| System: X360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS | Review Rating Legend | |
| Dev: Now Production | 1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid | 4.0 - 4.4 = Great |
| Pub: Activision | 2.0 - 2.4 = Poor | 4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy |
| Release: Oct. 20, 2009 | 2.5 - 2.9 = Average | 5.0 = The Best |
| Players: 1-4 | 3.0 - 3.4 = Fair | |
| ESRB Rating: Everyone | 3.5 - 3.9 = Good | |
When the battle has been instigated, you will perform one of three mini-games to help increase your creatures' powers. There is a rhythm-based game, a shooter, and a stick-shaker. The rhythm game is a simple, Simon Says-style of mini-game where you tap buttons in a specific order at specific, timed intervals. During the shooter mini-game you will have to target various icons that appear on the screen and shoot them. Last but not least is stick-shaking. It involves flicking the analogue stick from side to side as fast as you can within the allotted time. There's really not much to these games, as there's not a lot of room for improvement. That's really all there is to it. In fact, you'll find that everything in the game repeats, including the Bakugan monsters.
BBB does not do the PS3 or Xbox 360 justice. The cutscenes are as good as any anime, but that's not saying much. The in-game animation is choppy and sloppy, but in its defense, there are no technical issues with slowdown or latency. The music fits the gameplay, as it's frenzied and frenetic but not in a good way. Voiceovers are good, but the sound effects, like the rest of the game, suffers from repetition.
To me it seems that BBB is best-suited for the DS. To a lesser extent, it might have made a decent PSP game, but it just doesn't cut it on the consoles. The Wii version could have capitalized on the interactive mini-game aspect instead of offering such a small smattering. Young players enchanted with the whole Bakugan franchise will likely enjoy seeing the game come to animated life, and they should get a few more hours of play out of the four-player mode. But those with less than a passing interest are advised not to attend this ball.
By
Cole Smith
CCC Senior Writer
Game Features:
