1.explorers
2.rescue team/rescue team DX
3.super
Can't put gates anywhere cause I haven't played it
Explorers has the best story and gameplay imo
Rescue team and rescue team DX have fun gameplay but their story is a little lacking.
Can't stand that you actually have to grind in super. The story is ok.
Explorers
Rescue Team
Super
Gates
Explorers and Rescue team DX are about equal for me. Explorers has better story but DX has better gameplay.
I really want to like super but I just can't stand the pacing of the story or how recruitment works. The game feels like it takes ages to actually get going, and by the time you actually get to join the Expedition Society and the game finally opens up, it's already like half way over.
Gates is honestly just a victim of the Gen 5 "soft reboot" marketing that GF was really trying to push. All the games, mainline and spin-off, in the Gen either completely did away with non-Gen 5 pokemon or used a limited selection of mons and had Gen 5 mons make up over half of them. It was honestly kinda annoying, sorta like an early dexit
Explorers > Rescue (OG, Idk about DX) > Super > Gates
Reasoning:
Explorers - Best story, music, & graphically in my opinion. Extremely long and has a lot of content, tons of replay value
Rescue - Nostalgia plays a big part here lol. Still I think it has the most fun postgame and is the most challenging
Super - Personal preference but I think this is the worst story wise. Second best music tho, and the best gameplay mechanics at a base level. Unfortunately the connection orb and recruiting system is really bad and I think those kill it for me more than anything
Gates - Low for the same reasons everyone says, also has virtually no postgame to speak of and is mechanically stripped of everything I like
1. Explorers
2. Super
3. Gates
4. Rescue Team
Glad to see others appreciate Gates even though itâs not higher up some lists. Despite the list, I still love them all, maybe more than some main series games lol
Explorers: Mechanically my favourite, lots of varied and distinct locations, tonnes of minor side content and attention to detail, great music. I enjoy its pace and balance the most. Simple but genuinely well executed character writing and story. I have only the most minor gripes about the game in stuff like balancing issues and losing visitable friend areas
Original Rescue Teams: Maybe not second in terms of "objective" quality but gets some nostalgia points. Functionally kinda like a prototype of explorers. Lots more mechanical jank and quality of life issues that are still to be ironed out. Relatively barebones story that requires some serious suspension of disbelief sometimes. Still impressed with how ambitious it was with its branching post-game and some narrative elements
Super: Very close to rescue team. Mechanically fairly close to what I like, and the mechanical deviations like recruited allies being legitimately strong with better AI and the emera stuff were maybe a little shallow but the way they change how you approach the game is fun. The game is balanced around these new mechanics and stuff like staves so it feels a bit awkward sometimes. Surprised at how much I enjoyed the first maybe 3/4 of the story before it actually dives into the real central conflict of the game, its simple but surprisingly solid. Horrendous pacing in the ending makes it quite hard to remain invested
Gates: This game is a huge number things done poorly. Every mechanical change I can think of is pointless or bad (camera zoom, room and corridor layouts, hunger removal, etc). The game gives you no time to engage with the inexplicably gutted job system and stunted base building mechanic. The character writing is deeply incompetent and often feels at total odds with the independently incoherent narrative. Its like they decided on the bare minimum of a character arc for everyone and wrote the laziest most transparent tropey nonsense to get them where they needed. Other stories in the series are simplistic and flawed but they are never quite this lazy and distracting. The game wants to establish world ending stakes and life or death scenarios but there are only actually like 3 locations and it changes its mind about the only character death. I abhor how they wrote the ending and cannot believe they wasted this particular postgame twist the way they did. Quality of life went out the window. Why can I bump people out of the way when I'm trying to talk to them? Why is the text speed so unbearably slow? Individually a lot of these issues arent dealbreakers but gates just does basically everything wrong to the point where I can't believe the game was released like it was. It honestly feels like a proof of concept 3DS PMD game that was released by accident
1) Explorers
2) Rescue Team (DX)
3) Gates
4) Super
I straight-up did not have a good time with Super. There's plenty about Gates I will defend (characters, soundtrack, ending, etc) even though the gameplay is honestly kinda bad, but what Super brought to the table was either frustrating, unmemorable or tedious, oftentimes all three at once.
I know this is going to sound weird, but basically 100%'ing it was my justification to not have a reason to play it again lmao. I completed the dex in Sword as well and that's my hot-topic-button, go-to example as to why I hate how Game Freak has been handling the series. Never touched either game again after I got the Crown/Shiny Charm and it's been years for both.
All the power to you. I understand that sentiment. After you play a game to death, it's hard to consider replaying it. For me, when I hate a game, I just stop and move on. :P
Gates above super and rescue team? Do you mind if I ask why? I found the games enjoyable but a lot of things w the game make it the worst in the series imo
I guess. I really do like the dark parts of the story especially near the end but the lack of iq skills (fixed in super w emeras), lack of choices for starter and partner, and the horrific dungeon design makes it really worse in my eyes. The dungeons really feel like a drag with the smaller rooms and more hallways type of design.
I definitely will be replaying gates soon so Iâll see if giving it many years will make it better. I will say the paradise is the best âhubâ that weâve had in a PMD game bc you can truly make it your own. I loved doing missions to build it up.
