Pokémon Mystery Dungeon is a video game series that is part of the larger Pokémon franchise. It was created by Spike Chunsoft, a company that previously operated under the name Chunsoft. In these games, players control Pokémon, which are imaginary creatures that can communicate in human language. The games take place in randomly created dungeons, where players use turn-based actions to move through levels. These types of games are known as "Mystery Dungeon" games.

As of March 2020, there have been 11 games in the series, released on five different platforms. The series has also inspired several manga comics and animated television episodes. Each dungeon in the games has a floor map that is randomly created. Players battle other Pokémon, collect items, and find stairs to advance to the next floor. The goal is to exit the dungeon after reaching a set number of floors. Overall, the series has sold more than 17.26 million copies.

Gameplay

Although each game has unique features, the main ways to play are similar in all titles. This version is often considered simpler than other Mystery Dungeon games.

In the game, the player takes on the role of a Pokémon that was once a human. At the start, the player's Pokémon partner finds them. Before the game begins, players must take a personality test to determine which Pokémon they will partner with. However, in the WiiWare games and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, players can choose their starter Pokémon. In Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, players can also select their Pokémon after completing the personality test.

The game uses a style similar to classic roguelike games. Players explore randomly generated dungeons with their Pokémon team. Movement and actions happen in turns. Players can use basic attacks, Pokémon moves, and items. The game begins with one partner Pokémon, but players can recruit other Pokémon they meet during missions to join their team soon after the first mission.

Development

Tsunekazu Ishihara previously worked with Chunsoft. One of the company's projects was Tetris 2 + BomBliss, where Ishihara was the game's producer and met Koichi Nakamura, who was the game's director. Before developing Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, Ishihara played some games from the Mystery Dungeon series, including Torneko's Great Adventure: Mystery Dungeon, and found the genre's depth and quality impressive. The game's development began after Seiichiro Nagahata and Shin-ichiro Tomie approached Ishihara and agreed to create an easier version of the genre for mainline Pokémon fans.

Games

The games are created by Spike Chunsoft, which was previously known as Chunsoft before it merged with another company in 2012. They are published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.

The first game in the series, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team, was released in Japan in 2005 and globally in 2006. These two games were released on different platforms: Red Rescue Team for the Game Boy Advance and Blue Rescue Team for the Nintendo DS. A free promotional demo titled Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gold Rescue Team (Korean: 포켓몬 불가사의 던전 황금 구조대) was released in 2007 for Windows PCs to promote the South Korean version of Blue Rescue Team.

In 2007, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness were released for the Nintendo DS in Japan and globally in 2008. Starting with Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky in 2009, which is an improved version of Explorers of Time and Darkness, the series was no longer released in Taiwan and South Korea. Additionally, due to limited production, Explorers of Sky had few copies available in Australia, and most stores sold imported versions from the United Kingdom.

After the release of Explorers of Sky in Japan, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Adventure Squad games were released exclusively for the WiiWare platform in Japan. These are the only Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games that were never released outside Japan. They were first shown as logos on pamphlets given out at McDonald's. These games use 3D models from Pokémon Rumble and My Pokémon Ranch, making them the first in the series to use 3D models instead of 2D images. The three versions—Fire Adventure Team, Storm Adventure Team, and Light Adventure Team—have different starting points and initial Pokémon choices based on their colors (red, blue, and yellow). Players can request friends to revive their team. Using WiiConnect24, new missions are added while the Wii is not in use, and save data can be shared across all three games. Unlike other games in the series, players control a normal Pokémon instead of a human turned into a Pokémon. A feature called "Pokémon Tower" allows players to stack their Pokémon to perform special attacks. The Nintendo DS can be used as a controller, with its touchscreen allowing players to select Pokémon moves. All three versions received an unofficial English translation in April 2020.

In 2012, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan and globally in 2013. After this, the series used specifically created 3D models instead of 2D images or 3D models from other games.

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon is the most recent non-remake game in the series, released in 2015 for the Nintendo 3DS and in 2016 in PAL regions.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is the latest game in the series, released in 2020 for the Nintendo Switch. It is a remake of the original Rescue Team games on the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, combining them into one game with updated graphics and revised gameplay.

Other media

Over the years, manga and animated series adaptations were created for each title in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series.

• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate! (2006) – an anime adaptation of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team.
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness (2008) – an anime adaptation of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness.
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky Beyond Time & Darkness / Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Sky Expedition ~The Final Adventure Surpassing Time and Darkness~ (2009) – an anime adaptation of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky.
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Animated Shorts (2015) – an anime adaptation of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity.

• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team – a manga adaptation of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team.
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team – a manga adaptation of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness, and Explorers of Sky.
• Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Go For It! Novice Investigation Team! – a manga adaptation of Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon.

Reception

The Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series is considered the most popular part of the larger Mystery Dungeon franchise. It accounted for more than 70% of all copies sold in total, and it has a larger and more active community worldwide because of its connection with the Pokémon franchise.

During the development of Red and Blue Rescue Team, Kouji Malta, a programmer for these games who had previously worked on EarthBound and Shiren the Wanderer 2: Shiren's Castle and the Oni Invasion, said the company was experiencing financial difficulties. Employees left the company one by one because of these problems. The game's success increased the popularity of the Mystery Dungeon franchise and helped Chunsoft avoid bankruptcy after years of financial problems. The series sold more than 10 million copies before the release of Explorers of Sky.