Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX Review Roundup

Pokemon Sword and Shield are getting big chunks of DLC this year, but Nintendo's blockbuster monster-catching series isn't going a year without a new packaged release. This time it's Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, a remake of the classic Red and Blue Rescue Team games from Game Boy Advance. The new game combines these with a lovely new art style.

As with the other Mystery Dungeon games, Rescue Team DX is a roguelike dungeon-crawler, where you and a companion Pokemon explore areas like caves to defeat monsters and collect treasure. The spin-off series has been secondary to the main Pokemon RPGs, but GameSpot's Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX review argues that it deserves its own place in our hearts.

"When the original pair of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games were released in 2006, they were received as the ugly Duckletts of Pokemon spin-offs," wrote Cian Maher. "Now, almost 15 years later, it is clear how wrong we were to write off Spike Chunsoft's ambitious take on the titanic series: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX for Switch is wondrous to play and, in a way, boasts a substantially more resonant fable than most other recent Pokemon games."

We've collected a variety of critical opinions below. For an even broader range of opinions, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic. A demo is available on the Nintendo Eshop that lets you carry your progress into the main game. For more, be sure to read our pre-order guide. The game is still being offered at a release discount at some locations.

• Game: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch
• Developer: Spike Chunsoft
• Release date: March 6
• Price: $60 / £45 / $62 AUD

GameSpot - 8/10

"Whether or not you're an old-school Mystery Dungeon aficionado or a total newcomer to the long-derelict spin-off series doesn't necessarily matter: Mystery Dungeon on Switch improves upon the originals with some valuable quality-of-life tweaks, making it a worthwhile play regardless of your familiarity with the series. It features a distinct combat system that provides an intriguing alternative to the mainline Pokemon formula with tile-based strategizing, humanizes the Pokemon you've fallen in love with over the years, tells a riveting and emotional story that will make you view the franchise in a totally different light, and does so with a stylish suite of visuals and music." - Cian Maher [Full Review]

US Gamer - 4/5

"Though still imperfect, Mystery Dungeon more than makes up for its stumblings through one of the most sweet-hearted stories in the Pokemon franchise, backed by a solid dungeoneering system and a gorgeous aesthetic. If all Pokemon games were as forward-thinking and adventurous as this one, who knows what the franchise could be by now?" - Joel Franey [Full Review]

RPG Site - 8/10

"Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is going to end up surprising a lot of people. Once you get past the initial few hours, it becomes clear why the series has sustained such a fan-base over a long period of time. Although it has its share of annoying faults, the entertaining story, the huge amount of content to complete, and the fun, simplistic gameplay makes it a great choice for Pokemon fans and dungeon-crawler fans alike." - George Foster [Full Review]

Trusted Reviews - 3.5/5

"Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is an excellent remake which improves upon the original duo of games in myriad ways, yet still remains woefully underbaked when it comes to meaningful mechanics with enough depth to keep you going. As a roguelite dungeon crawler for young players it's really impressive, but genre purists might be let down. Beyond that, this is yet another delightful game which works a treat on Nintendo Switch." - Jade King [Full Review]

Games Radar - 3/5

"Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a wonderfully crafted remake of a painfully average game. Every new addition here improves the game considerably but there's no denying that the original Mystery Dungeon relied on the Pokemon license to carry its repetitive gameplay. If you played and adored the 2006 release, experiencing this game again will be a heavy blast of nostalgia that will keep you engrossed for some time. Unfortunately aside from that, the game is very much aimed at the younger generations, even more so than the main Pokemon games. Strip away the cute visuals and Pokemon theme, and you'll find a mediocre turn-based strategy game with somewhat shallow mechanics. This is one of those games that isn't great, but you'll remember fondly if you play through it." - Ford James [Full Review]