Bakugan: Defenders of the Core

Main

Gallery

Bakugan: Defenders of the Core
Wii Box Art
Production
Release date	October 19, 2010 (U.S., GameStop) October 26, 2010 (U.S., Walmart) November 2, 2010 (U.S., Toys "R" Us)
Genre	Action/ Sci-Fi Fantasy/ Adventure
Rating	E10+: Fantasy Violence
Platform	Nintendo DS (NDS), Nintendo Wii (Wii), Play Station Portable (PSP), Play Station 3 (PS3), and Xbox 360

Bakugan: Defenders of the Core is a multi-console game released on October 19, 2010 for the Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PSP, PS3, and Xbox 360. It is the third Bakugan video game, following Bakugan: Battle Brawlers and Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Battle Trainer.

It is based on the second season, and takes place in two alternate timelines: one where the Player is friends with the Resistance and created Bakugan Interspace, and one where the Player was not friends with the Resistance, and the Vexos have subjugated all the Bakugan save for the Resistance's. As the Vexos wreak havoc on Earth, it's up to the Player and the Resistance to put an end to their machinations.

Plot

The Player and Dan Kuso are having a friendly practice battle inside Bakugan Interspace (which, in this universe, was created by the player). Dan uses Scorpion and Maxus Dragonoid, while the Player uses a digital clone of Neo Dragonoid. After the player defeats Scorpion in a practice round, he goes to face Maxus Dragonoid when Interspace suddenly begins collapsing due to a power overload, forcing an evacuation. Dan manages to get out, but the Player is suddenly transported to Marucho's plane, unaware that he has traveled into an alternate dimension.

There, the Player sees a video screen with live feed of Dan and Marucho battling Spectra near a harbor in Japan, with a large crystal nearby. However, Helios overpowers both Drago and Elfin and defeats them. Spectra then uses the crystal, known as a Vexos Crystal, to take away Dan and Marucho's ability to brawl. Shadow, who has been watching, then asks Spectra to hand him Drago and Elfin. Though Drago manages to escape, Elfin is captured along with the two brawlers.

As the Player exits the plane, he encounters Drago, who does not recognize him. Drago tells the player that they need to find Dan and Marucho. After avoiding the Vestal security in the area, he finds Shadow near the Vexos Crystal and engages in a battle using Drago, destroying a smaller Vexos Crystal being powered by the larger one in the process. Though Shadow tries to use the crystal to take away the player's ability to brawl, he fails and is forced to leave. The Player asks Dan and Marucho if they are okay, but he is a stranger to them.

When the three return to Marucho's plane, Dan explains that in this dimension, the Vexos managed to take over New Vestroia and capture everyone, with the exception of the Resistance. Marucho theorizes that the malfunction in Interspace was what brought the player to this alternate reality. The player can get back if he can reprogram it, but the computer does not have an IC chip in it. Mira is in possession of one, so the player, Dan, and Marucho set out to locate her the next morning. They find her battling Shadow, who defeats her, takes Wilda, and robs her of her ability to battle. Marucho sees that Shadow has Elfin and demands that he return her, but he refuses to unless the Player can defeat him in a battle. However, he also sets his sights on a tower and uses Elfin to try and destroy it. Ultimately, the Player defeats Shadow and takes Elfin back, but Shadow kidnaps Mira in the process.

Marucho's computer picks up massive energy readings from the United Kingdom, so the Resistance makes the UK their next stop. The Player sneaks past the security there and discovers the Vexos Crystals have attributes like Bakugan, and are thus weak against certain attributes' attacks. However, the player detects an unknown force giving a distress call. He sees a spirit named Abyss, who claims to be the spirit of Earth's core. Only the Player is capable of seeing or hearing her, as he is not from this universe. She suggests that he builds a hologram projector to use as a decoy for the landmarks that the Vexos are attempting to destroy. Each hologram has an attribute and has the same advantages and weaknesses that Bakugan of that attribute have. The Player tests out the hologram and it works, but it blows the Resistance's cover and two Vestals challenge him to a battle. He wins, but Dan believes that he is talking to himself. The Resistance returns to the plane, where they decide to destroy as many Vexos Crystals as they can while searching for Mira.

