Recent Comments

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky game review

It’s here! The new installment of the Mystery Dungeon series is a must for the true Pokémon fan. The story is the same: Save the Pokémon!

POKÉMON MYSTERY DUNGEON: EXPLORERS OF SKY
Nintendo for DS
pokemon-title
Graphics: 6.0
Sound: 7.0
Gameplay: 7.0
Replay Value: 8.0
Overall Score: 7.0
Pros: Five new Pokémon to play as; WiFi offers many features; many Pokémon stories.
Cons: Too much like the previous games; gameplay graphics aren’t detailed enough; needs even more new Pokémon.

GETTING STARTED

To a big Pokémon fan, this new game is like a road trip and heroic adventure combined. But it might be more interesting for the new Mystery Dungeon fan because of the similarities in gameplay to the last two games. For instance, remember the beginnings of Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness? You’re thrown into darkness. Then you see lightning and rocks that look like a wolf baring his scary teeth. It’s exactly the same in Explorers of Sky.

As in the other games, you have to take a personality test before you can play. You’ll answer questions such as whether you like karaoke and day-old cake and if you consider yourself to be a pushy person. To figure out your aura, it then asks you to press your finger on the touchscreen gently. (Actually, you’d better press hard or it won’t register.)

My aura was deep green, my favorite color. It was determined that I was brave type with a strong sense of justice and that I won’t turn away from someone in trouble. But I might be too pushy. I became the Electric Pokémon, Pikachu, and chose as my partner a Chimchar, a kind of monkey.

When the actual game begins, you’re washed on shore to meet your cowardly cohort, a Pokémon of your choosing. No matter which Pokémon you choose, he’ll start out as a wimp. And, as in the other games, you’ll start quests by retrieving your shy Pokémon’s stolen treasure.

pokemon3GETTING STRONGER

As you go down, down, down into the deep Beach Caves, you’ll level up and become stronger quickly. Just remember to keep an eye on your health when you find the baddies who took that treasure and called your partner a wimp. Otherwise, you’ll faint and have to start all over again. One way to fend off fainting is to eat berries and apples when your HP meter is low. Keep an eye on that meter and eat often!

If you faint later in the game, you’re returned to your base of operation, Wigglytuff’s Guild. The penalty here is the loss of half of your money and some of the items you’ve been carrying.

Throughout the game, you’ll enjoy Special Episodes, including one with beaver-like creatures called Bibarels, hanging around outside a huge lodge they’ve built in a river. I have beavers near my house, which are sometimes annoying and sometimes cute. So it was a lot of fun to see something like them in a Pokémon game.

You can access the Special Episodes before you finish the main adventure, but you can only play one at a time.

pokemon2CHOICES, CHOICES!

You can play as five new Pokémon characters, including Phanpy, Rioly, Shinx, Eevee and Vulpix. With his long nose and elephant-like look, Phanpy might be the coolest. He’s certainly the only Ground Type available in the game.

You’ll also learn the back stories of a few characters such as Wigglytuff and why he decided to become an adventurer and how Bidoff was inducted into the Guild.

One of the coolest parts of the game comes when you meet the new Pokémon, Shaymin. He’ll become your pal and guide to the very top of Sky Peak. Climbing all the way up is a thrilling trip.

You can play the game either with the stylus and touchscreen or with the D-pad and buttons. This adds a little variety to the game. I like to switch between the two. But I do like the three ways of tapping an enemy to fight against him. One tap throws ammo at the enemy. A Double Tap uses a move you predetermine against your foe. And holding after tapping begins your normal attack.

pokemon1GET A JOB

Along the way, you’ll take several jobs to save the Pokémon. Sometimes, you’ll find a bottle on the shore with a message inside that’s actually a new job. And sometimes, you’ll see a job posting in the Guild. Then you’ll have to fight an evil Pokémon.

Not too long into the game, a feature called Chimecho Assembly becomes available. At that point, you’ll be able to recruit defeated Pokémon to join your exploration team. Some won’t want to join, but many will.

In Treasure Town, you’ll find that new shops keep opening up. There’s a juice bar, a storage facility and Marowak Dojo, where your team battles wild Pokémon. Chansey’s Day Care is where eggs you have won as gifts for finishing jobs will go. Chansey helps hatch small Pokémon in just a few days.

