Released in France on 17 May 2013, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity brings the Mystery Dungeon series to the Nintendo 3DS and to 3D. Developed by Spike Chunsoft, it features the Pokémon of Unova, simplifies several mechanics and adds Magnagates, dungeons opened with the console’s camera. How good is this first 3DS entry?
The Mystery Dungeon formula
Like the whole series, Gates to Infinity is a turn-based dungeon-crawling game: you move square by square through randomly generated floors, and every step lets enemies act. The hero, a human turned into a Pokémon, forms a team with their partner, accepts missions and descends into dungeons to rescue Pokémon or fight others. The formula is tried and tested, and it still works: you quickly get hooked on the “just one more floor” game.
The move to 3D
For the first time in France, Pokémon and environments are in three dimensions. The result is colorful and readable, with dungeons whose architecture is more varied: rooms are no longer rectangular, and some outdoor floors let Pokémon move freely. The Pokémon of Unova, modeled for the occasion, gain in expressiveness.
Double-edged simplifications
The game opts for accessibility. No more quiz at the start: you choose your Pokémon from five. No more IQ or Abilities, replaced by shared team skills. No more hunger in some dungeons. Moves are available through shortcuts, and the link move sweeps away the enemies in a room. Newcomers benefit, but series regulars regret the reduced depth, in particular the loss of choosing through the personality test and the small number of playable Pokémon at the start.
Pokémon Paradise and Magnagates
Two new features give the game its identity. Pokémon Paradise, the paradise for Pokémon that you build and develop, gives the adventure a common thread. Magnagates, meanwhile, turn any round object around the house into a door to a dungeon: the idea is fun, even if the dungeons obtained this way end up looking alike.
A touching story, a slow start
The plot, centered on friendship and trust in the face of the Bittercold that feeds on the negativity of Pokémon, knows how to move you, as is often the case in the series. But it takes a while to get going: the first hours, spent building the house and doing small missions, are slow.
Playing it today
The game is available as a Nintendo 3DS cartridge. The 3DS eShop closed in March 2023: the digital version and the downloadable dungeons can no longer be purchased. To discover the series today, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, on Switch, is more accessible; Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, another 3DS entry, features all the Pokémon of the first six generations.
Our verdict
Gates to Infinity makes a successful move to 3D and offers good ideas, but simplifies the Mystery Dungeon formula too much to win over regulars. A pleasant entry point into the series, nothing more.
What we like
- The successful move to 3D
- Magnagates and Pokémon Paradise
- An endearing story
- Simplified controls, ideal for beginners
What we like less
- Less depth than the DS entries
- Only five starter Pokémon
- A slow start to the adventure
- Repetitive Magnagate dungeons
