Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team Is Headed to Nintendo Switch Online Next Week [IGN]

Nintendo revealed the news on X/Twitter, confirming that the rougelike Pokemon spin-off game that sees the player character turn into a Pokemon and go on a grand adventure is about to return.

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 2, 2024

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team was first released in 2006 and was the first Pokemon-themed Mystery Dungeon game in franchise history and the last Pokemon game released for the Game Boy Advance.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team was released for the Nintendo DS at the same time and was mostly the same, but it did take advantage of the DS’ two screens and improved power. Each game also had six exclusive Pokemon, much like other Pokemon games always do.

An updated remake of these two games was released on March 6, 2020, for the Nintendo Switch and we said it “feels like putting a bandaid on a flawed game that badly needed major surgery instead.”

In our original review of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, we said, “This style of gameplay certainly has its following, as ChunSoft has been doing this type of game for years. But its implementation in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon hasn’t evolved a whole lot to provide enough variety that’ll sustain its extensive storyline. 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.”

For more from the world of Pokemon, check out our feature on why a mainline Pokemon entry skipping 2024 is a good thing and our look at Pokemon TCG’s ‘small but brilliant’ Shrouded Fable expansion.

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Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.