Just then, they get a call from Ace, who tells them that he has lost his ability to battle and Percival has been captured by Volt. The group splits up to look for Ace in another town in the UK. They find Ace hiding behind a building, but he is extremely hostile towards the Player. Ace's yelling catches the attention of a Vestal security agent, who battles the player. The security agent sends out Tripod Epsilon, who has been captured and hypnotized. The player then destroys the nearby Vexos Crystals, though the Resistance learns that the crystals now have the ability to regenerate. Ace informs them that the Vexos have moved to another base, where Percival is being held.

Ace and the player find Volt near an abnormally large Vexos Crystal, where he is in possession of not only Percival, but several dozen clones of Falcon Fly. Volt challenges the player to a battle, with the winner keeping Percival. The player is unsure of his abilities until Shun shows up. The player suggests that Shun battle Volt, but Shun, like the others, has had his ability to brawl taken away and has also lost Ingram, leaving the player the only one who can battle Volt. He manages to defeat Percival and Brontes and recaptures Percival. Shun leaves to look for Ingram and tells the player to look for her as well.

When the Resistance returns to the plane, Marucho informs them that he has found a Bakugan Trap. The player tells them that in his world, Dan used several Traps to form Maxus Dragonoid, an incredibly powerful Bakugan formed from Drago and six Traps. Just then, Dan gets a call from Baron, who is being chased by Lync in China. The group heads there to come to his rescue. They find that Baron has had Nemus taken from him and that Lync is in possession of Nemus and Ingram. Lync says that he will give back Ingram, Nemus, and Baron if the player can beat him. If the player loses, however, Lync says he will keep all of them and take Drago. The crystals have been developed to the point that they can now clone Traps infinitely, meaning the battle does not end until the crystal is broken. Nevertheless, the Player manages to defeat Lync and take back Ingram and Nemus. As Baron rejoins the group, Mylene watches the Player and plots to use him to steal Drago.

As the Resistance looks for any remaining Vexos Crystals, the player receives a call from Mylene, who tells him to follow her to the end of the canal. He finds her and she tells him that she can get him home if he gives her Drago. He is about to do so until he is stopped by Ace, who tells him she is one of the Vexos. Ace loses all trust in the Player, but nonetheless guides him through defeating Mylene.

The Resistance finds that Shadow still has Mira in Japan and the player challenges him to a battle. Shadow uses Wilda against the Player, then brings out Hades after the Player recaptures Wilda. After defeating Shadow, Mira gives the Player the IC chip and he is about to return home, before he decides to stay and help the Resistance instead. Abyss appears and commends the Player for his decision, and gives Drago the power to evolve into Cross Dragonoid. She then tells the Player that she will allow him to choose which Bakugan evolves next until the entire team is evolved.

Meanwhile, Zenoheld commands Spectra and Gus via video transmission to harness the Earth's core's power directly. He orders Spectra to capture Drago and use the power of the Perfect Core to harness the Earth's core. Spectra complies, but after the transmission shuts off, he decides that he would rather keep Drago's powers for himself.

The Resistance learns that Lync is wreaking havoc at a volcano in China, and returns there to stop him. Lync unveils the crystals' latest gimmick: they can now teleport to avoid taking damage. After the Player takes out the crystals, Lync sends out Altair and Wired, who the player defeats. Lync then teleports away, humiliated.

With all of the crystals in China taken care of, Shun tells the Resistance that the Vexos are now digging to the core in Egypt. However, it turns out to be a bait set up by Gus, and to compound their worries, Mira runs off. The Player fights several Vestal security agents, which are not as abundant as expected. The Resistance then finds Mira back at the plane, where she tells them that she was spying on the Vexos, who have supposedly found a way to reach the core. That evening, the Resistance reaches a Vexos base, where Spectra is waiting. He demands that the Player hand over Drago if he wins in a battle. Though the Player initially gains the upper hand in their battle, but Spectra forms Maxus Helios and easily defeats Drago. As Drago reverts to ball form, Mira picks him up and hands him over to Spectra. She says that now that she has fulfilled her part of their deal, she demands Spectra to go back to being her brother now that he has Drago. Spectra refuses, however, and leaves with Drago. Mira tells the others that she recently found out that Spectra was her brother Keith and that he had agreed to quit the Vexos if she gave him Drago. She apologizes and though everyone forgives her, she runs off in guilt.

