They're tops in toys this season

They fly across specially configured "battle bowls," locked in combat with opponents' tops, even faster than they have been flying off store shelves this holiday season.

They are Beyblades, the latest in a tsunami of multimedia-formatted Japanese imports (Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, etc.) that have captured the imaginations -- and disposable dollars -- of America's youth, primarily boys 7 and older. How hot are these customizable tops? Total sales for Beyblades are expected to hit $150 million this year -- not too shabby for a toy that wobbled into US markets two years ago and nearly fell flat on its face.

Launched with a simple plastic rip cord, Beyblade tops, which retail for $7 to $9 apiece and are sold through major chains such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Toys "R" Us Inc., come in dozens of varieties with colorful names such as Galeon Attacker and Dragoon Storm. Each top must be assembled out of component parts -- adding to what one toy industry analyst calls the tops' "play value" -- and can be modified to enhance attributes such as balance or speed.

Each top is also designed for attack or defense strategies, or some combination thereof. To some extent, the tops combine the action of remote-control vehicles (another bestseller for the past couple of Christmases) with trading cards and related games of the Yu-Gi-Oh! variety.

Beyblades competitions are usually staged inside plastic "stadiums," of which there are also half a dozen varieties. Players score points for having the last top standing or for driving their opponents onto the sidelines. Tournaments have been staged locally, regionally, and nationally. Tokyo even hosted a world championship last spring.

Yet Beyblades are not just small tops with big personalities. They have spawned a televised cartoon series (airing on the ABC Family channel) and video game adaptations as well. Toy Wishes, a consumer magazine covering the toy industry, ranks the new Beyblades Remote Control Top With Launcher among the hottest dozen toys of the holiday season. Retailing for about $35, the RC unit allows a player to control the speed and direction of his top electronically, adding a high-tech dimension to what is essentially a low-tech game.

According to Toy Wishes copublisher Jim Silver, Beyblades have surpassed Transformers and Power Rangers in the boys' action-toy category. Yet their success was by no means guaranteed, says Silver, for the tops sold so poorly at first that five potential competitors dropped out of the market before it jelled.

"Then along came the TV show, and that changed everything," notes Silver. "Three weeks later, the market started heating up. And it's just gotten hotter and hotter ever since."

Parents like the low entry price point and the fact that no batteries are needed, unless you buy the RC unit. The bad news? Some assembly is required. Although if you can't put together your own Beyblade, you should probably stick to the cartoon show.