Sunday 6 October 2013

Review No. 51 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time - DS (3+)

Strong Points:
Great music
Huge map
Lots of things to do
Loads of Pokémon to befriend
Lots of legendary battles
Great and slightly darker storyline
Loads of starters
Personality test is still great
Challenging
A variety of missions

Weak Points:
Can get frustrating
Music overtakes graphics yet again
Friendship areas are gone



In-depth Review:
Release Date:
Japan: September 13, 2007
North America: April 20, 2008
Australia: June 19, 2008
Europe: July 4, 2008
South Korea: December 11, 2008

Controls: Allgame
Outside of Dungeon:
D-Pad: move Pokémon/move cursor
A Button: confirm command/talk/advance text
B Button: cancel command/advance text quickly
B Button + D-Pad: run
X Button: open menu/select detail
Y Button: select detail/sort items
L Button: select multiple items
L Button + R Button: select all items
R Button: talk to partner
R Button + D-Pad: advance items list pages by 10
Start Button: display more detail
Select Button: sort items

Inside of Dungeon:
D-Pad: move Pokémon/move cursor
A Button: confirm command/talk to Pokémon, advance text/regular attack
B Button: cancel command/open item menu
B Button + D-Pad: run
B Button + A Button: pass turn
X Button: open menu/select detail
L Button + A Button: use set move
L Button + B Button: check message log
L Button + R Button: throw set ammo
R Button: display diagonal move cursor
R Button + D-Pad: move diagonally/sort moves
Start Button: display grid
Select Button: display amp/set moves/sort items

'Your adventures as a Pokémon are just beginning. Team up with your new friends in a boundless quest through Time and Darkness!' This is the new tagline for the next game in the Mystery Dungeon series and while it implies the same thing as the first game (that you become a Pokémon) it is no worse for it.

This game uses and improves upon what the last game had: great music, storyline and twists, a different style of gameplay etc. It adds another 105 Pokémon bringing the total up to 491 (minus Shaymin and Arceus) and unlike the newest Mystery Dungeon game you can befriend them all!

The new storyline is great as well and involves you joining the Explorers Guild and going on adventures with your fellow guild mates and partner while trying to figure out why the Time Gears are being stolen. Oh, and did I mention the fact that the disappearance of Time Gears involves time stopping in an area and darkness reigning supreme?

The game begins with another personality test which decides your starter from the available (all starters, Pikachu, Meowth, Skitty and Munchlax) and then your partner (anyone who isn't the same type as you and is a starter or Pikachu) then the game starts properly. This one is a bit more extreme than the first games one as it starts out darkness and a voice saying to hold on for a while longer. Of course, you don't and fall in to the Pokémon world.

The new town is called Treasure Town (probably to do with you being an explorer) and contains the same sort of stuff as the first game. But in the Guild, there are two extra facilities which are unlocked at different points in the game: Croagunk's Swap shop and a mini game. In Croagunk's Swap Shop you can swap out rare items for even rarer ones which increase certain Pokémon's stats. The mini game involves you looking at a Pokémon's footprint and matching it to the Pokémon so your knowledge will really be tested here. Depending on how well you do you get different rewards such as Reviver Seeds.

A new mission type is also introduced: outlaws. In this mission type, you have to get to a certain point in a dungeon and then beat a tough Pokémon/ a team of Pokémon. This is fun and challenging and a great edition to the gameplay.

Two final things. You now have the ability to earn eggs as a reward for completing missions. Take them to Chansey for a new Pokémon to join your team! Also, find chests in dungeons and bring them to Xatu for appraisal. Who knows what you'll find?

Conclusion: overall this game improves upon and adds to the formula of the old game while adding a new and exciting storyline and new Pokémon.

Rating: 92 %

Goodbye for now, Harry

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