What's So Great About Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue/Red? - Why Spin-Offs Matter

[@mathijnverkerk2420]

I remember having my gameboy advance in my pocket when my and my family were opening gifts because I wanted red rescue team so bad. Ended up getting a DS and blue rescue team. I played these games so much.

[@I_AM_JUST_A_NARCISSIST]

I though it was the same game..

[@sonicmegaplus6913]

@@I_AM_JUST_A_NARCISSIST They are different editions of the same game

[@tristan_840]

​@@I_AM_JUST_A_NARCISSISThaven't you played any Pokémon mainline games? They usually release 2 editions of the games at the same time. It also applies in this series.

[@Rubberman202]

Man, I LOVED the stories of Pokemon Mystery Dungeons, they go to surprisingly dark and emotional places, the kind of places you don't normally see in mainline Pokemon. That's what I find appealing about spin-offs, they often can do what mainline games don't or can't do (which is why it frustrates me to see the Paper Mario series restrained by making sure characters in them originated from the mainline games and them basically not allowed to do anything as out-there or original as the first three Paper Mario games; hopefully that'll change after The Thousand-Year Door remake).

[@edgelord8337]

The story is compelling and fun. It truly teaches you about the making of friendship and sticking together through thick and thin. Its beautiful.

[@wagz781]

I actually prefer the mystery dungeon spin-offs over the mainline games. I'm far more keen to go boot up red rescue team again rather than even soul silver, and soul silver is the best mainline pokemon game in my opinion.

[@Shape1425]

Pokemon emerald, black and white 2,Pokemon Platinum are also one of the best mainline games tho. Personally i prefer those games but yeah i respect your opinion.

[@LeftInTheEnd]

Those are my two favorite pokemon games. Yet I always go back and run red rescue team again

[@rpgfanatic9719]

Only mystery dungeon game I played is dx and I will never play a pmd game again from front to back. DX was the one that has good qol improvements and I still found it an insufferable mess, this is coming from a player that has done everything in the game except get Lucario and beat joyous tower, I even got a handful of shinies, like lickilicky and celebi, so I know exactly what I am talking about, and take it from me, PMD is not good. Unless you really want to dedicate yourself into a very long and grindy ride like I went into prepared for, the story is not worth it for actually playing this game. Just look up cutscenes if you want the story. I do recommend main series, but main series is definitely better played as a collective experience, transferring across different games, which is all best done on a single 3DS. My favorite is USUM, it has all of the qol fixes from previous games as well as new ones to make it the most convenient experience possible. The Pokemon variety is incredible from beginning to end, even without island scan which is crazy.

[@rpgfanatic9719]

Only mystery dungeon game I played is dx and I will never play a pmd game again from front to back. DX was the one that has good qol improvements and I still found it bad, this is coming from a player that has done everything in the game except get Lucario and beat joyous tower, I even got a handful of shinies, like lickilicky and celebi, so I know exactly what I am talking about, and take it from me, PMD is not good. Unless you really want to dedicate yourself into a very long and grindy ride like I went into prepared for, the story is not worth it for actually playing this game. Just look up cutscenes if you want the story. I do recommend main series, but main series is definitely better played as a collective experience, transferring across different games, which is all best done on a single 3DS. My favorite is USUM, it has all of the qol fixes from previous games as well as new ones to make it the most convenient experience possible. The Pokemon variety is incredible from beginning to end, even without island scan which is crazy.

[@peterparker1683]

We got that remake BOIS!!!

[@comercole1940]

yup!!!

[@randomperson1997]

It’s soooo good!!!!

[@nascour5991]

I just wish it wasn't so expensive

[@comercole1940]

@@nascour5991 yeah the switch is expensive.

[@vpkwalker]

Name??

[@cupriferouscatalyst3708]

This game was my first introduction to roguelike elements, and I loved it. Being on like floor 85 and suddenly getting hit by a critical move, tossing a teleportation seed at an enemy and hoping to find the staircase before they catch up with you again is seriously intense.