SOME OF THE SAME

Many dungeons can feel the same because the graphics don’t really change. However, the layout of the dungeons changes every time you enter, making each excursion somewhat of a new experience. But it’s not quite new enough.

There are WiFi features from the other games. If your team faints during battle, you can call on a friend to rescue you. Before your pal gets to the rescue point, he’ll have to defeat a bunch of tough foes. Also, when you’re using the WiFi features, look for the Wonder S Mail Service. Here, you can download special jobs that are otherwise unavailable in the game. Finally, you can trade your team for a friend’s team via WiFi.

If you’re picky about your Pokémon, you might find that this game is too much like the other games. However, the diehard Pokémon fan will discover hours of exploration. Through reading, you’ll learn new tales about creatures that are pretty entertaining. But if money is a little tight this year, think about renting the game to see if it’s different enough for you before buying it.

102 Comments on Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky game review

  1. rocklord96 // July 29, 2010 at 12:49 pm // Reply

    oh yah i forgot to mention i heard rumers that if you level every pokemon lvl 100 and you go back to destiny tower the second time the statue comes to life is that true?

    • probably not because arceus is impossible to get in the game so that rumor is a lie arceus is not avalable to fight or recruit though you can touch a statue

  2. rocklord96 // July 29, 2010 at 12:46 pm // Reply

    thanks guys for all youre help now i have almost every pokemon and almost every legendary and i got kyogre and ho-oh today im happy , but the thing is i found out that there is an arceus statue in destiny tower and i cant evan get past the 10th lvl cause they make you lvl 1 and i dont get to have my partner come with and i dont get my items or the moves i like the usemy lucario has for moves dark pulse, force palm, focus blast, and aura sphere and i only get these move in destiny tower fore sight detect force palm and quick attack and its making me mad, so what pokemon should i use there? i need to get to the top to get the space orb then get every pokemon beside arceus then go back up and there are 99 floors

  3. battlegirl // July 13, 2010 at 7:25 pm // Reply

    does any one know if pikachu aka me is good with chimchar.

    • well if you have chimchar when you have to go get the phione dew it will be kinda hard because he is fire and there water so i think he will be a good patner because all of the other places he is good but when you go get the phione dew take him out of the party and have your main and a grass type go in

    • rocklord96 // July 29, 2010 at 12:53 pm // Reply

      if you have a fire type they will be great for dungeons but but not very well with the surrounded seas, the miricle sea or the bottomless sea it also might be hard for other water places like the beach if your just starting out

  4. my team is just like team charm i have a level 92 lopunny level 90 medicham and level 89 gardavoir

  5. feraligatr // July 8, 2010 at 8:59 am // Reply

    i have the best eam ever and they are mot even evolved on a regular hit i can do 90-100 damage and my other moves do more thhan a 110 damage yes even my ember does that. my team is a charmander as my character and a todidile as a partner

  6. darkmaster // July 4, 2010 at 11:23 am // Reply

    can someone tell me how to defeat darkrai and his gang oh yeh i won the graduation exam the guild gave me. i won it in my first go that was so easy :). my pokemon is shinx and partner chimpchar.

    • Guildmaster champion // July 13, 2010 at 8:36 am // Reply

      Heres how you beat darkrai: 1st, give darkrai a sleep sead and take out the minions. 2nd, set your partners tactics to “go after foes”. 3rd, While darkrai is busy with your partner sneak up behind darkai and attack.
      P.S Darkai has about 600 hp.

  7. PikaPikachu // July 3, 2010 at 9:00 am // Reply

    where do you meet skymin?!

    • team extreme // July 13, 2010 at 3:51 pm // Reply

      one day in the game you go to Spinda’s cafe there is a exploration to sky peak once you get to the top you face 3 muk and 3 grimer then you go home the next day you go to shaymin village you go to sky peak when you get to the top you talk to shaymin and he wants to join

  8. Does anyone know where you can get the move dig.

  9. Can anyone help me figure out how to beat Wigglytuff’s Guild for the exam? My team is Riolu Lv.40 and Pikachu Lv. 40. PLEASE HELP!

    • if you get the minions to get close and you know thunderbolt, the move till hit them 1 square away because i use to be a pickachu and i noticed that that was an easy way to knock most of the minions out with one hit.

