Sunday 6 October 2013

Review No. 50 Pokémon Mystery Dungeons Blue Rescue Team - DS (3+)

Strong Points:
Amazing storyline
Great music
Brilliant ending
Nice gameplay
Lots of Pokémon
Friend areas are a nice touch
Personality test makes the game different to main series starts
Can be difficult
Lots to do

Weak points:
Wireless play isn't great
Can be frustrating
The music is far better than the graphics



In-depth Review:

Release Dates:
Japan: November 17, 2005
North America: September 18, 2006
Australia: September 28, 2006
Europe: November 10, 2006
South Korea: August 30, 2007

Controls: allgame
Outside of Dungeon:
A Button: select command
B Button: cancel command/run
X Button: open the menu
Start Button: display more detailed information on certain menus
Select Button: sort items on the item window
R Button: select multiple items
L Button: select multiple items
Control Pad: move cursor/move characters

Inside of Dungeon:
A Button: use regular attack/talk to Pokémon
B Button: run
X Button: open the menu
Y Button: decide which direction to face while standing still
Start Button: display more detailed information on certain menus
Select Button: display map/sort items on the item window/set moves
R Button: move diagonally
Control Pad: move cursor/move characters
L + A Button: use set moves
L + B Button: check message log
L + R Button: throw set items
A + B Button: pass your turn without moving

'Introducing the newest Pokémon. YOU! What if you woke up one day and you were a Pokémon?'
These were the taglines of Pokémon Mystery Dungeons Blue Rescue team and by god they set my heart racing. What if I did become a Pokémon? How amazing would that be?! I had to check it out. And while I didn't literally turn in to a Pokémon I did get to explore their world in more depth than ever before.

To begin with the game gives you a personality test to decide which Pokémon out of the 15 available (all nine starters from 1st to 3rd gen and Pikachu, Skitty, Psyduck, Meowth, Cubone and Machop) as if it was you who was turning into a Pokémon. Already the magic of this game has been set in stone. After this test you get to choose your partner who you later create a rescue squad with. This partner is a Pokémon from the remaining starters from earlier excluding the ones that are the same type as you and if they are not Skitty, Psyduck, Meowth, Cubone or Machop.

The actual story starts with you waking up to find your partner looking at you, glad to see that your alive even though he has never met you before. After naming yourself and getting told your weird, a Butterfree appears pleading that you rescue her Caterpie from a cavern. And so starts your adventure.

The gameplay is simple, walk around on a grid based system and attack Pokémon with four moves. You can have up to four Pokémon in your party including you and your party who all attack through the use of AI. After completing the main story, you gain the ability to play as one of your party Pokémon. To gain a Pokémon you have to defeat it and it might join you depending on certain variables. Your friends then go to friend areas (after unlocking and buying them) where you can go and see them as well as get them to join your party.

Dungeons are either accessed through the main storyline, going into them because you feel like it, or going to complete missions. Missions are picked up from the Notice Board and involve either giving a Pokémon an item or rescuing them.

Pokémon Square is the main area of the game and is where you can store and buy items, train in the dojo, get new moves, evolve (post story) among other things.

Conclusion: overall this game is great and shows that the Pokémon series can be strong in story as well as in gameplay. It's a shame the new one doesn't live up to this.

Rating: 90%

Goodbye for now, Harry

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