Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
Encyclopedia
and are a matched pair of Pokémon
games
for the Nintendo DS
. The two games were released in Japan on September 13, 2007, and were released in North America
on April 20, 2008. They were released in Europe
on July 4, 2008.
A sequel to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team, new features include the addition of Generation IV Pokémon, improved Wi-Fi
functionality, and more touch-screen options. 491 of the 493 Pokémon are featured, as Shaymin and Arceus
were not officially released at the time of the game's launch.
A 21-minute TV special based on the game starring Kurumi Mamiya
aired in Japan on September 9, 2007 as a content of the program relating Pokémon, "Pokémon Sunday" produced by TV Tokyo Corporation
. It was later dubbed in English in 2008.
, the player takes on the role of a human who has been turned into a Pokémon, whose type is determined by a personality test. A partner Pokémon is also selected who will henceforth be referred to as "the partner". Unlike Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team, the gender does not restrict the available selection of Pokémon for either the player or the partner, though both player and partner may not be of the same type. The test sets the player as one of the many natures in the mainstream games, and two Pokémon will be set to that nature, one for male, one for female.
The player may be Bulbasaur
, Charmander
, Squirtle
, Pikachu
, Meowth
, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko
, Torchic
, Mudkip
, Skitty, Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup and Munchlax; a total of 16 Pokémon to choose from.
Once chosen, the partner may be any of the above Pokémon, with the exception of Pokémon of the same type of the player, Meowth, Skitty and Munchlax. Eevee
, Machop, Cubone and Psyduck
were removed as starter Pokémon, though Eevee was again made available in the game's remake. Riolu was debated for a player Pokémon in Explorers of Time and Darkness, but the idea was eventually dropped, and Riolu was selected for the Explorers of Sky list.
Like previous installments, players may send out an SOS if they are defeated in the dungeon (certain dungeons will not permit this), which can be done either using passwords or DS Wireless Communications as before, but now it may be also done through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
. Players may also choose to be notified of friends in need of rescue by email or through the Wii Message Board.
Among new items introduced are treasure boxes, which require money to be opened and may contain rare items. Rare items, however, may only affect certain Pokémon. They can also be used to trade for rarer and more valuable items using a new shop. New items are also introduced to account for new evolution methods which do not translate well from the main series to Mystery Dungeon (such as Probopass, Magnezone, Leafeon, or Glaceon). Pokémon eggs have been introduced to Mystery Dungeon, where the newly hatched Pokémon will join the player's team. Finally, "Friend Areas" from Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team have been eliminated in favour of a more streamlined team management process.
The Wonder Mail has also changed, the reason for this is that many were using Wonder Mail To Cheat in Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team.
, Combee, Lucario
, Pachirisu, and Riolu, while the Pokémon exclusive to Explorers of Darkness are Burmy, Buneary, Lopunny, Mewtwo
, and Rotom. Despite this, Celebi and Mewtwo are currently impossible to recruit except on their respective games. Also, some items are much rarer in one version than in another.
The player discovers not too long after that he/she has the ability to spontaneously see things in the past and future, through physical contact with people or things. This leads to the player rescuing azurill( residents), from Drowzee
, a wanted criminal. Some time after, the partner tells the player the story of the Time Gears, the artifacts that all Pokémon are to avoid lest time stand still. When a Time Gear is stolen, time in that area is frozen. Despite this, it is soon revealed that a mysterious thief is stealing the Time Gears, causing time to stop in various areas.
The first proper mission that the team go on is to Drenched Bluff, to recover a Spoink's missing pearl.
The player and partner get quite excited when Chatot gives them a exploration mission, to explore an "unexplored cave" called Waterfall Cave. Before this, eagle
provides a new feature to the exploration team, allowing them to recruit new members. After Waterfall Cave, the player finds out that Wigglytuff
has previously explored this cave.
Dusknoir determines that, the third lake guardian Azelf, the being of willpower, is likely to be guarding another Time Gear. Dusknoir further explains that as Uxie and Mesprit were encountered in lakes, Azelf is also likely to be found in a lake area. The team arrives at the lake in the middle of Crystal cave, where they find Azelf about to be defeated by Grovyle. However, just as Grovyle is about to steal the Time Gear, Azelf activates a fail-safe trap, which prevents it from doing so. Grovyle then escapes, but with Dusknoir in pursuit.
Back in town, Dusknoir reveals that he and Grovyle are from the future, and that Grovyle fled to the past to prevent from being captured, and intends to steal the Time Gears so as to cause the Planet's Paralysis, an event turning the Pokémon world into a dark, dismal region filled with scared and corrupted Pokémon.(However what Duskinior said is a lye and it's actually vice-versa.) Everyone comes up with a plan to capture Grovyle, by luring him in with the Time Gear that still remains, but Dusknoir adds that he and the Lake Trio alone must battle Grovyle for capture. A few days later a report comes in, indicating that Grovyle has been captured, and that Dusknoir plans to take Grovyle back to the future to face justice. The Time Gears have been returned to their rightful places, and Dusknoir has opened a Dimensional Hole to take Grovyle back to the future. Dusknoir bids farewell to the villagers, but suddenly grabs the player and partner, and drags them with him into the portal.
