is a marble

Marbles

A marble is a small spherical toy usually made from glass, clay, steel, or agate. These balls vary in size. Most commonly, they are about ½ inch in diameter, but they may range from less than ¼ inch to over 3 inches , while some art glass marbles fordisplay purposes are over 12 inches ...

 shooting toy

Toy

A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...

 produced in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 by Takara

Takara

Takara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955, that merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006 to form Takara Tomy, also known in English as TOMY Company Ltd....

. In 2005, Hasbro

Hasbro

Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...

 licensed the "Battle B-Daman

Battle B-Daman

is an anime and manga series by Eiji Inuki that first aired in January 2004 in Japan, replacing Beyblade in its timeslot. It premiered in the United States on April 2005. Like its predecessor, it is themed around an enhanced version of a children's schoolyard game – whereas Beyblade was based...

" configuration of the toy. In 2004, Hasbro

Hasbro

Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...

 joined forces with Takara

Takara

Takara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955, that merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006 to form Takara Tomy, also known in English as TOMY Company Ltd....

 and Fox Entertainment Group

Fox Entertainment Group

The Fox Entertainment Group is an American entertainment industry company that owns film studios and terrestrial, cable, and direct broadcast satellite television properties...

 to bring it to the Japan and USA.
In 2005, Takara

Takara

Takara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955, that merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006 to form Takara Tomy, also known in English as TOMY Company Ltd....

 licensed the show to Fox Entertainment Group

Fox Entertainment Group

The Fox Entertainment Group is an American entertainment industry company that owns film studios and terrestrial, cable, and direct broadcast satellite television properties...

.

The blaster's design is a humanoid figure at the centre, from which a specially made marble, is launched (not just any marbles can be used). Different attachments are used to change a B-Daman's accuracy, power, balance, control, and rapid fire. They are customizable and each have a special gimmick.

In the English language Battle B-Daman toys, the marbles are referred to as "B-Daballs". In all cases they are simply called "marbles" in Japan.

Game rules

Depending on how it is played, there are different sets of game rules. In Hasbro's "Battle B-Daman" tournament set, it has the following 10 games:

• Direct hit battle (DHB): Shoot at each other's B-Daman until opponent's B-Daman's switch is hit. In the "Zero" system, this causes a cap to block the barrel (originally a specially made game piece would pop out). Direct Hit Battle armor is required. (Note: Hasbro only sells the Zero, and blastercore versions)
• Tag Team DHB: Similar to DHB, only you have teammates who you can tag in when you are not being fired at. You cannot tag in your tag team partner if their armor has been disabled.
• DHB havoc: Similar to DHB, but the opposing B-Daman is behind target barricades placed in B-dabattlefield.
• B-Daman invasion: Shoot at the battle puck in the arena until it reaches opponent's baseline. This is known as "Battle Hockey" in Japan.
• Battle hammer: Try to shoot the puck as far as you can using 5 shots.
• Ultimate strike: A classic game of shooting down as many target pins as possible in one shot.
• Shoot the gap: Shoot between standing target pins while avoiding hitting them.
• B-Daman assault: Flip your opponent's gates in 30 seconds.
• B-Daman blast: Flip 4 gates with 6 marbles.
• Hard target: Shooting battle pin hidden behind target barricades.
• B-DaChallenge: Each player sets up a shot and tries to complete it. If they are successful, their opponent must complete it. If they fail you win.

EZ play

A set of rules advertised in Japanese version of the game, which defines game types that do not use B-dabattlefield.

• EZ battle bowling: Place 3 paper cups in triangle formation, then fire at the cups from 50 cm away. Each player has 3 chances to shoot. Each cup worth 10 points, while a strike gets 50 extra points.
• EZ brake shot: Place 5 B-Dama within a 10 cm circle, then fire at the B-Dama from 50 cm away. Score is determined by number of B-DaBalls that are shot out of the circle.
• EZ battle getter: Place a pencil between opposing B-DaPlayer, then try to push the pencil to opponent by firing for 30 seconds. A match is won by pushing the pencil to opponent's side.
• EZ through the gate: Place 5 pins in a row, with each pin 5 cm away from the next closest pin. Fire from 60 cm away for 10 rounds. Each B-Dama passes between gap scores 10 points, while each pin knocked down loses 10 points.
• EZ broken three: Make a row of 3 targets with rubber(gomu) erasers, then fire at target from 50 cm away. Winner is determined by how long it takes to break the targets.
• EZ sky jump: Place a paper up with opening on top, then fire at the cup from 50 cm away for 3 shots. Winner is determined by how many B-DaBalls are shot into the cup.

