Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky is probably the first non-educational video game I’ve ever played, barring maybe its predecessors Time and Darkness, or Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia. The last time I played it was probably sometime between 2009-2012, so I knew nostalgia was going to be a big factor when I replayed it a whole decade later in 2023. Well…I am PLEASED TO REPORT that nostalgia does NOT carry this game because it is STILL SO DAMN GOOD TO THIS DAY. This is one of the best, if not the best, Pokemon game ever made. The story is equal parts entertaining, dramatic, emotional, and uplifting, and the dungeon crawler gameplay is similarly peak. Common old Pokemon W. Hopefully my review won’t be all over the place; I have a lot of thoughts about it.
PS: I called my exploration team Team Relic! I played as a Turtwig, and my partner was Skitty, and that is now canon and you can’t tell me otherwise! THEY DESERVE THE WORLD RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
Pros:
- The feature most players talk about when they sing Sky’s praises is the story, and they should, because my god…this is 100% the best story in a Pokemon game. Without a doubt in my mind. Despite how simple some of the dialogue and plot points are, Sky’s story has an uncanny ability to cut right into your heart. I won’t be giving anything major away in this review, but Sky manages to blend both the intrigue of exploring uncharted horizons and bonding with a ride-or-die partner, and seeing that Partner Pokemon develop over time from a spooked but well-meaning Pokemon to one who is strong and cares fiercely for the one who inspired courage in them…I mean shit, you have to be heartless for that not to get you at least somewhat emotional.
- There are so many events that happen in this story worth mentioning, but I will stay my hand for spoilers’ sake. Plot points are introduced gradually, and soon one mystery becomes paramount above all, a mystery that concerns the fate of the Pokemon world and is at the whims of both time and darkness…okay, maybe I’m being too dramatic. Sky has great pacing, and a really high payout for most of its plot points, whether it's seeing how your Partner reacts with joy or fear, or starting down a legendary Pokemon that’s getting between you and your goal. And while I touched on it above…this game can make you both smile widely and ugly cry, especially the main story ending which has a bit of both. I am pleased to report that it is just as good as when I was a kid, Sky’s ending traumatized me as a kid. It's a weird thing to comment on, but the outbursts of emotion in this game are really well done.
- The characters in this game are not deep at all (save for you and your Partner, I’d say), but none of them feel trite or boring. All the dialogue from main characters in this game is dripping with personality, so even if a character has nothing crazy to say, they’ll still say it in a way that’ll make you smile (or in the case of enemies, make you go “Damn, that goes hard.”) I especially love how in some cases, the type of Pokemon a character is affects their personality…or actually, maybe this game was so influential on me, I began to project Sky’s personalities onto the POKEMON, instead of vice versa! Nevertheless, Wigglytuff is super fun and a great foil to the super serious Chatot, Team Charm is ICONIC, Loudred is a drill sergeant, Spinda and Wynaut are goofy silly little lads, and all of the Legendaries present command authority and strike fear into your heart (in the case of those who oppose you).
- Of course, this game with a beautiful story is also very visually beautiful as well. I always have a hard time critiquing art in games because I’m not an artist, but there’s something about Sky’s artstyle that makes me feel safe and right at home (definitely the nostalgia talking). Absolutely stunning pixel art at every turn; very cozy and atmospheric. Fogbound Lake is a great example. The sprites for the player and Partner are also super well done—it’s honestly amazing how much just a few expressions of happiness, sadness, confusion, anger, and the like can do to get you attached to a Pokemon. Sound design is stellar as well, and combined with attack and Legendary animations, you really feel the power of attacks and other things that Legendaries do. Another design choice I really liked was the choice for some events to be narrated over as characters move elsewhere in the world, it’s nothing crazy to see nowadays but that shit makes this game feel like a movie sometimes, which compliments that aforementioned sense of wonder really damn well.
- And yes, I’ve avoided speaking about it long enough…the soundtrack for this game is peak fiction. That’s it. Full stop. One hundred and sixty-six tracks of pure and utter mellifluence sent from the heavens. On a less dramatic note, the composers for this OST knew what they were doing and managed to devise a soundtrack that encapsulates every emotion you’ll feel while playing this game. Just listening to one of these songs is enough to take me back to my childhood and make me long for times that are no longer here.
