I don't remember this guy being so strong in Mario World, but he sure is strong in this game.  Like most cards I discuss, he won't blow away his enemies, but that makes him no less useful.

With 80 HP, Buster Beetle can take more damage than any other Basic Minion, and more than many Stage 1 Minions as well.  This makes him an obvious choice in a defensive deck, where his ability to absorb hits can be useful.  But because he is so easy to use, he could be a part of an offensive deck as well.

Let's say I have Buster Beetle, and my opponent has Zombone again.  Buster Beetle can cause 30 damage for three Energies, and so can Zombone, who can also do 50 damage for four Energies.  In a tournament fighter grudge fest, Zombone wins, no doubt about it.  But Zombone is an evolved form.  If your opponent wanted to use Zombone, he or she would have to get Czar Dragon, Zombone, and at least three Energies all in the right order and quickly.  Buster Beetle doesn't have an evolved form; he can be played much more quickly.  If done right, Buster Beetle could knock out the Czar Dragon before it evolves.

In addition, if Zombone were part of a deck, all the cards in the deck would probably have to revolve around him.  If Zombone was knocked out or never drawn, the player would probably have very few options left.  Since Buster Beetle is unevolved, he can easily be added to any deck that already contains Ground Energy, without being the star.  Buster Beetle will afford its owner a second way to win.

Of course, you might want Buster Beetle to be the star of your deck, and there's nothing wrong with that route.  Buster Beetle is uncommon, so you'll only be able to put a few in your deck.  You'll probably need some other Basic Minions, so I suggest Croco.  He's common, has good HP, and can heal himself.  A Parapet could also work well in your Buster Beetle deck.  Basically, though, Buster Beetle goes well with many things, so experiment and have fun.

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