The Switch has shown a lot of love to Japan’s iconic creature-collecting series during its brief lifetime, as come March, Nintendo’s hybrid console will have seen no less than four Pokémon games released on the platform. There’s the fighting game spin-off Pokken Tournament (admittedly, an upscaled port of a Wii U title); the Pokémon Let’s Go games and, of course, last year’s mainline Pokémon Sword and Shield. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX launches this March 6th, giving fans the chance to experience these cult classic spin-offs with a fresh coat of paint.
Not that you’d know it, but Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is actually a ground-up remake of two portable games that first released on the Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS. It differs from the standard line of Pokémon titles in that you don’t play as a trainer, but rather a Pokémon directly. Boasting an entirely new sketched-based art style, several dungeons to traverse and many other new features, in this article we’ll be covering why it’s well worth your time.
The content of Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team in one neat package
The initial versions of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, much like original Gameboy Colour titles, never released as just one game – instead launching as Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team. The Pokémon you were able to play as was determined by which version you elected to pick up, but even weirder, Red Rescue Team released on the GBA while Blue Rescue Team launched on its successor console the Nintendo DS. Thankfully, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX forces no such decision upon you, collecting the content of both games together.
For the very first time in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, Rescue Team DX allows you to combine Blue’s Magikarp, Lapras, Aipom and Minun with Red’s exclusive creatures, namely Porygon, Mantine, Plusle, Roselia and Feebas. Your journey will start with you choosing which Pokémon to play as from a list of popular starters, but after that’s done you’re free to recruit your dream rescue team without any restrictions. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX makes a point of not isolating anyone.
Harnessing the power of Nintendo Switch for an all-new art style
Those that have played the original Rescue Team games will likely remember its ambitious but limited art style, where you’re forced to view the world entirely from a top-down view. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX reimagines this with a beautiful hand-drawn look, where you’re able to interact and explore from a more modern isometric perspective. Everything from the locations, to the dungeons to the character sprites themselves have been complete remade for this release.
It isn’t too often that classic Pokémon characters like these undergo such massive redesigns. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is almost worth a look for this reason alone, with much-loved critters like Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur familiar yet somehow new. This fresh aesthetic is all the more impressive when you consider that this reimagining isn’t even being made by Nintendo. Spike Chunsoft returns to this cult classic series it helped put on the map, ready to entice a new generation of players on Nintendo Switch.
Compile the ultimate team of Pokémon and brave mystery dungeons
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is primarily a dungeon crawler, where you and your team is tasked to navigate through natural disasters and engage in random battles in order to discover why you’ve woken up as a Pokémon. There’s a choice of 16 to play as, but the game starts by having you answer a series of questions to determine which one would be the best choice for you. Will it be Eevee, Machop, Totodile or someone else? It all depends on your personality.
From here it’s all about putting together your dream team of Pokémon, pulling off the ultimate squad goals as you buddy up to level up and further expand your strategy. Most dungeons change and warp every time you enter them, meaning you’ll always be forced to stay on your toes. Being successful will see you discover great treasures, sure to come in useful the more you press on.
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