Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders is the sequel to Bakugan: New Vestroia and the third series in the original anime. Opinions on Gundalian Invaders as a whole are mixed, but overall the experience was a pleasant continuation from what came before. In the realm of toys, accessory pieces introduced yet another twist: Battle Gear, and later the Mobile Assault Vehicles. The Bakugan themselves received a new coat of paint with a noticeable shift in coloration, plastic material, and naming conventions involving the use of uncommon letters such as Xs and Zs (no doubt to highlight the fact that these Bakugan come from an alternate dimension from the familiar New Vestroia).
Let us not forget the elephant in the room. Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders launched with another new spin- the DNA code, which could be utilized to play the now defunct Bakugan Dimensions online game. Each and every toy would now receive a sticker that revealed a code to be entered online, a process that continued into the sequel of Mechtanium Surge for a brief period of time.
Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders is a noticeably more calm approach to the series, dialing back on the excessive amounts of special treatments from the first two series, and with releases being significantly better documented and less numerous than what came previous. Combined with relatively low demand for most of these toys (with a few rare and specific exceptions), this season in particular is a great start for would-be collectors.
Note: The following table does not account for minor paint or hole variations, unless it is an oddity or a very notable difference. The table does not account for varying G-Powers, as it would be near impossible to track this information down.
Treatment: A variation from the normal 6 attributed releases. They include translucent plastic, unique color combinations, among other gimmicks.
Bakugan releases differ by regions of the world. Below are the identified major regions, though specific countries would obtain specific releases on occasion. The identified regions are as follows:
- Japan (Sega Toys releases)
- South Korea (Sonokong B1s, otherwise part of Asia Region)
- Anglo-America (Canada has slightly different releases)
- Western Europe/Latin America (Nations south of the USA received European waves)
- Eastern Europe/Middle East (Primarily Russia and Post-Soviet nations)
- Asia + Australia (Appears to have received a mix of everything else. Documentation is poor)
Note:
Rarity scores are based on how easy the Bakugan is to find for a primarily American buyer, however Sega Toys and Takara Tomy releases have scores based on their own region. This means that if you live outside of the designated region, increase the rarity score by one or two points.
For example, Hydranoid is 6/10 (Moderate) in the US, and did not release in Japan. If you live in Japan, it is likely 8/10 rarity instead.
If a European Bakugan is considered Common (say 3/10), then to an American, consider it Moderate (say 5/10).
This is is because you would have to go out of your way to find sellers or utilize websites or middlemen, and are also likely to have to pay an increased cost in order to obtain it along with international shipping. This effectively raises your barrier to entry, even if the toy in a vacuum is not difficult to find.
- 1/10 - 2/10 (Very Common): Easy to find and relatively cheap, you will likely find a minimum of 10 results upon searching for one online
- 3/10 - 4/10 (Common): Relatively easy to obtain, slightly less numerous and more expensive. Will find a few results in a search
- 5/10 - 6/10 (Moderate): Potentially annoying/expensive to track down, but realistic enough to obtain without too much issue
- 7/10 - 8/10 (Semi-Rare or Rare): One will pop up every few weeks or months. You may have some competition in trying to obtain this
- 9/10 or 10/10 (Very Rare): Realistically, you will not obtain this Bakugan. Get a custom paint job or a recast. Good luck otherwise
- One-Offs: An anomaly that probably shouldn't exist, but has been documented for the sake of completion