Get a deeper look at Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia
After the initial reveal during a Nintendo Direct back in July, we’ve now been given a better look at the upcoming Switch exclusive Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia.
Now, I’m going to be honest: Bakugan isn’t a name that would initially catch my attention most of the time. While I’ve definitely heard of the series and know a little about its history, it’s one of those “anime franchises for young boys” that gets mixed up in my head together with the likes of Yu-Gi–Oh, Bayblade, Metabots, and others I’m sure I’m forgetting.
What did catch my attention about Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia, however, is that it’d being put together by developer WayForward—a studio known for making great games based on franchises you wouldn’t expect great games from. (I mean, WayForward singlehandedly justified the existence of 2017’s box office bomb The Mummy.)
While Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia seems like it’ll hopefully be a good starting point for anyone new to the series, WayForward and publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have put together a new trailer that not only shows off more of the game, but also helps introduce its gameplay and basic concepts.
One of the elements that really stands out about Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia is that, when battling your team of three Bakugan against your opponent’s team in one-on-one battles, the human Brawlers actively run around the battlefield to assist. By grabbing Bakucores, you can keep your Bakugan powered up and read to go for the win.
Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia is the first game in the series since 2011’s Bakugan: Rise of the Resistance on the Nintendo DS, and is—at least from my understanding—the first Bakugan game to feature online play. (Not counting the web-based MMO back in 2010.) Even better, your progression in the main single-player campaign will carry over to those online battles, meaning you won’t have to leave those powered-up Bakugan behind.
It’ll be interesting to see what the market for Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia is at this point, given it’s a series that’s kind of been out of the minds of gamers for a while now. That said, the Bakugan: Battle Planet anime is currently running on Cartoon Network, and Champions of Vestroia has been made specifically with the new era of Bakugan in mind.
If there’s every one safe bet to make when it comes to these kinds of children’s media franchises, it’s that it only takes a simple spark to light the fires of demand again.
Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia launches for Nintendo Switch on November 3rd.
Mollie got her start in games media via the crazy world of gaming fanzines, and now works at EGM with the goal of covering all of the weird Japanese and niche releases that nobody else on staff cares about. She’s active in the gaming community on a personal level, and an outspoken voice on topics such as equality in gaming, consumer rights, and good UI. Check her out on Twitter and Mastodon.