    • team extreme // July 13, 2010 at 3:56 pm // Reply

      bring more team members if you do you can win

  10. my team munchlex and shinxs

  11. i got all the pokemon game

  12. TERRACLAW26 // June 18, 2010 at 11:07 am // Reply

    hi who knows what personality vulpix is? i know its female

  13. team powalegend // June 10, 2010 at 2:55 pm // Reply

    my team is better than flipswitches, it stars me as rayquaza lv. 100 kyogre lv.98 groudonlv.99 and last but not least primal dialga lv.98

  14. team heroes? // June 1, 2010 at 11:06 pm // Reply

    can anyone here 1 hit ko diagla the first time you fight him and do in the 700s while below level 45 and above level 40??? i did with a rilou and munchlax one focus ounch = one hocus pocus POOF punch

    • Wow! You did that too?!? I only had to lure him close enough for me to hit him. By the way, Do you by any chance know any strategies for beating wigglytuff’s guild for the graduation exam?

  15. plesee help im a bulbasuar and partner riolu he nos dig but still cqant get past dark dialga and its 2010

  16. Pokefan FancyG // May 23, 2010 at 10:30 am // Reply

    I need help defeating palkia i’m a mudkip lvl.60 & riolu (nickname Troy) lvl.60 I’ve fought him like 20 times (mudkip moves:ice beam,protect,hydro pump,iron tail riolu moves:force palm,brick break,dig,counter

  17. rocklord96 // May 20, 2010 at 6:46 pm // Reply

    yah i am in the spaicial rift and i cant defeat palkia and my team members are riolu which is me and eevee my partner ive been battling palkia for about a month but still cant get it can anyone help?

    • i know how gust get a gold mask i wil get code

      Q7SS9 =%PJN8w -r=71 fs7#+ pq=8k%= 8m6w@
      tha sould be it sorry if it doesent work
      now i will give gold seed codes lv. up 5!

      2yh44 hy3nwft hrx55 n&hk0 c–9mf8 t2qpw

    • Hmmm…. that’s a tough one. Well, i guess all I can say is that palkia is a dragon/water type, and the only way to beat him would depend on your moves.

    • rocklord96 // July 29, 2010 at 1:00 pm // Reply

      thanks guys you helped and i got past it and all i did was change my moves cause i found some tms like focus blast and 5 reviver seeds soi did it

  18. u guys are awsome

  19. Team Watersprout // May 8, 2010 at 7:49 pm // Reply

    i am a phanpy at lvl 60 riolu lvl 59 shaymin lvl 56 and Cresselia lvl 55

  20. does anyone know how to get a cydiquil as your charecter

  21. DemonicAbsol // April 21, 2010 at 7:53 pm // Reply

    i beat the main storyline in 3 days

  22. DemonicAbsol // April 21, 2010 at 7:46 pm // Reply

    Flipswitch is the kool aid guy

  23. Team MetalShock (MegaSteel) // April 17, 2010 at 11:26 am // Reply

    to easily beat palkia and dialga have a riolu that knows copycat
    and darkria can not get hungry or go to sleep but an x-eye seed or blinker seed oh make sure you or your partner knows dig because the monster house is full of poison,fire, and steel-types. and let your partner hold an oran
    REMEMBER darkria is a DARK-type. that is why his name is DARKria

    • rocklord96 // May 22, 2010 at 12:36 pm // Reply

      nevrmind i finally got it because i read what to do earliewr

    • rocklord96 // May 23, 2010 at 11:04 am // Reply

      finally dominated the whole story with riolu andeevee but i cant evolve riolu and i already evolved eevee as glaceon why cant i evolve riolu???

  24. Team MetalShock (MegaSteel) // April 16, 2010 at 6:40 pm // Reply

    team MegaSteel is now named……………….Team MetalShock

  25. pokefreind // April 16, 2010 at 4:15 am // Reply

    I defeated dialge at level 11 dude.
    Try using only thunder.