They learn that the paralysis was caused by time breaking down before the theft of the Gears because of Temporal Tower, which gives structure to time itself. When the tower collapsed, its head occupant, Dialga the Time Dragon, survived the collapse but became corrupted due to the flow of darkness that possessed and twisted the minds of countless Pokémon. Now living as a tyrannical being known as Primal Dialga, it has sworn to preserve the dark future so as to maintain its fearsome form. It is also established that Grovyle has pure motives for collecting Time Gears, so as to prevent the planet's paralysis in Temporal Tower. This story contradicts Dusknoir's fallacies, and Grovyle exposes Dusknoir as a villainous agent sent to the partner's world to capture him. Unsure but determined, the player's team searches for a way back to the past. However, they are being pursued by Dusknoir and his Sableye minions. The group eventually manage to find a shiny Celebi
, who is friends with Grovyle, and finally arrive at the Passage of Time.
Dusknoir ambushes the group, but Grovyle expresses hope for success- when he traveled back to the past initially, he was joined by a human companion on his mission. That partner was lost during their time travel, though Grovyle believes that even if he dies, the partner will be able to fulfill his mission for him. Dusknoir asks Grovyle to divulge the name of his friend, revealing that the partner in question is actually the player. Dusknoir reveals he has known about this for a long while: he was scouting all over the past world, collecting all of its history and information in order to find the two. He came across the player's exploration duo at one point, and eventually discovered one of them had the Dimensional Scream. After revealing their ability and name, Dusknoir carried out a plan which had the player itself betray Grovyle unknowingly and blackened Grovyle's reputation further. This plan worked out smoothly because the player could not recognize their foe when they saw him. Not defeated by the grim circumstances, the partner urges Celebi to transport them ahead of Dusknoir and into the Passage. With little interference from Primal Dialga, they succeed, and Celebi escapes the Ghost squadron.
Arriving back to the present, the group decides to stay at the partner's old home, due to Grovyle's presence potentially landing them in trouble. They plan their next move, which is to take the Time Gears. Grovyle tells the team that the player was his partner before the player turned into a Pokémon, explaining the strange voice heard near the Time Gear locations, the random visions, and the lack of Screams in the future due to no Time Gears there. They soon discover through reconnaissance that time has still stopped in places where Time Gears are present, despite them being returned. It appears that the only way to restore time is to take the Time Gears to Temporal Tower. This is easier said than done, though; the Tower is located in the Hidden Land, and no one knows where the Hidden Land is. They eventually decide to reveal their return to the guild, so they can convince the guild to help them, and receive the lake guardians' Time Gears- they are, fortunately, met with friendly cooperation from all parties. They talk with Torkoal, the town elder, who tells them that to get to the Hidden Land, they need an item with an inscription on it, which is on the partner's Relic Fragment. Wigglytuff and Chatot have also seen this pattern, in Brine Cave.
Inside Brine Cave's Depths, Chatot is injured protecting the team from a Kabutops and two Omastar. The team manages to defeat the bandits, driving them off. Wigglytuff comes with the rest of the guild with Grovyle in tow, having collected the five time gears needed to stop the collapse of Temporal Tower. Leaving Chatot in the Guild's care, the team and Grovyle forge ahead.
arrives. Lapras ferries the team and Grovyle to the Hidden Land. Arriving at the Hidden Land, Lapras tells them that in order to reach the Temporal Tower, they must take the Rainbow Stoneship, located inside an old ruin. Finding the ruin, they find a temple where, at the top, they find the Relic Fragment pattern. The team discovers that the temple itself is the Rainbow Stoneship, and in order for the ship to operate, the Relic Fragment must be slotted in one of the indentations. But before the partner can do so, they are captured by Dusknoir and the Sableye entourage. The team is able to defeat Dusknoir and the Sableye in battle, but while the partner goes to activate the Rainbow Stoneship, Dusknoir warns that should they succeed in their quest, the Pokémon of the future, including the player and Grovyle, will be erased from existence, from being from a future that will no longer exist. Grovyle admits that this is the case, but that their sacrifice is worth the trouble if it means that the future can be saved. The player accepts this fate, even though the player knows that the partner will not take it as easily as the player or Grovyle.
Meanwhile, the partner succeeds in activating the Rainbow Stoneship, by putting their relic fragment in it, but Dusknoir manages to recover and attack the player before either the player or Grovyle is on board. Just as Dusknoir tries to finish off the player, Grovyle intervenes, taking the blow. Dusknoir angrily decides to slay Grovyle first, but in a move of desperation, Grovyle pushes Dusknoir towards the Dimensional Hole, hoping that in his own defense of the player, Grovyle will ensure the success of the mission. Dropping the Time Gears, Grovyle pushes Dusknoir and himself through the Dimensional Hole, but not without giving his last goodbye. The partner recovers the Time Gears, and the team proceed on the Rainbow Stoneship, with the player keeping silent to the partner about his/her fate. With a heavy heart, the team head towards Temporal Tower to take on their final mission.
