I've seen maybe thirteen episodes of the original show. It's okay for what it is, but my main problem was they never explained how the game worked, so I was lost when a battle actually happened. In Yu-Gi-Oh!, they explain the rules as they go. In Bakugan, it's like they expect you to know how to play. Maybe you figure it out eventually, but I never watched much of it to find out.
I will say I found the non-battle stuff interesting enough, though, even if fairly run-of-the-mill. I'd probably like it if I was a kid so I can see the appeal.