New toy story

TOY stores in the kingdom have sold out of the latest playground craze - playing with a small plastic sphere called a Bakugan - and have the names of hundreds of parents waiting anxiously for deliveries to arrive.

Children flick it, transform it, use it to win the highest 'G-power' and battle to survive with tiny brawlers.

The popularity of these ordinary-looking balls of fun which can pop out to transform into battle mode has shot up phenomenonally in recent months and shops on the island have been unable to keep up with demand.

"We have contact details of more than 300 customers waiting for the next consignment of Bakugan Battle Brawlers," said Imran Abidin, store manager of Toys R Us in Seef.

"We received our first stock of between 600-800 pieces two months ago that were wiped off the shelves within a week.

"Our second consignment of 200 toys arrived at the beginning of May and was also sold out within days," he added.

The latest delivery of Bakugan is expected to arrive at Toys R Us later this month. Previously priced between BD2-BD6 the new stock will come in new colours and sizes.

So what is so special about the battle brawlers that have children so worked up into a collecting frenzy?

"My son, Cem couldn't stop talking about his friend's Bakugan. I didn't know what it was until I saw some for the first time at school. I then went and managed to pick up the last available one at Mothercare," said mum Hulya Rockell, whose son Cem, six, is a pupil of St Christopher's School in Saar.

"Cem plays with his Bakus every day for a long time but I don't understand what attracts children to them. I guess Bakus stoke up children's imagination with their bright colours and little bits popping up."

Bakugan Battle Brawlers are magnetic spring-loaded miniature figures that come with unique metal cards. They come in different eye-catching colours and have the ability to pop up from the ball shape to transform into creatures when flicked on their card. From Scorpion, Dragonoid, Shredder, Dual Hydra and many more each Bakugan has a different power level.

Children battle with bakugans in their quest to win their opponents cards.

The trend started with the animated action adventure television series, Bakugan Battle Brawlers, which was initially developed in Japan but was picked up by Cartoon Network in 2008.

In conjunction with the television series, Sega Toys and Spin Master released BBB toys and a game of strategy with stringent rules called Bakugan. BBB was given the 2009 Toy of the Year award by the Toy Industry Association

Most parents agree that their children are not as hooked to the television series as they are to their toys. Some do not even watch the programme and have caught on to the fad at school playgrounds or at home on their compounds play areas.

"My son's Bakugan was stolen in school," exclaimed one mum, who asked not to be named. "So I would urge parents and teachers to keep a close eye on what's happening because everyone wants them."

Although initially thought of as a boy's toy, young girls also appear gripped by the phenomenon.

Toy industry experts say the toy has won acclaim because it has worldwide appeal and that is proving true in Bahrain. "The Bakugan craze is universal among all children, mostly between the ages of five to 11, irrespective of nationality," added Mr Abidin.