Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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119 of 140 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
This Game Itself is a Mystery, September 20, 2006
Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars
The truth is, I really wanted to like this game. I really did. It's all because the Pokemon RPGs of the past have been good. The craze for the Red and Blue versions, and then the far superior Gold and Silver versions (arguably the best of the lot). Then Ruby and Sapphire came along. All these RPGs were simple, yet for some reason delightful to play. Now Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Red and Blue come out, and it seems I had my hopes up for this one. It's no where near as interesting, and it's even sadder that even on the Nintendo DS the game just didn't go above and beyond.
The basic premise of the story is, like every Pokemon game, rather simple. You're an aspiring trainer who one day falls asleep only to wake up as a pokemon. The pokemon you wake up as depends on how you answer the questions at the start of the new game. You'll also be able to choose a pokemon partner who will be the one that awakens you. You and your partner will find yourself in a world completely full of pokemon. Unfortunately all is not safe. You and your ally will soon discover that other pokemon are always in need of help in this new world. So it's up to you to answer ditress calls of other pokemon, go to the specified dungeon and save them. It's basic. It's simple. And throughout your journey you won't see one trainer. Ever.
Since there are no trainers, one has to wonder how to expand upon their party. Well, you still get new pokemon from the wild as you did before, but it's slightly different. When you defeat a wild pokemon they will offer to join your team. Learning moves however is almost exactly the same as previous games. By leveling and through TMs. You can also team up and perform moves as well.
All these things are really engrossing, and they've got some neat things going for it, but it doesn't separate from the things you begin to notice as you trek through the game. The first being that most of the game is just boring. The dungeon floors are randomly generated and sometimes the exit will be right next to the entrance. Although that's not such a bad thing when battling is a fairly uneventful task anyway. The AI of your allies is horrible, yet they can still hold their own in a battle against an enemy. Even bosses are easily taken down by your party.
The worst part may very well be that the true core of the gameplay doesn't come out until you've completed the main story. More abilities become available after. You're finally able to take control of other Pokemon after. Your Pokemon also won't evolve until you complete the main story.
What would a Pokemon game be without two versions? There's the Blue version which is on the Nintendo DS, and then the Red version which is on the GBA. Don't be fooled, however. They're basically the same game. Just like every other set of Pokemon games, though, each version has exclusive pokemon.
The saving grace of this set up, however, is all the connectivity features that can be done. If you insert both games into your DS at a time, you can import Pokemon from one game to another. This is an easy way to get all of them. It's also really neat that you can trade items, missions, and pokemon this way. In addition, if you get KO'd in a dungeon and your party gets wiped out, you could send out a message to your friend and he/she will have to come and rescue you. The connectivity features are very engrossing. And of course, you can hook up via wireless (for DS owners) or link cable (GBA owners) and battle with your friends.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon doesn't really look all that great. It's no surprise, Pokemon games never look fantastic graphically. If you want to know the truth, the DS version looks exactly like the GBA version. There's hardly any difference between them. The game is certainly colorful, but there's just not enough variety in the environments and there are hardly any 3D effects brought out. For the Nintendo DS, which has to compete with far better looking games it's really hard for it to hold it's own here.
Worse than the graphics is the sound, though. A lot of the sound effects and such come directly from the normal gameboy games that are almost ten years old. The music itself isn't so bad, but it is quite repetitive. Again, however, it's no surprise because as usual, Pokemon games don't usually push a system to its limits.
It's hard to suggest Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. It's a Pokemon game, but it's a rather bland Pokemon game. It's neat that you can finally play as a Pokemon, but the game as a whole could've been presented far better than it actually was. There's little variety to it, actually, which is really sad considering how big and expansive previous Pokemon games are. It's got plenty of rescue missions, but after a while they're much more repetitive than exciting. I can't suggest one buy this. Even the most die hard of Pokemon fans will have trouble getting into this game.
On the positive side
+You actually play as the Pokemon and not the trainer
+There's plenty of connectivity stuff to be done between both versions, mastering the game as a whole will take a really long time
+There's never an end to rescue missions, even long after you've completed the story mode
On the negative side
-Battles are too easy
-The AI for your enemies and allies are bad, yet the game is still easy, and your AI controlled characters are still competent enough to get through the battle without you
-Most of the more interesting tweaks of the game are available only AFTER story mode is complete
-Graphically the game doesn't hold up
-The sound effects are absolutely terrible
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fresh and new style of Pokémon game sure to keep you busy!, September 25, 2006
A Kid's Review
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
So, you're thinking about purchasing Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Force or Blue Rescue Force. Maybe this review will help you make up your mind. If you've been on the web, you may have noticed that Mystery Dungeon has been getting quite low scores for a Pokémon game. Well, I think those people are just afraid of change, underestimate the games, and expected something entirely different. Trust me; this is a very good game.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon goes where no Pokémon game has gone before--you finally get to become a Pokémon and see life through their eyes. You first take a simple personality quiz to determine what kind of Pokémon you best represent. After being told which one of the 16 possible Pokémon starters you are, you pick an appropriate partner. Then the real story begins, and you as a human are transformed into a Pokémon, you go on rescue missions, set up a rescue force, recruit new Pokémon, and learn why you have undergone these drastic changes.
