Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness

"Honey, I just got turned into a Pokemon. ( I really give this a 9.4)"

Intro: Okay, so from my understanding, the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series isn't very liked by some critics ( no surprise there). Judging by all the negativity towards it from those critics in particular, how did sequels get made? The answer may lie in the sales, but I personally think it's because of us gamers. Regardless of the reason, we have sequels, and I will be reviewing the Explorers of Darkness version here. On with the review.

Story 9.5/10: I'm not kidding. Like the originals, you are a human who has mysteriously become a Pokemon. However, don't start thinking same old, same old, blah blah blah. The story is actually very intriguing and quite honestly, the most well-told story I've ever seen in a Pokemon game. It's definitely worth mentioning for once.

Graphics 8.9/10: I'll be honest; 2D graphics are where the DS really shines. I honestly can't picture this with 3D graphics or those 3D/2D graphics of Diamond/Pearl. Anyway, the environments are all very nice and colourful and the cutscenes are just gorgeous. Some of the Pokemon and items from the originals have been doctored up slightly and look nice. Granted, the D/P Pokemon DO look better then the older ones, at least this isn't one of those games where the reused graphics look like trash compared to the new models.

Gameplay 8.7/10: As the leader of an exploration team you will travel through dungeons rescuing/escorting Pokemon, finding/delivering items, capturing outlaw Pokemon, even just exploring dungeons to see what's at the end. That's about it in a nutshell. All in all, it's really fun. The only complaint I have is that no matter what their behavior settings are on, if you are in a hallway fighting a Pokemon, some of your team members may wonder off. And THAT is annoying.

Music/Sound 8.6: The music is really nice and generally suits the area. Some tunes from the originals have been remixed and sound better then ever. The sound is alright, I guess. Some attacks sound devastating, but picking up items and messing with the menu generates some kinda annoying sounds. I really give the sound a 7, but the music drives the rating up.

Replay Value 9.3: Oh there's replay value alright. The story does not truly end at the credits and there are still many dungeons to be explored. Have fun.

Buy or Rent? I would suggest renting it to see if you like it, but if you're a huge Pokemon fan or a dungeon crawler fan ( maybe both) you can go ahead and buy it. You really can't go wrong if that's the case.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/29/09

Game Release: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (US, 04/20/08)