Game Review: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

September 29, 2006

The newest Pokemon game has arrived, but how does it stack up?

The Blue Rescue Team game is for the DS and the Red Rescue Team is for the GBA. Both play similar but Blue Rescue Team takes good advantage of the touch screen and the dual display.

I own one of each so I will attempt to tell you about them.

In Pokemon Mystery Dungeon you take on the role of a Pokemon. The Pokemon you start with depends on a series of questions the game asks you and how you answer them. A guide for this has been posted HERE for your reading pleasure. Based on who you end up as will also dictate who you get to select from as your partner.

The game starts off with you and your partner going on a rescue mission to the “Tiny Woods” to rescue a Caterpie. The missions are what this game is all about and I will get into that in due time…

For those who are used to playing the GBA Pokemon games you will find one very big surprise. No, it’s not the lack of trainers and your being a Pokemon, it is the removal of the start button as a way to access the menu system. In Pokemon Mystery Dungeon you use the *B* button to access your menu.

It’s a stumbling block for those of us who are set in our ways and I don’t understand why Nintendo chose to change this most basic of functions, but they did.

DS Note: Users of the DS game have access to the menu at the bottom of the touch screen and can easily use the stylus to navigate through the menu system.

When your Pokemon is involved in a battle you are allowed to “set” a move and use it by holding down the “Left” button while pressing the “A” button. Pressing the “A” button by itself has your Pokemon do a very basic attack similar to a tackle attack. Because of this, all Pokemon could be considered to have 5 attacks. If you want to use an attack other then the basic attack or your set move you need to hit the “B” button to access the menu, select “Moves” and then choose the attack to use.

It seems complicated at first but you will quickly get used to the change.

One very big advantage of the DS version is the use of the top screen to display the status of your Pokemon friends. In the GBA game you only see the hit points for yourself at the top of the screen. Pressing the “B” button will give you a quick look at everyone’s hit points but the DS is so much nicer in that, while in a dungeon, you have a constant visual of your friend’s hit points.

The “B” button has a few other uses aside from bringing up the menu. If you hold it down while moving you will run. If you hold the “A” and “B” buttons down simultaneously time will move faster.

Why would you want time to move faster? Because you heal naturally as time goes by. you also get hungry so be sure to pack some food in your Rescue Kit.

What’s a “Rescue Kit” you ask? It is a special box which holds your items. There is a small limit to the number of items you can store in the kit and each Pokemon can carry one item as well.

Now, because you can not directly control what your friends do you need an alternate way to let them know what you want them to do. This is where Pokemon “tactics” come in.

You can give each Pokemon a general command such as “stay close together” or “attack all enemies” or even “get away” when times get tough. I try to leave my friends on “attack all enemies” but it does backfire on me sometimes. Especially when you run down a hallway and one of your friends takes a turn towards an enemy you did not see. Now you are stuck 6 spaces away from them (or more) and once combat begins you can only move one space at a time!

When you defeat a wild Pokemon there is a chance they will join you. The only way to get one to join you is if the leader deals the knock-out blow and you have a spare slot on your team. It’s good to accumulate friends as later on in the game you will be able to change who is the leader and play without your two starting Pokemon.

Combat is turn-based but you no longer have a Speed score, instead everyone attacks once (or moves one space) and then a new combat turn begins. Although there is no Speed score moves that affect speed are very useful in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon as they allow you to attack multiple times in a combat turn.

In fact, many “so-so” moves in the past Pokemon games became far more valuable in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. For instance, the move Swords Dance only gave you a bonus in one combat in the old games but, in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, the bonus lasts for the whole level!

You also gain the ability to “link” moves. What this means is that instead of doing Growl one round and then Tackle the next you can set a linked move to do both at the same time! This is a very important strategy when facing tough opponents such as legendary Pokemon.

Let’s say you have a Mudkip with Water Gun, Whirlpool, Growl and Tackle and you are facing off against Groudon… By having your moves linked you could effectively use all four moves at the same time. It is the equivalent of getting in four attacks at once! Your chance of winning just went up four-fold!

I do not want to get too deep into the game play as that might give away to many spoilers. Suffice to say, I enjoy the game. It grew on me. With that said, there are a few things that might bother the existing Pokemon players:

1) You can not trade Pokemon… Ever.
2) You can not evolve your Pokemon until you reach a certain point in the game.
3) There are a lot of “cut scenes” that advance the plot but can take up to five minutes or more to get through.

One of the nice features is the use of the “dual slot” mode where you can put one game in the DS slot and another in the GBA slot and trade items and rescue codes.

Oh yes, I almost forgot!

One of the big things you are able to do in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is get help from a friend.

If you get knocked out in a dungeon you can give a code to your friend so that they can rescue you! Once the rescue you they send you a code back and you are revived where you fainted. The rescuer earns some rescue points and an item for doing the job!

If you find yourself knocked out I highly suggest you go to the PokeFarm Forums where there is a thread just for rescue requests.

That about raps up my review.

Happy rescuing!

