Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is a fantastic series of games and the Pokemon Company is tiptoeing back into the series. They haven’t released a game in this great series since Super Mystery Dungeon, but this remake of the original Red and Blue Rescue Team Games is a great start. Who knows they might remake Explorers of Sky next which is what fans want alongside a brand new Mystery Dungeon with every available Pokemon! For me, Rescue Team DX is a pure nostalgia trip. I have only ever played Blue Rescue Team on the DS and it shocks me a little. This series is something I’d imagine I would enjoy more if I played more games in the series but here I am playing a remake of the original game I enjoyed so much. Mystery Dungeon is a changed up version of the game as it shows off the Pokemon in 3D instead of as sprites. Some people might prefer sprites but with the added detail of the emotion art for the Pokemon, I prefer the new form.
At the beginning of the game, players will take a personality quiz. This quiz will choose the proper Pokemon for the player to play as. The cool thing about this remake is that if the player doesn’t like the choice they can choose for themself and then choose their partner. In the original players were locked into certain bubbles, in the original for instance I was Machop so I could choose Totodile. This time I jumped in as Totodile with Charmander as my partner. After this, players will complete a couple of dungeons and then begin the game in earnest. Players will need to pick up missions from the Pelipper post office before diving in after the first two missions. This is an important place and players will return every in-game day to check out what missions are available. It’s good to stock missions up for a location and head out when there are a bunch of them to complete.
The dungeons are top-down and like the original and it looks rather stunning. Players will travel through dungeons fighting Pokemon and looking for the stairs. The Pokemon must use their moves wisely and sometimes should use basic attacks. Players must balance how their Pokemon fight and it can be tricky when the dungeons get longer though, that is what items are for. The belly mechanic which has been absent in some of the series is back. This mechanic revolves around keeping the Pokemon fed. When their stomachs are empty they will begin to take damage. If not rectified this can cause the player’s team to lose, thus ending their adventure. It’s best to keep a stock of food and to pick up any food found in the dungeon.
Players will often return to the town where they can stock up on goods from the Kecleon Shop, store money at the Persian Bank, link moves with Gulpin and store items with Kangashkan. This is also where the player can train with Makuhita to level up their Pokemon. The Kecleon shop is the most useful as players can find a nice stock of TM’s or Technical Machines which teach Pokemon moves. The Makuhita Dojo has also been changed in this iteration of the game. In previous entries, players would simply head to the dojo and train to their heart’s content. This time around the plucky Makuhita requires either a Bronze, Silver or Gold Ticket. Each of the tickets gives the player around a minute to defeat as many Pokemon as possible. The amount of experience gained can be high, but the fact that it is such a short amount of time might irk some players. It’s still fun and a great way to bring new Pokemon up to snuff.
Players can also give their Pokemon Gummies which have been downgraded to simply Gold Gummies and DX Gummies. Though they are both important and should be used sparingly. DX Gummies will give the Pokemon given a Special Trait. These traits are new to the game and can change things up rather drastically. Some of the traits are rather fair, but others do seem to be a little broken. For instance, there is a trait that will cause any food eaten to fill the Pokemon’s belly. Other traits raise HP or make it more likely wild Pokemon will join the rescue team. It’s good to mix and match but know also that these traits often stack. It’s up to the player to use these skills to the max.
The game also includes Friend Areas. Though sadly players can’t walk around the Friend Areas. While the menus look nice as do the sprites it’s a static background with the sprites doing a basic movement. While I have no idea why they’d change this, it is an important place. This is where all of the Pokemon stay, and where players can tend to them with items, before bringing them onto their team. It would have been nice to be able to walk around the friend areas like in previous games but it’s not the biggest deal. Mystery Dungeon DX also has decent multiplayer action. While players can’t play together, they can head out to rescue fallen friends and strangers alike. It’s a great way to earn experience and items. Players will request help when they fall in battle and anyone looking can come to find them. It adds more playtime and saves people from having to restart dungeons so it’s worth taking part in.
One last thing to mention is the music. The music has always been great in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games. This one is no different. The remixes of the old tracks sound great and help give the game an even fresher coat of paint. I appreciate that they put in the time to fine-tune the already amazing songs. It’s super nostalgic playing through the game and hearing these classic songs. This game also offers up special codes given by The Pokemon Company. These codes give the player access to special missions where a certain pokemon like Mareep is a confirmed catch. They can also give out items though these are often seen as easy gains, and some don’t even use them. It’s up to the player whether they use these codes or not but sometimes they help if a player is in a pinch.
Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX is a stellar remake of a classic. I have enjoyed delving back into a game that gave me so much joy in 2004. It is a shame that I lost my original cartridge but I am glad to replay it now. This a pretty timeless game and a nice addition to the Nintendo Switch library. It might not be for everyone, but it is a solid dungeon crawler, and it does get pretty emotional. If the player has dreamed of living as a Pokemon in a humanless world this might be the game for them. With Pokemon to rescue and a world to save will the player become a Pokemon and save the day?