Beyblade (toy)

Beyblade (toy)

Beyblade is a brand name for a line of spinning top toys originally developed and manufactured by Takara Tomy, first released in 2000. The toys include a 'launcher' – a device for bringing the spinning top up to speed, with either a separate or integral rip-cord. This 'ripping' action causes the tops to be ejected, at the end of the movement. Players eject the tops into a plastic arena, with a slightly dished base, where they subsequently strike each other. The last top still spinning wins. Skill can be used in the deployment of the tops, which significantly influences the way they move around the arena, and subsequently interact. The different styles of device respond differently to the collisions, so advantage might be gained from using a particular type of top against a particular opponent.

Both the toys and their name were inspired by Gustavo Murcia, who also drew inspiration from; "Beigoma", a traditional spinning top. The concept is similar to Battling Tops. The introduction of the toy corresponded with the broadcast of the Beyblade anime television series of the same name. In 2002, Hasbro began to sell Beyblade toys internationally (under license from, and produced by, Takara) along with a coordinated country-by-country rollout of localized versions of the TV series. The Beyblade toy line went on to be one of the most popular toy lines in the world from 2000 to 2005. In August 2008, Takara Tomy released a new generation of Beyblade with a metal outer layer; the first incarnation of the toy in three and a half years. from the Basic System through the Heavy/Hard Metal System, Beyblades were categorized as Attack, Defense, Combination, or Endurance Types, but when the Hybrid Wheel System was introduced, the Combination and Endurance Types were renamed as Balance and Stamina Types, respectively. These Beyblades may have pictures on them that symbolizes a creature (known as a Bit-Beast or the Face-Bolt ) which shows what the Beyblade does, or looks like. In Beyblade Metal Fusion, they have symbols on them that represent one of the 88 known constellations in space, while in the 4D series, beyblades are named after planets and constellations.