[@kenwaythedarkzorua4047]

You gotta do a video about the explorers of time darkness and sky they are the best the spin-off games have to offer

[@reller82]

Almost every video i see talking about pmd never talk about those 2. (Didn't watch too many but its still annoying)

[@user-pe2yx9kt4e]

I liked Blue and Red more tbh

[@user-pe2yx9kt4e]

@@reller82 I see them praised everywhere

[@firwibiz]

I agree. Pokemon mystery dungeon was such a blas for young me

[@thomaslecomte1570]

I hadn’t thought of the comparison between super mystery dungeon’s start and PMD1’s start, but you’re definitely right. I must say, working as a writer on a Pokémon mystery dungeon game has always been my dream. I like Pokémon, but I feel in terms of storytelling and communication of feelings, the mystery dungeon really is what’s taking advantage of the potential of the series. I love Pokémon spin offs, and I’m always eager to try them once a new generation comes around

[@dustymcwari4468]

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon actually made the Pokémon memorable characters and not just some cool/funny looking creatures you use to fight other people’s troops or help yourself with on your way to conquer the region

[@giganticmoon]

And what’s funny about that is the fact that in the mainline games, they want you to love your Pokémon, yet barely give any way for you to love them.

[@vulcanraven9701]

I agree; Mystery Dungeon gives the Pokemon character development and they get to interact with each other in meaningful way.

[@rpgfanatic9719]

Specific ones, not remotely a lot, the rest besides the handful are just like main series.

[@rpgfanatic9719]

​@@giganticmoonPokemon refresh and amie give tons of loving interaction with them, there isn't even a friendship mechanic in pmd so why did you bring it up?

[@giganticmoon]

@@rpgfanatic9719 never said there was 💀

[@Feral174]

I like the AI of Explorers of Sky where I recruited Gastrodon. He keeps spamming rain dance and sniping with water pulse when an enemy is in room, other than it powers him up, explosion traps dont work, he also has Bodyguard IQ and Storm Drain Ability which saved my ass multiple times. Best Support Pokemon

[@shadowhiteesq]

This is extremely well done, you deserve way more subscribers 👍

[@WhatsSoGreatAboutGaming]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@Flareonator]

Amazing execution and gets straight to the point. This channel really deserves more love. Keep doing your thing man!

[@Asdedix]

Red Rescue team is to this day my favorite Pokemon game.

[@mjtubeme]

In my opinion Super Mystery Dungeon is my favorite. I like how they changed some of the formula of some story beats. The game mechanics were perfected. But that's my opinion! Looking forward to getting Mystery Dungeon DX

[@nascour5991]

I wish they didn't remove link moves but Ik why they did. Also not being guaranteed rewards for beating missions is lame but at least u always get new mons, even if they can only be recruited for a certain amount of time, with specific exceptions.

[@maggiefix249]

Blue Rescue Team was my first Pokémon game I ever have played. And although I liked the main games back then nothing had been as good as the Mystery Dungeon games I played on Ds.

[@dookieseawolf6982]

Great video, I totally agree with the point about spin offs offering a new perspective on an established franchise!

[@Laughingwithtravii]

just recently dusted off my blue and its been a joy. its basically 100% done and i dont wanna restart (tho i have replayed it probably 3 - 5 times over my life.) so im just gonna go recruit and vibe. its such a charming game with so much personality. i need to try the newer ones cause i only ever played blue. thanks for the vid 💖✨ i was an evee/pikachu duo. for those who stumble on this vid and are having trouble in game: 3 food items, 2 elixer, 1 escape orb is your "survival kit"

[@mad_films]

Thank you for making this, now I can send this to people doubting the latest remake of my favorite childhood game. They will now understand what’s so special about these classic games. You’ve gained a new subscriber 🤙

[@paradoxclover8799]

4:58 Lsyandre did in XY when you go to the geosenge base

[@brandensandberg6668]

I remember a while back while playing Super Mystery Dungeon, I searched Ampharos on Tumblr after forgetting to turn safe search back on - I did not see much fan art of the Ampharos in question, but I did see... fan art... of Ampharos in general 😂

[@Missingno..]

Found your channel last week and have been feeding myself with everything you have to offer!

