Parents' Guide to

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky

By Erin Bell, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Nothing new, but still a fun dungeon crawler for fans.

Game Nintendo DS 2009
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky Game: Screenshot #1
  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky Game: Screenshot #2
  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 3 parent reviews

speedyblupi
speedyblupi Adult
October 17, 2014
age 7+

Great game, but very violent for pokemon.

This game is very good, but not suitable for any children under the age of about 5, and due to the complexity of the plot would probably not make sense to most children up to the age of 7 or 8. I'm pretty sure "Mystery Dungeon: Explorers" is the first pokemon game where one character has attempted to kill another onscreen (and this happens more than once). On a note less related to whether it's age appropriate I think it's also the first pokemon game where two characters (Grovyle and Celebi) are in a romantic relationship. The words "suicide", "kill" or "die" are never used - only "disappear" is used, but these words would be a lot more appropriate to describe the issues and events in the game. This game's philosophically very deep, and has some very good lessons in it about morality, self sacrifice and the meaning of life. It's strange among games aimed at younger audiences (apparently it is, judging by the age rating, even if the game itself is more appropriate for teens) in that good and evil are generally pretty ambiguous. One character (Grovyle) implicitly tries to kill the player's partner, and though he had a reason to do so (needing to escape by any means necessary so that he can save the world) it's pretty extreme for a pokemon game. Also, if you play this game all the way through, and read all the text, YOU WILL CRY. It's the saddest story I've ever read or seen >>SPOILERS

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
ANTI-PARANOIA
ANTI-PARANOIA Parent of 12 and 14-year-old
August 26, 2012
age 7+

fancypants what are you on?

THIS GAME IS GREAT! good story, good fun cartoon action [not violence, action] and good messages about teamwork now please don't listen to TheFancyPants he is PARANOID. the main character doesn't die he gets lost in a time warp..... yeah it's explained in the game. there isn't anything about scuicide, the excecution..... i got nothing there. IT DEFINITELY ISN'T SCARY, IT HAS CARTOON ACTION AND IS GREAT FOR KIDS. I should know, i played through it because its fun!!! get this game if your kid is a pokemon fan.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
See all 3 parent reviews

What’s It About?

POKEMON MYSTERY DUNGEON: EXPLORERS OF SKY will give players a sense of deja vu if they've already sampled previous games in the series. The premise – where you play a human who wakes up trapped inside the body of a Pokemon, meets a companion, and joins an adventurer's guild – is identical to that of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness. So is the gameplay, which involves exploring randomly-generated dungeons to complete quests and defeat wild pokemon.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (16):

What's new in Explorers of Sky is that players have access to a handful of new quests and special episodes, including being able to explore the previously inaccessible Sky Peak where a new Pokemon called Shaymin acts as a companion and guide as you hike up the mountain. Players also have five new starter Pokemon to choose from when they start the game, can find additional missions through bottles that wash up on the beach, and can trade exclusive items with friends who have other Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games. The degree of repetition between Explorers of Sky and its predecessors (Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness) is a bit disappointing, especially if the games are played back to back. The frustrations of Explorers of Time, such as losing some of your cash and items every time you perish in a dungeon, are still a part of the new game, and Explorers of Sky hasn't undergone any sort of graphical improvements either. Nevertheless, Pokemon fanatics who buy into the franchise's "gotta catch 'em all" mantra will find plenty to keep them occupied.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Is it worth it to buy a game that's so similar to another game in the series for a handful of extra Pokemon and new features. Would a completely new game have been better?

  • What is your favorite Pokemon and why?

  • Which Pokemon remind you of real-life animals?

Game Details

  • Platform: Nintendo DS
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Release date: October 12, 2009
  • Genre: Action/Adventure
  • ESRB rating: E for Comic Mischief
  • Last updated: August 31, 2016

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