- There are catchy songs that’ll have you stomping your foot to keep the beat (Wigglytuff’s Guild, Treasure Town, Boulder Quarry), wistful and atmospheric songs to pique your curiosity at mysteries (Time Gear Remix, Welcome to the World of Pokemon), songs that’ll get your blood pumping and get you ready for battle (Boss Battle, Oh No!), and songs that will absolutely tear your heart out because you aren’t ready to say goodbye (On the Beach at Dusk, Dont Ever Forget…). There are wayyyyyy too damn many bangers to mention, but screw it, I’m going to mention a bunch more anyway. Pokemon Exploration Team Theme, Top Menu Theme, Mt. Bristle, Outlaw!, Brine Cave, Temporal Tower, Temporal Spire, Defend Glove, Blizzard Island, Team Charm’s Theme, In the Hands of Fate, Ending Theme…aaaaaaaaaaaaand okay there are too many to list. Just listen to all of them.
- Sky’s gameplay also more than matches the quality of its story, art, and soundtrack. A lot of features got lost on me as a child, but replaying this game as an adult has shown me a lot of features I never used to their fullest. Let’s start with the basics. Movement is on a grid; the most notable thing to mention here is that holding Y lets you move diagonally which is a great feature for pre-joystick DS consoles. Some Pokemon can float on water, other’s on lava, some can even phase through walls. Some Pokemon have two abilities (Skitty has Cute Charm and Normalize, for example), and the effects of moves are adapted to a grid based format (for example, Roar sending Pokemon flying until they hit a wall as opposed to switching them out in the main games). All of this amounts to a drastically different experience than the mainline games, but still intuitive enough to figure out without research. STAB still exists, types still exist, Oran Berries still restore health, you get the gist.
- And then there are the cool ass features exclusive to Mystery Dungeon. Items are vastly different, there are Seeds that give special abilities when eaten, like Violent Seeds maximizing both Attack stats (a MUST for high level dungeons), Reviver Seeds to resurrect Pokemon upon fainting, and Blast Seeds that unleash pocket nukes one tile in front, to name a few. Orbs also introduce global effects like triggering harsh sunlight, warping all party members toward you, or petrifying all enemies in the room. They introduce an entire new dimension to combat and really ramp up the amount of thought and strategy that goes into every combat encounter. It is SO much fun to have to plan what to take at the risk of losing most of it upon death. I didn’t sign up for roguelike in my Pokemon, but boy am I glad its here. Also bonus points for the game showing you exactly how much damage you did to a Pokemon, regardless if its more than their HP. God, do I love seeing 346 damage done to a level 3 Shellos as it fades into the ether.
- You’ve also got Gummi (consumable items) that raise the IQ of Pokemon, giving them permanent boosts like higher EXP gain, the ability to counter attacks, and the ability to take hits for nearby low-HP Pokemon, as well as throwable items that can do long-range damage even if you don’t have ranged moves (you can also throw Seeds if you wanna get real crazy). Like, there are hundreds of different items in this game, all with their own uses, good and bad. There are probably items I still haven’t seen after 70+ hours.
- Players are also afforded a great deal of control over not only their own player Pokemon, but also their Partner. The AI in this game isn’t always great, so the ability to choose what move they use each turn (by restricting their movepool with the check system) is a godsend and in turn adds yet more strategy. If I want Skitty to use Sing to put an enemy to sleep, and then Wake-Up Slap to deal massive damage, I can make her do that! (and it is FUN to see). You can also Link moves, setting up a full chain of two or more moves in one turn with one button press (amazing for set-up moves followed by attacks), and you can even disable IQ skills on both you and your Partner if that’s your fancy. There are also tactics you can use to change Partner movement, from attacking everything they see to running away when low HP. The satisfaction of ordering Skitty to “get away from here” as I Invisfy Orb and Pure Seed to the staircase…pulling off plays like that is awesome.
- And there are just way more dungeon mechanics too, I didn’t want to go overboard but there is just so much depth to this game. Unlockable doors, Secret Bazaars, the dreaded Kecleon Shop (“THIEF, THIEF!”), a whole host of new status conditions (Whiffer, Cringing, Cross-Eyed), the nail-biting Monster House (the most intense chess game you’ll ever play), adding new team members, changing the player character, and there’s more I’m probably forgetting. Sky has no shortage of interesting gameplay elements. There are even things that won’t come up too often that are really fun to see, like Special Episode (more on that below) earnings carrying over to the main story, and alternate dialogue for losing boss fights.
- Outside of dungeons, you have job listings (the things that’ll get you IN THE dungeons) with variable rewards and difficulties, with different requirements to meet and objectives to satisfy, that shape your team’s missions into dungeons. They both increase in difficulty and unlock more types of objectives as you progress through the story. All of the Treasure Town vendors are very useful as well, providing services like a bank, shop, and storage, but my favorite is Spinda’s Cafe, which lets you mix drinks, get items, and unlock new dungeons by recycling unwanted items. You can’t help but chuckle when Ludicolo and Bellossom burst through the wall after a big Prize Ticket win from Wobbuffet.