[@nascour5991]

I'm sorry but super mystery dungeon has plenty of twists and surprises idk what ur talking about. It just starts very slow, it gets better when you join the rescue team trust me. I highly suggest playing super more and giving it another chance.

[@DemifireFirestorm]

truth be told i was one of those individuals who was asking for a game like pokemon mystery dungeon when i was younger... i got my wish and the pmd series is my favorite series of games besides super smash bros.

[@shanenspitaler5790]

I've been playing since explorers of Sky and fell in love with the series and no I have to opportunity to play the first game thanks to the remake!

[@jonboner1731]

Explorers of sky is the GOAT of the pokemon mystery dungeon series. Like if you agree.

[@petercross1879]

Explorers of Sky is the best pokemon game ever made

[@sebastiankulche]

Along with Emerald i agree.

[@Toyotale.]

The stories in these games is why I played the mystery dungeon series And yes gates and super storyline don’t really pick up until the halfway point Great video nevertheless you earned a sub in fact maybe all the subs in the MD reddit lol

[@WhatsSoGreatAboutGaming]

I actually skipped over Gates when it came out. How does it compare to the rest of the series? And thanks for watching!

[@Toyotale.]

What'sSoGreatAboutGaming It’s definitely the weakest in the series but the story and music does make up for it. The reason why gates was bad was simply due to the fact it was rushed because gen 6 was about to come out. All that being said it’s still worth playing through the main story and I did enjoy some of the base building aspects of paradise

[@WhatsSoGreatAboutGaming]

Hm, base building eh? That sort of stuff always gets me hooked. Guess I'll have to give it a shot some time!

[@peterparker1683]

What'sSoGreatAboutGaming yea like the other guy. Gates main issue was that it was a rushed resulting is the Pokémon count being than 150. The starter selection also suffered from this. Hunger and gummies were removed and the story was ultimately lackluster. However, the side characters(excluding your partner) are really interesting and carry the story

[@chloukscolor7905]

I’m sorry, but your section on Super Mystery Dungeon made the conclusion of your video fall kind of flat for me, especially when taking into account the context around PSMD. You can praise a game without being excessively harsh on other ones from the series, especially since PSMD was definitely the most fun in terms of gameplay alone, finding a relatively good way to make dungeon crawling less repetitive. Plus, one’s feelings towards a story are ultimately subjective, so it felt out of place in a video that appears to be objective. As for the context, for “small” titles like PMD, sales are a big factor whether or not a next entry will be made. PSMN was supposed to be the last entry, until DX was announced not too long ago. And KZbinrs dissing the game for the introduction section of the story played quite the role in the loss of sales, from what I’ve seen. People were so hung up on the earlier games (which, don’t get me wrong, are very good by Pokémon standards!) that they didn’t even give a chance to the new ones, nearly killing the series. Anyway, I’m glad DX was announced and I hope that people give the game a chance, so that we can get more PMD in the future. Also, hey, I’m commenting and interacting with the video, so let’s hope that the algorithm likes that and your video(s) will be more seen. Because other than what I’ve written just now, I liked the video, and there is quality indeed.

[@SerenitySpiderMonkey]

Suddenly I can see where the dungeon crawler parts of DRV3 came from.

[@Coolstarburst]

Honestly it’s really for me to remember this game since I started with time which had a MUCH longer main story..

[@summerevening421]

This is an awesome review! Hope you'll do the Explorers series

[@WhatsSoGreatAboutGaming]

I haven't played those ones yet but they're on the list! Thanks for the suggestion and I'm glad you enjoyed the vid.

[@Feral174]

Ah yes, Kecleon the murderer of thieves

[@SpiderlordGanta]

This game was my childhood I played so much and I kinda miss after watching this ahah. With music to!.

[@jacobr9478]

one of the few games that has made me cry

[@GoldPrince2468]

Somebody deleted my save and took my game years ago. I was playing it on emulator after my birthday but the emulator updated and won't recognize my game. I still enjoy the time I had with it. My only regret was not knowing Mew Two was in the game. EDIT: There was a bug fix and my November 2019 save file loaded in September 2020. I'm very excited!

