Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is almost a 1-to-1 remake of the original Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red and Blue Rescue Teams from the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS era. It's classic Pokemon Mystery Dungeon gameplay and mechanics, with a few bells and whistles thrown in to shake things up.

For the most part, it works pretty well, especially if you've got a soft spot for the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series already. But the same flaws that dogged the originals still persist, with dungeon crawling that remains too simple and only a smattering of enhancements that don't really justify the DX part of the title.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DX Review: All Too Familiar

If you tried the demo a few months back, you've already got the gist of the introductory story. The Pokemon world is plagued with a series of natural disasters. They're inexplicable, and they're causing powerful Pokemon to freak out. It's admittedly a bit of a bland setup, but it creates problems for the player to solve and works well enough.

The real story is much more interesting.

You're a human who's been turned into a Pokemon, and you don't know why. So you do what you'd naturally do in that situation and band up with fellow Pokemon to help others in need by forming a Rescue Team.

It's one of the game's biggest strengths: being a Pokemon. It's like watching one of those Pikachu shorts before the main Pokemon film.

Mystery Dungeon DX gives you a different perspective on the Pokemon world, one that's (usually) cheerful, optimistic, and utterly adorable, and there's really nothing quite like building a team of Poke-friends to go out and do good for others in need. On the whole, it's a level of interaction and charm that's noticeably missing from mainline Pokemon games.

Sadly, as in real life, you ruffle some feathers just by existing. You get on the wrong side of an evil rescue team that naturally wants to dominate the world, because about 50% of the Poke-World's population apparently suffers from megalomania.

From there, the story turns into one of rumors, true friendship, and what it's like to be ostracized from a group. It's surprisingly poignant and relevant, much more so than Pokemon usually is. Combined with that all-important sense of immersion, you've got a fairly compelling story on whole.

If it sounds like a "but" is coming, that's because it is.

The plot delivery is uneven and infrequent. The main scenario ends about halfway through the total playtime. Even though the back half is loaded with content and challenge, there's practically no narrative at all, certainly nothing like the cozy charm from earlier.

It was odd enough the first time around, but it's especially strange the DX remake did pretty much nothing to fix this issue. 

So that means gameplay has to carry Mystery Dungeon DX, and it sort of does, but it sort of doesn't. In most cases, Mystery Dungeon DX's gameplay is copied and pasted from Red and Blue Rescue Team.

After getting through the opening segments and choosing your partner Pokemon (one that, ideally, covers your Pokemon's type weaknesses), you settle into the gameplay loop. Receive job requests, explore dungeon, finish jobs, spend loot, repeat.

Only after a while, it's more like "repeat ad nauseum."

Mystery Dungeon DX is at its best when you're exploring new dungeons, dealing with new challenges, and trying to piece together strong teams built around new Pokemon recruits. In between those points, though, you're repeating the same motions — a lot.

You'd expect repetition to an extent. It's a Mystery Dungeon game and RPG after all; there's going to be grinding. But Mystery Dungeon DX's repetition comes really close to being mindless.

Requests take the form of find Pokemon, rescue Pokemon, find item, deliver item. They differ in rank, but the higher ranks are still the same jobs. You just have to make it to a different floor in a harder dungeon most of the time. Re-visiting these dungeons is a good opportunity to recruit new Pokemon to your team, but that's about it.

The only thing you ever need to keep an eye on in the dungeons is your hunger meter. Traps are few and far between, and even though you might get hit with status effects or need to ration your powerful moves, restoration items abound to help overcome these minor barriers.

DX does add a new feature called Mystery Houses, places that randomly pop up in dungeons and give you a chance at rare 'mon and high-level items.

However, "random" is definitely the key here. I encountered one throughout my time in Mystery Dungeon DX, which is probably okay since the Inviting Orb you need to enter is only available randomly.

The designs don't make the bland dungeon issue any better either. There's very little in the way of visual interest in Mystery Dungeon DX's dungeons. The storybook aesthetic that works so well in making Pokemon Square feel special is wasted here. You get rocks, more rocks, darker rocks, blue rocks — oh, sorry "water" — some more rocks, and you get the idea.

Dungeons in these types of games tend to be sparse anyway, but entries like Etrian Mystery Dungeon and even Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon make up for it with engaging character progression and equipment systems. These give you something to work towards and reward you for learning how they work and even for breaking them.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon... doesn't.

Movesets are improved, though as usual, new moves are learned through TMs or leveling up. You do get Rare Qualities that offer exploration benefits, but these are only obtained randomly through using Rare Gummies at Pokemon Camps.

While making Pokemon as challenging as something like Shiren the Wanderer would probably turn too many people away, there's a distinct need for more systems and more involvement in Mystery Dungeon DX. There's just nothing to do and nothing to keep your interest outside that first time in a dungeon when you probably aren't leveled up enough and wild Pokemon encounters pose a threat.

All this is especially noticeable after the credits roll. When there's no narrative backdrop behind your quest to collect as many Legendary Pokemon as possible, Mystery Dungeon DX's appeal fades quickly. It's a small wonder the game offers and encourages auto exploration, since your brain basically slips into autopilot after a while anyway.

All this probably makes it seem like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DX isn't worth it. It's not quite as simple as that, though.

For short periods, Mystery Dungeon DX isn't bad. Jumping in and adventuring with Pokemon friends, knocking out some quests, and recruiting new 'mon isn't a horrible way to pass an hour or so. But after that hour is when the gameplay's shortcomings are harder to ignore, and it becomes annoying more than enjoyable.

