A Newbie's Guide To Buying Beyblades [UPDATED FOR 2024]

If you're new to Beyblades they can be confusing. There are many different models and accessories to choose from. This blog post will explain the basics of Beyblades so you can make informed buying decisions.

THERE ARE 3 THINGS YOU NEED TO START PLAYING WITH BEYBLADES:
A Stadium, the Beyblades themselves, and Launchers to launch the Beyblades.

That's it, but before you proceed there's a few more things you need to understand. Keep reading.

THERE ARE 4 DIFFERENT GENERATIONS OF BEYBLADES:
Original Series (Plastic / HMS)
Originally released in 1999, these are now very rare and hard to find. These are mostly for collectors.

Metal Fight, AKA Metal Fusion
Originally released in 2008, these are also referred to as MFB and are still popular. You won't find them in retail stores anymore. Beyblade series Metal Fury, Metal Masters, Zero-G and Shogun Steel are also considered Metal Fight Beyblades and for the most part all have the same basic compatibility.  Most of the affordably priced Takara Tomy branded MFB Beyblades you see nowadays are reproductions of the original models.

Burst
Originally released in 2015, Burst Series Beyblades were, and still are, very popular.  The series was officially discontinued in 2023, but many Bladers still use them.  Beyblade Series Turbo, Rise, SuperKing, Dynamite, Evolution etc. are all Burst Beyblades and for the most part all share the same basic compatibility. What makes Burst Beyblades different from previous generations is they're capable of “Bursting” apart during battles.

X
Released in 2023, these are the current line of Beyblades you see in stores. These are currently the most popular and most common Beyblades.  BX (Basic Line) and UX (Unique Line) are both compatible with each other.

Note: Beyblades from any generation can battle each other, but they're not really meant to; it’s not a fair battle. Also, any type of Beyblade can be used in any stadium, although stadiums are typically designed for specific Beyblade Series.

LAUNCHERS:
Each generation of Beyblades requires a different type of launcher (a launcher can also be referred to as a "Ripper"). So if you have a Burst Beyblade, you need a Burst launcher. If you have a Metal Fusion Beyblade, you need a Metal Fusion launcher.  Thus X series Beyblades obviously require X series launchers.

The majority of Beyblades are right spin, but some are spin left, and some are capable of spinning both left and right. Hence there are right spin launchers and left spin launchers available, as well as launchers that are capable of both right and left spin.

Any X launcher should work with any X Beyblade as long as they both operate in the same spin direction. (A left spin X Beyblade needs a left spin X launcher for example).

Any Burst launcher should work with any Burst Beyblade as long as they operate in the same spin direction. (A right spin Burst Beyblade needs a right spin Burst launcher)

ACCESSORIES:
As you've probably noticed there are many different Beyblade accessories. Without getting too deep into it, the main thing you need to know about accessories is they need to be from the same generation to work with each other. Burst accessories work with Burst items. X accessories work with X items.

The most common accessory is a grip. Grips are basically handles that attach to launchers. There are also other accessories that can attach to grips.

BRANDS:
There are two main official Beyblade brands: Takara Tomy and Hasbro.

Takara Tomy is the Japanese company that originally conceived Beyblades. Takara Tomy Beyblades are considered to be the most high quality and desirable Beyblades. Occasionally you will see Takara Beyblades released under different imprints such as Sonokong (Korea), YoungToys (Korea), NewBoy (Middle East). The main thing you need to know is that a Takara Beyblade package will always have a "Takara Tomy" logo on them regardless of what imprint they're produced under.

Hasbro is the North American maker of Beyblades. They operate under license from Takara Tomy. These are the Beyblades you find in retail stores in North America such as Walmart, Target etc. Hasbro Beys are not exactly the same as Takara Beys, but they're similar and have the same compatibility. So for example a Hasbro Burst launcher should work on a Takara Tomy Burst Beyblade.

Unbranded. These are cheaper imitations of Beyblades. They have the same compatibility as official Beys, but are not considered to be as high of quality as Takara/Hasbro Beys and are not as durable. These cannot be used in official Beyblade tournaments. These are good if you just want to try Beyblades out, or you just want to use them for parts.

PARTS:
Beyblades are made up of multiple different parts.  When you buy a Beyblade it's going to come with all the parts you need to assemble it.

One of the cool things about Beyblades is the parts are interchangeable with other Beys as long as they're from the same generation (there are a few exceptions).  This means you can swap out parts from different Beyblades and come up with your own custom versions!

For example, X bits (the bottom part the Bey spins on) are pretty much all compatible with any X Beyblade, and performance tips from Burst Beyblades are compatible with just about any other Burst Bey. The customization possibilities are endless.

CONCLUSION:
The above information is all you need to start making educated Beyblade purchases. If you have any further questions, feel free to shoot us an email at info@BeysAndBricks.com. We’d be happy to help you.  First time buyers use coupon code NEWBLADER at checkout for a discount.