Parent's Guide: Beyblade Evolution - Age rating, mature content and difficulty

Beyblade: Evolution is a 3DS game based on the 'extreme spinning top' toy and anime franchise Beyblade. Recreating the fun of playing with the toys on your handheld, the game makes use of the 3DS' gyroscopic controls to provide an authentic experience. As a new 'blader' on the scene, it's up to you to progress through a story that takes you from zero to hero, as you learn how to spin tops, battle other players, upgrade your top, and eventually go on to take part in the big Beyblade championship.

With a handy tutorial, Beyblade Evolution's a game that's easy to pick up and play, especially if you're familiar with the toys. All you have to do is launch your Beyblade into a bowl-shaped arena and hope that it either knocks the opponent's spinner out of play, or is the last one standing (spinning?) at the end of the match. Relying largely on motion controls and the system's touch screen, there's little children may struggle with here - to launch your Beyblade, all you have to do is pull the 3DS back towards you as though you were pulling a ripcord. It's easy for kids to get the hang of - although you may want to warn them not to be too over-enthusiastic when it comes to whipping the 3DS around (it works fine if you're gentle)!

Once you've successfully sent your Beyblade spinning into the arena, the action is pretty much reduced to waiting until you can utilise your 'Spirit' move, which is linked to a gauge that slowly refills over the course of the match. Once it's full, you can aim by tilting the 3DS and tapping 'A' to send a power boost to your Beyblade which could tip the match in your favour. And that's all there is to it.

When you're not in the midst of a battle, your time will mostly be spent selecting various locations around the map to try and take on new opponents, taking part in mini-games which require you to manoeuvre your Beyblade through a maze/pop balloons, or trying out new parts in the shop. The game does have support for wireless battles with nearby friends, or against people you've met while out and about using StreetPass data, which helps give the game some sticking power.

With simple controls, there's little here that younger children may trip up on. Younger children might find the tactical element of buying, trading and customising Beyblade components confusing, but that's mostly not necessary to progress through the story. A potentially bigger issue is that the game does have a lot of writing to read, as it doesn't feature voice acting, so being a strong reader would be a huge benefit. Sample sentences include "The World Championship is a contest that opens on the 50th turn" and "During the countdown, tilt your Nintendo 3DS system and aim where you want the Bay to go". That said, if your child knows how to play with real Beyblades, there's little essential writing beyond the tutorial. It's worth mentioning that there's a 'special edition' available too which comes bundled with an actual Beyblade spinning top - whether this is worth the extra cash depends largely on how seriously your child takes their Beyblade.

There's nothing for parents to be concerned about in terms of the content here. It's just spinning tops after all.

Age Ratings

Format Reviewed: Nintendo 3DS