In 2014, Bandai Namco decided to jump on the "Toys-to-Life" bandwagon that was dominating the gaming world via Skylanders and Disney Infinity . The result was , an ambitious beat-'em-up released for the PlayStation 3 and Wii U exclusively in Japan. While it promised a new way to interact with our favorite armored heroes, the reality was a mixed bag of clever mechanics and controversial "pay-to-play" hurdles. The Core Gimmick: The Rider Gate

: Small plastic discs provided temporary power-ups, like form changes (Kyouka Chips) or summoning support allies (Nakama Chips) like Kamen Rider Beast or Meteor. Gameplay & Narrative

Kamen Rider Summonride * Series: Kamen Rider Series. * Developer(s): Eighting. * Publisher(s): Bandai Namco Games. * Release date: Kamen Rider Wiki·Contributors to Kamen Rider Wiki Kamen Rider SummonRide! - One Million Power

Developed by Eighting—the team behind the Battride War series—the game was a simplified action-RPG. Kamen Rider Summonride | Kamen Rider Wiki | Fandom

The Rise and Fall of Kamen Rider SummonRide : A Plastic Power-Up Retrospective

The heart of the experience was the , an NFC-powered peripheral. By placing physical Rider Figures on the gate, players could summon the corresponding hero into a world on the brink of destruction.

: Each Rider was assigned an element—Fire, Water, Wind, Light, or Darkness—which dictated their effectiveness and ability to open specific elemental gates within levels.