It started out as something for the kids. They watched a show called Beyblade and became obsessed with the idea of buying the little metal tops and battling each other. I bought some for the boys and a couple just so I could play with them. Over time this small purchase grew larger and blossomed into an obsession. I went from playing for the boys to playing against the boys to now, playing to understand how to construct the perfect Bey.
This evolution has not come cheap. My wife recognized my obsession early on and saw where it would lead. She knew before I did that I would try to work out the physics of the thing. I bought a box of twelve Beys from China only to discover that the Chinese Beys are formed from some kind of aluminum based composite, creating a lighter Bey, and one that cannot compete with the American-bought Beyblades. So now there are 8 Beys (left 4 in the boxes) that have no chance to make the rankings–like a bunch of filler fighters on the bottom of the fight card.
I went online and watched videos, read chat boards, listened deeply to the thoughts of many about the perfect Bey. My idea of perfect is not shared by many, although in this house my Perfect Prototype Virgo (Earth Virgo with a metal core) wins 85% of its matches. According to the web, Twisted Tempo should hold that mark. It is by far the heaviest Bey core and tears through the lighter Beys and attack types.
So, here is the thing: I want to get more Beys. I want to experiment and learn what is best. I want to trade and develop a potent roster. I want to raise the number of Beys to 50 and watch the battles go all day long. Most of all, I want to see the kids do this and become champs. Of course, they gotta get past me first.