A Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Game is Essential for the Nintendo Switch 2

Oh boy, here we go—Nintendo Switch 2 is dropping on June 5th. Yeah, it’s got an exciting splash of games coming our way. Mario Kart World for sure, and even some games that the old Switch couldn’t handle, like Cyberpunk 2077. I mean, picture it—racing through neon streets on a magical kart. And about old games getting a shiny makeover? I’m crossing my fingers we see something wild like Pokémon Mystery Dungeon making a comeback. Ever played that? You’re a human-turned-Pokémon. Yep, seriously.

I got sidetracked. So, this whole Pokémon Mystery Dungeon thing sprang from Spike Chunsoft’s Mystery Dungeon stuff. You basically dive into randomly generated puzzles and fight other Pokémon, turn-based style. Oh, and there’s quests, too—rescue missions and item deliveries. Sometimes you bump into Legendaries like Rayquaza, and suddenly they’re more than just some cool artwork on a game box.

Wow, can you believe the first ones, Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, are nearly ancient at 20 years old? Dropped on the Game Boy Advance and DS back in 2005! Totally changed the catch ’em all game. No more tossing Pokéballs—you’re the Pokémon now, buddy. It’s all thanks to some personality quiz. Kinda like those quizzes on your old DeviantArt, right?

Fast forward to 2015, and we got a couple more Pokémon Mystery Dungeon entries across DS and 3DS, and then boom—nothing. Until, hello 2020! They served us a remake, Rescue Team DX on the Switch. Brought back the same gameplay and quiz magic, but this time, you could just pick your Pokémon if you hated the result. And the art? Like a painting—seriously gorgeous.

Even though Rescue Team DX got mixed reviews when it hit, lots of folks grabbed it quick—over a million copies sold. But, you know Nintendo. They do their own weird thing. Just look at how they pulled Kirby Air Ride out of the attic after 22 years for a new sequel on the Switch 2? Wild.

In the last handful of years while Mystery Dungeon’s been on pause, The Pokémon Company pumped out three whole new gens of mainline games, plus the new Legends series. A Mystery Dungeon comeback could mean tons of new Pokémon to transform into. Imagine being a goofy apple Pokémon like Fuecoco or bashing away as that little drummer monkey, Grookey. But who knows—maybe Nintendo’s got it chilling on the back burner for now. Or, if we’re lucky, they’ll tease it at July’s Pokémon Presents. Fingers crossed, right?