The story and cutscenes of the games really surprised me. Being a fourteen year old, I expected the meat of the game to be a little corny, especially since it's such an interesting story that they've chosen. Boy, was I wrong, because the intriguing story and surprising turn of events really make the game stand out.
Since the two games are nearly identical, the graphics don't really differ between them. They are very good for Game Boy, and are still pretty good for Nintendo DS considering how huge the games are. The music suits the game very well, and I especially love the boss Pokémon tunes. As far as the replay value goes, the game takes anywhere from 14-20 hours to complete the main story, and another 20 or so hours to do the extra missions. Since there are always going to be missions for you to do from the Post Office and Message Board, the games literally never end.
The games, for the most part, hold true to the Pokémon theme, but put it into a different perspective. There are actually levels, commonly called caves or dungeons, which you traverse through and battle wild Pokémon in them. The battles are actually quite similar, but you stay on the same screen during battle and each move (attacking or walking) in the dungeon is one "turn". There are tons of new items, as well as classic ones, that add a new twist to the games. You need apples to keep from going hungry; rocks and sticks to throw at enemies as attacks; gummies to eat and increase IQ; accessories to change stats or allow certain abilities; seeds to eat and gain abilities or change stats. You can't "catch" Pokémon, you must recruit them by being a high level and having the appropriate "friend area" for them to live in. It takes a little bit to get used to, but once you've got the basics down, they stick with you.
The games are actually pretty difficult in the later levels, and require patience and strategy. Each floor of a dungeon is different, and they change every time you enter them (adding extra replay value), requiring you to traverse the entire floor to find the stairs to the next floor in some instances, or just walking a few steps to the stairs in others. Because it is so random, you should always be prepared! I hate it when I see other reviews saying that the game only has around 16 or so dungeons, because that is ENTIRELY wrong. If my counting is correct, I believe there are 43 or 44 different dungeons in the game. Some of the early ones have 3 or 4 floors, but some of the late ones have 99 floors! The bosses are yes, legendary Pokémon, and they are pretty hard. The boss battles are epic, and once you complete certain circumstances, you can go back, rebottle them, and even recruit them on your team! Hooray! (Once you beat the main story, you have the option to evolve your Pokémon, and play as other Pokémon other than your starter).
The Mystery Dungeon games have nothing inappropriate in them, aren't very violent at all, and shouldn't cause anything bad to enter your household. (Parents, you should pay attention to what your kids are playing!)
If you are trying to decide which version to get, here are some tips. The Red version is for Game Boy Advance, and the Blue is for Nintendo DS. If you only have a Game Boy, buy Red. If you have a DS, which can play Red and Blue, buy Blue because you can use the top screen to keep track of your map.
Overall, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red and Blue are very good games, and should keep you Pokémon fans busy while you await Diamond and Pearl.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A nice change from the usual Pokemon games, November 23, 2006
A Kid's Review
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
Pokemon Mystery is a nice change from the original Pokemon games (I, personally, was getting tired of always being the trainer and never the Pokemon). This game puts a whole new twist to the games. You go to sleep as a trainer, and wake up the next moring as a Pokemon, in a world ravaged by natural diasters. You and your partner Pokemon go on rescue missions to save Pokemon hurt by these diasters. You can be one of fifteen diferent Pokemon: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Treeko, Cyndiquil, Totodile, Mudkip, Torchic, Chikorita, Skitty, Meawth, Machop. Psyduck, Pikachu, and Cubone. The main story of the game is engrossing; I find it fun to go on rescue missions and save Pokemon. However, towards the end, I was tired of being a Mudkip and not being able to evolve. After I finally defeated the Sky Tower (beware of the Shuppets-they use Spite and take away all your PP), I was able to evolve and choose defeat leaders, as well as recruit legendary Pokemon. Thankfully, this isn't one of the games where it's boring after you finish it. Actually, it's more fun after you finish the main story. Also, I created a new game, this time with a Skitty, and found that it was still fun and enjoyable, even though I had already done it before! Some people have complained about how the dungeons are plain, bland, and always look the same, and I have to agree; they aren't exactly the most realistic, eye-popping graphics ever seen. The only other bad thing about this game is that two people that have Blue Rescue Team can't battle each other. Only people that have Blue and Red can, which I think is pointless. However, the game's story makes up for that. I'd have to say this game is just as fun as Gold Version, and that's saying something! I reccomend this game to all that have finally tired of the original Pokemon gameplay and are ready for a new game!
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