The team is able to defeat Primal Dialga, and head home, but on the way back, the player begins to feel the effects of being slowly erased from existence. The player says goodbye to the partner and, in the only open dialogue spoken by the player character, conveys his/her last wish, to "tell everyone about what happened, so nothing like this will ever happen again", as the player fades out of existence. After the credits, Dialga feels the partner's sorrow all the way from Temporal Tower. Deeply moved by the partner's devotion and grief, Dialga intervenes and restores the player to the timeline, as thanks for bringing time back in control. The player reappears at the beach, where the partner is crying in front of Bidoof. The partner runs over to embrace their best friend, overjoyed that they are alive.Then the adventure continues!
comments that they must defeat the "grandmaster of all things bad". The player goes to Mystifying Forest, where they fall into a trap. The cover to the trap closes and the "grandmaster of all things bad" sneaks in and circles around them. Bidoof
lifts the lid of the cave, revealing that it is just the guild, with Wigglytuff as the "grandmaster of all things bad", though they all attempt (poorly) to convince the player otherwise. The player and partner defeat them, allowing them to continue forward to find a treasure chest containing a Perfect Apple. They continue further with Teddirusa and Ursaring to Luminous Spring, where Teddirusa evolves into Ursaring. The partner goes forward to evolve, but is told that neither the partner nor the player can evolve due to a distortion in space that they create. After returning to the guild, the player and the partner graduate- the player's team moves their own base of operations to Sharpedo Bluff. Afterward the player must rescue Scizor from a Froslass to get the Secret Rank. They are slowly given more dungeons to explore, including a new training dungeon known as the Final Maze. Eventually, the player is told by Sunflora about a dungeon known as the Surrounded Sea. The player's team goes to the dungeon and finds an egg that hatches into a baby Manaphy. They must feed it with Blue Gummis, but it eventually falls sick after being away from the ocean for so long. The player's team goes to Miracle Sea to acquire the cure-all Phione Dew. After fending off a Gyrados, the Phione give a Phione Dew to the player and Manaphy is cured. However, at Chatot's insistence, Manaphy is put in the care of a Wailren and returns to the ocean. After a few more days, Team Charm comes to the guild. It is revealed here that Wigglytuff was once a member of Team Charm. Lopunny, the leader of Team Charm, asks Wigglytuff for a key shaped like an Unown they found in previous travels, saying that they think they found where it should go. Wigglytuff goes into his quarters, rummages around for the key, and returns with the key. Team Charm thanks Wigglytuff and begins to head out. The partner asks Lopunny if the player's team can come along. This provokes the entire guild to ask if they could come. Team Charm agrees and heads out to open the door to Aegis Cave. Inside, they come across a room with a stone tablet in the middle bearing the inscription "ICE (in Unoun letters) Close your eyes and submit your proof." The guild and Team Charm proceed into the dungeon with the player's team following. Upon completing Aegis Ice Cave, the player's team will come back to the stone tablet room. The player's team finds Team Charm inspecting the stone tablet. After a brief conversation, Team Charm proceeds. If the player has picked up Unown Stones I, C, and E dropped by the corresponding Unoun in the dungeon, the player should interact with the stone tablet in the middle of the room and close their eyes. Following this, the stone tablet disappears and reveals a staircase, which a Regice is waiting to battle in. This process is repeated with ROCK and STEEL with Regirock and Registeel as bosses respectively. At the bottom of Aegis Cave, the player's team catches up with Team Charm. The statues in the room come alive, revealing 8 Bronzong, 8 Hitmonlee and a Regigigas, which are defeated with the help of Team Charm. After the battle is completed, Regigigas faints and a massive stone tablet appears, intstructing the player to let his aura flow into the ground. The player does so and Regigigias gets up and tremors begin. The player's team and Team Charm flee the dungeon. Medicham notices a cave that appeared. Team Charm theorizes that the actual treasure is in there and heads off to find another treasure. Over the course of a few days, the player has dreams in which Cresselia tells the player that the player does not belong in this world, and that the distortion of space the player and partner have made will send the world into ruin unless they disappear. Finally, one day the Azurill they assisted a while back has a nightmare that he cannot awake from, so the team locates the old criminal Drowzee, who is able to send the player and partner into Azurill's nightmare. At the end of this dream (a dungeon in itself known as The Nightmare) the player sees Cresselia, who attempts to destroy them. Cresselia is interrupted by Drowzee and disappears. Back in the guild, the player and partner report their findings to the guild. However, when asked about a way to undo the distortion of space, the partner says that there is no way. The next morning, your partner suggests that they go talk to Lapras for more information. Lapras is able to tell them that Palkia is the ruler of space and that he resides in Spacial Rift. However, Lapras doesn't know where it is. The player and partner wake up the next morning and see Palkia whisking in and taking them away to Spacial Rift to destroy them. They fall into a chasm and proceed to complete Spacial Rift and defeat Palkia, who suddenly falls into a nightmare. They are asked by an unknown voice if they want to enter Palkia's nightmare and end up consenting. In Palkia's nightmare, Cresselia appears and proceeds to destroy them. However, another Cresselia appears and they then find out the Cresselia in their dreams was actually Darkrai. Darkrai flees from the room and tells the partner and player they must come to defeat him. They must venture with Cresselia to defeat Darkrai, who was behind the transformation of Primal Dialga, the player's transformation into a Pokémon, and the break in the space-time continuum. After defeating Darkrai, they may recruit Palkia, which allows the player and partner to evolve. Also, after some events in the post-story-mode, Manaphy returns and asks to join your exploration team. If this option is accepted, Manaphy leads to player to a new dungeon called the Marine Resort after a few days.
