Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorer's Guide

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time - Explorer's Guide
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness - Explorer's Guide
ISBN:	N/A
Published:	2008
Publisher:	Nintendo of America
Author:

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - Explorer's Guide is a 79-page guide book for the video games Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness. The book primarily covers early-game details on the story and mechanics, but also includes developer interviews and a tie-in manga by Ken Sugimori. The book has two versions corresponding to the two versions of the games, and each version has slightly different content.

Each book was originally available as a pre-order bonus with the matching version of the game. Each guide was also available in bundles with their matching game at Wal-Mart stores.

Contents

Both versions:

• Prologue
• Welcome to the world of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
• Brimming with great new features
• The differences between "Time" and "Darkness"
• A look at some Pokémon in the story
  • Hero & Partner
  • The Guild's members
  • Exploration Team Skull
  • The Thief (Grovyle)
  • Postal Pokémon (Pelipper)
  • Pokémon you meet while training (Spoink, Marill, Azurill, Magnezone, Torkoal)
• A total tell-all about guild life!
• A full investigation into an exploration team's work
• Learn the characteristics of Pokémon
• Help friends by communicating
• Exclusive content collection:
  • Original manga for Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness featuring Team Poképals by Ken Sugimori of Game Freak
  • 10 questions with executive producer Tsunekazu Ishihara
  • Additional information (the games' release date, as well as ads for Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and Pokémon Battle Revolution)
  • Sticker sheet

Time only:

• Dungeon walk-through for Drenched Bluff
• 10 questions with scenario writer & game designer Shinichiro Tomie

Darkness only:

• Dungeon walk-through for Beach Cave
• 10 questions with director Seiichiro Nagahata

Version differences

• The Time version generally has a blue color scheme, while the Darkness version uses a red color scheme. This applies to the cover, the borders of pages and infographics, and even the colors ofTeam Poképals' scarves and the treasure chest in the included manga.
• The Time version will use an image of a Meowth and a Piplup discovering a treasure chest for the "prologue" page, and an image of a Chimchar and a Turtwig triggering the gem trap in Waterfall Cave at the start of the "exclusive content collection". In the Darkness version, these images' positions are swapped.
• Most screenshots will use a player-partner pair that matches the book/game's cover: the Time version will use a Turtwig player and Piplup partner, while the Darkness version uses a Pikachu player and Chimchar partner.
  • The Time version fully commits to this idea, but several screenshots in the Darkness version still use the Time version's team, notably: the screenshots for Chansey Day Care and Marowak Dojo (page 11), and most of the screenshots in the diagram of Wigglytuff's Guild (pages 38-39).
• In the section discussing version differences, each version of the book highlights exclusives in the corresponding game version:
  • The Time version mentions Pachirisu, Combee, Butterfree, Vile Seeds, and Foe-Hold Orbs.
  • The Darkness version mentions Buneary, Burmy, Beedrill, Violent Seeds, and Foe-Seal Orbs.

Staff

Planning & Production

Editorial

• Studio M, LLC

Design

• Cue Factory, LLC

Special Thanks

• Ken Sugimori (Game Freak, Inc.)

English Localization

• Kim Moore
• Seth McMahill
• Steven Grimm
• Kristin Kirby
• Cory Conner
• Pokémon USA
• Nob Ogasawara (uncredited)

Publisher

• Nintendo of America Inc.

Trivia

• In Tsunekazu Ishihara's interview, he mentions that players can register their cell phone number to receive messages about rescue missions (page 76). However, such a service was not available for North American players.

Errors

• Bulbasaur's page (page 15) incorrectly lists Withdraw and Absorb as moves it can learn. This list appears to be a copy of Turtwig's moves from a later page (page 18).
• On Cyndaquil's page (page 20), there is a screenshot of a Charmander player and Cyndaquil partner, both Fire-types. This team composition is not possible in the final game, as the player and partner cannot have the same type. The guide even mentions this restriction on an earlier page (page 14).
• The book states that the games' release date would be April 21, 2008, but the official Pokémon website states the release date as one day earlier (page 78).
• The description for Pokémon Diamond and Pearl has a typo, referring to Palkia as "the Pokémon that rule space", rather than "the Pokémon that rules space" (page 79).

References

Pokémon companion books and guides Game guides: Official Pokémon TCG Perfect Guide • Pokémon Card GB Final Tactical Book Pokémon Trainer's Survival Guide • Pokémon Trainer's Guide Pokémon Pocket Trainer's Guide Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Rescuer's Guide • Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorer's Guide Anime guides: All Movies Perfect Guide • Amazing Pokémon Guidebook • Element Pokédex series Extreme Pokémon: The Guide for the Ultimate Fan • Pokémon: Greatest Battles • Pokémon Hall of Fame Pokémon: Sinnoh Hall of Fame • Pokémon Top 10 Handbook • Pokémon Visual Guide • Pokémon Visual Companion (1 • 2 • 3) World of Sinnoh • The Official Adventure Guide • Pokémon Movie Companion • Training Manual • First Partner Handbook Official Pokémon Pokédex • Evolution Manual • Gym Battle Guidebook Cross-media guides: Beckett Unofficial Guide To Pokémon Diamond & Pearl • The Complete Pokémon Pocket Guide (2008 • 2024) Legendary Pokémon: The Essential Guide - Sinnoh Edition • Pokémon: Kalos Beginner's Handbook The Official Pokémon Handbook (2 • 3 • 4 • Kanto • Johto • Sinnoh • Ultimate • Black/White Essential • Kalos • Deluxe Essential • Classic Collector's • Alola • Super Deluxe Essential • Galar Super Extra Deluxe Essential • Scarlet & Violet • Super Duper Extra Deluxe Essential) Pokémon Annual • Official Guide to Legendary and Mythical Pokémon • Legendary and Mythical Guidebook: Deluxe Edition Case Files (Pokémon: Detective Pikachu) Pokémon companion books and guides Nintendo Power • Prima Games • Versus Books • BradyGames • Media Factory • Other guides

This book article is part of Project Merchandise, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on all Pokémon toys, dolls, books, and collectible merchandise.