Game Spot did it again! They sure don't recognize a good game when they see one.
I need not explain the game again, but I will go over its high points.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is a different kind of pokemon game, a dungeon crawler is what I would call it. It does what it aims to do fantastically well. Gameplay is interestoing and creative, and the randomly generating dungeons make replay value phenomenal. The story line of Mystery Dungeon is quite long and highly enjoyable. You feel very connected to the characters, as if you were part of the story. The story is further enhanced by character development, twists and turns, wins and loses, and all sorts of other components of a good story. The story is told through text and aided by wonderfully done sprites. Each pokemon has a set of emotions that display during dialogue which really help bring the dialogue alive.
While the game play might seem monotunous, it manages to stay frsh with a ton of different objectives to do. Going through dungeons offers many avenues for adventure such as recruiting new members for your team, collecting items and money, leveling up your party members, completing tasks for other pokemon (which yeilds an item and/or cahs reward), hunting down outlaws (which are much like mini-bosses, and are particularly fun), or just to further the story. Also, another stat to keep track of is your belly. Your lead Pokemon's becomes hungry as you progress through the dungeon, so you must use apples or other means of nourishment to keep them full. If they become too hungry, they will start to take damage with every step. Although it sounds frustrating, it is not very difficult at all, and in my opinion, is implemented well into the gameplay. Also, the action is often broken up with the occasional mini-game, side quest, or plot progression, so just when things get stale, it all gets refreshed again. On a side note, get your teams explorer rank up (you get experience points for finishing rescues and other missions) can be quite addicting.
Many aspects of your party members can be altered, but I want to mention IQ and moves combos. IQ is raised by feeding your Pokemon gummies, which can be found throughout dungeons or bought in the town (more on that later). When the IQ of a pokemon is raised, it can learn new abilities like never sleep, attack only, as well as others. These abilities can ber assigned to Pokemon so they will do specific tasks. Some make pokemon pick up items, others make pokemon roam around the dungeons independently and take out all the enemies. Others are always on, just enhancing the pokemon articficial intelligence (such a abilitie that stops a Pokemon from attacking its partner when it is confused. Of course, there are many other abilites than what I have covered here).
I would also like to quickly mention move combination. Move combination allows you to pair two moves together so they happen in the same turn. So, if you combine mud slap and water gun, then use the move, your Pokemon will perform mud slap, followed up by water gun in the same turn. These can be devastating to opponents if you pair to powerful attacks together.
The graphics are great at what they try to do. The sprites are well animated and show emotion very well. The attacks are interesting, and the sounds are quirky and fun. Dungeons like good, but not amazing. Scenery is nice to look at, but nothing special.
One area that deserves special praise is the musical score. It is simply outstanding. From the creepy, dreary tones of a a deep cave, to the happy, upbeat theme of the game that screems, "Sprawling Adventure". They are all expertly composed, and rival that of Final Fantasy and Legend of Zelda (I am not kidding!) The tunes fit the situation well and change seemlessly from pulse pounding battle music to the methodical, mournful sounds of a dungeon. You WILL hum these songs, heck, I am found my self whistling one while I wrought this reveiw.
Online play is nice, but not amazing. Freinds have the option of "rescuing" you from a dungeon, which can be extremely helpful when you are stuck at an impass. Wonder mail is nice, but not a notable feature. The option to get E-mail alerts from the game is really cool though.
The ONLY thing (and I mean the ONLY thing) I can complain about is the town. There is just not enough to do. There is a bank, a move combination shop, an egg hatching service, a general store, a training dojo, a place to store your items, and a rare items evaluator, but thats it. It offers something to do, but there could be more.
So, to wrap up this review, I will say this:
This game is truly impresive; simply tons of fun. Alot of content and replay value, exceptional presentation, and a long, involving story all make for a must own for any fan of the Pokemon series. Not a fan of the Pokemon series? No problem. This isn't a Pokemon game per say, so it is a great game to look into for any RPG/ dungeon crawler fan out there.