Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team (GBA, 2005 JP/2006 NA/EU/AUS): Roguelike dungeon crawler developed by Chunsoft, published Nintendo/The Pokémon Company. Released as matched pair with Blue Rescue Team (DS)—mostly identical versions targeting different hardware simultaneously. Japan November 17, 2005, North America September 18, 2006, Europe November 10, 2006, Australia September 28, 2006. Blue Rescue Team released South Korea August 30, 2007—Red never released there as Nintendo DS was first Nintendo console released by Nintendo of Korea. Last Pokémon game released for Game Boy Advance and final Pokémon game on any Game Boy system. First entries in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series adapting Chunsoft's Mystery Dungeon roguelikes for Pokémon franchise.

Chunsoft developer history: Founded by Koichi Nakamura (Dragon Quest co-creator), pioneered Mystery Dungeon subgenre with Torneko no Daibōken: Fushigi no Dungeon (1993 Super Famicom Japan-only). Prior Chunsoft Mystery Dungeon series include Shiren the Wanderer, Chocobo series (Final Fantasy spin-off). Pre-Rescue Team products considered mediocre with struggling business performance—employees leaving progressively. Kouji Malta (programmer on EarthBound, Shiren the Wanderer 2) stated company experiencing bad business. First revealed August 2005, Japanese release date announced September. E3 2006 announced English release. November 2005 critical bug discovered in original Japanese Blue Rescue Team—connectivity with Red Rescue Team would erase save files from other GBA games in DS's second slot. Nintendo patched bug, issued replacement cartridges December 8, 2005, fixed all international releases.

Revolutionary premise: Player is human mysteriously transformed into Pokémon, awakens with complete amnesia. First Pokémon games allowing players to understand Pokémon speech—entire game from Pokémon perspective, no human trainers. Personality quiz determines playable Pokémon from 16 options spanning Generations I-III starters plus select others: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pikachu, Meowth, Psyduck, Machop, Cubone, Eevee, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Skitty. Quiz measures 13 personality traits (Hardy, Docile, Brave, Jolly, Impish, Naive, Timid, Hasty, Sassy, Calm, Relaxed, Lonely, Quirky)—assigns Pokémon based on highest scored trait, gender determining which of two Pokémon per personality. Six Pokémon gender-exclusive. Player selects partner Pokémon from same roster excluding matching type.

Story: World ravaged by natural disasters—Pokémon falling into mysterious fissures, becoming aggressive. Player and partner form rescue team undertaking missions saving trapped Pokémon, uncovering disaster cause while seeking player's lost human memories. Set in Pokémon Square hub—Makuhita Dojo for training, shops for items/storage. Rescue team receives jobs via mailbox delivering Rescue Team Starter Set including badge and toolbox.

Roguelike mechanics: Randomly generated multi-floor dungeons—layouts change each visit. Turn-based movement/combat—player moves one step, all enemies move one step simultaneously. Standing still triggers no enemy movement allowing strategic planning. Four moves per Pokémon plus standard attack, projectile items. Type advantages/disadvantages apply. Experience gained defeating enemies—bonus XP using moves versus basic attacks. Hunger system requires food consumption found in dungeons or pre-purchased. Failure conditions: main character defeated, escorted client defeated, partner defeated (pre-credits only). Post-credits supplementary allies (including partner) respawn at base if lost. Items/money lost upon mission failure. Quicksave available mid-dungeon but deleted upon resume.

Recruitment system: Befriend/recruit defeated wild Pokémon joining rescue team. Team capacity limits recruitment—cannot recruit with full team. Recruited Pokémon stored in Friend Areas (thematic habitats). All 386 Pokémon through Generation III recruitable. IQ system for Pokémon development.

Multiplayer: Game Link cable enables friend interaction, rescue assistance via passwords when defeated. Two-player cooperative rescues.

Box art linked design: Blue Rescue Team views Red Rescue Team through ground hole—Mudkip throws rock visible on opposite box, referencing DS cartridge slot positioned above GBA slot on original DS/DS Lite.

Critical reception mixed/polarized. IGN 6.5 "Passable"—felt DS version compromised being designed simultaneously for GBA. GameSpot 5.2—harsh assessment stating Pokémon injection "hasn't done a thing" improving Chunsoft's dungeon formula, recommended skipping regardless of Pokémon love. Game Informer 3/10 (lowest Pokémon score ever), GamePro 2.5/5. 1UP A- praised addictive nature despite imperfections. GameSpy 4/5 noted confusing/frustrating elements offset by addictive dungeon crawling. Nintendo Power 8/10 lauded introducing new gameplay style while maintaining Pokémon elements fans love. Criticism targeted: repetitive dungeons/missions, visual stagnation (DS version graphically identical to GBA), lack of dual-screen DS feature utilization, monotonous gameplay, shallow multiplayer implementation. Praise for: originality, addictive roguelike loop, longevity, emotional story, charming Pokémon perspective, bite-sized mission structure ideal for handheld play. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences: nominated "Children's Game of the Year" 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.

Sales success despite mixed reviews. Japan first week (both versions combined): 236,454 units (Red: 112,898, Blue: 123,556). December 31, 2006 Japan total: 1,458,314 combined (Red: 714,324, Blue: 743,990). Worldwide: Red Rescue Team 2.20 million by March 31, 2007; Blue Rescue Team 3.08 million by July 25, 2007. Combined lifetime sales exceeded 5.25 million copies by 2007. Financial success credited with rescuing Chunsoft from bankruptcy, revitalizing Mystery Dungeon franchise popularity.

Sequels: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness (September 13, 2007 Japan, April 20, 2008 North America)—added Generation IV Pokémon, improved Wi-Fi, touchscreen options. Virtual Console releases: Wii U Virtual Console Europe February 11, 2016, Japan March 23, 2016, North America June 23, 2016. Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack August 9, 2024 (Red Rescue Team only).

Remake: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX (Nintendo Switch, March 6, 2020)—first Pokémon spin-off remake. Painterly art style, added Mega Evolution, autosave, auto-mode, mechanics from Gates to Infinity (moves leveling through use). Personality quiz made optional—player can freely choose starter. 1.26 million sales by March 31, 2020.

Legacy: Established Pokémon Mystery Dungeon as enduring spin-off series. Introduced Western audiences to Mystery Dungeon roguelike genre through Pokémon lens. Demonstrated viability of Pokémon perspective narratives—playing as Pokémon rather than trainer. Polarizing reception highlighted roguelike niche appeal versus mainstream Pokémon expectations. Cult following developed appreciating emotional storytelling, extensive post-game content (99-floor dungeons like Purity Forest, Wish Cave forcing level 1 restart). Main story 15-25 hours, post-game 50+ hours. Considered by dedicated fans among best Pokémon games for narrative depth, emotional moments (famously tearjerker ending), challenging post-game requiring strategy over grinding. Historical footnote as final GBA Pokémon title closing Game Boy era spanning 1996-2006.