[@GoldPrince2468]

@Dick Balls • 30 years ago Which Pokemon is that?

[@jaredmoore4595]

Whitney cried after you beat her

[@silverhetch3383]

the theme is just such a bop

[@afromanftw]

i remember getting this as kid and thinking wtf is this? then ended up loving it lol

[@neon2611]

Great vid, you earned a sub

[@WhatsSoGreatAboutGaming]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@neon2611]

@@WhatsSoGreatAboutGaming np man

[@KindleSalt]

Tbh I think the mystery dungeon games are better then the main series games

[@mentalexwar]

One of the best, content loaded, and fairly challenging games from my childhood good 😂 Gen 3 was sooo goated emerald and FRLG aswell

[@purpleheartneptune6267]

We did have someone who cried Lysandre under geosenge town

[@codingjhames]

What a great video, i never tried the mistery dungeon series before, now I purchased a red rescue team GBA cartridge to play it 😃

[@pugpartyproductions9499]

Oh, that's cool. What part are you on? I just emulated it on my phone tbh.

[@codingjhames]

@@pugpartyproductions9499 well i think i'm just in the beginning of the game

[@pugpartyproductions9499]

@@codingjhames ah OK then. I've just recently made it to Pokémon Square.

[@wutshii]

great video,nicely structured.

[@nascour5991]

Great vod dude ur super underrated.

[@ThePaulineu]

Super mystery dungeon actually has a great story after the school arc! It's a shame its beginning is its worst part.

[@silverhetch3383]

My first DS Pokemon Game

[@Chaos20X6]

blue rescue team was my first proper video game and it's nice to know that PMD is still a great subseries. now PMD on switch or we riot

[@patricklatham3897]

Actually, the Team Flare boss in X and Y cried briefly.

[@FirstLast-mn4re]

You didn't finish Super Mystery Dungeon, did you. You do join the expidition society and move to a new town like 1/3 through the game and the story does have some good (and a few kind of jarring plot twists) and actually does kind of have a pretty mature message of learning to accept negative emotions as a part of life instead of keeping them bottled up inside. The beginning of Super is pretty slow admittedly and I know the school setting for the first 1/3 of the game is not gonna jive with everyone, but Super Mystery Dungeon is actually really good and I think its a little unfair to write off the whole game's plot as childish and predictable when you quit the game before the plot could pick up. I also think SMD easily has the best and most interesting partner character (which isn't that high of a bar admittedly), who starts out with a flawed, kind of self centered personality but they do get some character development as the story progresses. I also like a lot of the mechanical changes that Super Mystery Dungeon has (I guess technically a lot of these come from Gates to Infinity, but some were from Super) like streamlining using moves, having moves be able to level up, button shortcuts like pressing Y+B to scan a large room, the AI for pokemon in your party also not being useless anymore and your teammates actually helping you in battle (rather than stepping in already revealed trap tiles), and lastly the Emera/Looplet system is really cool and imo is way better and a lot less grindy than than IQ. TL;DR: Super Mystery Dungeon is a lot better than you give it credit for in this video. And your main point that you make against it is wrong and tells me you didn't get that far into the game.

[@JoshuaDiaz]

Nice video. Shame you're a small channel.

[@WhatsSoGreatAboutGaming]

Thanks. And it's no big deal to be a small channel; I'm proud of the videos I make and people seem to enjoy them. Quality over quantity, am I right? ;)

[@fizzie6902]

I get the feeling you didn't get the the second half of Super. Trust me. It does a complete 180 in terms of tone.

[@JAProductions494]

I watched someone play Blue Rescue Team and then played Rescue Team DX. I can safely say that DX is better

[@diogoandrade6894]

I... May like this franchise more than the original

[@caidenroper6252]

did you even finish super mystery dungeon? You literally witness all your friends die in it during the end game

[@hakannbros]

yeah i wish we played as a motherfukcing Nidoking or Aggron or Tyranitar and fight other mofos kicking their butts and using super ray out of the mouth and those moves you would imagine but in open world like Gta but with pokemon instead of CJ

[@trashymc4564]

The first two myster dungeon games are both my favorite and least favorit games. Story/character wise these games finally take the series in directions that offer fresh emotional takes on concepts that as you said tend to get bogged down due to the mechanics in the mainline games. However the gameplay just grinds my gears due to both the grind and broken nature. You didn't cover it but as a kid the rock and stick items basically became my pokemons attacks through the whole of the game outside of boss fights. Just sneak into a room and fling all the rocks I had to snipe the other mons.