's review. GameSpy
gave the games a 4/5 star rating. Both Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness have received a rating of 7.5 from Nintendo Power.
, and a sister game to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness. It was released in Japan on April 18, 2009; North America on October 12, 2009; Australia on November 12, 2009 and Europe on November 20, 2009
As with its predecessors, the game follows the story of a human who is mysteriously transformed into a Pokémon
(determined by a personality test at the game's start-up). Along with the starters from the previous game, five more are included as playable choices; Phanpy, Riolu, Shinx, Eevee
, and Vulpix
. Some, however, are only available to certain genders; Eevee, Skitty, and Vulpix are always female. Riolu, Phanpy, and Shinx are always male. However, 2 starters, Munchlax and Meowth
were removed and can only be played as the partner. Many new gameplay features were incorporated into the game. There were extra dungeons added, the titular event Pokémon Shaymin featured on the box was added, and alternate forms introduced in Pokémon Platinum
(except for Rotom) were included.
Explorers of Sky expands on the plot of Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, as well as exploring the background of several characters. New cutscenes were added and some were changed. Five new Special Episodes are unlocked at certain points in the game which add to the overall game (such as Wigglytuff's inspiration to become an explorer, the induction of Bidoof
into the guild, the formation of Team Charm, a special mission for guild member Sunflora, and the investigation of Grovyle and Dusknoir who team up after the battle at the Hidden Land, which shows how Primal Dialga was defeated simultaneously in the present and the future and how the future continued to thrive).
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
games
Pokémon (video games)
Pokémon is a series of video games developed by Game Freak and Creatures Inc. and published by Nintendo as part of the Pokémon media franchise. First released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy, the main series of role-playing video games has continued on each generation of Nintendo's handhelds...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
. The two games were released in Japan on September 13, 2007, and were released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on April 20, 2008. They were released in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on July 4, 2008.
A sequel to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team, new features include the addition of Generation IV Pokémon, improved Wi-Fi
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
The is an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo to provide free online play in compatible Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Wii games. The service includes the company's Wii Shop Channel, DSi Shop, and Nintendo eShop game download services...
functionality, and more touch-screen options. 491 of the 493 Pokémon are featured, as Shaymin and Arceus
Arceus
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Arceus first appeared in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise.-Concept and...
were not officially released at the time of the game's launch.
A 21-minute TV special based on the game starring Kurumi Mamiya
Kurumi Mamiya
is a Japanese seiyū from Yasu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. She is affiliated with 81 Produce.-Voice roles:*6 Angels *Battle B-Daman *Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san *Dokkiri Doctor...
aired in Japan on September 9, 2007 as a content of the program relating Pokémon, "Pokémon Sunday" produced by TV Tokyo Corporation
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
. It was later dubbed in English in 2008.
Playable Pokémon
As with the previous gamesPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team
and are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, respectively. These two games were developed by Chunsoft and were published by Nintendo....
, the player takes on the role of a human who has been turned into a Pokémon, whose type is determined by a personality test. A partner Pokémon is also selected who will henceforth be referred to as "the partner". Unlike Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team, the gender does not restrict the available selection of Pokémon for either the player or the partner, though both player and partner may not be of the same type. The test sets the player as one of the many natures in the mainstream games, and two Pokémon will be set to that nature, one for male, one for female.
The player may be Bulbasaur
Bulbasaur
Bulbasaur, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Designed by Ken Sugimori, their name is a combination of the words "bulb" and "dinosaur." First appearing in Pokémon Red and Blue as a Starter Pokémon, they later appeared in subsequent sequels,...
, Charmander
Charmander
Charmander, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Charmander first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
, Squirtle
Squirtle
Squirtle, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. It was originally conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori...
, Pikachu
Pikachu
is one of the species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Pikachu fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series...
, Meowth
Meowth
Meowth, known as in original Japanese language versions, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Meowth first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and...
, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko
Treecko
Treecko, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Treecko first appeared in the video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
, Torchic
Torchic
Torchic, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, it first appeared in the video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
, Mudkip
Mudkip
Mudkip, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Mudkip first appeared in the video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
, Skitty, Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup and Munchlax; a total of 16 Pokémon to choose from.
Once chosen, the partner may be any of the above Pokémon, with the exception of Pokémon of the same type of the player, Meowth, Skitty and Munchlax. Eevee
Eevee
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Eevee first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels...