Unless otherwise stated, the following rules use limited model B-Daman as targets:

• EZ battle hockey: Same as EZ battle getter, but can use PET bottle (clear plastic beverage bottle) instead of pencil.
• EZ time attack: Fire at a row of targets from 50 cm away. Adjust number of targets and firing distance as necessary. Winner is determined by the amount of firing time.
• EZ battle bowling: Same as the regular EZ battle bowling...

Tournaments

Game tournaments are by Hasbro in Canada every summer.

Takara hosts many tournaments year round in Japan, much like Beyblade.

B-Daman series

B-Daman was first produced in 1993, modeled after Bomberman

Bomberman

Bomberman is a strategic, maze-based computer and video game franchise originally developed by Hudson Soft. The original game was published in 1983 and new games in the series are still being published to this day. Today, the commercially successful Bomberman is featured in over 70 different games...

, and hence was called "Bomberman B-Daman".

Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden series

• Bakugaiden (1995): Assembled from western armour-themes parts, which was the basis for Battle B-Daman.
• Bakugaiden II (1996): Was sold with Super Bomberman 4.
• Bakugaiden III (1997): B-Daman can be turned into vehicles.
• Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden IV (1998): Unlike previous series, it is only sold in unassembled form, with interchangeable parts. Starting from the premier of the TV series, kits are no longer numbered.
• Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden V (1999):

Super B-Daman series

• Super B-Daman Bomber System

Uses a very basic core image. This is the start of Super B-Daman, and are derived from the previous series of B-Daman; Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden. Spanned #51-113

• Super B-Daman Over Shell System

Uses an over sized gear, called Over Shell, that hooks onto B-Daman for increases part usage. This series design was derived from the Super B-Daman manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

/anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

. Series spanned #79-126

• Super B-Daman Plug In System

Discarded the Over Shell, in place of more complex parts and gimmicks. This series design was derived from the Super B-Daman manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

/anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

. Spanned #114-128

• Super B-Daman Plug In-Extra System

Kept the same basic design as PI, but added more parts. This series design was derived from the Super B-Daman manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

/anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

. Spanned #129-140

• Super B-Daman Revolution System

Parts became less complex, and were sold in preassembled form. This series design was derived from the Super B-Daman manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

/anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

. Spanned #141-156

• Super B-Daman Revolution Extra-Unit System

Last series from Super B-Daman; popularity had slid by now into Takara

Takara

Takara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955, that merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006 to form Takara Tomy, also known in English as TOMY Company Ltd....

's new toyline Beyblade

Beyblade

is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takao Aoki. Originally serialized in CoroCoro Comic from 2000 to 2002, the individual chapters were collected and published in 14 tankōbon by Shogakukan...

. All in all, there were four units sold. This series allows for PI and PI-EX to be used in conjunction with RE. This series design was derived from the Super B-Daman manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

/anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

. Spanned #157-160

Battle B-Daman

• DHB series (2002-3-21): Allow site shield and attack point to be equipped. For safety concerns, parts that increases firepower were not made.
• Limited model series (2002-12): Low cost, repackaged Fighting Phoenix, Wild Wyvern, Stag Sphinx, Konig Kerberos, Master Kouryakuou Special II, Blue B-Daman from Super B-Daman OS series.
• Zero series (2003-7-17): Allows DHB armour to be used in this series. Shot power was increased. Parts were further simplified from Super B-Daman designs.
• Zero2 (blaster core) series (2004-7-22): Allows DHB core to be replaced.
• Zero2 Strike Shot series (2004-12): Allow DHB advance core to be used. The unit can take 3 hits. In addition, B-DaBalls have different materials, which gives different attributes and ability.
• Cartridge series (2005-7-21): When a cartridge is loaded to the core, 2 B-DaBalls can be fired in one shot.
• Digital B-Daman (2005-11-24): B-Daman is controlled by infrared remote control.

