Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

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The Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series (Japanese: ポケモン不思議(ふしぎ)のダンジョン Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, also ポケダン Pokédan[1]) is a series of spin-off games developed by Spike Chunsoft. Being the longest-running series of spin-off games, it currently includes eleven different games, and has been expanded into several manga and several animated specials.

History

A poster from Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, featuring characters from all entries in the series except for the WiiWare games

The first pair of games in the series, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, were released on the Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo DS in Japan on November 17, 2005, in North America on September 18, 2006, and elsewhere during the rest of 2006 and 2007. The games feature all 386 Pokémon from Generations I, II, and III. An anime adaptation loosely based on the game, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!, first aired in Japan on March 23, 2007 and in the United States on September 8, 2006. A manga series based on the games, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team, was also released. In South Korea, only Blue Rescue Team was released, but the free PC demo Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gold Rescue Team was also available.

The second pair, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, were released on the Nintendo DS in Japan on September 13, 2007, in North America on April 20, 2008, and elsewhere during the rest of 2008. They introduced almost all of the Generation IV Pokémon into the series, excluding Shaymin and Arceus, which were not officially revealed at the time. Another anime adaptation, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness, first aired in Japan on September 9, 2007. It aired almost a year later in the United States on September 1, 2008. The manga Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness were also based on the games.

Their third version, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, was released in Japan on April 18, 2009, in North America on October 12, 2009, and in Australia and Europe in November 2009. This game has several additions to the storyline of Time and Darkness, including the addition of the Pokémon Shaymin. The most recent anime adaptation, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness, aired in Japan on April 12, 2009, airing in the US a few months later, on October 9, 2009.

On August 4, 2009, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Keep Going! Blazing Adventure Squad!, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Let's Go! Stormy Adventure Squad!, and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Go For It! Light Adventure Squad! were released for the Wii only in Japan as WiiWare games. Each game is slightly different from each other, with less story and background than other Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games. The three are the only Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games not to be released internationally and to be released exclusively on digital media, and are the first to be released on a home console.

The first solitary title, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, was released in Japan on November 23, 2012, in North America on March 24, 2013, and in Europe and Australia in May 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS. The game features Generation V Pokémon in addition to Pokémon from previous generations. Two animated shorts based on the games were also produced.

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, the most recent entry in the series, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on September 17, 2015, in North America on November 20, 2015, and in Europe and Australia in February 2016. Being released during Generation VI, the game features all 720 Pokémon revealed at the time. Unlike previous Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, the game features cameo appearances by many characters who appeared in earlier entries.

On January 9, 2020, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, a remake of Red and Blue Rescue Team, was announced. It was released for Nintendo Switch worldwide on March 6, 2020. It is a mostly faithful remake with the addition of gameplay changes and enhancements and cross-generational evolutions.

Gameplay

Main article: Mystery Dungeon game mechanics

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon is an adaptation of the Mystery Dungeon games. Like the core series Pokémon games, it has two gameplay modes; unlike the core series games, battle mode and dungeon mode are not distinct. It is a turn-based game, with each step, attack, or item use being counted as a single turn.

The size of a party is limited to four in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (three in Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon), compared to six in the core series games. Furthermore, players are only able to directly control one Pokémon: their own character (or, later in the game, any other befriended Pokémon). The player's teammates are essentially autonomous, with player control being limited to general strategy such as avoiding Pokémon battles or not moving and staying in one place. The type of AI used by team members can be changed.

Most of the gameplay takes place within Mystery Dungeons, with many floors and hostile Pokémon. Due to the many dangers, exploration teams prepare for the challenges by using the many services offered at Pokémon settlements such as Pokémon Square and Treasure Town.

The games also feature storylines common in the aspects of the player having been transformed into a Pokémon and lost all memory of their human life, and an emotional separation from the befriended partner at the end of the main plot before the credits.

List of games

Gen. Image Title Japanese title Platform Release date
Japan North America Europe Australia South Korea Hong Kong Taiwan
III MD Red EN boxart.jpg Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 赤の救助隊
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team
Game Boy Advance November 17, 2005 September 18, 2006 November 10, 2006 September 28, 2006
Wii U Virtual Console March 23, 2016 June 23, 2016 February 12, 2016 February 11, 2016
Nintendo Switch Online August 9, 2024 August 9, 2024 August 9, 2024 August 9, 2024 August 9, 2024
MD Blue EN boxart.jpg Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 青の救助隊
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
Nintendo DS November 17, 2005 September 18, 2006 November 10, 2006 September 28, 2006 August 30, 2007 November 17, 2005
Wii U Virtual Console March 23, 2016 June 23, 2016 February 12, 2016 February 11, 2016
IV MD Time EN boxart.jpg Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 時の探検隊
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time
Nintendo DS September 13, 2007 April 20, 2008 July 4, 2008 June 19, 2008 December 11, 2008 September 13, 2007
MD Darkness EN boxart.jpg Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 闇の探検隊
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness
IV MD Sky EN boxart.jpg Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 空の探検隊
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
Nintendo DS April 18, 2009 October 12, 2009 November 20, 2009 November 12, 2009 April 18, 2009
Wii U Virtual Console July 20, 2016 June 23, 2016 August 18, 2016 August 18, 2016
IV PMD KGBAS Japanese.png ポケモン不思議のダンジョン
すすめ!炎の冒険団