, Machop, Cubone and Psyduck
Psyduck
Psyduck, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Psyduck first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and later in subsequent sequels. They have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and...
were removed as starter Pokémon, though Eevee was again made available in the game's remake. Riolu was debated for a player Pokémon in Explorers of Time and Darkness, but the idea was eventually dropped, and Riolu was selected for the Explorers of Sky list.
Basic gameplay
The basic gameplay is unchanged from Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team - players may use shops in Pokemon Square to link moves, save money, buy items, store items, and train in special "maze" levels (although the Pokémon running almost all of these shops have changed). Players enter dungeons to complete missions, and during exploration they encounter hostile Pokémon. During the story portion, if either the player or his/her partner is defeated by running out of health, the team will be removed from the dungeon and lose all their money and half of their items.However after you beat the game there is a dungeon that if your partner faints you can still go on(I will not name the dungeon so you will have to wait and see what it's called.) ;)Like previous installments, players may send out an SOS if they are defeated in the dungeon (certain dungeons will not permit this), which can be done either using passwords or DS Wireless Communications as before, but now it may be also done through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
The is an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo to provide free online play in compatible Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Wii games. The service includes the company's Wii Shop Channel, DSi Shop, and Nintendo eShop game download services...
. Players may also choose to be notified of friends in need of rescue by email or through the Wii Message Board.
New features
New to this series is the option to temporarily send a team member to aid a friend who is in need - this allows a team to have more than four members. Defeated teams awaiting rescue may also engage in a "standby adventure" mode in which players may revisit previous dungeons to raise funds and collect items, but without the ability to level up.Among new items introduced are treasure boxes, which require money to be opened and may contain rare items. Rare items, however, may only affect certain Pokémon. They can also be used to trade for rarer and more valuable items using a new shop. New items are also introduced to account for new evolution methods which do not translate well from the main series to Mystery Dungeon (such as Probopass, Magnezone, Leafeon, or Glaceon). Pokémon eggs have been introduced to Mystery Dungeon, where the newly hatched Pokémon will join the player's team. Finally, "Friend Areas" from Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team have been eliminated in favour of a more streamlined team management process.
The Wonder Mail has also changed, the reason for this is that many were using Wonder Mail To Cheat in Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team.
Version exclusives
As with all Pokémon games, some Pokémon are exclusive to one version, although they may be unlocked on the other through the exchange of Wonder Mail codes. The Pokémon that are exclusive to Explorers of Time are CelebiCelebi (Pokémon)
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, they first appeared in the video games Pokémon Gold and Silver and subsequent sequels. They have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise...
, Combee, Lucario
Lucario
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Lucario first appeared as a central character in the film Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and later appeared in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and subsequent sequels, also appearing in...
, Pachirisu, and Riolu, while the Pokémon exclusive to Explorers of Darkness are Burmy, Buneary, Lopunny, Mewtwo
Mewtwo
is a fictional creature in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, it first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and their sequels, and later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles, as well as animation adaptations of the franchise...
, and Rotom. Despite this, Celebi and Mewtwo are currently impossible to recruit except on their respective games. Also, some items are much rarer in one version than in another.
First Days in the Team
The story begins with the player having been washed ashore by a storm(later to be revealed something else was involved,too.) Meanwhile, his/her partner is nervous about joining the Wigglytuff Guild, a local Dungeons" have been revealed and open to exploration.The player discovers not too long after that he/she has the ability to spontaneously see things in the past and future, through physical contact with people or things. This leads to the player rescuing azurill( residents), from Drowzee
Drowzee
Drowzee, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Drowzee first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
, a wanted criminal. Some time after, the partner tells the player the story of the Time Gears, the artifacts that all Pokémon are to avoid lest time stand still. When a Time Gear is stolen, time in that area is frozen. Despite this, it is soon revealed that a mysterious thief is stealing the Time Gears, causing time to stop in various areas.
The first proper mission that the team go on is to Drenched Bluff, to recover a Spoink's missing pearl.
The player and partner get quite excited when Chatot gives them a exploration mission, to explore an "unexplored cave" called Waterfall Cave. Before this, eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
provides a new feature to the exploration team, allowing them to recruit new members. After Waterfall Cave, the player finds out that Wigglytuff
Wigglytuff
Wigglytuff, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Wigglytuff first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
has previously explored this cave.
Time Gear Search
A short time later, the whole guild mounts an expedition to Fogbound Lake. The player recalls the place as being familiar, but cannot explain as to why.(Why The guild encounters Uxie and discovers the location of a Time Gear, but are allowed to return home with their memories intact, on the condition that they not reveal it to anybody else. The guild meets a famous explorer named Dusknoir, who explains that the player's ability to see through time is called the Dimensional Scream. Dusknoir offers his help in uncovering the secret behind the player's transformation and also offers his assistance in the hunt for Grovyle, who is stealing the Time Gears. Soon, the time gear at Fogbound Lake is stolen, and the whole guild splits up to look for Time Gears. The player's team eventually discover an underground lake, which is home to Mesprit and another Time Gear. However Grovyle appears and steals the Time Gear.Dusknoir determines that, the third lake guardian Azelf, the being of willpower, is likely to be guarding another Time Gear. Dusknoir further explains that as Uxie and Mesprit were encountered in lakes, Azelf is also likely to be found in a lake area. The team arrives at the lake in the middle of Crystal cave, where they find Azelf about to be defeated by Grovyle. However, just as Grovyle is about to steal the Time Gear, Azelf activates a fail-safe trap, which prevents it from doing so. Grovyle then escapes, but with Dusknoir in pursuit.
