So I’ve got a few hours of Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon under my belt now, though not as many as you’d properly expect due to rl stuff. So… my first impressions…. Eh…… First thing is the interface is a step back from the previous one, especially the blocky looking map. If I didn’t know the release order of Explorers of Sky, Gates to Infinity and Super Mystery Dungeon, and just showed me the interfaces, I’d assume GtI was the newest one. On the plus side, it does include a type match-up chart, and shows which moves will be super-effective etc before you use them. In terms of gameplay, it’s some steps forward, and some back. I haven’t played enough to work out which one has more steps. On the plus side two of the biggest niggles from GtI have been fixed. The gameplay is zoomed out more now, so you can see further than before. And of course, there are all the pokemon ever in the game, plus way more varied dungeons. And properly themed as well. No more ice types showing up in a fire dungeon. In addition it seems like all ranged attacks can pass over allies now, as opposed to very select ones, which makes the other pokemon in the team way more active. There are some very useful shortcuts for the inventory, look around and message log, a way to heal while standing in place rather than walking, and new items called wands, single target orbs, which are really useful in the boss fights! And there is actually, for once, a tutorial! Though…. It does continue for a while, more on that later. More negatively, the Hunger mechanic is back, and yeah, all it adds is just more annoying busywork in a dungeon and clogging up the inventory. The only place it’s been implanted well is for the return Team Attacks from GiT, now called Alliances and only working on a single target, which rather than needed to defeat a number of pokemon to activate, now just deplete the hunger meter. It is more difficult than GiT, but this isn’t really a bad point as it’s not as bad as EoS, yet the difficulty is bouncing all over the place. A really bizarre annoyance is the implementation of a ‘push’ function. In previous games, when you try to walk into a space where a team member is, you swap places. Now, you push them forward a tile, which also drops your hunger meter. You can still swap tiles like before, but need to hold down a button for that. Now why the heck isn’t it the other way around. You often need to slide past teammates, but rarely need to push them (except for getting them to step on the darn wonder tiles). It’s a very frustrating feature. As for the story, well, it’s a step to the side. It starts normally, waking up as a pokemon wondering ‘What the *bleep*’, going through some dungeons, meeting your partner and hearing their big dream. But unlike previous games where you immediately help your partner build paradise, join the expedition society or whatever, here…. You’re going to school! Cause you’re a baby pokemon now, so everyone sees you as a little kid. And that’s why I mentioned the tutorial going on, cause that’s what school is. I don’t mind it, but it is something that could rub people the wrong way. As could, in what seems like an odd choice, your partner pokemon, who’s basically an ADHD kid. Again, something that could put off people, so seems an odd choice for the character who will be with you for the whole game. And the story did pull something that I hated. An enforced failure. Not as you might expect having an unwinnable fight, but having your character perform a certain action. Now, this game is very clear from the get go that it is YOU who is getting turned into a pokemon, not some other human you’re controlling. So let me tell you game, if I left a friend behind when exploring a dungeon, I’d go back to look for them. I would NOT rush forward with my hyperactive partner assuming they were okay. I’d drag my partner back by the tail to find them. And I think most people would act as I would. And what’s worse, you then get bother berated and teased for this. Sorry SMD, but if you are trying to insist this in me, then let me control my actions. Don’t force me to do something obviously idiotic like that. *sighs* I am enjoying the game, but there are so many niggles with it. And to other people, these niggles could well be game breakers. It’s a shame, it has so much going for it. Hopefully it will get better.
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