UPDATE
I’ve had the games for a while now and I have to say that PMD will not stand the test of time. I’m already tired of it (though my daughter is not) and I’m back to playing my Emerald/Ruby/Leaf Green games.

Posted by Jolly | Filed Under News, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Review  2,313 views

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25 Comments

Comment by Nick Williams
2006-09-30 18:50:53

i play red rescue team on my gba and i wanted to know can i make a pokemon evolve.Because i like mudkip but i dont like his evolvchion and i dont like charmander and i like his evolvchion.so please right back and if there are any codes you can tell me the.

right back please!

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Comment by Steve
2006-10-01 06:57:36

You can not evolve any of your Pokemon until you defeat Rayquaza at the top of the Sky Tower Summit.

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Comment by REG2462479724
2006-10-11 14:28:58

How to beat sky tower summit in pokemon myestry dunegon blue rescue team.

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Comment by Vytas
2006-11-16 12:40:24

i HAVE POKEMON MYSTERY DUNGEON RED VERSION ,AND WANT MY POKEMON TO EVOLVE , sRRY MY LITTLE CHARMANDER ,BUT HOW DO I DO THAT ?

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Comment by richard
2006-11-20 09:05:21

how do you beat sky tower and i can’t get my squirtle to evolve dose any one know how to fix my promble?

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Comment by Steve
2006-11-20 09:12:39

Richard,

There is a point in the Sky Tower where you can save the game about 5 levels from Rayquaza. This is similar to the other major dungeons where you encounter a break point in the game.

As for beating the Sky Tower, you just have to keep chugging along until you meet Rayquaza at the top.

Because he is a dragon Pokemon you will need some ice attacks to defeat him.

As for evolving your Pokemon, that will not occur until after you beat the Sky Tower dungeon. After that a new area will open up north of town that will allow for evolving your Pokemon.

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Comment by Anonymous
2006-11-29 19:48:59

u hav 2 beat raquza

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Comment by Afanfas
2006-12-06 13:21:24

How can I fix a second partner in the team so I don’t have to go always to the friend area to recruit him?

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Comment by Steve
2006-12-06 14:08:50

You can’t.

Once you get to the point where you can change your leader no one will tag along with you when you wake up.

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Comment by Kieron
2006-12-09 03:03:30

Guys i need hep , can you add my msn and pm me on it how to get into the wishcave

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Comment by James Yang
2006-12-21 15:10:43

once your starter pokemon or partner gets up to lv 16, it will evolve. It will evolve again on lv 36

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Comment by poing
2006-12-24 01:28:52

how can i beat moltres in red version

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Comment by MeW MaStEr32
2007-01-20 02:02:21

theres no difference in each version but moltres easiest weakness is repetative moves like doubleslap

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Comment by Mike A
2007-01-25 08:57:14

At the top of the sky tower my partner pokemon, charmander, just stands there while the leader, squirtle, get smacked up. I’ve noticed this at other boss fights too, the leader has to do all the work. That was not a problem until now, squirtle attacks are not that good against Raquaza. Any help would be great!! please.

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Comment by Mike A
2007-02-01 09:53:35

I solved my own problem, If i just stand there and let the boss come down to me then my partner joins in and it’s a short battle, when I run up to the boss my partner stands there like a post while I get smoked.

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Comment by pokelover
2007-04-04 23:40:54

go to wishcashes pond after beating rayquaza

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Comment by Brandon
2007-05-01 05:47:11

yo mommas,dudes i have a charmander in pokemon mystery dungeon red and its kinda hard to get to rayquaza.i got up to the part with the stone kangashkan and after that i got wipped by the stupid monster house if you know what the hell that is.its a part where ou almost got to the b f where the boss is but all of a suddden comes alot of enemy pokemon landing near you they fall on the ground like 10..maybe 12 somewhere around there i need help!! by the way my partner is daft! he uses good moves and waste pp on pokemon like pidgey when i go to tiny wood hes a stupid idiot i dont want him on my team.

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Comment by jr
2007-05-19 14:16:55

how do you change your leader.

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Comment by w3s3
2007-06-03 21:16:01

To change your leader you must first defeat rayquaza then you must wait for the credit role to go by. Next, you should follow the rest of the game and will lead you to whiscash pond at whiscash pond there will be a hole in the ground you can go down there alone and only alone it should say you must be alone to go down there or something like that go try to go to the tiny woods and your teammate will stop you he will talk about making a new leader then you just simply go evolve if you want then go visit your teammate in their friend area click join team then click on him again and click make leader and you will be playing as your teammate.

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Comment by seth
2007-07-30 10:00:21

i am a cubone in blue rescue team and my partner is a torchic i am level 37 i just got to sky tower floor 21 and likle 15 pokemonjump me.i a couple of questions will i do good a gainst rayqaza? will i stay a cubone after i beat raqaza . how many floors are ther

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Comment by moon
2007-08-07 08:45:44

can anyone please tell me how to get the move fly so I can get to sky tower PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

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