Mode Change is a common feature in the Metal Saga. It involves a Beyblade changing its Performance Tip, Metal Wheel positioning, Energy Ring rotation and many other methods.
Mode Changing was first seen with Hikaru's Storm Aquario's HF/S tip, in which you could twist the tip to change between a Hole Flat and a Sharp tip. This was further developed with Lightning L-Drago 100HF since you could rotate the Energy Ring to switch between Rapid Attack Mode and Upper Attack Mode. It was later on seen with Storm Capricorn M145Q with M145 and Q.
With Mode Change for some characters also brought a different beast within the Bey. In example Reiji Mizuchi could switch the side of his spin track on Poison Serpent SW145SD which also made the beast of Serpent turn into Medusa in battle. Julian Konzern's Gravity Destroyer AD145WD also portrayed this, with the switching of the Energy Wheel.
Mode Changing was developed even further with the introduction of the Beyblade: Metal Fury season. This season brought in the new 4D system, which used multiple frames in Fusion Wheels and Performance Tips that change mid-battle.
The first in the season to do such a thing was Big Bang Pegasis F:D. Its 4D Track Final Drive allows for switching between a Rubber Hole Flat and a Semi Flat during battle. This was quickly followed up by multiple other tracks, such as Final Survive, Delta Drive and Bearing Drive.
Furthermore, Fusion Wheels could change mode by adjusting the positioning of the Frames. Big Bang Pegasis has four different modes which are all different combinations of part locations. Nearly all beys in the 4D Generation follow this trait. In the Anime, some beys can change their modes during battle, whereas others, like Death Quetzalcoatl 125RDF cannot.
In real life, only Final Drive, Final Survive, and X Drive can change modes during battle, much to the disappointment of fans.
Trivia
- In the anime, many beyblades that have a mode switch by manually, can change the modes during battles (Like Big Bang Pegasis switching from Smash mode to Upper Attack Mode during battles). This does not happen in the real life, and they only can be changed manually.
- All of the 4D beys' wheels can't switch modes during battles in the real life actually, with the exception of Variares D:D's wheel.
- Variares' Delta Drive bottom is shown to be able to switch modes during battles (As shown in episode 24 of Beyblade: Metal Fury) but this didn't happen in the real life as only F:D, F:S, and X:D can change modes.
- The 4D Beys' wheels that needs to flip its Metal/PC Frame can't switch modes in battles, both in real life and the anime, and can only be switched before battles, such as Diablo Nemesis X:D, Scythe Kronos T125EDS, Phantom Orion B:D, Kreis Cygnus 145WD, Fang Leone 130W²D, and Death Quetzalcoatl 125RDF.