Back in town, Dusknoir reveals that he and Grovyle are from the future, and that Grovyle fled to the past to prevent from being captured, and intends to steal the Time Gears so as to cause the Planet's Paralysis, an event turning the Pokémon world into a dark, dismal region filled with scared and corrupted Pokémon.(However what Duskinior said is a lye and it's actually vice-versa.) Everyone comes up with a plan to capture Grovyle, by luring him in with the Time Gear that still remains, but Dusknoir adds that he and the Lake Trio alone must battle Grovyle for capture. A few days later a report comes in, indicating that Grovyle has been captured, and that Dusknoir plans to take Grovyle back to the future to face justice. The Time Gears have been returned to their rightful places, and Dusknoir has opened a Dimensional Hole to take Grovyle back to the future. Dusknoir bids farewell to the villagers, but suddenly grabs the player and partner, and drags them with him into the portal.
Escape the Future
The player and partner awaken, finding themselves in a prison. After escaping a near execution with Grovyle, they (now in the future) discover their world has become paralyzed, despite the Time Gears being placed back in their respective spots. The two traverse through several dungeons until they catch up to Grovyle, having to rescue him from a rogue Spiritomb. After coming to compromise, Grovyle offers to share what he knows with the two heroes.They learn that the paralysis was caused by time breaking down before the theft of the Gears because of Temporal Tower, which gives structure to time itself. When the tower collapsed, its head occupant, Dialga the Time Dragon, survived the collapse but became corrupted due to the flow of darkness that possessed and twisted the minds of countless Pokémon. Now living as a tyrannical being known as Primal Dialga, it has sworn to preserve the dark future so as to maintain its fearsome form. It is also established that Grovyle has pure motives for collecting Time Gears, so as to prevent the planet's paralysis in Temporal Tower. This story contradicts Dusknoir's fallacies, and Grovyle exposes Dusknoir as a villainous agent sent to the partner's world to capture him. Unsure but determined, the player's team searches for a way back to the past. However, they are being pursued by Dusknoir and his Sableye minions. The group eventually manage to find a shiny Celebi
Celebi (Pokémon)
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, they first appeared in the video games Pokémon Gold and Silver and subsequent sequels. They have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise...
, who is friends with Grovyle, and finally arrive at the Passage of Time.
Dusknoir ambushes the group, but Grovyle expresses hope for success- when he traveled back to the past initially, he was joined by a human companion on his mission. That partner was lost during their time travel, though Grovyle believes that even if he dies, the partner will be able to fulfill his mission for him. Dusknoir asks Grovyle to divulge the name of his friend, revealing that the partner in question is actually the player. Dusknoir reveals he has known about this for a long while: he was scouting all over the past world, collecting all of its history and information in order to find the two. He came across the player's exploration duo at one point, and eventually discovered one of them had the Dimensional Scream. After revealing their ability and name, Dusknoir carried out a plan which had the player itself betray Grovyle unknowingly and blackened Grovyle's reputation further. This plan worked out smoothly because the player could not recognize their foe when they saw him. Not defeated by the grim circumstances, the partner urges Celebi to transport them ahead of Dusknoir and into the Passage. With little interference from Primal Dialga, they succeed, and Celebi escapes the Ghost squadron.
Arriving back to the present, the group decides to stay at the partner's old home, due to Grovyle's presence potentially landing them in trouble. They plan their next move, which is to take the Time Gears. Grovyle tells the team that the player was his partner before the player turned into a Pokémon, explaining the strange voice heard near the Time Gear locations, the random visions, and the lack of Screams in the future due to no Time Gears there. They soon discover through reconnaissance that time has still stopped in places where Time Gears are present, despite them being returned. It appears that the only way to restore time is to take the Time Gears to Temporal Tower. This is easier said than done, though; the Tower is located in the Hidden Land, and no one knows where the Hidden Land is. They eventually decide to reveal their return to the guild, so they can convince the guild to help them, and receive the lake guardians' Time Gears- they are, fortunately, met with friendly cooperation from all parties. They talk with Torkoal, the town elder, who tells them that to get to the Hidden Land, they need an item with an inscription on it, which is on the partner's Relic Fragment. Wigglytuff and Chatot have also seen this pattern, in Brine Cave.
Inside Brine Cave's Depths, Chatot is injured protecting the team from a Kabutops and two Omastar. The team manages to defeat the bandits, driving them off. Wigglytuff comes with the rest of the guild with Grovyle in tow, having collected the five time gears needed to stop the collapse of Temporal Tower. Leaving Chatot in the Guild's care, the team and Grovyle forge ahead.
