It was early September 2008 and I was going to go pick up my grandchildren for a weekend visit. I had just completed another 10 hour day at the hospital where I worked. I was tired, achy and stressed and not in the best of moods. The kids climbed into my Explorer, buckled up and before the door slammed closed my 8 year old grandson asked if we could stop at Walmart. He immediately added that he wanted to buy some Bakugan Battle Brawlers.

“You want to buy WHAT?” I asked.

“Bakugan Battle Brawlers!” he replied, louder than before, as though I was hard of hearing.

“What IS that? I asked.

“It’s uh….well, uh….ummm...uh", he mumbled.

"Is it a game?", I asked.

"Um....well....uh....", he muttered.

"Well, is it a toy? An action figure?" I pushed.

"Uh....um...well...can we just go to Walmart?" he replied.

I was still processing our exchange when my 4 year old grandaughter chimed in with her plea for a Happy Meal and a video from “Blobbusters“.

“No! We’re going to Walmart! My grandson stated emphatically.

My grandaughter started sobbing uncontrollably but eeked out an “ I don’t" ….sob…"wanna"…sob…"go to" …sob …"Walart"…sob…"I wanna"…sob…"go to" …sob...."Blobbusters"…..sob... while intermitently gasping for air, her lower lip quivering.

“Too bad, so sad” my grandson bellowed as my grandaughter’s wails drew looks of distaste from my daughter's neighbors.

At this point, I still had no idea what a Bakugan Battle Brawler was. But I did know, without a doubt, that the Bakugan Battle Brawlers my grandson wanted to buy had to be more constructive than the Bakugan Battle currently underway in the backseat of my SUV.

I put it in reverse and backed out of the driveway with my daughter’s parting words echoing in my mind, “You'll behave" and "Have a good time.“ It was going to be a very long ride home!

Bakugan Battle Brawlers are the Best! Just ask my granson or any young person that has played.The game is the mastermind of Sega and Spin City and is based on the cartoon series bearing the same name. Bakugan Battle Brawlers was designed for ages five and up and the instructions are simple and straightforward. However, because the game utilizes imagination, dexterity, mathmatics and strategizing, teens and young adults also find it challenging. Bakugan Battle Brawlers has become so popular that there are now organized leagues forming on the internet.

Bakugan Battle Brawlers can be played with two to four players. Each player must select a minimum of three Bakugan Brawlers and three cards. All players must begin the game on even ground with each having the same quantity of Bakugans and the same quantity of cards.

The game begins by each player rolling their Bakugan balls on to cards, positioned face down. If the ball lands in the correct spot on the card it will transform from the closed Sphere Mode to the open Battle Mode, exposing the creature inside. When two Bakugans Brawlers land on the same card the battle begins.The Brawler with the highest G-Power, which can also be influenced by the G-power of the host card, wins the battle.

 Many question whether the Bakugan Battle Brawlers will follow the path of some of its predicessors...here today, gone tomorrow. I don't think so.

The player population is worldwide and supports a higher median age range than other games coined as "cartoon spin offs". The cost of a Bakugan Brawlers Starter Pack ranges between $15 and $40, with various add-ons and accessories available, making it affordable to most if not all. Although you can play with only three Bakugans, the nature of the game stimulates that primordial need for more and drives each player to continue building their Bakugan reserve. The initial group of seven Bakugans has grown to twenty-two and there is no end to this expansion in sight.

Understandably, the Bakugan Battle Brawlers popularity has placed it on this Holiday Season's Top Ten Gift list. Regardless of whether the game is here to stay or a passing fad, it is evident that the rising demand may soon overtake the supply. Several months ago I had to take my grandson to three different stores before finding any Bakugan Battle Brawlers on the shelf and that was , well before the holiday shopping began. If you have someone with Bakugan Battle Brawlers on their list, don't wait too late! Make your purchase now. They will be glad you did, their opponents will not!