  26. team darkness // April 10, 2010 at 9:34 am // Reply

    Pokemon mystery dungeon of sky is awesome

    • Team MegaSteel // April 16, 2010 at 6:06 pm // Reply

      the urasange will come and say that luminous spring feels different somehow and then you can evolve there

  27. mexican ninja // April 7, 2010 at 7:11 pm // Reply

    how do and your pokemon evolve i beat darkrai and i still can’t evolve

    • poke arceus // May 2, 2010 at 8:04 pm // Reply

      u have to recruit palkia as well to evolve and wait till manaphy comes back and reveals a location to u

  28. what pokemon do u have tro defeat to evolve

    • poke arceus // May 3, 2010 at 7:57 pm // Reply

      and to evolve u must RECRUIT palkia and BEAT darkrai and let cresselia join u and then u can also evolve riolu
      and u need godlen mask secret slab and 2 other things to make pokemon like zapdos join
      its only for a few legendary pokemon
      and find all seven treasure pay destiny tower 100 visits arceus will fight you and if u win he will join u

  29. I suggest you get a Mudkip and a Pikachu. I used endeavor and
    Pikachu used feint+shockwave. (Primal Dialga got 0 chances to
    attack me:)

  30. Team flipswitch // March 21, 2010 at 6:14 am // Reply

    ANYONE KNOW HOW TO EVOLVE A RIOLU

  31. Team flipswitch // March 20, 2010 at 1:16 pm // Reply

    has anyone here been up sky peak.i did it with a lv.5 magnemite.im the master.oh yeah.

  32. Team flipswitch // March 20, 2010 at 1:08 pm // Reply

    Graduation from the guild is good you then get to evolve.And live in sharkpedo bluff. And u can do sentry duty anytime

  33. Team flipswitch // March 20, 2010 at 1:04 pm // Reply

    It took me 3 hits to beat dialga

  34. my team is pikachu and chikorita

  35. Halp i am pikachu and eevee lv 53 how do you beat primal dialga???!!!

  36. totidle AND RILOU

    • poke arceus // May 2, 2010 at 8:06 pm // Reply

      my team is also riolu and totodile lvl 100 all the people i have recruited
      and that is to say all of them every single pokemon in the game

  37. you guys my team is piplup and treeko

  38. phanphy lover // February 26, 2010 at 7:28 am // Reply

    can u help me get passed dialga with phanphy and turtwig

  39. absol master // February 25, 2010 at 6:28 am // Reply

    when team raider is at the beach how do you get them to come in to town

  40. I dominated the whole story with chimchar and shinx. 🙂

  41. I cant beat primal dialga and i have a phampy and a turtwig need help

  42. TreeckoRocks! // February 16, 2010 at 1:54 pm // Reply

    It is WAY more easy to defeat Dialga if you confuse it,put it to sleep,stun it or blind it. I recamend useing totter seeds beacuse it stays confused longer then it with any of the others. Also it is good if you have a move that can hit at a distants.

  43. p o k e m o n!! // February 14, 2010 at 10:17 pm // Reply

    how do you get past the quicksand cave?

  44. how do you get to evolve your starter pokemon im a riolu and cant evolve

  45. I am a Riolu and my partner is a chimchar

  46. poke mon master // February 9, 2010 at 6:41 am // Reply

    I can`t get past the invisable island part I think thats what it is called.

  47. i dominated dialga with my team of piplup and treeko

  48. Dungeon Genius // February 6, 2010 at 11:51 am // Reply

    Oh… by the way… this does not work with geo pebbles or gravlerocks

  49. how do u play

  50. MY team is Riolu AND Munchlax! they are very good to use. now i can not get past Dialga!!! ***(my team is so good) ***

    • Team flipswitch // March 21, 2010 at 6:21 am // Reply

      1 MUNCHLAX IS NO GOOD NOW RIOLU HES SOME POKEMON.MY TEAM IS A LV.54 RIOLU AND A EVEE AT LV.53 AND SHAYMAN AT LV.56 AND LASTLY MESPRIT AT LV.43.PRETTY GOOD TEAM HUH.(MY TEAM IS AWSOME)……OH YEAH!!!!!!!!

    • poke smart // March 21, 2010 at 6:24 am // Reply

      yeah ur team sounds better

      • Team flipswitch // March 21, 2010 at 6:25 am //

        y thank u

      • lucario // June 21, 2010 at 4:40 pm //

        Try this team on for size: Dialga, Palkia, Mewtwo, Entei, Raikou, Suicune, (I’m just naming legendaries) Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, and Cresselia. Beat THAT!

    • poke arceus // May 2, 2010 at 8:02 pm // Reply

      use dig and fighting type attacks they r super effective

      • Evee-bozz // July 21, 2010 at 1:19 am //

        I use dig with my evee and it does something and doesnt let me use it on him.

Leave a Reply to pokeman Cancel reply

Please don't use your real name.