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Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of SkyBy Marlon Esmeralda - 10-23-09 Print  EmailLast year, Nintendo released a new game in their Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. They released two versions, Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness. Similar to the Pokemon RPG games, the real differences between the two games were version exclusives. Now, Nintendo has released Explorers of Sky, which is an expanded version of last year's Mystery Dungeon titles, like how Pokemon Platinum was to Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. As with the other Pokemon expansions, the main worry is if there will enough content added into the new version to warrant previous players to revisit what is basically the same game. For Explorers of Sky, it will all depend on how much you enjoyed the previous versions. The Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series play like a typical roguelike game, where you explore random-generated dungeons and fight off any enemies you encounter in real-time. As you move in the dungeon, so will your enemies. The gameplay is simple and if you've played the previous PKMN Mystery Dungeon titles, or other similar games like Izuna or Shiren The Wanderer, then you know what to expect. Just be ready for a LOT of repetitive gameplay. In this particular roguelike series, you will take control of Pokemon. Battling is also the same as in any typical Pokemon game where elements play a major part, like water beating fire. If you're a veteran Pokemon RPG player, then the moves in the game will be quite familiar to you also, as they are the same moves your Pokemon normally learn.   The story of Explorers of Sky is also the same, and hardly any changes were made into it. So if you've already played through Explorers of Time/Darkness, then be prepared to go through it all again. Some additions were made like new Special Episodes, more dungeons, and a few new starter Pokemon. The Special Episodes take place outside of the main storyline and are accessed through another menu, and they will unlock at certain points in the game. It would have been nice if these special episodes were implemented into the story though, since it could have made it feel a bit more fresh. The new dungeons are mostly accessed through the special episodes, so you won't be able to experience them until they're unlocked. And as for the starters, there's really not too much to change up the experience. If you desired playing as Riolu or Phanpy, well now you can. You will still have to go through the Personality Quiz in the beginning though, so getting these new starters isn't even a guarantee. Even if you do get these new starters, the story does not change. There is also a new area called Spinda's Cafe. Inside the cafe you'll be able to mix food itmes together for stat increasing drinks and recycle unused items in your inventory for chances to win new ones. You may also encounter new recruits, eggs, and dungeons by drinking in the cafe. Graphics and audio remain unchanged as well. You still get the same look of the game, the same one that can be seen from all the other titles in the series, even the one on the GBA. Kind of feels like the developers got a bit lazy with the visuals. The new dungeons do look different though, but still look similar to the others. Audio is alright, but nothing praising about. You'll still get a few tunes stuck in your head as usual from the Pokemon games.  Getting through the story will take you while, and the special episodes help expand the experience a bit longer and give you insight on some of the supporting characters. However, it's the game's online mode that will have you hanging around for quite a while. The online mode is still intact and has the same features as the previous ones, but a new Wonder Mail S feature was added on. This allows you to transfer missions to friends through local wireless, or to download new ones through Nintendo Wi-fi. This feature is new for Explorers of Sky, so you can't get missions from Explorers of Time or Darkness. Other online features include the ability to rescue other Pokemon teams, trade items, and send out your own Pokemon recruits to others. If you've played through Explorers of Time/Darkness already, then you won't find anything too new in Explorers of Sky. The new features mainly help expand the overall experience, rather than alter it to make it feel new and fresh. So unless you really enjoyed Explorers of Time/Darkness and wouldn't mind going through it all again before getting to the new stuff, then you'll still enjoy the game just as much. For those who never played the previous versions, then this is the version to look into. It's not a bad dungeon crawler, but it is pretty easy compared to other titles found in the genre. If you're a fan of Pokemon, I'm sure you'll enjoy the game thanks to all the Pokemon charm found here. It may be more of the same, but I still had a good time with it. Ratings |
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