Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team

For one thing, storing and retrieving items is too much of a hassle. And second, whoever came up with the idea or permanently losing your valuables every time you die(which makes going back to finish the job much tougher)should have their head examined. [Nov. 2006, p.138]

Ironically, it's a game that'll probably be criticised for not being the same game as before. But actually that's one of its strengths. Especially if, like me, you're a massive fan of Rogue.

Although the idea is interesting and the thought of being a Pokemon instead of training one is a fun twist, it's a shame the game itself is a bit of a let-down, with repetitive and boring missions. [Dec 2006, p.90]

Anyone with an established affection for roguelikes (apparently there are a lot of you) and even the slightest liking of Pokémon will really enjoy this. And ultimately, I did too - played one mission at a time, Mystery Dungeon's old-fashionedness in the context of the adorable setting is charming, and you can't fault it for a lack of longevity.

A nice twist on the Pokemon formula, but this isn't the stuff of greatness. [Christmas 2006, p.58]

This is far and away the best Pokemon DS game out there. It's just not the full-fledged sequel that I'm still anticipating.

Something of a guilty pleasure. Objectively, it's not a good game at all -- it's ill-suited to its platform, repetitive to the extreme, too easy, presented with little flair, and a mere shadow of the best that both Pokemon and dungeon crawlers in general have to offer. But it's still sitting there in our DS's slot, waiting for the next time we have ten minutes of downtime.

The Mystery Dungeon games are definitely different than most Pokémon games, and there's fun to be had with them, but there are still a lot of better games available on the DS (including the second Pokémon Mystery Dungeon), which makes Blue Rescue Team difficult to recommend.

It drags on and on without much change, which is why it's a good thing it's been structured in segments for quick-shot, handheld-friendly dungeon exploration.

Mystery Dungeon is far from being a poor game by any standards, it’s just a game that makes terrible choices that limit its appeal greatly.

If you can stomach grinding through hundreds of dungeons, then there's dozens and dozens of hours for you to enjoy. If you're waiting for the next great Pokemon adventure, however, keep waiting. This isn't it.

While ploughing through the dungeons becomes repetitive, following your character's evolution and steady growth in skills becomes addictive.

With oversimplified gameplay and sub-par graphics Pokemon Mystery Dungeon – Blue Rescue Team does not have the depth one would hope.

Dungeon-crawling is deadly dull. [Dec 2006, p.50]

All of the benefits of level grinding found in the classic Pokemon games are either removed or cheapened in this title. Without anything to look forward to, it's hard to deal with the monotony of the dungeons.

The injection of Pokémon characters and aspects hasn't done anything to improve ChunSoft's oft-copied dungeon hack.

Compelling for a while, eventually Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team casts a powerful sleep spell over the toughest of pokéfans.

The concept had a lot of potential, but we feel that far too much of this potential has gone unexplored.

If monotonous gaming and skimpy Pokemon action aren't your thing, then this is one mystery that's best left unsolved.