Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that while this is a Pokemon game, it doesn't offer the polish, quality, and depth of gameplay young fans have come to expect from the Pokemon series. Instead of finding, raising, and training a Pokemon from scratch, and then earning more Pokemon by challenging other players in the arena, this game is about combat and exploration, only. One nice thing: For the first time, young gamers can play as a Pokemon. However, that novelty is not enough to overcome the repetitive gameplay. And while the game generates random game environments to explore, the game quickly became tedious. Hardcore Pokemon fans will yearn for a more traditional Pokemon title.
Families can talk about what it's like to play the role of a battling Pokemon monster. Which Pokemon do they like to be? What is it like to find and recruit friends, solve puzzles, conquer dungeons, and save the day in a magical pretend world? Do you like this format as much as the earlier Pokemon games?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Andrew Bub
Pokemon is still a gaming phenomenon, despite the fact that it's been around for over a decade now. The reasons for this longevity are simple: solid gameplay and a hook that's irresistible to most children: once you start, you "Gotta catch them all!"
Regardless of this marketing ploy, the Pokemon games (both card and video games) have generally been superb. They have offered countless Pocket Monsters, solid strategy, and often surprisingly intense role-playing experiences to fans on a regular basis -- until now. This newest episode, POKEMON MYSTERY DUNGEON: RED RESCUE TEAM, seems contrived. The developers have crammed the Pocket Monsters into a game environment that's not a good fit for them.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team comes from ChunSoft and is basically a Pokemon-themed version of their long-running series of Mystery Dungeon games. Anyone looking for a classic style Pokemon video game is going to be disappointed.
The game begins by having players answer a series of questions to determine what kind of Pokemon monster they will become (out of a possible 16 beasties included). From there, the task is to search the virtual world for fellow Pokemon to challenge, befriend, and then take with you to clear countless and randomly generated dungeons.
The dungeons make up the play world of this game and they are filled with treasures to collect and monsters to defeat. The combat is turn-based and not very tactical, although players can link moves in one turn. The objective is to make it through a dungeon by finding the staircase to the next dungeon.
While the action is nonstop and the random generation of the dungeon's configuration offer lots of replayability, the challenge is low. Playing through the game becomes a chore rather than a joy.
The Game Boy Advance version is very similar to Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team for the Nintendo DS system and each version has six unique Pokemon. Players who own both can gain access to all. For better Pokemon gaming experiences, try Pokemon FireRed and Pokemon Trozei.
Rate It!
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ViolenceCartoon violence. Small 2D images bash each other with colorful sound effects and attacks - but nothing that looks like real violence. |
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Social BehaviorYour goal is to rescue other Pokemon. It creates a positive message of helping others. |
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CommercialismPokemon is a product and "Gotta Catch Them All" is the slogan. |
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Educational ValueFinding and choosing which Pokemon to recruit can change the game. It rewards some planning and creativity. |
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