>>8218095>essay answer that essentially says the same thing as >>8218812The Hasbro and Takara Tomy lines have significantly diverged, since Cho-Z/Turbo.
Typically, Hasbro removes many metal and rubber components from their beyblades, and their drivers differ - The Slingshock and HyperSphere lines make this VERY apparent, as they have "mode changing" drivers and large circular drivers respectively, instead of, say, your Xt' or Qc' drivers.
Takara Tomy/Japanese import beys are strictly adherent to the anime, if you watch that. You'll get a lot more of an official feel, compared to the "cheaper" quality of the Western releases.
Honestly, now would be the time to just commit to getting JPN imports - The new season, Superking, just came out and it is a ton of fun so far. Really great designs, not too many out there so you can feel like you're completing a collection if you start getting them all, and the anticipation of new beys is fun to discuss.
I would also recommend the JPN import burst stadiums, as opposed to ANYTHING you could find in the west. It's just more authentic to the actual game, and looks nicer.
If you MUST get western beyblades before you commit, grab anything Slingshock from Target - I think the first set of Burst and Burst Evolution beyblades have been taken off of shelves, but Slingshock is the current closest thing to standard TT toys. Not perfect, but it will help you get a feel for actually playing with the tops.
>>8218365I personally launch two in a stadium one after the other and watch them clink around and explode. It's more fun then letting them sit and collect dust. Plus, they're significantly more durable than previous iterations (with some exceptions), and maintaining them is pretty easy unless you're launching them as hard as you possibly can.
Everyone's got that one stock combo that they won't use to keep it in perfect condition, though.