The next day, the others find Mira confronting Gus and telling him to return Drago. He refuses and challenges the player to a battle. The Player manages to destroy the remaining Vexos Crystals in Egypt and defeat Vulcan, after which Mira rejoins the group. Abyss then informs the player that Spectra is on his way to her.

The remaining crystals on the planet are all in America, so the Resistance heads there. They meet up with Shun, who helps them locate Lync and Volt, who are overseeing the use of Haos and Ventus crystals. The two quickly send out Brontes and Altair, who the player defeats. Lync and Volt then teleport away.

The Player then locates Mylene and Shadow, who are overseeing the use of some more crystals. After defeating Hades and Elico, the Resistance learns that the last (and largest) Vexos Crystal is being protected by Gus. After defeating Gus, the last of the Vexos Crystals are destroyed and Marucho has found the last Trap for Maxus Dragonoid, so the Resistance heads to the Vexos's underground base to find Spectra. When the player reaches Spectra, he is still in possession of Drago and uses him in a battle against the Player. The player defeats Drago and recaptures him, but Spectra escapes to the planet's core. The Resistance chases after him and confronts him.

At the core, Spectra is using Maxus Helios to absorb the power of the Earth's core. The Player forms Maxus Dragonoid and begins battling Spectra. However, after absorbing most of Abyss' powers, Helios becomes nearly unstoppable, so Abyss tells the player to destroy her to prevent Helios from taking any more of her powers. The Player does so, leaving a thin shell where the core originally was. Abyss's destruction weakens Helios significantly, so Drago has little difficulty defeating him. With the Vexos defeated, the Resistance gains back their ability to battle and reunites with their Bakugan. The cavern in which the core is located begins to collapse, however, so everyone, including Spectra, who renounces his old ways and goes back to being Keith, jumps on Drago's back and escapes.

The player then teleports himself back to his dimension after saying goodbye to the rest of the Resistance. When he gets home, he finds Dan and Marucho, who have been worried about him.

Gameplay

Story Mode

In Story Mode you travel the world as the main character attaining stealth to hide from security drones patrolling the cities of Earth as you collect Core Energy, which can be used to upgrade the Player's Bakugan. Using your Bakugan as tools, you take down laser traps and other security devices to get to the battle scenes and find chests that give the player ability cards, Vexos passes that allow the player to get past the security guards if caught, and collectable metal figures of the Bakugan.

Battle Mode

The new Battle Mode uses a new fighting engine similar to that of the Dragon Ball Z Budokai games. Ability Cards are now used to perform extremely powerful attacks and Bakugan are now able to be captured.

During the battles, the player has to destroy Vexos Crystals to finish the brawl; In most cases this will be during the Story Mode or else it will keep re-spawning enemies. The player also has to protect a landmark, a single solitary building designated by Abyss. Destruction of this landmark leads to an immediate loss. However, the player can build hologram towers that act as distractions for the enemy and acts as a decoy for the landmarks until they are destroyed. Both the Vexos Crystals and the Landmarks come in the Six Attributes which offer certain advantages over other attributes.

Outside of the story mode, there are three different battle modes. There is Duel, which is two Bakugan fighting until one is knocked out. There is Free For All Mode, which is four Bakugan fighting each other for the most points that are earned through hitting and defeating the other Bakugan within the time limit. Finally, there is Destruction Battle, which is two players trying to gain more points than the opponent by hitting and destroying Vexos Crystals within the time limit.

Attribute Advantages:

• Pyrus: Strong against Darkus and weak against Aquos.
• Aquos: Strong against Pyrus and weak against Ventus.
• Ventus: Strong against Aquos and weak against Subterra.
• Subterra: Strong against Ventus and weak against Haos.
• Haos: Strong against Subterra and weak against Darkus.
• Darkus: Strong against Haos and weak against Pyrus.

Unlockable Figures

Figures are unlocked from chests found as you progress through the game.