- Another big thing I realized while replaying Sky is that there is a lot of content for a handheld game. You’ve got the entire main story, plus a post-game story that focuses more on legendary encounters, plus a series of difficult dungeons (the Seven Treasures and Zero Isle) that provide powerful items and cool challenges, PLUS five Special Episodes focusing on different playable characters and teams with their own stories that unlock as you progress through the main story. This game has some of the best post-game content of any game I’ve ever played. There is just so much game.
- Finally, one last minor pro is that the personality quiz you do to get your player Pokemon and Partner is really fun and cute. There are also guides online as to which answers to pick if you’d rather not leave it up to chance.
Cons:
- There aren’t many negatives I have about the game, but no game is perfect (reviewers certainly dragged this game when it released). While we’re given a lot of control over the AI’s movepool and tactics, for those that aren’t too into the idea of micromanaging their Partner every turn, this would get annoying quickly. Also not a fan of only being able to set one move at a time, meaning I have to go into the menu every time I want to use a move that isn’t set (ROM hacks on PC have fixes for this). Also don’t appreciate that I can’t bulk appraise Boxes (c’mon Xatu, Kangaskhan let’s me bulk store things!).
- Don’t see why my Partner is removed from my team every time it faints after unlocking Leader Swap (like…why???), and I HATE not being able to change the tactics or set moves of companion Pokemon not part of my team (would be nice if some companions weren’t TERRIBLE, Cresselia). What else…the Aegis Cave dungeon is a great concept with HORRIBLE execution; not only can I not pass without retrieving the item from a specific form of Unown, but they might not even drop it on KO? Finally, while I never ended up evolving my Pokemon, I really dislike that they only have one sprite as opposed to multiple for the base form. Really lessens the connection you have to them, which should only increase as you explore with them longer. Sorry for the rapid-fire nitpicking; the cons of this game are kind of all over the place in terms of subject, which in all honesty is pretty good. No major issues with core mechanics, just a few issues here and there.
- What’s probably the biggest problem with this game nowadays isn’t even Sky’s fault, moreso Nintendo’s fault. If you want to play Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky legally, you’re out of luck unless you want to work over $100 or more since Nintendo doesn’t reprint any of their old games because they hate us. Same deal with any Game Boy or DS-era Pokemon game. Luckily, younger me had the foresight to keep this game when I sold all of the rest of my DS games. You’re better off finding a way to emulate this one.
Subjective rating: 5 stars
Objective rating: 5 stars
PS: I called my exploration team Team Relic! I played as a Turtwig, and my partner was Skitty, and that is now canon and you can’t tell me otherwise! THEY DESERVE THE WORLD RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
Pros:
- The feature most players talk about when they sing Sky’s praises is the story, and they should, because my god…this is 100% the best story in a Pokemon game. Without a doubt in my mind. Despite how simple some of the dialogue and plot points are, Sky’s story has an uncanny ability to cut right into your heart. I won’t be giving anything major away in this review, but Sky manages to blend both the intrigue of exploring uncharted horizons and bonding with a ride-or-die partner, and seeing that Partner Pokemon develop over time from a spooked but well-meaning Pokemon to one who is strong and cares fiercely for the one who inspired courage in them…I mean shit, you have to be heartless for that not to get you at least somewhat emotional.
- There are so many events that happen in this story worth mentioning, but I will stay my hand for spoilers’ sake. Plot points are introduced gradually, and soon one mystery becomes paramount above all, a mystery that concerns the fate of the Pokemon world and is at the whims of both time and darkness…okay, maybe I’m being too dramatic. Sky has great pacing, and a really high payout for most of its plot points, whether it's seeing how your Partner reacts with joy or fear, or starting down a legendary Pokemon that’s getting between you and your goal. And while I touched on it above…this game can make you both smile widely and ugly cry, especially the main story ending which has a bit of both. I am pleased to report that it is just as good as when I was a kid, Sky’s ending traumatized me as a kid. It's a weird thing to comment on, but the outbursts of emotion in this game are really well done.
- The characters in this game are not deep at all (save for you and your Partner, I’d say), but none of them feel trite or boring. All the dialogue from main characters in this game is dripping with personality, so even if a character has nothing crazy to say, they’ll still say it in a way that’ll make you smile (or in the case of enemies, make you go “Damn, that goes hard.”) I especially love how in some cases, the type of Pokemon a character is affects their personality…or actually, maybe this game was so influential on me, I began to project Sky’s personalities onto the POKEMON, instead of vice versa! Nevertheless, Wigglytuff is super fun and a great foil to the super serious Chatot, Team Charm is ICONIC, Loudred is a drill sergeant, Spinda and Wynaut are goofy silly little lads, and all of the Legendaries present command authority and strike fear into your heart (in the case of those who oppose you).