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon:
Keep Going! Blazing Adventure Squad
Wii August 4, 2009
PMD LGSAS Japanese.png ポケモン不思議のダンジョン
いくぞ!嵐の冒険団

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon:
Let's Go! Stormy Adventure Squad
PMD GFILAS Japanese.png ポケモン不思議のダンジョン
めざせ!光の冒険団

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon:
Go For It! Light Adventure Squad
V MD GTI EN boxart.png Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity ポケモン不思議のダンジョン
マグナゲートと∞迷宮

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon:
Magnagate and the Infinite Labyrinth
Nintendo 3DS November 23, 2012 March 24, 2013 May 17, 2013 May 18, 2013
VI Super Mystery Dungeon EN boxart.png Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon ポケモン超不思議のダンジョン
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon
Nintendo 3DS September 17, 2015 November 20, 2015 February 19, 2016 February 20, 2016
VIII MD Rescue Team DX EN boxart.png Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 救助隊DX
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
Nintendo Switch March 6, 2020 March 6, 2020 March 6, 2020 March 6, 2020 March 6, 2020 March 6, 2020

List of animated episodes and short films

Code Screenshot English title Japanese title US broadcast Japan broadcast Time between
* Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate! Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate! ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 出動!ポケモン救助隊ガンバルズ!
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Setting Out! Pokémon Rescue Team Ganbarus!
September 8, 2006 March 23, 2007 196 days
* Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 時の探検隊・闇の探検隊
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Explorers of Darkness
September 1, 2008 September 9, 2007 358 days
* Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 空の探検隊 時と闇をめぐる 最後の冒険
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky: The Final Adventure Crossing Time and Darkness
October 9, 2009 April 12, 2009 180 days
* Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (Part 1) Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (Part 1) パラダイス篇
The Paradise
March 26, 2013 November 1, 2012 145 days
* Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (Part 2) Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (Part 2) 冒険篇
The Adventure
March 26, 2013 November 1, 2012 145 days
 

List of manga adaptations

Image English title Japanese title Volumes Chapters Summary
Volume 1 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team ポケモン不思議のダンジョンギンジの救助隊
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team
1 6 An adaptation of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team's main storyline. Nearly direct, but features a very different ending from the games.
Volume 1 ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 炎の探検隊
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team
1 6 A manga adaptation of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness.
PMD EoTD manga.png Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness (manga) 0 1 A 16-page manga adaptation of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness. Appeared in the Explorer's Guide book, which was included with pre-ordered copies of the games.
PSMD Novice investigation team cover.png ポケモン超不思議のダンジョンそれいけ!新米調査団
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Go For It! Novice Investigation Team!
A 32-page manga adaptation of Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon. Takes place during the Lively Town segment of the story.

Trivia

In other languages

Language Title
France Flag.png French Pokémon Donjon Mystère
Germany Flag.png German Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Italy Flag.png Italian Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
South Korea Flag.png Korean 포켓몬 불가사의 던전 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Spain Flag.png Spanish Pokémon Mundo misterioso

References

Pikachu series: Hey You, Pikachu!ChannelDash
TCG: Game Boy TCG series: Trading Card GameTrading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR!
Play It! series: Play It!Play It! Version 2
TCG Client series: Card Game OnlineTrading Card Game OnlineTrading Card Game Live
Misc. TCG: Say Tap?Card Game: How to Play DSCard Game Entry Battle
Card Game GachaTCG Card DexDigital Raid Battle Assistant
Trading Card Game Pocket
Super Smash Bros. series: Super Smash Bros.MeleeBrawlfor Nintendo 3DS/Wii UUltimate
Snap series: SnapNew Pokémon Snap
Picross: Picross NP Vol. 1Picross (GBC) (canceled)Picross (3DS)
Pinball series: PinballPinball: RS
Puzzle series: Puzzle LeaguePuzzle Challenge
Trozei series: Trozei!Battle Trozei
Mystery Dungeon
series
:
Red Rescue Team & Blue Rescue Team
Explorers of Time & Explorers of DarknessExplorers of Sky
Blazing, Stormy & Light Adventure Squad
Gates to InfinitySuper Mystery DungeonRescue Team DX
Ranger series: RangerShadows of AlmiaGuardian Signs
Puck series: BattrioTretta (Tretta Lab) • Ga-OléMezastarFrienda
Rumble series: RumbleRumble BlastRumble URumble WorldRumble Rush
PokéPark series: PokéPark WiiPokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond
Detective Pikachu series: Detective PikachuDetective Pikachu Returns
Playground: Pokémon Detective Pikachu
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