Crash B-Daman series

Crash B-Daman was first sold in 2005/12/31. This series specialized on shooting. It uses pistol type grip and trigger, making it look vaguely like a pistol. It is also compatible with some Battle B-Daman parts. The pistol grips and triggers vary in both size, color, and functionality. Crash only made 40 models before being canceled. Many import players liked the design, but Japanese parents believed that gun models were too violent for their kids just as their kids can enjoy, handle and be allowed to see guns on TV.

• Crash Series

Used simple gimmicks such as delta core, roller core, etc. Only barrels and magazines from Cartridge B-Daman were backwards compatible.

• Synchronized Weapon System Series

Add the gimmick of firing a Crash weapon from the handle as well as introducing much more complex gimmicks.

Metal B-Daman series

The newest series of B-Daman, released on June 24th, 2007 in Japan. Japanese players have been complaining that the packaging is too large for what is inside. The package is roughly 1.5x as large as an SWS Crash B-Daman, but the B-Daman its self is less than half the size of an SWS. The B-Dama for this series is magnetic, and they are only 11 cm; instead of the usual 16 cm. So far, it is unknown if customizable parts are going to be available. It is notable that these B-Daman are incredibly cheap, around 400 Yen ($3.50 US).

Comic

• Super B-Daman
  Super B-Daman
  is a Japanese manga series serialized in Coro Coro Comics, based on Takara's B-Daman toy. It was first released in 1994. An anime series produced by Xebec was shown in TV Tokyo between January 1, 1999 to October 1, 1999.-Team Guts:...
  
  
• Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden
  Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden
  , commonly abbreviated as Bakugaiden or BBB, is a CoroCoro Comic series created by Koichi Mikata, based on Bomberman and B-Daman. The animated television series was broadcasted on Nagoya TV...
  
  
• B-Densetsu Battle B-Daman
  Battle B-Daman
  is an anime and manga series by Eiji Inuki that first aired in January 2004 in Japan, replacing Beyblade in its timeslot. It premiered in the United States on April 2005. Like its predecessor, it is themed around an enhanced version of a children's schoolyard game – whereas Beyblade was based...
  
   (and later, Fire Spirits)
• Bakutama HIT! Crash B-Daman
  Crash B-Daman
  is the third comic adaptation of the B-Daman toy, first serialized in December 2005 issue of Coro Coro Comic. The television series started on January 9, 2006, replacing Battle B-Daman in TV Tokyo...
  
  

TV series

• Super B-Daman
  Super B-Daman
  is a Japanese manga series serialized in Coro Coro Comics, based on Takara's B-Daman toy. It was first released in 1994. An anime series produced by Xebec was shown in TV Tokyo between January 1, 1999 to October 1, 1999.-Team Guts:...
  
  
• Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden
  Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden
  , commonly abbreviated as Bakugaiden or BBB, is a CoroCoro Comic series created by Koichi Mikata, based on Bomberman and B-Daman. The animated television series was broadcasted on Nagoya TV...
  
  
• B-Densetsu, Battle B-Daman
  Battle B-Daman
  is an anime and manga series by Eiji Inuki that first aired in January 2004 in Japan, replacing Beyblade in its timeslot. It premiered in the United States on April 2005. Like its predecessor, it is themed around an enhanced version of a children's schoolyard game – whereas Beyblade was based...
  
   (and later, Fire Spirits)
• Bakukyu HIT! Crash B-Daman
  Crash B-Daman
  is the third comic adaptation of the B-Daman toy, first serialized in December 2005 issue of Coro Coro Comic. The television series started on January 9, 2006, replacing Battle B-Daman in TV Tokyo...
  
  
• Cross Fight B-Daman

Video Games

• Bomberman B-Daman (SNES, Japan Only)
• Super B-Daman (Game Boy, SNES, Japan Only)
• Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden (Game Boy Color, Japan Only)
• B-Densetsu Battle B-Daman (Game Boy Advance)
• B-Densetsu Battle B-Daman 2 (Game Boy Advance, being released in the US as B-Daman: Fire Spirits)
• B-Densetsu Battle B-Daman 3 (Game Boy Advance, Japan Only)
• B-Daman battle phoenix 64 (Nintendo 64, Japan Only)

External links

• Hasbro's Battle B-Daman homepage
• Atlus USA's Battle B-Daman homepage