kun
Dec 2, 2011

Screw you, physics!

FractalSandwich posted:

Chorps, what the hell have you done to my Youtube recommendations?



Not only does it want to show me clips from an anime I don't know anything about, they're on a channel run by a Touhou character.
Giving Patchy access to the internet seems like a bad idea.

ChorpSaway
Oct 9, 2012

:siren: UPDATE TIME! :siren:



It's anarchy in the UK again this week! Another Resistance member, Ace, has called in for support, and it's up to us to provide it! But Ace isn't going to be quite as welcoming to our help as the others have been so far; can we convince him that we're worth trusting and ready to brawl with the best of them? And can we save Big Ben from being destroyed by the Vexos vandal Volt?



FeyerbrandX posted:

Bugs Bunny would make a much better decoy than just "Tower of London, Ontario"



This is perfect. In the next episode our hologram is a tunnel we display on the side of a cliff so that the Bakugan run into it and knock themselves out.

Philippe
Aug 9, 2013

(she/her)
The contrast between a mostly realistic British countryside and giant anime robot frogs is so loving ridiculous.

Junpei
Oct 4, 2015
Probation
Can't post for 10 years!
When I was younger, I thought Percival's design was the coolest, just this... demonic dragon knight. I still think it's pretty neat, all things considered.

Leal
Oct 2, 2009
Why does the fight prep menu sound like the first 10 seconds of Click Click Boom by Saliva?

RareAcumen
Dec 28, 2012




It's a bold move for them to actually give your featureless homunculus of a character a personality and have them interact with everyone more so than you do in a Pokemon game but man I'm still thrown off by the fact that the Bakugan are barely characters so far.

I get that at some point people get used to whatever but I wish this was season two when people would be like 'Everyone shut up, my stone titan wants to say something'

ChorpSaway
Oct 9, 2012

:siren: UPDATE TIME! :siren:



Today, we're taking a journey to the east in order to explore China! One of the Resistance members, Baron, is locked in a fierce battle with the Vexos there, and it's up to us to help him out and save the local landmarks(?)! It's silly designs versus sillier designs today as we continue to protect Earth from the new colonists!



Junpei posted:

When I was younger, I thought Percival's design was the coolest, just this... demonic dragon knight. I still think it's pretty neat, all things considered.

Don't worry, this episode is full of Percival discussion! Love that purple dragon man.

ChorpSaway
Oct 9, 2012

:siren: UPDATE TIME! :siren:



Today, it looks like the Resistance aren't the only ones with bigger plans! Having discovered the truth of Chorps, one Vexos member decides to see if his morals are as strong as his brawling skills. Will Chorps turn himself over in order to save himself, or will he finish his work with the Resistance and save Mira?

Shoeless
Sep 2, 2011
Man, Ace needs to chill and come to the realization that people can in fact want more than one thing at a time.

FractalSandwich
Apr 25, 2010
I appreciate the giant "Safety First" signs on those oil tanks. A classic gag.

Junpei
Oct 4, 2015
Probation
Can't post for 10 years!
Ingram's design is cool too, a giant bird ninja lady.

...er, I think it's a girl. I remember Shun's Bakugan from the original show, the first season, being a woman.

RareAcumen
Dec 28, 2012




Wow, that game was short as hell! drat.

Well, great LP all around, I'm really looking forward to the Warframe LP's first episode!

Chimera-gui
Mar 20, 2014

Junpei posted:

Ingram's design is cool too, a giant bird ninja lady.

...er, I think it's a girl. I remember Shun's Bakugan from the original show, the first season, being a woman.

The dub initially gave Ingram a feminine voice in Arc 1 but he's actually a dude, he was given more masculine voice in Arc 2 when he evolved into Master Ingram.

ChorpSaway
Oct 9, 2012

:siren: UPDATE TIME! :siren:



Things are starting to heat up with the Vexos, literally! First, a new Vexos Crystal has appeared in China, causing massive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions! And meanwhile, the Vexos have set up a base in Egypt where they're planning to dig straight to the Earth's core and harness its energy in order to take control of Earth! Things are looking rough for the Resistance, who always seem one step behind. Can they reach their goal in time and still save the world as it falls apart?



Shoeless posted:

Man, Ace needs to chill and come to the realization that people can in fact want more than one thing at a time.

One time Dan said he could go for a burger or pizza for lunch and Ace got so mad he poo poo himself and tried to join the Vexos to kill him.

ChorpSaway
Oct 9, 2012

:siren: UPDATE TIME! :siren:



Today, things take a turn for the worse for our heroes! Despite an important series of wins for the Resistance, it looks like their campaign for Egypt was not meant for the same success. They've fallen right into the Vexos' trap, and it's left them without an important ally! Will the Resistance be able to bounce back from this heavy loss and continue their pursuit of the Vexos, or will this mark the end for the Core, and Earth as we know it?

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Leal
Oct 2, 2009
Please tell me you have saved Mira's scream as a sound file and will use it in future LP videos.

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