The Saviors of Time
In Brine Cave, the team discovers a rock wall pointing out to sea, on which is a wall pattern similar to the one found on the Relic Fragment. When the Relic Fragment is presented, a light shines out towards the sea. Just then, a LaprasLapras
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Lapras first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise.-Concept...
arrives. Lapras ferries the team and Grovyle to the Hidden Land. Arriving at the Hidden Land, Lapras tells them that in order to reach the Temporal Tower, they must take the Rainbow Stoneship, located inside an old ruin. Finding the ruin, they find a temple where, at the top, they find the Relic Fragment pattern. The team discovers that the temple itself is the Rainbow Stoneship, and in order for the ship to operate, the Relic Fragment must be slotted in one of the indentations. But before the partner can do so, they are captured by Dusknoir and the Sableye entourage. The team is able to defeat Dusknoir and the Sableye in battle, but while the partner goes to activate the Rainbow Stoneship, Dusknoir warns that should they succeed in their quest, the Pokémon of the future, including the player and Grovyle, will be erased from existence, from being from a future that will no longer exist. Grovyle admits that this is the case, but that their sacrifice is worth the trouble if it means that the future can be saved. The player accepts this fate, even though the player knows that the partner will not take it as easily as the player or Grovyle.
Meanwhile, the partner succeeds in activating the Rainbow Stoneship, by putting their relic fragment in it, but Dusknoir manages to recover and attack the player before either the player or Grovyle is on board. Just as Dusknoir tries to finish off the player, Grovyle intervenes, taking the blow. Dusknoir angrily decides to slay Grovyle first, but in a move of desperation, Grovyle pushes Dusknoir towards the Dimensional Hole, hoping that in his own defense of the player, Grovyle will ensure the success of the mission. Dropping the Time Gears, Grovyle pushes Dusknoir and himself through the Dimensional Hole, but not without giving his last goodbye. The partner recovers the Time Gears, and the team proceed on the Rainbow Stoneship, with the player keeping silent to the partner about his/her fate. With a heavy heart, the team head towards Temporal Tower to take on their final mission.
The team is able to defeat Primal Dialga, and head home, but on the way back, the player begins to feel the effects of being slowly erased from existence. The player says goodbye to the partner and, in the only open dialogue spoken by the player character, conveys his/her last wish, to "tell everyone about what happened, so nothing like this will ever happen again", as the player fades out of existence. After the credits, Dialga feels the partner's sorrow all the way from Temporal Tower. Deeply moved by the partner's devotion and grief, Dialga intervenes and restores the player to the timeline, as thanks for bringing time back in control. The player reappears at the beach, where the partner is crying in front of Bidoof. The partner runs over to embrace their best friend, overjoyed that they are alive.Then the adventure continues!
After Story
After the main credits, the player is told by Chatot at the next briefing that they may take a exam to graduate from the guild. WigglytuffWigglytuff
Wigglytuff, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Wigglytuff first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
comments that they must defeat the "grandmaster of all things bad". The player goes to Mystifying Forest, where they fall into a trap. The cover to the trap closes and the "grandmaster of all things bad" sneaks in and circles around them. Bidoof
Bidoof
Bidoof, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Bidoof first appeared in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and in subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
lifts the lid of the cave, revealing that it is just the guild, with Wigglytuff as the "grandmaster of all things bad", though they all attempt (poorly) to convince the player otherwise. The player and partner defeat them, allowing them to continue forward to find a treasure chest containing a Perfect Apple. They continue further with Teddirusa and Ursaring to Luminous Spring, where Teddirusa evolves into Ursaring. The partner goes forward to evolve, but is told that neither the partner nor the player can evolve due to a distortion in space that they create. After returning to the guild, the player and the partner graduate- the player's team moves their own base of operations to Sharpedo Bluff. Afterward the player must rescue Scizor from a Froslass to get the Secret Rank. They are slowly given more dungeons to explore, including a new training dungeon known as the Final Maze. Eventually, the player is told by Sunflora about a dungeon known as the Surrounded Sea. The player's team goes to the dungeon and finds an egg that hatches into a baby Manaphy. They must feed it with Blue Gummis, but it eventually falls sick after being away from the ocean for so long. The player's team goes to Miracle Sea to acquire the cure-all Phione Dew. After fending off a Gyrados, the Phione give a Phione Dew to the player and Manaphy is cured. However, at Chatot's insistence, Manaphy is put in the care of a Wailren and returns to the ocean. After a few more days, Team Charm comes to the guild. It is revealed here that Wigglytuff was once a member of Team Charm. Lopunny, the leader of Team Charm, asks Wigglytuff for a key shaped like an Unown they found in previous travels, saying that they think they found where it should go. Wigglytuff goes into his quarters, rummages around for the key, and returns with the key. Team Charm thanks Wigglytuff and begins to head out. The partner asks Lopunny if the player's team can come along. This provokes the entire guild to ask if they could come. Team Charm agrees and heads out to open the door to Aegis Cave. Inside, they come across a room with a stone tablet in the middle bearing the inscription "ICE (in Unoun letters) Close your eyes and submit your proof." The guild and Team Charm proceed into the dungeon with the player's team following. Upon completing Aegis Ice Cave, the player's team will come back to the stone tablet room. The player's team finds Team Charm inspecting the stone tablet. After a brief conversation, Team Charm proceeds. If the player has picked up Unown Stones I, C, and E dropped by the corresponding Unoun in the dungeon, the player should interact with the stone tablet in the middle of the room and close their