The worst part is none of this is new. These are the exact same shortcomings Red and Blue Rescue Team suffered from, and Mystery Dungeon DX takes no steps to try and improve any of them. It feels like a missed opportunity in a big way. Unless you're a diehard series fan or know a dedicated Poke-fan, you'll probably want to wait until this one goes on sale.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DX — The Bottom Line

Pros

• Emotional and engaging story while it lasts
• You get to be a Pokemon!
• Lovely storybook aesthetic
• Gameplay is simple and easy to pick up

Cons

• Lack of engaging gameplay mechanics — once you learn the gameplay, that's it
• Dungeon design is lacking
• No real system of progression
• Repetitive quest structure with no real rewards
• Too simple for its own good
• Stuffs tons of content in the postgame with no reason to play any of it

When Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DX was first announced, I wondered why it was being remade to begin with, but I hoped there'd be enough changes to justify revisiting the formula after all these years.

Unfortunately, my initial concerns were justified. Mystery Dungeon DX looks charming and offers some fun in short bursts, but it's ultimately a missed opportunity to tap into the spinoff's strengths and make it something special.

[Note: A copy of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DX was provided by Nintendo for the purpose of this review.]

Though it might not be as involved as other games in the franchise, finding Strong Foes and recruiting Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DX is still a bit of a process.

The first thing you'll want to do is know which Pokemon are Shiny. There are 27 Shiny Pokemon in Mystery Dungeon DX, and they also happen to be the same species as the Strong Foes you might encounter in certain dungeons.

In other words, Shiny Pokemon are only Strong Foes, but naturally, every Strong Foe you encounter won't be Shiny. If you don't see the Strong Foe icon (a yellow caution sign with a crown in it) listed next to a dungeon when you're heading out, then just do something else that day and try again next time.

Before you do venture in to find Shiny Pokemon, though, make sure you have the right camp or you can't recruit them. It's a good idea to have at least one Wigglytuff Orb on hand in case you accidentally forget to get a camp, as these let you buy a camp after recruiting a Pokemon. If you don't have any, use Wonder Mail codes to get some for free.

All Shiny Pokemon in Mystery Dungeon DX

Here's every Shiny Pokemon/Strong Foe and their location, Because there's no telling what 'mon goes with what camp unless you've already encountered them, we've also included what camp you'll need.

While these Pokemon do appear in other dungeons, the ones we've listed are the only ones where they might appear as Strong Foes or full Shiny Pokemon.

How to Increase Your Chances of Recruiting Shiny Pokemon

Unfortunately, there's no way to increase your chances of finding a Shiny Pokemon, but there are some ways to make it more likely they'll join you once you do find a Shiny Pokemon.

Rare Quality Squad Up

The Rare Quality called Squad Up is a must for any recruitment efforts. If it's on your leader, it increases the chance that enemy Pokemon want to join your team after you defeat them. The bigger your team, the better the chance, so make sure to max out your team for a dungeon before venturing in.

You can get Rare Qualities by giving your Pokemon the Rainbow Gummi or DX Gummi item while in a camp. These can be found as rare drops in dungeons and are sometimes rewarded for quests, but you also get a handful through Wonder Mail codes.

With the Rainbow Gummi, it's random whether your 'mon acquires a Rare Quality, though the DX Gummi guarantees it. It's best — and fastest — to use your Wonder Code Gummis on your starter Pokemon until you get the Rare Quality you want.

Whether Squad Up is automatically the first Rare Quality your starter learns, I don't know for sure; it was for me, and it seems like it's the same for others as well.

There's a Friendly Rare Quality as well, but it seems harder to find.

Inviting Orb

Another way to increase the chance you'll recruit a Pokemon in Mystery Dungeon DX is by using an Inviting Orb.

You can buy Inviting Orbs from the Kecleon shop in Pokemon Square, find them, or earn them, and you get three for free through Wonder Mail. These raise the chance that a Pokemon will want to join you on that floor, so don't use it unless you know the Shiny Pokemon is there.

Friend Bow

The Friend Bow raises the chance Pokemon will join you by 10%, but it's not available until the post-game.

During the fourth quest of the early mission chains in the post-game, you'll be asked to explore Mt. Faraway (sometimes incorrectly called Mt. Faraday). On 30F, there's a locked door. Get through it with a key, and you'll find the Friend Bow.

Mystery Dungeon DX False Swipe

In Mystery Dungeon DX, the move False Swipe actually increases the chance an enemy will turn friendly after the fight. You can buy the TM from the Kecleon shop, or you might get it as a reward.

Like with camps, you can't actually tell what Pokemon can learn it unless you've already got it on your team, so we've put together a list of which Pokemon can learn False Swipe and how.

Do Your Own Fighting

Make sure your leader defeats the enemy. This doesn't increase the chance of obtaining a Shiny Pokemon, but you won't have any chance to recruit an enemy if your partners deal the final blow. If need be, adjust your partner behavior settings in the Tactics sub-menu.

Manipulate the RNG

There's a way of getting around the game's RNG process for determining whether you'll recruit a Shiny Pokemon, courtesy of NeonSystemx on Reddit. You'll need Nintendo Switch Online so you can back up your save data, too.

Once you've encountered a Shiny Pokemon by whatever means and are all set to engage it, don't engage it.

Instead, close the game, and manually back up your save data to the cloud.

Then, continue playing. If you don't recruit the Shiny, close the game again, and load the backed-up data. Before engaging with the Shiny Pokemon, though, find a different 'mon and battle it.

This changes up the RNG process so your encounter isn't necessarily doomed to failure. 

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So there you have it. Shiny Pokemon in Mystery Dungeon DX are pretty rare, but there are steps you can take to make finding and recruiting them easier.

Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX guides and our review coming soon.