Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

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The Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series (Japanese: ポケモン不思議のダンジョン Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, also ポケダン Pokédan) is a series of spin-off games developed by Spike Chunsoft. Being the longest-running series of spin-off games, it currently includes eleven different games, and has been expanded into several manga and several anime specials.

History

A poster from Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, featuring characters from all entries in the series except for the WiiWare games

The first pair of games in the series, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, were released on the Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo DS in Japan on November 17, 2005, in North America on September 18, 2006, and elsewhere during the rest of 2006 and 2007. The games feature all 386 Pokémon from Generations I, II, and III. An anime adaptation loosely based on the game, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!, first aired in Japan on March 23, 2007 and in the United States on September 8, 2006. A manga series based on the games, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team, was also released. In South Korea, only Blue Rescue Team was released, but the free PC demo Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gold Rescue Team was also available.

The second pair, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, were released on the Nintendo DS in Japan on September 13, 2007, in North America on April 20, 2008, and elsewhere during the rest of 2008. They introduced almost all of the Generation IV Pokémon into the series, excluding Shaymin and Arceus, which were not officially revealed at the time. Another anime adaptation, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness, first aired in Japan on September 9, 2007. It aired almost a year later in the United States on September 1, 2008. The manga Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness were also based on the games.

Their third version, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, were released in Japan on April 18, 2009, in North America on October 12, 2009, and in Australia and Europe in November 2009. This game has several additions to the storyline of Time and Darkness, including the addition of the Pokémon Shaymin. The most recent anime adaptation, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness, aired in Japan on April 12, 2009, airing in the US a few months later, on October 9, 2009.

On August 4, 2009, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Keep Going! Blazing Adventure Squad!, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Let's Go! Stormy Adventure Squad!, and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Go For It! Light Adventure Squad! were released for the Wii only in Japan as WiiWare games. Each game is slightly different from each other, with less story and background than other Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games. The three are the only Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games not to be released internationally, not to be released on physical media, and to be released on a home console.

The first solitary title, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, was released in Japan on November 23, 2012, in North America on March 24, 2013, and in Europe and Australia in May 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS. The game features Generation V Pokémon in addition to Pokémon from previous generations. Two animated shorts based on the games were also produced.

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, the most recent entry in the series, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on September 17, 2015, in North America on November 20, 2015, and in Europe and Australia in February 2016. Being released during Generation VI, the game features all 720 Pokémon revealed at the time. Unlike previous Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, the game features cameo appearances by many characters who appeared in earlier entries.

On January 9, 2020, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, a remake of Red and Blue Rescue Team, was announced. It is set to be released on March 6, 2020.

Gameplay

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon is an adaptation of the Mystery Dungeon games. Like the core series Pokémon games, it has two gameplay modes; unlike the core series games, battle mode and dungeon mode are not distinct. It is a turn-based game, with each step, attack, or item use being counted as a single turn.

The size of a party is limited to four in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (three in Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon), compared to six in the core series games. Furthermore, players are only able to directly control one Pokémon: their own character (or, later in the game, any other befriended Pokémon). The player's teammates are essentially autonomous, with player control being limited to general strategy such as avoiding Pokémon battles or not moving and staying in one place. The type of AI used by team members can be changed.

Most of the gameplay takes place within Mystery Dungeons, with many floors and hostile Pokémon. Due to the many dangers, exploration teams prepare for the challenges by using the many services offered at Pokémon settlements such as Pokémon Square and Treasure Town.

The games also feature storylines common in the aspects of the player having been transformed into a Pokémon and lost all memory of being a human, and an emotional separation from the befriended partner at the end of the main plot before the credits.

List of games

Gen.	Image	Title	Japanese title	Platform	Release date
					Japan	North America	Europe	Australia	South Korea	Taiwan
III		Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team	ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 赤の救助隊 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team	Game Boy Advance, Wii U VC	November 17, 2005	September 18, 2006	November 10, 2006	September 28, 2006	—	—
		Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team	ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 青の救助隊 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team	Nintendo DS, Wii U VC					August 30, 2007	November 17, 2005
IV		Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time	ポケモン不思議のダンジョン　時の探検隊 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time	Nintendo DS	September 13, 2007	April 20, 2008	July 4, 2008	June 19, 2008	December 11, 2008	September 13, 2007
		Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness	ポケモン不思議のダンジョン　闇の探検隊 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness
IV		Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky	ポケモン不思議のダンジョン　空の探検隊 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky	Nintendo DS, Wii U VC	April 18, 2009	October 12, 2009	November 20, 2009	November 12, 2009	—	April 18, 2009
IV		—	ポケモン不思議のダンジョン すすめ！炎の冒険団 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Keep Going! Blazing Adventure Squad	Wii	August 4, 2009	—	—	—	—	—
		—	ポケモン不思議のダンジョン いくぞ！嵐の冒険団 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Let's Go! Stormy Adventure Squad
		—	ポケモン不思議のダンジョン めざせ！光の冒険団 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Go For It! Light Adventure Squad
V		Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity	ポケモン不思議のダンジョン マグナゲートと∞迷宮 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Magnagate and the Infinite Labyrinth	Nintendo 3DS	November 23, 2012	March 24, 2013	May 17, 2013	May 18, 2013	—	—
VI		Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon	ポケモン超不思議のダンジョン Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon	Nintendo 3DS	September 17, 2015	November 20, 2015	February 19, 2016	February 20, 2016	—	—
VIII		Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX	ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 救助隊DX Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX	Nintendo Switch	March 6, 2020	March 6, 2020	March 6, 2020	March 6, 2020	—	—