[@WhatsSoGreatAboutGaming]

Huh, I've never really paid much attention to the rocks as weapons. Maybe I'll have to try them out whenever I get around to the other entries in the series! Ha ha.

[@trashymc4564]

@@WhatsSoGreatAboutGaming you should also take a peak at the seed and orb weapons. They were also very useful. Popping a pokemon with a status effecting seed can grant you enough time to do some heavy damage.

[@masterwoo4359]

I actually hold the opinion that Gates had the worst gameplay because mainly i couldn't cancel running, items were too common and broken, unlike the two first games. The belly mechanic in my opinion, was very well done in rescue team then while explorers came with a lot of QoL changes, made the belly mechanic bad as a consequence, and later making it become removed, in gates to infinity. While the sticks and stones are a valid argument, i don't think that there were nearly as much iron thorns, silver spikes and gravelerrocks in the first game, and you couldn't rely on them, especially considering how silver spikes dont even appear until the last 2 dungeons in RT and iron thorns in the lapis cave(maybe earlier) in the transition to super, one mechanic i speficallly hated is the no heal weather thing, which imo didnt make any sense. And i don't see how it fixed any of the problems really, too. Ok back to the belly argument, the belly firstly goes down a lot faster in rt than explorers and the item storage is smaller which means you have to plan more And it makes belly good in RT until in explorers they ruined it. One last thing i want to mention is statuses. Certain stauses such as poison, were largely nerfed in the transition from rescue team to explorers, which i dont believe had any right to, especially burn status, which was already weak enough to be completely ignored and still suceed, was directly nerfed from 6 to 4 damage when it already was indirectly nerfed because... 1. the hp pool increases, due to the higher game finish level( which i usually consider 28 in Rescue team and 44 in explorers) 2. the HP regen percentage also increases, which nullifies the effect 3.Item storage increases from a 20 item to something like 40, which means you can stall a lot more, or cure it with less impact in your storage For poison, same story like 4 damage was balanced enough then they made it 2 which does like nothing. So far, i listed the problems with RT-> Explorers, so why does this matter? because gates didnt fix any of these, but came up with new ones such Normal attacks were nerfed hard in gates, and i thats not a good thing. You cant do multiple missions in one queue in gates. Items are incredibly easy to find and are broken. Max elixers are way too common, so it makes it not worry about pp. Move upgrades are BAD in my opinion, paired by the max elixers being common, it just makes you spam the same move over and over again and makes it difficult to change strategies. Weather no heal is a stupid mechanic. And i think that does it for the reasons i think gates is the worst

[@sebastiankulche]

Grind is not an issue since it happens in all of the game in the series. PMD manages to make the gameplay of the main series better since you can obtain multiple rare TMs by exploring (Ice beam, psychic or earthquake for example was limited to 1 back then), MO are not longer annoying since you can forget then easily and you dont even had to worry to a Pokemon dont having that attack anyway, you can obtain all of the Pokemon by yourself without the need of events or trading and now all of the Pokemon are viable to complete the game thanks to its balanced stat system that allow to any Pokemon being powerful. Lesser attacks like growl and screech are also now more useful.

[@jimmydeanman]

bruhhhhh

[@patrickrocheleau8185]

Glad im not the only one who disliked super, for the same reason as well, most pokemon games seem to be a sort of all ages demographic, this one alienated me/ my age group

[@candyneige6609]

Pokémon Legends Arceus is a Pokémon Mystery Dungeon game.

[@Danirbu]

Uhhhh... This video was going well until you started talking about Super Mystery Dungeon and showed that you didn't even try to play more than a few hours