eyes. Following this, the stone tablet disappears and reveals a staircase, which a Regice is waiting to battle in. This process is repeated with ROCK and STEEL with Regirock and Registeel as bosses respectively. At the bottom of Aegis Cave, the player's team catches up with Team Charm. The statues in the room come alive, revealing 8 Bronzong, 8 Hitmonlee and a Regigigas, which are defeated with the help of Team Charm. After the battle is completed, Regigigas faints and a massive stone tablet appears, intstructing the player to let his aura flow into the ground. The player does so and Regigigias gets up and tremors begin. The player's team and Team Charm flee the dungeon. Medicham notices a cave that appeared. Team Charm theorizes that the actual treasure is in there and heads off to find another treasure. Over the course of a few days, the player has dreams in which Cresselia tells the player that the player does not belong in this world, and that the distortion of space the player and partner have made will send the world into ruin unless they disappear. Finally, one day the Azurill they assisted a while back has a nightmare that he cannot awake from, so the team locates the old criminal Drowzee, who is able to send the player and partner into Azurill's nightmare. At the end of this dream (a dungeon in itself known as The Nightmare) the player sees Cresselia, who attempts to destroy them. Cresselia is interrupted by Drowzee and disappears. Back in the guild, the player and partner report their findings to the guild. However, when asked about a way to undo the distortion of space, the partner says that there is no way. The next morning, your partner suggests that they go talk to Lapras for more information. Lapras is able to tell them that Palkia is the ruler of space and that he resides in Spacial Rift. However, Lapras doesn't know where it is. The player and partner wake up the next morning and see Palkia whisking in and taking them away to Spacial Rift to destroy them. They fall into a chasm and proceed to complete Spacial Rift and defeat Palkia, who suddenly falls into a nightmare. They are asked by an unknown voice if they want to enter Palkia's nightmare and end up consenting. In Palkia's nightmare, Cresselia appears and proceeds to destroy them. However, another Cresselia appears and they then find out the Cresselia in their dreams was actually Darkrai. Darkrai flees from the room and tells the partner and player they must come to defeat him. They must venture with Cresselia to defeat Darkrai, who was behind the transformation of Primal Dialga, the player's transformation into a Pokémon, and the break in the space-time continuum. After defeating Darkrai, they may recruit Palkia, which allows the player and partner to evolve. Also, after some events in the post-story-mode, Manaphy returns and asks to join your exploration team. If this option is accepted, Manaphy leads to player to a new dungeon called the Marine Resort after a few days.
Reception
As of September 30, 2008, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness combined to sell 4.12 million copies worldwide, according to Nintendo. The games were scored as 59 out of 100 by MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
's review. GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
gave the games a 4/5 star rating. Both Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness have received a rating of 7.5 from Nintendo Power.
Remake
is the fifth installment in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series for the Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, and a sister game to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness. It was released in Japan on April 18, 2009; North America on October 12, 2009; Australia on November 12, 2009 and Europe on November 20, 2009
As with its predecessors, the game follows the story of a human who is mysteriously transformed into a Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
(determined by a personality test at the game's start-up). Along with the starters from the previous game, five more are included as playable choices; Phanpy, Riolu, Shinx, Eevee
Eevee
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Eevee first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels...
, and Vulpix
Vulpix
Vulpix, known in Japan as is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Vulpix evolves into Ninetales when exposed to a special item. Created by Ken Sugimori, they first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and later appear in subsequent sequels, various...
. Some, however, are only available to certain genders; Eevee, Skitty, and Vulpix are always female. Riolu, Phanpy, and Shinx are always male. However, 2 starters, Munchlax and Meowth
Meowth
Meowth, known as in original Japanese language versions, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Meowth first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and...
were removed and can only be played as the partner. Many new gameplay features were incorporated into the game. There were extra dungeons added, the titular event Pokémon Shaymin featured on the box was added, and alternate forms introduced in Pokémon Platinum
Pokémon Platinum
is a title in the Pokémon series of video games. It was developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is an enhanced remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald were for their respective games...
(except for Rotom) were included.
Explorers of Sky expands on the plot of Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, as well as exploring the background of several characters. New cutscenes were added and some were changed. Five new Special Episodes are unlocked at certain points in the game which add to the overall game (such as Wigglytuff's inspiration to become an explorer, the induction of Bidoof
Bidoof
Bidoof, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Bidoof first appeared in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and in subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
into the guild, the formation of Team Charm, a special mission for guild member Sunflora, and the investigation of Grovyle and Dusknoir who team up after the battle at the Hidden Land, which shows how Primal Dialga was defeated simultaneously in the present and the future and how the future continued to thrive).
External links
- Official Site
- Chunsoft Official Site
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Official Site
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon 2 at Bulbapedia
- Personality Test
- http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Pokémon_Mystery_Dungeon:_Explorers_of_Sky