Bakugan LogoThis past weekend in Gaithersburg, Maryland, my daughter and I attended the Bakugan Ultimate Battle Tour. Neither of us had played Bakugan before, but we still had a lot of fun. If you go, be prepared for a bit of a wait. When we arrived on Sunday there were a few hundred people in line, and I heard Saturday was even busier! On the other hand, the staff did a good job of keeping the kids entertained with a Bakugan trivia contest and handing out prizes. And, of course, this was the perfect time for an impromptu game. I even caught a glimpse of some fans with the powerful 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid.

The event area was divided into three sections, with the first dedicated to training. There, Bakugan Master Ray taught new players (and parents) the basics of the game, while also providing experienced players a refresher on Bakugan tournament rules. You can see some highlights of his lesson in this video:

Next up was the practice zone. Here, the kids could play each other with Bakugan and cards provided by Spin Master. Experts were on-hand to provide advice and review the rules. There were even special Bakugan tables and chairs to enhance the experience. After that was the advanced play area for those who brought there own Bakugan. Participants who visited all three sections were given a poster and custom certificate.

I was a little surprised that there were no Bakugan for sale at the event, though I’m sure many of the parents appreciated that. I also learned from the event staff that the tour, now only two stops from the end, has been tremendously well received by the fans. The company is working on another tour for next year and is also preparing for the first Bakugan tournament program.

Bafore we left, I had a chance to interview the designer of the Bakugan game, Luke Peterschmidt:

You might also be interested to know that Luke’s favorite Bakugan is El Condor.