Review on Deluxe Bakugan Battle League Coliseum Game Board W/ Exclusive Fused Howlkor X Serpenteze - Kids Toys For Boys Ages 6+ by Dawn Babyiee

This is a nice little Bakugan board. It is only 4 pieces, and so is easy to quickly put away or bring out. You don't need a board to play Bakugan ball, but compared to other options, this one is the best. It's all plastic, so sturdier than cardboard boards, and it's simple enough with only 4 pieces to bring out and put away, that you can use it, store it, transport it, fast.First off, you do not need a board to play the Bakugan game. To play Bakugan, there is a complicated game involving a 40 card deck, then there is a simple game, maybe called "Bakugan Evolutions" or maybe called "Toy Battle" but basically this is the one that is easy to learn. Each player needs 3 Bakugan balls and the matching cards to play, and it's for 2 players. The players line up the Bakucores (hexagonal cardboard pieces each with a magnet inside) then roll the Bakugan balls over the Bakucores. The Bakugan balls are little puzzle balls that stay folded up with springs and clips holding them in place, and then touching them with a magnet makes them pop open to an unfolded animal shape. To play, players roll Bakugan balls over the Bakucores, and each round is won based on whether or not the ball opened, and on points on the character card for that Bakugan ball that opened, and on points on the Bakucore stuck to the Bakugan ball that opened. The simple game is pretty basic in that choosing Bakugan balls with higher points is most of the strategy. It's also easy to learn. This Bakugan Evo Battler Arena comes with a little rule book for this simple game. To play, you need any flat surface to spread out the Bakucores. It can be a table, or the floor (as long as you don't have carpet), or basically anything flat. The game board is basically a flat surface with little hexagonal patterns pressed into it that let you lay out the Bakucores, but you don't need the board and can just put them on the table. The main reason you might want a board is in case your kids will play on a carpeted floor, because the board makes the carpet even.This board doesn't let you play Bakugan: To play the simplified Bakugan game, you need 6 Bakugan balls - 3 for each player. This board comes with one Bakugan ball. So, this board is not enough by itself to play a game.How this compares to other Bakugan boards: This one is the best I've seen and probably the best. The smaller cheaper boards that are easy to assemble and put away have tended to be cardboard in the past and maybe tear up over time. This one is all plastic. It's also much much nicer than are fancier boards. I had gotten my kids the "Bakugan Battle League Coliseum" in the past, which looks so super cool with many pieces, but which is a total train wreck to assemble, take apart, store, move, or basically use in any way other than leaving it permanently assembled on a dedicated table. Meanwhile, this green plastic Bakugan Evo Battle Arena is a simpler design that is much easier to use. It's just 4 pieces. The way they fit together is intuitive. Where they attach is with thick grooves at the edges resting in one another, so there is no snaps or anything like that to wear out or break, and it's easy to put together, easy to take apart, and stays together when in use. It's just 4 pieces, so it's easy to store. It's super easy to fit back into the box fast since the pieces basically stack and slide into the box with no puzzling them or fitting just-so. It's compact enough when in 4 pieces to put in a small storage box, or a drawer, and basically easy to put away fast and then bring out when in use. If you are going to get a board for Bakugan, this one is the winner.The Bakugan ball that comes with this: This board comes with one Bakugan ball, which is a gold Leonidas. Here's more about that ball (and I think it's a filler but not a super good ball). In the cartoon, Leonidas is not one of the main characters, but kids will likely recognize him if they have been watching the cartoon. The character is probably a good compliment to a set of balls, because he can be another character in a bigger set, and the ball is exclusively bundled with this board, so no one is already going to have this exact ball, even though they could have another ball representing the same character. Where this ball is not so great is that the difficulty of doing the puzzle is average. Bakugan balls are little puzzle balls, where you have to push in their legs and arms and tail and neck in just such an order to get them to fold up. Most Bakugan balls are a little complicated and more fragile than is appropriate for the ages they are marketed to. They are basically not appropriate for little kids and a 6 year old is likely to break them quickly. I think they are better for ages 8 and up and careful with their things, but maybe more like for even older, because if a friend comes over and forces parts, one child can break a whole bunch of these fast. This Bakugan ball is like that. It's a little tricky to fold up. I don't think my husband can do it, since he's not mechanical, and folding it involves pinning the Bakugan's back feet in while folding other pieces over them to trap then in place. It requires a bit of coordination and finesse. It's not the most intricate Bakugan ball, but it's maybe medium difficulty for a series of puzzle balls that can go all the way to super intricate. One super cool thing about this specific ball is that when he is rolled over Bakucores and he pops open, he tends to land on his feet in a standing position. So, if you already have Bakugan balls and know the ways of the tricky puzzles, this ball does look dramatic when played with.Overall, if you are going to get a Bakugan board, this is the one. It's fast, easy, and intuitive to set up and store away, and has only 4 big chunky pieces that stack flat and are big enough they would be hard to loose. You do not need a board to play Bakugan, so if you are getting this to gift to a child, first Bakugan is better for a child over 10 because the balls can be delicate, and second Bakugan requires 6 balls with cards and Bakucores, but does not require a board. This board comes with only one Bakugan ball with match cards and two Bakucores, so by itself, it is not enough to play. 6 balls (and probably ones that you read reviews and they are easier to fold) is a good starter set, then this board is an extra. The best reason to get this is if kids will play on a carpeted floor and need a way to make the carpet flat.