Explorers of Sky is not a sequel: it is an enhanced version of Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, released a year earlier. If you already know those games, this page sums up everything Sky adds or changes, from the introduction to the ranks and the dungeons.
What’s added
| Addition | Details |
|---|---|
| Starter Pokémon | Vulpix, Eevee, Phanpy, Shinx and Riolu. See Starter Pokémon. |
| Special Episodes | Five side adventures starring other characters. See Special Episodes. |
| Spinda’s Café | Reached through a hole at the crossroads: Juice Bar and Item Exchange. See Treasure Town and the guild. |
| Shaymin Village and Sky Peak | After the story, a climb to recruit Shaymin and obtain Gracideas. |
| Destiny Tower | A postgame dungeon reputed to be the hardest in the series. |
| Secret stairs | Found in place of some traps, right under the hero’s feet: they lead to the Secret Bazaar or to a treasure room. |
| Ranks | Lower thresholds and four new Master ranks. See Ranks. |
| Sky Jukebox | To listen to all of the game’s music. |
What’s changed
- The introduction is brand new, and the chapters are illustrated with artwork, like the opening of the Explorer Kit.
- Amp Plains now feature Manectric and a clan of Electrike instead of Luxray and the Luxio, since Shinx can be the hero.
- Outlaws can call a monster house, flee when they see the hero, or hide somewhere on the floor. They have as much HP as a boss.
- Being knocked out in a dungeon now costs only half the money you carry, but more items.
- A knocked-out teammate leaves its item in the bag instead of on the floor.
- Wonder Mail passwords are ten characters longer, so the passwords from Time and Darkness do not work as they are.
- Some music has been remixed, or even redone.
- Evolving the hero and the partner no longer requires having recruited Palkia.
What stays the same
The main story and its twenty chapters, Wigglytuff’s Guild, Treasure Town and most of the dungeons are identical. Our walkthrough therefore applies to all three versions, except for Amp Plains in chapter 10. Our Mystery Dungeon 2 guide covers Time and Darkness and their differences.
