B-Daman

B-Daman (ビーダマン) is a marble shooting toy franchise produced in Japan by Takara. It was originally based on the Bomberman series, but later expanded into other franchises and its own original designs.[1]

The toy's design is a humanoid figure, with a round cavity in its abdomen that houses a specially made marble (though other marbles of the same size may be used). The marble is launched by pressing a spring-loaded trigger on the back of the figure. Different attachments and accessories can be used to change various traits of the B-Daman, such as its accuracy, power, balance, control, and firing rate. They are customizable, and each have their own special gimmick.

In the Japanese language Battle B-Daman toys, the marbles are referred to as "B-Dama". In all cases they are simply called "marbles" (bīdama, hence the name "B-Daman") in Japan. In the English language B-Daman toylines and media, the marbles were originally called 'B-DaBalls", but was later changed to "B-DaMarbles".

In 2020, a spiritual successor to the B-Daman brand was launched with Cap Revolution Bottleman. This series shares the majority of its themes and design language with B-Daman, but uses plastic screw caps instead of marbles.[2] Some of the toys included in the series are directly based on B-Daman figures and characters, with appropriately updated names.

Timeline

• In 2004, Hasbro collaborated with Takara and Fox Entertainment Group to bring the franchise to the US.[3]
• In 2005, Hasbro licensed the "Battle B-Daman" configuration of the toy.
• In 2005, Takara licensed the show to Fox Entertainment Group.

Game rules

As the toys are marble launchers at their core, various structured games may be played with them. Hasbro's Battle B-Daman Tournament Sets include rules for the following ten games:[4][5]

• Direct Hit Battle (DHB): Shoot at each other's B-Daman until the opponent's B-Daman's switch is hit. In the "Zero" system, this causes a cap to block the barrel and prevent any more marbles from being fired (originally a specially made game piece would pop out). A Direct Hit Battle accessory is required.
• B-Daman Blast: Flip 4 target gates with 6 marbles.
• Hard Target: Shooting a battle pins hidden behind target barricades.
• B-Daman Invasion: Shoot at the battle puck in the arena until it reaches opponent's baseline. This is known as "Battle Hockey" in Japan.
• B-Daman Assault: Flip your opponent's gates in 30 seconds.
• Shoot the Gap: Shoot between standing target pins while avoiding hitting them.
• DHB Havoc: Similar to DHB, but the opposing B-Daman is behind target barricades placed in the battlefield.

Toy series

Many iterations of the toy designs have been released over the years.

• Bomberman B-Daman (1993): modeled after Bomberman.[6]
• Bakugaiden (1995): Assembled from western-style, armor-themed parts, which was the basis for the later Battle B-Daman.
• Bakugaiden II (1996): Was sold with Super Bomberman 4.
• Bakugaiden III (1997): B-Daman can be turned into vehicles.
• Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden IV (1998): Unlike previous series, it is only sold unassembled, with interchangeable parts. Starting from the premier of the TV series, kits are no longer numbered.
• Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden V (1999)
• Battle B-Daman (2003):[7] This series features the Zero System, which allows for interchangeable parts and customization.
• Crash B-Daman (2005): This series uses a pistol type grip and trigger, making it look vaguely like a pistol laid on its side. It is also compatible with some Battle B-Daman parts. Crash only produced 40 models before being canceled.

Adaptations

See also

• List of toys

External links

• The B-Daman Wiki Forums, a community dedicated to B-Daman
• Atlus USA's Battle B-Daman homepage
• Jouets B-Daman France