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Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
| Title | Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness |
|---|---|
| Platform | Nintendo DS |
| Release | 2008 in Europe |
Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness continue the Mystery Dungeon series on DS with the Pokémon of the fourth generation. The player, turned into an amnesiac Pokémon, joins Wigglytuff's Guild to solve the planet's paralysis of time.
The story
You wake up on a beach as a Pokémon with no memory of your human past, found by a nervous partner who dreams of joining Wigglytuff's Guild. Together you take on exploration jobs, rescue missions and outlaw hunts, while the world's time grinds to a halt region by region. What begins as a lighthearted guild apprenticeship builds into one of the most praised storylines in the franchise, with a finale that players still cite among the series' most moving moments.
How it plays
Dungeons are generated fresh on every visit: floors, items and enemies change each time, and being defeated means losing items and money. Hunger, move management and team composition turn each expedition into resource planning. The starter you play is decided by a personality quiz, a signature of the series, and dozens of Pokémon can be recruited to the exploration team.
Time or Darkness?
| Explorers of Time | Exclusives include Celebi (shiny) and version-specific recruits |
|---|---|
| Explorers of Darkness | Its own exclusive recruits and items |
| Explorers of Sky | The 2009 enhanced version: Shaymin, special episodes retelling side stories |
Reception
Released on Nintendo DS in 2008 in Europe, the pair sold several million copies and cemented Mystery Dungeon as the strongest Pokémon spin-off series of its era. The enhanced Explorers of Sky followed in 2009, and the community still ranks this chapter as the peak of the sub-series.