Unevolved Figures:

• Neo Dragonoid
• Nemus
• Elfin
• Percival
• Ingram
• Wilda

Evolved Figures:

• Cross Dragonoid
• Mega Nemus
• Dual Elfin
• Midnight Percival
• Master Ingram
• Magma Wilda

Vexos Bakugan Figures:

• Hades
• Cyborg Helios
• Brontes
• Altair
• Elico
• Premo Vulcan

Maxus Bakugan Figures:

• Maxus Dragonoid
• Maxus Helios

Characters

Protagonists

• Player Character: The player avatar and main character of the game. He arrives in an alternate world where the Vexos defeated the Resistance.
• Dan Kuso
• Marucho Marukura
• Shun Kazami
• Mira Fermin
• Baron Leltoy
• Ace Grit

Antagonists

• Zenoheld
• Spectra Phantom
• Gus Grav
• Volt Luster
• Shadow Prove
• Mylene Farrow
• Lync Volan
• Security Drones

Other

• Abyss is the core energy goddess-guardian on Earth which only the player character can hear and see. When he starts to hear her, the other Brawlers begin to think he is crazy. Abyss is a light blue spirit that asks the Player Character to help rebuild the landmarks. The Vexos however continue using energy from Abyss for their own purposes.

Bakugan

• Neo Dragonoid
• Maxus Dragonoid/Maxus Cross Dragonoid
• Cross Dragonoid - ball form is Hyper Dragonoid.
• Scorpion
• Elfin
• Minx Elfin - name and ball form is Dual Elfin.
• Tripod Epsilon
• Ingram
• Master Ingram - ball form is Cosmic Ingram.
• Hylash
• Thunder Wilda - ball form is Wilda .
• Magma Wilda - ball form is Thunder Wilda.
• Baliton
• Mega Nemus - name and ball form is Nemus.
• Saint Nemus - name and ball form is Mega Nemus.
• Piercian
• Percival
• Knight Percival - name and ball form is Midnight Percival.
• Falcon Fly
• Cyborg Helios - named "Mechanical Helios" and ball form is the one from the Maxus Helios set.
• Maxus Helios
• Metalfencer
• Elico
• Tripod Theta
• Altair
• Wired
• Premo Vulcan
• Hexados
• Mega Brontes - name and ball form is Brontes.
• Dynamo
• Hades
• Fortress

Note: In the Japanese version the main six Resistance Brawlers' Bakugan's Evolved forms use the correct ball forms.

Voice Cast

English Version

Daron Jennings as The Player
Awwab Bukhari as Dan
Melissa Hutchison as Marucho
Brian Sommer as Drago
Gavin Hammon as Ace
Stephanie Komure as Baron
Sarah Tancer as Mira
Lea Gulino as Abyss
Amy Rubinate as Gauntlet
Roger Jackson as Helios

Trivia

• None of the voice actors from the anime reprise their roles in the game.
• Traps only appear as enemies in the game, and are not playable.
• All of Maxus Helios's Bakugan except Helios himself are referred to as Bakugan Traps in the game.
• In the Collection Box, Maxus Dragonoid is shown with Neo Dragonoid, whereas when Maxus Dragonoid is used in battle, it is built around Cross Dragonoid, though in Bakugan form, it appears to be Neo.
• None of the Bakugan's ball forms have the correct coloring from the anime. They are instead based on their toy forms, using the more standardized color schemes. Additionally, Neo Dragonoid has the blocky claws instead of the more realistic ones present in the anime, and Percival has the less rounded head present on his toy form, rather than the head design used in the anime.
• Altair, Helios, and Hades do not have the "turbine" effect when they stand.
• Drago and Percival do not spin when they stand.
• Elfin and Elico do not change their attributes like they did in the anime.
• The characters wear their gauntlets for the entirety of the game, similar to how BakuPods and BakuMeters are worn, while in the anime, they usually only use their gauntlets in battle.
• All of the Attribute advantages are either the opposite advantages (ex. Pyrus-Aquos) or the dual Attributes that belong to the hybrid Bakugan from Season 1. (Darkus-Pyrus, Aquos-Ventus, Haos-Subterra).
• Wired is counted as a core Bakugan, but cannot be unlocked for play outside of story mode.
• It is unknown how it is possible to take away the ability to brawl. This would mean you no longer have the ability to say Bakugan Brawl and throw your Bakugan. It would make more sense for the Bakugan's ability to brawl to be taken away.
• Strangely, the evolved Resistance Bakugan are referred to by their proper names on the Bakugan selection screen, but in the Collection Box, they are referred to by the names of their placeholder ball forms. For example, Cross Dragonoid is referred to as such on the selection screen, but in the collection box, he is referred to as Hyper Dragonoid.