While I always liked Pokémon as a kid, it wasn’t until I stumbled upon Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time back in 2008 that my casual interest turned into a full-blown obsession. Something about that game—the heartwarming story, the unique dungeon-crawling gameplay, and the emotional connection I felt with my partner Pokémon—resonated with me in a way no other Pokémon game had. I was hooked. I played through it about three or four times, determined to recruit every legendary Pokémon I could.
Fast forward to a few years ago, I decided to treat myself to a Nintendo DSi XL from Japan—a bit of a nostalgia-fueled splurge. Along with it, I finally picked up a copy of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, the enhanced version of the game I had loved so much when I was younger. I wasn’t sure if it would hold up after all those years, but the moment I booted it up, it was like stepping into a time machine. The music, the characters, the story—it all came flooding back, and to my surprise, it felt just as special as it had the first time.
Now that Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky is over 15 years old, is it still worth playing today? Let’s dive into the story, gameplay, and whether this DS classic deserves a spot in your gaming rotation.
Story and Characters
At its core, Explorers of Sky tells a tale of friendship, courage, and time itself. You play as a human mysteriously transformed into a Pokémon, waking up in a strange world with no memory of your past. You soon form a bond with a partner Pokémon, and together, you join Wigglytuff’s Guild to become explorers. What starts as a simple journey to prove yourself quickly spirals into something far more intense.
If there’s one thing that sets Explorers of Sky apart from mainline Pokémon games, it’s the emotional weight of its story. It’s not afraid to pull at your heartstrings, especially as you near the game’s climax. The relationship between you and your partner Pokémon is the emotional anchor. You start as strangers, but by the end, you’ve weathered so many trials together that it feels like you’ve been lifelong friends.
The game also leans into darker, more mature themes than you might not expect from a typical Pokémon title. Sacrifice, the passage of time, and the fear of losing those we care about—it all hits hard, especially for players who’ve grown attached to their team.
One of Explorers of Sky’s standout additions is the Special Episodes—five side stories that expand on the backstories of key characters. These episodes dive into the lives of the guild members and supporting cast, adding emotional depth and context to the main story.
These bite-sized narratives not only flesh out the world but also deepen your connection to the characters, making the main story’s climax even more impactful.
Gameplay and Mechanics
At its heart, Explorers of Sky is a roguelike dungeon crawler. You and your Pokémon team navigate randomly generated dungeons, battling wild Pokémon in turn-based combat. Each move counts, requiring strategy and resource management, especially as dungeons grow longer and more dangerous.
While the core loop can feel repetitive to some, the challenge and unpredictability keep it engaging. No two dungeon runs feel the same, and the satisfaction of clearing a tough floor with your team barely hanging on is unmatched.
Adding a layer of strategic tension, Lookalike Items are deceptively named consumables that mimic helpful items but have harmful effects. Examples include:
- Oran Berry → Oren Berry (which damages you instead of healing).
- Reviver Seed → Reviser Seed (which revives you… only to immediately faint again).
These deceptive items force players to stay alert, especially in high-stakes dungeons. Accidentally using the wrong item can mean the difference between survival and losing all progress—making item management more engaging.
Explorers of Sky introduced new starter and partner Pokémon, including Phanpy, Vulpix, Riolu, and Shinx, giving players more freedom to pick a team that suits their personality. This expanded roster adds replayability, as different Pokémon offer unique strengths and strategies.
It also addressed some frustrations that some gamers had from the previous versions:
- Only losing half your money upon defeat (instead of all) makes failures less punishing.
- Faster save times streamline the experience, reducing downtime between dungeon runs.
Another addition of Sky was Spinda’s Café, which serves as a social hub where players can recycle unwanted items for rewards, unlock new dungeons, and find missions and trade items. It’s a small but meaningful expansion that breaks up the dungeon-crawling grind and encourages exploring side content.
Explorers of Sky expanded the post-game experience with several new dungeons designed to test veteran players:
- Destiny Tower – A brutal, 99-floor dungeon where players can only bring one Pokémon and start at Level 1. It’s a true test of skill and endurance, earning its place as one of the franchise’s most infamous challenges.
- Sky Peak Mountain Path – A multi-stage dungeon that offers a unique sense of progression as players climb to the summit. It’s less punishing than Destiny Tower, but still a rewarding journey for those seeking post-game content.
These endgame challenges extend the lifespan of the game significantly, appealing to completionists and hardcore players alike.
Introduced in Sky Peak, the Sky Gift is a rare, risk-reward item that players can carry through dungeons and deliver to friends or other Pokémon. It can contain valuable rewards, but the catch is that you can’t open it yourself—it must be gifted to someone else.
This encourages cooperation and generosity but also adds tension during dungeon runs. Do you push forward to deliver the gift, or abandon it to prioritize survival? It’s a small but clever mechanic that reinforces the themes of teamwork and selflessness found throughout the game.
