What are the differences between the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon(s)?

Question

I remember playing the Rom of the one on GBA, the premise of the game was interesting,
kind of reminiscing of a dungeon crawler.
It felt fresh, like a nice step sideway from the usual Pokemon game.
So then, since I liked the one I played and it was free to download them, I tried the other one for GBA.

I felt like I was cheated out of an adventure.

Let me be clear, I never even finished the game, but it left me perplexed and disappointed for the fact that I would have paid for basically the same game.
Mind you, game freak has always done this, starting way back from R/B/Y, so I have only so much room for accusing.

Anyway, yesterday I was taking a look at the demos on the 3ds and saw Pokémon Mystery Dungeon for the 3ds, so, driven by nostalgia I downloaded it.

Yet again, the same intro, the same premise, the same delusion.

So here is my question.

Is Mystery Dungeon just a retelling of the same story, just with updated graphics and game feature?

I never played the ds's ones, but are they the same as the previous and the two that came after?

Are the differences between versions just the same as the differences between R/B/Y and every 'mon game after? Just a gimmick to sell more?

Comments

It isn't even the same storyline... it's completely different, but they did keep some parts like the Kecleon Shop (but that basically is it). :/

Answer 1

The Mystery Dungeon games are similar, but not identical, to the main series games.

Red and Blue Rescue Team is the same game, with only very minor differences. The only real difference is some version exclusive Pokemon and Items. So its like the core games. The story is very simple, and basically everything is the same across all the games. I can't really talk about the 3DS games since I haven't played them,

BUT

The Explorers games, are very different story wise. Bar a few returning characthers (basically just the shopkeepers) the games feature an entierly new plot, brand new characthers and a whole new world to explore. The mechanincs remain the same, the same dungeon crawling, the same battle system and the same mission system. Some mechanics were reworked, removed or added (no more Friend Zones, remodled recruiting and bount missions for example).Explorers of the Sky goes further with this, adding even more content (but maintaining the story of the first Explorers games). Here we also see some proper side quests, not featuring the main charcthers, but rather an assortment of sidequests and side-characthers. Bar that, the Explorers game have the same story. Also added in the Explorers games was the Gen 4 Pokemon. The graphics remain fairly constant, and so does the battling though.

The first Explorers games did do one thing exceptionally well, being sequels. They took the mechanics of Red and Blue rescue team and expanded upon them. The games are far more streamlined and smooth in terms of gameplay. The characther's are funny, and you genuinly care about them and they are all memorable. The games are just a blast to play.
But the most important upgrade went into the story. The Explorers games feature the (in my opinion) best story out of all Pokemon games. It feels big and important right of the bat. It have great foreshadowing, building up to a heartwrenching climax. Where the first game's ending feelt a little rushed, this one let you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.
And unlike the first game the story dosn't end. The postgame content is massive, bigger than the first part of the game even. There's so much to do you'll be playing for weeks.

It throws so many great moments and curveballs at you I'd be ashamed to spoil any of it here, so just take my word for it. The sum of all this is thus:
The story of the Explorers games isn't the same as in Red andBlue Rescue Team and the story is far, far better than Red/Blue Rescue team.

Note: If you are thinking about playing the Explorers games, Explorers of the Sky is the preffered version, due to the added content.

Comments

Your answer is great Flafpert.
It shows that you are not just copying facts from a page, you're giving your personal ideas and perspectives on the evolution of the franchise.
One last question tho, on bulba it says this about explorers of skies:
"the sister game to Explorers of Time and Darkness". Does it mean I need to play at least one of the two to understand the story?

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*SPOILER ALERT*

I'm sorry, but I would like to correct you on this. The only one whose story was changed was Explorers of Sky. In Time/Darkness and Sky's main story, the scenery, music and dialogue had changed but the essential story is exactly the same. Even events happen in the same order, such as at about 60% of the way through Blue/Red Rescue you get chased away and have to go through a long, arduous one way path to survive. In Explorers, at about the 60% mark, you get dragged into the future and you have to go on a long arduous one way path to survive. Both of these end with you fighting a super powerful foe, during which the battle is interrupted and after some dialogue you return to your base, followed by going through a couple of old dungeons and then going through a new super powerful boss dungeon to fight the games final boss, which you only beat by the skin of your teeth, and then the world is saved. Then you disappear and a few days later you reappear. In both of them, you are made out to be a bad guy because you are human, and in both of them, you are made out to be the cause of the end of the world. In both of them, there is an annoying rival team that changes its tune in the post-game story when you save them. I'm not trying to say either of them are bad or repetitive, I'm just trying to say that the story doesn't really change.

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No, not really, it's basically comparing apples with a slightly bigger apple. The core story is the same, just a little bit more content in EoS, and no content get removed in EoS.

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I see your argument Jolly, and I'd like to address it. Although the stories have a somewhat similar structure, they are very differently composed.

Spoiler Start



Where RBs is very simple (you are a Pokemon, you go on fun missions with your partner, you get cast out, you redeem yourself, you save the world, the end) the Exlorers games are far more complex and far longer.
Here you are a Pokemon with the power to see the past, present and future, you go on fun missions with your partner, all whilst a thief is stoping time itself, you aren't cast out but willingly go on a expedition, you have to chase after the thief, and so much more.



End of Spoilers
I see your point, the stories do share elements and some details, but at large the story and first and foremost characters are far more developed. And despite these elements being shared the stories are fundamentally different and have a completely different structure.

Answer 2

Pretty much, the differences between the old ones and the new ones are: graphics, gameplay features, slightly expanded story, difficulty (the newer ones are easier), and a lot more side quests (including side stories accessible from the main menu in PMD: E o Sky). Other than that, it is pretty much the same thing over and over. I personally like those games though, so I feel like they are worth it. My joint favourites are PMD: Blue Rescue and PMD: Explorers of Sky. Both of those are very good games, with enough differences between them to not feel like the same game. Dont get the new one though. It is BAD. Very, very bad.

Comments

Thanks for answering Jolly.
Why, if you don't mind me asking, do you say the 3ds's one is bad?
Did it not improve enough from the previous game?

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The newest 3DS version, Gates to Infinity, removed all of the fun from the series. They upgraded the graphics and dungeons to be 3D instead of 2D, but that is one of the only good parts of it. I have also heard that the later game story is good, but tbh I dropped out before I started to find it interesting. The first and most nerve grinding thing is the dialogue. It seems as if the game has been changed so that it is 70% dialogue and 30% game, even when playing through the story dungeons. The introduction made me wish that the game had a skip button, or at least a 2x speed button so I could get through the dialogue a bit quicker. The second and almost as annoying thing, the game has been made more accessible to the younger and less competent players amongst us, which means that Nintendo are treating us all like 5-year olds. hey removed half of the challenge from the game by taking out the hunger bar, which means that you don't need to carry food and have much more space for healing items and stuff, thats assuming you need them. They have either seriously overpowered the player, or completely nerfed the enemies because the dungeons are way too easy. I'll admit, the majority of dungeons in the other games were quite easy, but towards the end there was some difficulty, when you were running low on PP and health and you had no more healing items left, and your hunger bar was running out, none of this happens in GTI. Its too easy. Lastly, the music is nice, but the SFX are horribly annoying. I wanted to listen to the BGM but I found myself forced to turn the volume down, which was annoying. So yeah, it's not worth getting unless you are very patient and have a lot of spare time.

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Dang, that sounds aweful.

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I have absolutely zero spare time lately, so no, I'm not even going to try to get into it Jolly. Thanks for the heads up.
I'll see if I can get my hands on Explorers of sky, since both of you praise it so much.
Thanks guys!