Inside each plastic sphere is a fearsome warrior apparatus. View larger.

There are many colors and varieties of Bakugan to collect. View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Wide variety of Bakugan make them fun for kids to trade and collect The Bad: No instructions with some toys In a Nutshell: Clever and exciting interactive game that kids will enjoy even if they're not familiar with the TV show At a Glance Ages: 4 and up

Ready, Set, Play!
The mission of Bakugan game play is to battle against other Bakugan to win the points awarded on the cards by getting your Bakugan to land on card. Players will love pretending to be one of the various characters in the show, such as the fiery 12-year-old leader "Dan" or the wise "Marucho," and they gain a deeper understanding of the cards and warriors as they play.

The Booster Pack doesn't come with instructions. It's designed for kids who already know how to play the game and want to increase their collection of Bakugan. If your child is a newbie to Bakugan Battle Brawlers, you might consider getting the Starter Pack or the Battle Pack since both come with instructions. The game itself is fairly straightforward, but if your child has never played before, you might have to help him or her to understand the rules -- after reading and understanding them yourself. While some of the plastic Bakugan pieces are small and could easily get lost, others, like the Bakugan Deka, are as big as a softball.

The Booster Pack comes with one Bakugan and one magnetic card -- perfect for the child who is already a fan of the game and who wants another Bakugan to boost their collection.

Exciting Magnetic Action
The Bakugan come in lots of colors and varieties that make them fun to collect and trade. Most of them are pocket-sized and easy for your child to carry around and bring over to their friends' houses. Having a magnet that activates the warriors is a clever idea that adds excitement to the game. The Bakugan Launcher (sold separately) is a great accessory, with three shooting modes ("curve," "angle, and "distance"), but it doesn't come with any instructions.

Room for the Imagination
We like that this that this game combines skill (aiming your Bakugan) with strategy (placement of the cards). We also enjoyed the way the warriors pop open on the magnetic cards -- although sometimes they do it even when they don't land on the cards. Being unfamiliar with the TV show, we felt a little lost at first in the world of Bakugan. But with the help of the colorful, animated Bakugan Web site, we got the gist of what the game is about and how to play. Our attempts to fire the launcher proved somewhat difficult and instructions would have helped. But the launcher isn't necessary. Kids can simply roll the Bakugan like marbles for a fun and action-packed game with their friends.

What's in the Box
One Bakugan, and one metal card.

• Magnetic marbles pop open when on metal card
• Use strategy to place you cards and set up for battle
• Master your battle skills by shooting your Bakugan and landing on card to score
• Full factory sealed master carton of 16 Marble/Action Figure and corresponding Character Card
• Master case may contain some duplicates