- Of course, this game with a beautiful story is also very visually beautiful as well. I always have a hard time critiquing art in games because I’m not an artist, but there’s something about Sky’s artstyle that makes me feel safe and right at home (definitely the nostalgia talking). Absolutely stunning pixel art at every turn; very cozy and atmospheric. Fogbound Lake is a great example. The sprites for the player and Partner are also super well done—it’s honestly amazing how much just a few expressions of happiness, sadness, confusion, anger, and the like can do to get you attached to a Pokemon. Sound design is stellar as well, and combined with attack and Legendary animations, you really feel the power of attacks and other things that Legendaries do. Another design choice I really liked was the choice for some events to be narrated over as characters move elsewhere in the world, it’s nothing crazy to see nowadays but that shit makes this game feel like a movie sometimes, which compliments that aforementioned sense of wonder really damn well.
- And yes, I’ve avoided speaking about it long enough…the soundtrack for this game is peak fiction. That’s it. Full stop. One hundred and sixty-six tracks of pure and utter mellifluence sent from the heavens. On a less dramatic note, the composers for this OST knew what they were doing and managed to devise a soundtrack that encapsulates every emotion you’ll feel while playing this game. Just listening to one of these songs is enough to take me back to my childhood and make me long for times that are no longer here.
- There are catchy songs that’ll have you stomping your foot to keep the beat (Wigglytuff’s Guild, Treasure Town, Boulder Quarry), wistful and atmospheric songs to pique your curiosity at mysteries (Time Gear Remix, Welcome to the World of Pokemon), songs that’ll get your blood pumping and get you ready for battle (Boss Battle, Oh No!), and songs that will absolutely tear your heart out because you aren’t ready to say goodbye (On the Beach at Dusk, Dont Ever Forget…). There are wayyyyyy too damn many bangers to mention, but screw it, I’m going to mention a bunch more anyway. Pokemon Exploration Team Theme, Top Menu Theme, Mt. Bristle, Outlaw!, Brine Cave, Temporal Tower, Temporal Spire, Defend Glove, Blizzard Island, Team Charm’s Theme, In the Hands of Fate, Ending Theme…aaaaaaaaaaaaand okay there are too many to list. Just listen to all of them.
- Sky’s gameplay also more than matches the quality of its story, art, and soundtrack. A lot of features got lost on me as a child, but replaying this game as an adult has shown me a lot of features I never used to their fullest. Let’s start with the basics. Movement is on a grid; the most notable thing to mention here is that holding Y lets you move diagonally which is a great feature for pre-joystick DS consoles. Some Pokemon can float on water, other’s on lava, some can even phase through walls. Some Pokemon have two abilities (Skitty has Cute Charm and Normalize, for example), and the effects of moves are adapted to a grid based format (for example, Roar sending Pokemon flying until they hit a wall as opposed to switching them out in the main games). All of this amounts to a drastically different experience than the mainline games, but still intuitive enough to figure out without research. STAB still exists, types still exist, Oran Berries still restore health, you get the gist.
- And then there are the cool ass features exclusive to Mystery Dungeon. Items are vastly different, there are Seeds that give special abilities when eaten, like Violent Seeds maximizing both Attack stats (a MUST for high level dungeons), Reviver Seeds to resurrect Pokemon upon fainting, and Blast Seeds that unleash pocket nukes one tile in front, to name a few. Orbs also introduce global effects like triggering harsh sunlight, warping all party members toward you, or petrifying all enemies in the room. They introduce an entire new dimension to combat and really ramp up the amount of thought and strategy that goes into every combat encounter. It is SO much fun to have to plan what to take at the risk of losing most of it upon death. I didn’t sign up for roguelike in my Pokemon, but boy am I glad its here. Also bonus points for the game showing you exactly how much damage you did to a Pokemon, regardless if its more than their HP. God, do I love seeing 346 damage done to a level 3 Shellos as it fades into the ether.
- You’ve also got Gummi (consumable items) that raise the IQ of Pokemon, giving them permanent boosts like higher EXP gain, the ability to counter attacks, and the ability to take hits for nearby low-HP Pokemon, as well as throwable items that can do long-range damage even if you don’t have ranged moves (you can also throw Seeds if you wanna get real crazy). Like, there are hundreds of different items in this game, all with their own uses, good and bad. There are probably items I still haven’t seen after 70+ hours.
