In 2006, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red and Blue Rescue Team introduced a landmark idea: for the first time, you are no longer a Trainer, you are a Pokémon. Developed by Chunsoft, the Japanese specialists in the genre, these two games bring the randomly generated dungeon formula to the Pokémon universe. Twenty years later, they remain endearing, even if their sequels and their remake have surpassed them.
A human turned Pokémon
The hero wakes up transformed into a Pokémon, with no memory of their human life. The Pokémon who found the hero suggests founding a rescue team. At first, it is simply a matter of helping the locals: a lost Caterpie, some Magnemite trapped in a cave. But natural disasters multiply, an old legend about Ninetales resurfaces, and the hero soon becomes a fugitive.
The story is simpler than in the later games, but it knows how to move you. The flight through the mountains and the ending, which raises the question of the hero’s departure, left a mark on many players. Team Meanies, led by Gengar, adds a touch of humor, and its story finds an unexpected conclusion in the post-game.
The Mystery Dungeon formula
Each dungeon is randomly generated on every visit. You move one square at a time, and every action lets the enemies take their turn. Hunger means you can’t dawdle, and fainting costs you your money and some of your items. Recruitment is the big deal in the game: a Pokémon defeated by the leader can join the team, provided you own its Friend Area. With hundreds of species from the first three generations, the collection is vast.
What has aged
The dungeons look alike, the missions are repetitive and the recruitment rules are obscure: some species have rates so low that you need a very high-level leader to have any hope of recruiting them. The DS version merely adds a map on the second screen and a few touch functions. The difficulty of the post-game, with its 99-floor dungeons, will put many players off.
Red, Blue or DX?
Both versions tell the same story; Blue takes advantage of the dual screen and a small exclusive, the Challenge Maze. Today, the easiest way to discover this story is the remake Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, released in 2020 on Nintendo Switch. The originals remain interesting for their charm and their difficulty.
Our verdict
The starting point of a series that became a cult favorite. Its sequels surpassed it in every respect, but the original keeps a charm and a story well worth the detour.
What we like
- A founding idea: playing as a Pokémon
- A touching story and a huge post-game
- Hundreds of Pokémon to recruit
- Graphic charm intact
What we like less
- Repetitive dungeons and missions
- Opaque recruitment rules
- A DS version barely different from the GBA version
Our 2005 review, written on the Japanese version, gave it 17 out of 20.
