The first game I ever owned holds a special place in my heart. Explorers of Sky does the general idea of this game much better, but there's something really charming about the Gen 3 Mystery Dungeon games because they start off so basic and generic but become something far more special than one could ever expect as a kid. The plot is sort of handwave-y but like, I don't care, this is an shonen isekai anime masquerading as a rouge-like Pokemon game, how could an 8 year old kid not love that? And How can a 20-something guy not love the feelings it still brings him later?

Rating - [89]

Wanted to give both versions a try before posting a review, but I’ve mostly been playing Blue Rescue Team on my DSi that I loaded up with ROMs of Pokémon spin-offs. Specifically Pokémon spin-offs from those weird in-between eras of generations, like that era between Emerald Version and Diamond & Pearl Versions where the DS was fully out and about, but Sinnoh Pokémon could nary be involved in the fun shenanigans of the older Pokémon who have been basking in the sunlight. It’s such a funny thing to have two versions on the Game Boy Advance and on the DS (which is very clever considering the DS could play both so any consumer could enjoy these no matter if they’d upgraded or not). I had Red Rescue Team as a kid, and despite wanting to get into this series more as it went on I never actually did, and going back to play both Red & Blue Rescue Team has me feeling the same “welp,” feeling that these games all give me once I get passed finding out what Pokémon I am.

Nevermind the fact that going from the DS version to the GBA version feels very much like you’re playing on the older console. Though, besides some crunchy-ass sound files and less menu/UI options, it’s only just barely the less optimized version. And as much as I love the feeling of getting out of a monster house, I think what I don’t like about these games are merely slights against how everything is set up. The Pokémon in this world have an economy and somewhere on the same planet, humans still capture Pokémon? Whatever (unless I’m missing something from not having finished this game ever lol)! My biggest gameplay gripe is the friends you find along the way never feel like a real part of your rescue team. Having my little buddy Houndour have to leave every time and me have to ask them back before each outing just didn’t feel right. Seems like a tiny thing but to me it feels like it’s counter-intuitive to Pokémon’s whole thing!

I may try Explorers of Sky just to cross off the one that everyone goes nuts about, but after whiting out in Sky Tower two times and losing all my money and items, I think I might let this series lie for a while.