If we sound a bit impressed with Bakugan: Defenders of the Core, it's probably because the bar for games based on toys is pretty darned low. Yes, Bakugan: Defenders of the Core is cashing in on a hugely trendy toy franchise, but that didn't prevent the developers at Now Productions from aiming high. At no point in the game did we get the impression that it was just service to fanboys who will buy anything with the Bakugan brand name. Defenders of the Core is a departure from previous games that focused on the way people play with the toys, which is a bit like a derivative of marbles. That game's been made already, so we were glad to see Defenders of the Core take a different approach. Battles here draw from what kids see on television, where the giant Bakugan that emerge from the toys actually duel. This takes Defenders of the Core out of direct competition with games like Beyblade and puts it more in line with something like Armored Core. Honestly, based on what we saw in the last entry from that franchise, we'd much rather play Bakugan: Defenders of the Core. Battling giant Bakugan ends up being much more interesting than tinkering with giant robots. At least the Bakugan look awesome, and the battles are fast-paced and explosive. There are also tons of cinematics, probably the equivalent of a full show's worth, contained in the game. This, along with various galleries for ogling Bakugan swag you've picked up during the game, will make fans of the toys and the animated shows really happy. A plus for the rest of us is that the game is actually something you'd want to play, regardless of the license.

The decision to present Defenders of the Core as an homage to the show turns out to be the best idea yet. The actual game makes a relatively poor translation to gaming, considering that a huge portion of enjoying the game is holding and transforming the small toys. That part of Bakugan is present to some degree here. You can collect and display over 45 toy variations, characters, traps, and cards during your progress through the story. There are incentives to replay when you factor in the opportunity to grab some of these special items. Too bad there isn't a trade option, but that's a part of the Bakugan empire that hasn't flourished in quite the same way as card-based games. There are connections to the toys, in the form of codes you can use to unlock items in the game, a neat touch. Kids that covet a huge collection in the real-world can live vicariously through their character on the PSP. The Multiplayer brawling promises to keep Bakugan: Defenders of the Core on kids' shelves longer than anything previously offered from this franchise. Duels are straightforward and fun, plus they feel more natural as button-mashing action games than the throwing/rolling mechanics did previously. You can also engage a friend in the Battle Arena mode with a Destruction Battle that switches the primary objective from destroying your opponent to destroying Vexos crystals placed in the arena. About the only thing that would improve Multiplayer here would be to offer more simultaneous opponents and true online play.

If you aren't shopping Defenders of the Core to play with friends, you'll appreciate the fact that Story Mode offers plenty of action. You'll enter as yourself, but will instantly be united with the characters from the show. The game's story has to do with a plot to destabilize Earth by draining its energy with Vexos crystals. You and a group of friends take on the enemy force, sneaking through combat zones and rebuilding defenses to prepare for the final battle with Spectra. The sneaking action is simple, but good. It's a perfect distillation of Solid Snake for the younger set, complete with features like throwing your Bakugan to create diversions and distract guards. There's no on-foot combat while playing as your character, which we actually liked. The large-scale dueling with Bakugan is what makes Defenders of the Core special, so we're glad to not see the typical side-scrolling action interpretation. As you progress through the game, you'll gather new Ability Cards and learn new moves to use in battle. Matching elements is much less complicated than in the actual game, but the strong/weak polarities of each element are retained.

These elemental strengths and weaknesses show how Bakugan enthusiasts will have a slight edge as they boot up this game. Elemental and special attacks aren't a huge focus, but going into battle against an enemy representing an element you're naturally weak against is a bad idea. Not that you can't win with superior technique, but you're setting up a major handicap by not paying attention to the elements. Likewise, you can equip specific Ability Cards that will give you attack or defense boosts during battle. These mostly come down to personal preference rather than a deep advantage in battle. Going back to the comparison to Armored Core, your choice of Bakugan will mostly come down to making decisions between speed and power. There's also the button-mashing factor, which is a big part of Defenders of the Core. Not that skill isn't involved, but rapid-fire tapping on the light and heavy attacks gets you pretty darned far. This assumes you've mastered the basic mechanics, which Defenders of the Core does a good job teaching you through a few easy missions and some reminders along the way. The sneaking segments are very structured, giving you a chance to master several techniques before leaving you all alone. There are easier ways to move through the territory you have to navigate, while ambitious players can divert to gather special items, while facing a stiffer challenge.

Just about every button on the PSP gets a workout in Bakugan: Defenders of the Core, but that doesn't mean it's awkward to play. You'll find most of the controls intuitive, with exception of the targeting system. If you let the game decide how to assign targets, there's no problem, but switching targets forces you to move off the Analog Nub and press the Down button. To its credit, the game is responsive, but this always felt like a stumble, compared to assigning targeting by which direction you face, for instance. The attacks are standard face-button action, and you can tap the shoulder buttons to fire boosters and fly, or put up a shield. Timing is important, as you can end up firing projectile weapons far from the mark when charging them up. Most actions in the game have helper text that pops up, so you're never left wondering what to do. The segments where you aren't battling don't resort to platforming, so it's all about using the Analog Nub to run around and periodically using your Bakugan to trigger remote switches or distract guards. The whole package works, and reinforces the fun of the toys and the real-world game, without trying to recreate the fun of rolling Bakugan against a friend. Several additional features such as more involved trading and online dueling would have improved the offering greatly, but fans of the game and show will have plenty to like here. It's a bit too early (pre-Thanksgiving) to utter these words, but we can imagine this will make an awesome stocking stuffer for some little Bakugan fans.