The cult classic Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series returns as Nintendo has announced Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX for the Nintendo Switch.
Early information indicates that these games are actually remakes of previous Pokemon Mystery Dungeon titles Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team. First released in Japan in 2005 for the Nintendo DS, those titles were the first entries into the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. As some fans may know, though, the Mystery Dungeon series existed quite a few years before the Pokemon license was added to the franchise.
It stands to reason, then, that this upcoming game will largely follow the format of the original titles. That is to say that you can expect to play as a human who is turned into a Pokemon who must complete a series of RPG-like assignments by exploring various dungeons. While much of the game’s action retains familiar elements of the Pokemon series (a limited selection of moves, counters, etc.), the Mystery Dungeon series utilizes a kind of tactical combat system blended with roguelike elements. The result is some surprisingly deep RPG gameplay that has helped make the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon spin-off series a beloved part of the larger franchise.
While it’s clear that this Switch remake will overhaul the original titles’ graphics, it’s less clear at this time what other changes this remake will make to the original adventures. There will presumably be some gameplay refinements taken from latter titles in the series, but we’re still waiting on those details at this time.
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This has to be welcome news for Pokemon fans everywhere, though. While we’ve enjoyed quite a few great Pokemon spinoffs over the years, the Mystery Dungeon games have long been praised as some of the most substantial entries into the overall franchise. It’s also worth noting that the Switch is enjoying a bounty of Pokemon-related content in relation to what previous Nintendo consoles have received. Perhaps Nintendo just feels Pokemon works best on a handheld compatible device.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX is set to release for Nintendo Switch on March 6. A demo for the title should be available later today.
Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.
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