Battle B-Daman

Battle B-Daman is the fourth generation of the overall B-Daman franchise, beginning in 2002 with the release of the first Battle B-Daman toy, Cobalt Sword, and the B-Legend! Battle B-Daman manga. It was preceded by Super B-Daman, and succeeded in turn by Crash B-Daman.
Battle B-Daman proved to be one of the most successful and longest-running generations after Super B-Daman, with a comparatively large number of toy series released under its banner and two anime series each running more than 50 episodes. It was also the first B-Daman series to be officially licensed and localized into English, with Hasbro's international versions of the Battle B-Daman toy line and anime series.
==Toy Line Overview==
The various Battle B-Daman series and systems feature a heavy focus on customization and parts interchangeability, with a huge variety of toys released. In addition to the functional Custom Parts seen in earlier generations, Battle B-Daman also emphasized interchangeable aesthetic armor parts that defined the visual character and personality of the B-Daman equipping them. The toy line is also notable for introducing the term "Direct Hit Battle", and codifying the concept of competitive play by trying to hit a reactive target mounted on the opponent's B-Daman itself. While this feature had been present on many B-Daman toys all the way back to the Bakugaiden era, it was made a central theme of Battle B-Daman gameplay with nearly every unit able to equip accessories that enabled a reactive target for DHB-style play.
In total, six toy series were released during Battle B-Daman, a particularly large number with a very wide product line across the generation.
==Media Overview==
In a substantial departure from the contemporary setting and sports-based themes of the Super B-Daman fiction, Battle B-Daman fiction features a full fantasy world as its setting and a narrative with supernatural elements and a struggle against a villainous organization in addition to sporting competition. The audiovisual is heavily influenced by "Western" or "Gunslinger" tropes, with characters carrying their B-Daman in hip holsters and drawing them for duel-like competitions in which each competitors tries to shoot their opponent's B-Daman directly, a play pattern which would be heavily emphasized in the media along with the matching "Direct Hit Battle" game mode in the toy line. Despite the supernatural and fantasy elements, a sports-style narrative arc is still heavily present with the characters frequenting venues for competitive play and the second anime series, B-Legend! Battle B-Daman Fire Spirits!, focusing much more heavily on tournament-style sports play rather than fantasy adventure.