Pokémon is one of the world’s most popular and well-loved franchises all across the globe – with trading cards, video games, anime series and movies, toys and even Pokémon Centers in Japan. Many people may age reflect on it fondly and refuse to accept the new Pokémon that this generation of children will grow up with. Despite this, this doesn’t mean we don’t still love the series – I don’t plan on not playing the games and collecting the trading cards just because of some Pokémon looks like an ice cream and I think it’s stupid – far from it.

Anyway, let’s stop this rambling, shall we? Sorry – I’ll get to the main part of this article now.

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon is a a self-given title – a rouge-like RPG that allows the player to control a party of Pokémon to explore various dungeons, defeat other Pokémon and collect items in order to save the Pokémon world. This game is actually the sixth Pokémon dungeon-crawler in the series, which surprises me as I had never heard of the series until now.

Like the previous Pokémon Dungeon games, the player begins as a human who is unexpectedly turned into a Pokémon – they can’t remember anything about their former human past. The player is then attacked by a trio of Beehemyem and is forced to escpare thanks to Nuzleaf. The Nuzleaf befriends the player and suggests they join the Expetition Society, despite children not being allowed to join. The Ampharos in charge of the Society grants the Nuzleaf wish, so the player and Nuzleaf begin to explore the towns around them. However, the more they travel, the more they hear about the rumours of Legendary Pokémon being turned to stone.

Left to right: Beheeyem; Nuzleaf and Ampharos. Belowe: Some of the Legendary Pokémon featured in this game.

The player can pick from 20 Pokémon as their main and can have a party of up to 4 Pokémon to enter a dungeon. These include starters from all six series and the game features all 720 current Pokémon (as of 2015). The procedurally-generated dungeons are filled with enemies and traps along with 12 bosses to defeat. Mega Evolution is included in this game too and TM are one-use only.

Another interest aspect of this game is the personality test. The player can choose whether or not to accept the Pokémon suggested to them. Players are also able to save wherever they are in the dungeon, as apposed to temporarily saving in the pause menu. A Jukebox mechanic is also features, allowing the player to listen to OSTs of previous Pokémon Dungeon installments.

---

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon was released in the Nintendo 3DS for Japan on September 17th last year, November 20th last for North America, Feburary 19th of this year for Europe and February 20th for Australia.

• A Pokémon themed snapback cap is included if you buy it from the Nintendo Store (in Europe at least).

• Watch the trailer for the game here.

Thanks for reading – hope you enjoyed! Until next week – take care!