This is our review of the demo version of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX for the Nintendo Switch. If you want to know our thoughts and opinions on the demo version, please read on!

Why Should I Play Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX?

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon?

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a remake of the Pokemon franchise's original entries of their Mystery Dungeon line. It is under the rogue-like subcategory for RPGs as much like the 1980 classic, Rogue, it offers a top-down view, turn-based gameplay, Mystery Dungeon experience.

The term Mystery Dungeon was coined in 1993 when Chunsoft released Torneko no Daiboken: Fushigi no Dungeon as the first entry in the Mystery Dungeon series. It pertains to the certain mechanic that all dungeons are randomly generated. For example, if you would map out every instance of Tiny Woods or Thunderwave Cave you have been, no one instance would be the same—hence the Mystery in Mystery Dungeon.

Bellsprout Talking about the Natural Disasters

In Rescue Team DX, this phenomenon is explained though the plot element which is the rampant natural disasters that have been occuring in the Pokemon World. Fissures and earthquakes would ceaselessly split, splice and connect these dungeons so that every time you visit them, their structure is different.

Check out our guide on how to run dungeons effectively!

Differences from the Main Series

Unlike the Pokemon main series games, Rescue Team DX gives you control of a human who turned into a Pokemon of your choice! Instead of battling rivals and collecting badges you rescue Pokemon that are harmed by the forementioned natural disasters, battle other rescue teams that have gone rogue and recruit more Pokemon into your team as you explore the various dungeons that are set in the deepest of oceans, the fieriest of volcanoes and even the dreamiest places in the sky!

If you are a fan of the Pokemon games, this is a different experience that you cannot miss as many familiar mechanics are stil present. If you did not like the main games, then this might be the game that will get you hooked into the world of Pokemon.

Similarities with the Main Series

For the main series Pokemon fans, this is the first spin-off game you should try. It is not like Pokemon Pinball, Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Dash wherein it loses much of the basic concepts of Pokemon. It is more like Pokemon GO where many of the game concepts are still kept from the main game. This ensures the feeling that you are still playing a Pokemon game and not some Pokemon themed entry in the Mystery Dungeon line of games.

1v1 encounters like these will feel like a main game encounter.

For starters, it still keeps the turn-based combat system from the main games, your favorite moves still work the same way and you still get to apply the type advantage knowledge that you have memorized throughout the years. Think of it as a Triples Battle from the main game where positioning is an important element of your strategy but the world is your battlefield. Move around and exploit your surroundings to gain an advantage!

Artwork, Music and Story: The Aesthetic Experience

Faithfulness to the Original Piece

The iconic Butterfree scene that started it all.

The artwork remains faithful to the original games. You can still identify the starting dungeon as Tiny Woods without being told that its Tiny Woods, you will not get lost around town
and you will definitely feel at home if you have played the orginals more than a decade ago. The Nintendo Switch's capacity has enabled you to visit your favorite town in glorious 3D with! Coupled with the music that is still the same from the originals, expect a burst of nostalgia running through your whole body as you immerse yourself into the game. You might as well wear a red or blue bandana while playing for the full experience!

The troubled Magnemites that follow the Caterpie rescue

More Life-like!

The cutscenes are now in 3D allowing you to see your Pokemon's facial expressions and movements a bit more clearly. Cutscene animations are very simple, but you can see the effort that has been put into these animations as they are smooth. They succesfully give life to all of our favorite Pokemon!

This is going to be important as people who have played through the game before know that the originals came in with a great storyline! It is amazing that the game has re-introduced all of the plot elements in the span of the demo: the Human turned Pokemon, the natural disasters, the recurring dreams and the struggles a newly-formed rescue team deal with. For the people who already know the full story, I doubt you are not in for another round with your every-wacky and every supportive rescue team partner (Now in 3D fun)!

The partner that never fails to bring the smiles to this near apocalyptic world

Reactions to the Differences and Final Thoughts

Is the Game Easier?

There are many quality of life improvements that we have received in this remake. One would be the more easily accessed hunger bar and the other is the Diglett Tunnel outside our base that instantly brings us to the Pelipper Post Office. However, some would say that the game is too easy now because of the revamped starting movesets. The revamped movesets make the starting parts of the game easier and more fun, but powerful TMs that outclass the starting moves are accessible with a bit of grinding even in the originals. So in the long run, the difficulty stays the same when it is the moves we are considering.

a Blessing or a Curse?

If the game decreased in difficulty significantly, it is not because of the revamped starting movesets but because of the new respawn system. You can now start from the floor you died in. The only consequence of dying in a dungeon is losing all of your items and Poke! However, we do not think this spoils the game for us. The originals were quite hard to play through! Not to mention the post-game storyline which were impossible to complete if you did not have the proper levels and proper items. If you did not put at least two hours on those games, it will take forever to finish. On top of that, the Makuhita Dojo has also been made easier to use. You can probably run effective training sessions there with only half your attention span. Not to mention Powerful items such as wands and the Mega Evolution feature has been added.

Final Thoughts

One of the first phrases that welcomed us as Mystery Dungeon explorers

Maybe the game has been made easier, but we do not think that is for the worse. Our world has changed the past decade and a half and most of us who have played the originals are now adults with responsibilities. If anything, these quality of life improvements and difficulty tweaks are a blessing to us. Our way through the dungeons are a bit easier, but it is the same game and the same characters that we all treasure and love so much. Welcome to Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX where for most, it is an adventure waiting to be started, but for us—a trip down the very emotional memory lane.

How did you enjoy the demo version? Did we get it right or miss the mark? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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