Pokémon Mystery Dungeon

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon[1] is a video game series spin-off from the main Pokémon series developed by Spike Chunsoft (formerly Chunsoft). The games feature the fictional creatures called Pokémon who have the ability to speak human language navigating through a randomly generated dungeon using turn-based moves, indicative of Mystery Dungeon games. As of March 2020, there have been eleven games across five platforms, as well as two manga adaptations and several animated specials. These games are based in dungeons (“mystery dungeons”) where a floor map is randomly generated. In the dungeons, players fight other Pokémon while obtaining items and finding stairs to the next floor, exiting the dungeon after a fixed number of floors. Across all installments, the series has sold over 16.50 million copies.^[a]

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
The Mystery Dungeon logo used in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Genre(s)	Role-playing, Roguelike
Developer(s)	Spike Chunsoft (formerly Chunsoft)
Publisher(s)	The Pokémon Company Nintendo
Creator(s)	Koichi Nakamura
Platform(s)	Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, WiiWare, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch
First release	Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team November 17, 2005
Latest release	Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX March 6, 2020
Parent series	Mystery Dungeon

Gameplay

Although there are different features in each of the titles, the major aspects of gameplay in each title are the same. The player assumes the role of a Pokémon that was transformed from a human, found by the player's Pokémon partner in the start of the game. Before the game starts, the player will need to go through a personality test; this will decide which Pokémon the player is in the game (with the exception of the WiiWare games, Gates to Infinity, and Super Mystery Dungeon, where the player may choose their starter. In Rescue Team DX, one can choose a Pokemon to be after the personality test). Gameplay is based on a classic roguelike game, with the player navigating the randomly generated dungeon with their Pokémon team. Movement and actions are turn-based; the player can use basic attacks, Pokémon moves, and items. The game starts with one partner Pokémon, but the player can recruit other Pokémon that they meet in the dungeon into their team soon after the first mission.

Video games

Title	Details
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team Original release date(s): JP: November 17, 2005 NA: September 18, 2006 AU: September 28, 2006 PAL: November 10, 2006	Release years by system: 2005 – Nintendo DS 2005 – Game Boy Advance 2020 – Nintendo Switch
	Notes: Was released on 2 separate platform versions and later remade together on 1 platform: Red Rescue Team is the Game Boy Advance version. Blue Rescue Team is the Nintendo DS version. The games were remade for Nintendo Switch under one game, Rescue Team DX, which released on March 6, 2020.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness Original release date(s): JP: September 13, 2007 NA: April 20, 2008 PAL: July 4, 2008	Release years by system: 2007 – Nintendo DS
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky Original release date(s): JP: April 18, 2009 NA: October 12, 2009 PAL: November 20, 2009	Release years by system: 2009 – Nintendo DS
	Notes: An enhanced remake of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness. Due to a production shortage, Explorers of Sky had limited circulation throughout Australia. Most retailers in Australia stocked UK-imported versions.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Keep Going! Blazing Adventure Squad!, Let's Go! Stormy Adventure Squad!, and Go For It! Light Adventure Squad! Original release date(s): JP: August 4, 2009	Release years by system: 2009 – WiiWare
	Notes: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Keep Going! Blazing Adventure Squad! (ポケモン不思議のダンジョン すすめ！炎の冒険団), Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Let's Go! Stormy Adventure Squad! (ポケモン不思議のダンジョン いくぞ！嵐の冒険団), and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Go For It! Light Adventure Squad! (ポケモン不思議のダンジョン めざせ！光の冒険団) The games were developed by Chunsoft, and published by Nintendo. By using WiiConnect24, new missions are added to the game while the Wii is asleep. The three different versions have various differences, like starting points and initial Pokémon choices.[2] Players can share save data throughout all three games. There is a rescue feature where players can request for friends to revive their team.[3] They were initially revealed as logos on pamphlets given out at McDonald's.[4] The graphics for the Pokémon are similar to My Pokémon Ranch, in an attempt to make "something that resembles a picture book".[2] They were the first Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games not to be released overseas.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity Original release date(s): JP: November 23, 2012 NA: March 24, 2013 EU: May 17, 2013	Release years by system: 2013 – Nintendo 3DS[5]
	Notes: Named Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Magnagate and the Infinite Labyrinth (ポケモン不思議のダンジョン マグナゲートと∞迷宮) in Japan. Named Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity in English-speaking countries.
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Original release date(s): JP: September 17, 2015[6] NA: November 20, 2015[6] EU: February 19, 2016[6]	Release years by system: 2015 – Nintendo 3DS[7]
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX Original release date(s): WW: March 6, 2020[8]	Release years by system: 2020 – Nintendo Switch[8]
	Notes: Remake for the Nintendo Switch of the original Rescue Team games on Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance as one game, with a complete overhaul of the graphics and reworked gameplay.

Comics

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

Animated specials

• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out Of The Gate! (2006)
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness (2008)
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky Beyond Time & Darkness / Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Sky Expedition ~The Final Adventure Surpassing Time and Darkness~ (2009)
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Animated Shorts Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Animated Shorts (2015)

Notes

^^[a] 5.85 million copies sold from the Rescue Team titles,[9][10][11] 6.37 million copies sold from the Explorers titles,[12][13][11] 1.37 million copies sold from Gates to Infinity,[14][15][16] 1.65 million copies sold from Super Mystery Dungeon,[17][16] and 1.26 million copies sold from Rescue Team DX.[18]

References

1. Japanese: ポケモン不思議 (ふしぎ)のダンジョン, Hepburn: Pokemon Fushigi no Danjon
2. Anoop Gantayat (July 15, 2009). "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Hits WiiWare - Wii News at IGN". IGN. Archived from the original on January 1, 2012. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
3. JC Fletcher (2009-07-15). "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon for WiiWare: first trailer and details | Joystiq". Joystiq. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
4. John Tanaka (June 16, 2009). "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon WiiWare? - Wii News at IGN". IGN. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
5. Thomas, Lucas M. (September 14, 2012). "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 3DS Announced". IGN. Ziff Davis.
6. Brian (2015-05-21). "Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon announced, coming to 3DS winter 2015". Nintendo Everything. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
7. "Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon unearthed for 3DS". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. May 21, 2015.
8. Pokémon (2020-01-09). "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX announced, coming to Nintendo Switch March 2020". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
9. "Nintendo Co. Ltd. Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2007 Supplementary Information about Earnings Release" (PDF). Nintendo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
10. Casamassina, Matt (2007-07-25). "Nintendo Sales Update". IGN. Archived from the original on 2019-09-22. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
11. CESA Games White Papers. Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association.
12. "Nintendo Co. Ltd. Financial Results Briefing for the Fiscal Year Ended March 2009 Supplementary Information" (PDF). Nintendo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
13. "Nintendo Co. Ltd. Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ended March 2010" (PDF). Nintendo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
14. Handrahan, Matthew (28 January 2013). "Pokemon tops 2012 software chart in Japan". GamesIndustry. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
15. Makuch, Eddie (12 September 2013). "Pikmin 3 US sales reach 115,000 units". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
16. 2020CESAゲーム白書 (2020 CESA Games White Papers). Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association. 2020. ISBN 978-4-902346-42-8.
17. "Nintendo Co., Ltd. Earning Release for Fiscal Year Ended March 2016 Supplementary Information" (PDF). Nintendo. Apr 28, 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
18. "Fiscal Year Ended March 2020 Financial Results Explanatory Material" (PDF). Nintendo. Retrieved May 7, 2020.