Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky is an exciting game for the Nintendo DS. It is an updated version of two older games called Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness. This game was made by Chunsoft and brought to players by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo in 2009.

In this game, you play as a person who becomes a Pokémon and joins a team. Together, you explore large, changing mazes and battle other Pokémon. The battles are done by taking turns to use special moves.

When the game was released, some people thought the pictures could have been better. But many fans loved it, especially the music and the story. Some even say it’s one of the best games in the whole Mystery Dungeon series and has become a favorite for many fans.

Gameplay

See also: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness § Gameplay

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, you start as a person who becomes a Pokémon. You choose your Pokémon at the start. You can pick Phanpy, Riolu, Shinx, Eevee, or Vulpix. Some Pokémon choices depend on your gender.

Special items called lookalike items appear in the game. These items work differently from regular items.

New places like the Spinda Café let you make drinks, recycle items, and find new quests. After finishing the main story, more Pokémon join, like both forms of Shaymin and a special form of Giratina. You can also unlock music to listen to while playing. The story has new side tales and special episodes where you control other characters like Bidoof and Wigglytuff.

Plot

See also: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness § Plot

The story is similar to earlier games, with special episodes and new content after the main story.

Long ago, Igglybuff, who later becomes Wigglytuff and leader of the guild, started his adventure by meeting Armaldo. He became very good at exploration, but Armaldo was later arrested, leaving behind a Defend Globe. Wigglytuff then meets a group of treasure hunters called Team Charm, made up of Lopunny, Gardevoir, and Medicham. They search for treasure in the south and find it is a fake made by Ditto. The real treasure is a Time Gear seen in an earlier game’s title screen.

Later, Bidoof, a member of the Wigglytuff Guild, wants to become a great explorer. He meets Jirachi, who grants his wish for a tutor, who becomes the player’s character and their partner. During the main story, Sunflora, a senior guild member, is asked to arrest a group led by Haunter.

When Primal Dialga becomes stronger, Dusknoir betrays Grovyle but is stopped by Dialga. Together with Celebi, they face Primal Dialga and are helped by the protagonists, who defeat it. The trio decides to stay and enjoy the renewed world.

After finishing the guild, the team finds a village of Shaymin near Sky Mountain. The mountain’s peak was polluted by Grimer and Muk, but the protagonists help clean it. Shaymin then purifies the area and changes form using the Gracidea flowers there.

Development

After Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness were popular, and with over 10 million copies of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series sold by the end of 2008, Explorers of Sky was announced in Japan. It came out six months after Shiren the Wanderer 3 for the Wii.

The game was a special version of Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness. It had extra features, like more Pokémon available at the start and special side stories called "Special Episodes." It was released in Japan on April 18, 2009. Later that year, it came out in North America on October 12, in Europe on November 20, and in Australia on November 12. This game was the last time Nob Ogasawara worked as a translator for the Pokémon and Mystery Dungeon games.

Release

Explorers of Sky was released in Japan and Taiwan on April 18, 2009. It came out later in North America on October 12, 2009, Australia on November 12, 2009, and Europe on November 20, 2009. The game was not planned for South Korea in 2009, even though earlier games had been released there. It was later made available again with Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team on the Wii U Virtual Console in Japan on July 20, 2016, North America on June 23, 2016, and the PAL region on August 18, 2016.

Reception

When Explorers of Sky came out in 2009, it got mixed reviews. Fans have liked the game a lot since it came out. Many think it’s a classic and one of the best games in the series.

Some characters from this game appeared later in the Nintendo 3DS game, Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon.

Anime tie-in

Further information: List of Pokémon special episodes § Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (2007-2009)

A special episode called Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness was shown in Japan on April 12, 2009. It was part of a show called Pokémon Sunday.