List of animated episodes and short films

Code	Screenshot	English title	Japanese title	US broadcast	Japan broadcast	Time between
*		Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!	ポケモン不思議のダンジョン　出動！ポケモン救助隊ガンバルズ！ Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Setting Out! Pokémon Rescue Team Ganbarus!	September 8, 2006	March 23, 2007	196 days
*		Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness	ポケモン不思議のダンジョン　時の探検隊・闇の探検隊 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Explorers of Darkness	September 1, 2008	September 9, 2007	358 days
*		Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness	ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 空の探検隊 時と闇をめぐる 最後の冒険 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky: The Final Adventure Crossing Time and Darkness	October 9, 2009	April 12, 2009	180 days
*		Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Animated Shorts	『ポケモン不思議のダンジョン　～マグナゲートと∞迷宮～ 』PV Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Magnagate and the Infinite Labyrinth PV	March 26, 2013	November 1, 2012	145 days

List of manga adaptations

Image	English title	Japanese title	Volumes	Chapters	Summary
	Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team	ポケモン不思議のダンジョンギンジの救助隊 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team	1	6	An adaptation of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon's main storyline. Nearly direct, but features a very different ending from the games.
		ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 炎の探検隊 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team	1	6	A manga adaptation of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness.
	Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness (manga)		0	1	A manga adaptation of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness. Appeared in the Explorer's Guide book which was included with pre-ordered copies of the games.
		ポケモン超不思議のダンジョンそれいけ！新米調査団 Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Go For It! Novice Investigation Team!			A manga adaptation of Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon.

Trivia

• This series is the only spin-off series to have games released as pairs similar to the release model of the core series games. However, the computer programs Pokémon Project Studio Red and Blue (which are not part of a series) were also released as a pair.
• This is the first spin-off series to receive a remake, with Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX being a remake of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team.

In other languages

Language Title French Pokémon Donjon Mystère German Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Italian Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Korean 포켓몬 불가사의 던전 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Spanish Pokémon Mundo misterioso

References

Spin-off Pokémon series Pikachu series: Hey You, Pikachu! • Channel • Dash TCG: Game Boy TCG series: Trading Card Game • Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR! Play It! series: Play It! • Play It! Version 2 TCG Client series: Card Game Online • Trading Card Game Online • Trading Card Game Live Misc. TCG: Card Game Entry Battle • Say Tap? • Card Game: How to Play DS Card Game Gacha • TCG Card Dex • Digital Raid Battle Assistant Trading Card Game Pocket Super Smash Bros. series: Super Smash Bros. • Melee • Brawl • for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U • Ultimate Snap series: Snap • New Pokémon Snap Picross: Picross NP Vol. 1 • Picross (GBC) (canceled) • Picross (3DS) Pinball series: Pinball • Pinball mini • Pinball: RS Puzzle series: Puzzle League • Puzzle Challenge Trozei series: Trozei! • Battle Trozei Mystery Dungeon series: Red Rescue Team & Blue Rescue Team Explorers of Time & Explorers of Darkness • Explorers of Sky Blazing, Stormy & Light Adventure Squad Gates to Infinity • Super Mystery Dungeon • Rescue Team DX Ranger series: Ranger • Shadows of Almia • Guardian Signs Puck series: Battrio • Tretta (Tretta Lab) • Ga-Olé • Mezastar • Frienda Rumble series: Rumble • Rumble Blast • Rumble U • Rumble World • Rumble Rush PokéPark series: PokéPark Wii • PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond Detective Pikachu series: Detective Pikachu • Detective Pikachu Returns Playground: Pokémon Detective Pikachu Pokémon game templates Core series • Side series • Spin-off series • Pokémon mini • Individual spin-offs • Betas • Demos

This article is part of Project Sidegames, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Sidegames.