- Players are also afforded a great deal of control over not only their own player Pokemon, but also their Partner. The AI in this game isn’t always great, so the ability to choose what move they use each turn (by restricting their movepool with the check system) is a godsend and in turn adds yet more strategy. If I want Skitty to use Sing to put an enemy to sleep, and then Wake-Up Slap to deal massive damage, I can make her do that! (and it is FUN to see). You can also Link moves, setting up a full chain of two or more moves in one turn with one button press (amazing for set-up moves followed by attacks), and you can even disable IQ skills on both you and your Partner if that’s your fancy. There are also tactics you can use to change Partner movement, from attacking everything they see to running away when low HP. The satisfaction of ordering Skitty to “get away from here” as I Invisfy Orb and Pure Seed to the staircase…pulling off plays like that is awesome.
- And there are just way more dungeon mechanics too, I didn’t want to go overboard but there is just so much depth to this game. Unlockable doors, Secret Bazaars, the dreaded Kecleon Shop (“THIEF, THIEF!”), a whole host of new status conditions (Whiffer, Cringing, Cross-Eyed), the nail-biting Monster House (the most intense chess game you’ll ever play), adding new team members, changing the player character, and there’s more I’m probably forgetting. Sky has no shortage of interesting gameplay elements. There are even things that won’t come up too often that are really fun to see, like Special Episode (more on that below) earnings carrying over to the main story, and alternate dialogue for losing boss fights.
- Outside of dungeons, you have job listings (the things that’ll get you IN THE dungeons) with variable rewards and difficulties, with different requirements to meet and objectives to satisfy, that shape your team’s missions into dungeons. They both increase in difficulty and unlock more types of objectives as you progress through the story. All of the Treasure Town vendors are very useful as well, providing services like a bank, shop, and storage, but my favorite is Spinda’s Cafe, which lets you mix drinks, get items, and unlock new dungeons by recycling unwanted items. You can’t help but chuckle when Ludicolo and Bellossom burst through the wall after a big Prize Ticket win from Wobbuffet.
- Another big thing I realized while replaying Sky is that there is a lot of content for a handheld game. You’ve got the entire main story, plus a post-game story that focuses more on legendary encounters, plus a series of difficult dungeons (the Seven Treasures and Zero Isle) that provide powerful items and cool challenges, PLUS five Special Episodes focusing on different playable characters and teams with their own stories that unlock as you progress through the main story. This game has some of the best post-game content of any game I’ve ever played. There is just so much game.
- Finally, one last minor pro is that the personality quiz you do to get your player Pokemon and Partner is really fun and cute. There are also guides online as to which answers to pick if you’d rather not leave it up to chance.
Cons:
- There aren’t many negatives I have about the game, but no game is perfect (reviewers certainly dragged this game when it released). While we’re given a lot of control over the AI’s movepool and tactics, for those that aren’t too into the idea of micromanaging their Partner every turn, this would get annoying quickly. Also not a fan of only being able to set one move at a time, meaning I have to go into the menu every time I want to use a move that isn’t set (ROM hacks on PC have fixes for this). Also don’t appreciate that I can’t bulk appraise Boxes (c’mon Xatu, Kangaskhan let’s me bulk store things!).
- Don’t see why my Partner is removed from my team every time it faints after unlocking Leader Swap (like…why???), and I HATE not being able to change the tactics or set moves of companion Pokemon not part of my team (would be nice if some companions weren’t TERRIBLE, Cresselia). What else…the Aegis Cave dungeon is a great concept with HORRIBLE execution; not only can I not pass without retrieving the item from a specific form of Unown, but they might not even drop it on KO? Finally, while I never ended up evolving my Pokemon, I really dislike that they only have one sprite as opposed to multiple for the base form. Really lessens the connection you have to them, which should only increase as you explore with them longer. Sorry for the rapid-fire nitpicking; the cons of this game are kind of all over the place in terms of subject, which in all honesty is pretty good. No major issues with core mechanics, just a few issues here and there.
- What’s probably the biggest problem with this game nowadays isn’t even Sky’s fault, moreso Nintendo’s fault. If you want to play Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky legally, you’re out of luck unless you want to work over $100 or more since Nintendo doesn’t reprint any of their old games because they hate us. Same deal with any Game Boy or DS-era Pokemon game. Luckily, younger me had the foresight to keep this game when I sold all of the rest of my DS games. You’re better off finding a way to emulate this one.
Subjective rating: 5 stars
Objective rating: 5 stars