Explorers of Sky also tweaked legendary Pokémon spawn locations, making some encounters easier to access while introducing new challenges for others. These changes refined the late-game experience, giving seasoned players more reasons to dive back into dungeons to complete their legendary collection.
These legendary hunts added layers of excitement to the post-game, driving players to keep exploring long after the main story’s conclusion.
Graphics and Sound
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky may be a product of the Nintendo DS era, but its pixel art aesthetic remains charming even today. The bright, colorful environments bring the Pokémon world to life, while the expressive character sprites convey emotion surprisingly well, despite the hardware limitations.
Dungeons, forests, and caves all have distinct visual identities, preventing the procedural generation from feeling too stale. Sure, the graphics can look a bit dated compared to modern handheld and mobile titles, but there’s a timeless, storybook quality to Sky’s presentation that still resonates with fans.
If there’s one aspect of Explorers of Sky that has achieved near-legendary status within the Pokémon community, it’s the soundtrack. Composer Arata Iiyoshi crafted a score that is equal parts adventurous, melancholic, and uplifting—a rare combination in Pokémon games.
The music is woven deeply into the emotional core of the story, using leitmotifs that represent the game’s themes of Time, Darkness, and Sky. Even today, fans cite the soundtrack as one of the best in the entire Pokémon franchise, with covers and remixes keeping its legacy alive online.
A standout feature unique to Explorers of Sky is the Sky Jukebox, which unlocks after completing the main story. This in-game music player allows fans to listen to over 100 tracks, transforming the game into a portable Pokémon soundtrack library.
For players who felt emotionally connected to the music, the Sky Jukebox became a treasured feature. It was ahead of its time, celebrating the role music plays in storytelling and further solidifying the soundtrack’s legendary status within the fandom.
Reception Over Time
Upon its release in 2009, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky received mixed reviews from critics. The game holds a 54/100 score on Metacritic, with IGN’s review highlighting a perceived lack of significant improvements over its predecessors, Explorers of Time and Darkness. Critics often pointed to the repetitive nature of the dungeon-crawling gameplay, suggesting that the enhancements introduced in Sky weren’t enough to evolve the series formula.
I found this shocking, as while the gameplay can be slow and challenging at times, the game’s positives well outweigh its flaws. While Western critics were lukewarm, Explorers of Sky found greater success in Japan. Renowned gaming publication Famitsu awarded the game a 35/40 score, earning it a spot in the Platinum Hall of Fame.
This stronger reception in Japan reflected a broader appreciation for Sky’s narrative focus and incremental gameplay improvements, which resonated well with players more accustomed to slower, story-driven RPG experiences.
In the years since its release, Explorers of Sky has cemented itself as a cult classic within the Pokémon community. Fans embraced the emotional storytelling, memorable characters, and expansive soundtrack—elements that critics often overlooked at launch.
Fans also praised the post-game content, legendary hunts, and Sky-specific improvements, seeing the game as the definitive version of the Explorers trilogy. This groundswell of appreciation led to Explorers of Sky being regularly cited as the best entry in the Mystery Dungeon series, with dedicated online communities still discussing it over a decade later.
Is It Still Worth Playing Today?
Dungeon-crawling mechanics—a staple of the Mystery Dungeon subgenre—still remain enjoyable today, particularly for players who appreciate strategic, turn-based gameplay. The tension of navigating randomized dungeons, managing limited resources, and making clutch decisions in the face of danger still delivers a rewarding sense of progression.
That said, modern players accustomed to faster-paced RPGs or open-world exploration may find the gameplay loop repetitive, especially during longer dungeons or post-game content. However, those who embrace the roguelike structure will discover a richly rewarding experience.
Explorers of Sky’s legacy is deeply woven into the Pokémon fandom. Fan projects, music remixes, and YouTube retrospectives have kept the game’s spirit alive, introducing new audiences to its emotional story and iconic soundtrack.
The game’s music, in particular, has inspired countless covers and arrangements, with tracks like “Through the Sea of Time” and “In the Future of Darkness” regularly appearing in fan-made compilations and orchestral performances.
Recently, it has become a challenge to find legal ways to play this game. Physical copies have become collector’s items, often fetching high prices on resale platforms. It would’ve been nice if Nintendo could remaster this game, but because of the game’s low popularity, it’s very unlikely that it will happen.
Conclusion
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky stands tall as the definitive version of the beloved Explorers trilogy, building upon Time and Darkness with meaningful additions, refined mechanics, and an unforgettable narrative. It’s a testament to the series’ potential for emotional storytelling, blending roguelike dungeon-crawling with a deeply personal tale of friendship, sacrifice, and hope.
Over a decade later, it remains the pinnacle of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series and one of the most cherished spin-offs in the entire Pokémon franchise. For those seeking a Pokémon experience driven by story, emotion, and adventure, Sky is not just worth playing—it’s a journey you need to experience today.
Verdict
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
Excellent