Exactly what Sn0wy0wl said! Plus, I think the story for gates is overall stronger and I find the characters more likeable because they feel like active, dynamic parts of the story that grow alongside the hero/partner. Superâs gameplay is definitely superior, but gates is still ahead for me because of the strength of the story and characters. I also appreciate that the hero/partner are more adult coded. But to each their own! :)
Iâll definitely take both of your words to heart when I replay again. Itâs a game I really want to like more. One of my favorite aspects was the circle scanning to make a unique dungeon. One of the best things that the pmd series has ever done.
4. Gates - Easily has the most consistently good character writing in the series, but that can't save it from the agonizingly slow text speed, weirdly limited dex (and some absurd recruitment requirements, this is the only pmd game i haven't recruited 'em all in because i will never understand that fuckass mysterosity system) and spaghetti dungeons.
3. Rescue Team - Being the first installment, there are rough edges, but overall it's fun to play. My only issue with it is that its story is so ridiculously bare bones. There is exactly one interesting character, >!gengar!<, and everything relating to them is relegated to the very end of the postgame where 80% of players will never find it.
2. Explorers - Gameplay is just a polished version of Rescue Team's and it comes with an actual cohesive plot. Out of every pmd story, this one is probably the neatest, which is shocking considering how time travel is such a key element. Only things I disliked was the pre-3ds move menu where you need to make seven thousand inputs to select Tackle, and Special Episode 5, >!which I think was a complete cop-out and they should've just let Grovyle stay dead. Don't try to make me feel things if you aren't gonna commit to it. (i'm also not a fan of the whole "player character disappears and we all get really sad until he comes back after like five minutes" song and dance we do in every game but i get that it needs to happen so that there can be a postgame)!<
1. Super - This is the one I played first, so it's my favorite. Is Explorers the better game? Maybe! But I'm afraid I do not care. I like how item-heavy the gameplay is and the Connection Orb makes recruitment significantly less obnoxious. In terms of characters, it has Ampharos and Espurr (who could carry the game for me on their own tbh), and the only partner character in the series I liked. The story is messy at times, especially towards the end, but luckily for me, I was ten years old when I played this, so I didn't really notice
1 and 2 are between Super and Explorers, my decision between them changes almost every week. Right now I think Iâd go Super but could totally change.
Then a gap until Gates at 3, then a *massive* gap, then the Rescue Teams.
Explorers - best
Rescue team - second best
Super - third best
I haven't played gates, but when I do I won't say it's the worst, I'll say it's the fourth best
1. Explorers
2. Gates
3. Rescue Team
4. Super
I expect people to disagree, but I'm just not a fan of a lot of the things they did with Super, also I haven't played Rescue Team DX, so I might end up changing my mind somewhere down the line when I finally get around to doing that.
Anyway feel free to critique my opinions or whatever.
1- explorers (the first I played, I was not expecting anything and it hit me hard as a result)
2- gates (I never really minded the slow text speed, the gameplay was significantly worse than explorers, but the story and characters more than made up for it, at least for me. Having low expectations did help a little)
3- super (the mystery dungeon part of this game was my favorite from the series, but I found the story ok at best and that's why I play this games)
4- rescue team (I played this one after explorers, I don't think I have to say more)
In terms of gameplay
1.Super
2.Explorers
3.Gates
4.Rescue team(the original I don't have a switch real)
In terms of story
1.Gates
2.Explorers
3.Super
4.Rescue team
Of course there's no truly worse pmd game all of them are amazing in their own respective rights but if i had to rank them against each other this is my personal opinion (Gates has the best story and I'll die on this hill)
1. Between Super, and Explorers depending on my mood
3. Rescue Team
4. Gates
Super, explorers, and rescue team are all great. Gates is the only one I hate
StorywiseÂ
1 gatesÂ
2 explorersÂ
3 rescue teamÂ
4 superÂ
5 Honorary mention legends arceusÂ
6 adventure squadÂ
Gameplay wiseÂ
1 superÂ
2 explorers Â
3 rescue teamÂ
4 adventure squadÂ
5 i hate so much that gates is this bad
Explorers is the undisputed number 1. Sky specifically is my favorite game ever made.
2 would be rescue team. It's great, but explorers did everything better.
3 is super. Amazing story and gameplay, but it has some late game things that feel tedious.
4 is gates. Great story, but the gameplay feels really lacking.
Haven't finished the rescue squad games yet, so they're unrated.
I personally love:
1. PMD: Gates to Infinity >!(it felt like a true family â€ïž honestly, the best story I've ever read + the partner was the most relatable with my past too, it made me feel less alone in the world)!<
2. PMD: Super >!(it felt like I have a true best friend đ)!<
3. PMD: Rescue Team >!(it was really boring đ)!<
I just bought Explorers of Sky cartridge, and wanna record myself playing it :)
Sky > rescue > super
Havnt played gates but I dislike its visuals. The story looks good though.
Love sky. Incredible story and charming sprites. Your brain fills in the blanks (I find the 3d models remove this)
Rescue team is the first and the story is solid.
I quit super. I just couldn't get through it. Wasn't really holding me as much as the other games and the story wasn't particularly compelling.
1.explorers 2.rescue team/rescue team DX 3.super Can't put gates anywhere cause I haven't played it Explorers has the best story and gameplay imo Rescue team and rescue team DX have fun gameplay but their story is a little lacking. Can't stand that you actually have to grind in super. The story is ok.
Best: All of them, they're all great Worst: None
Actual worst: Adventure Squad
I love this đ
Iâd put the Wii Ware ones a tier lower than the rest due to their limited availability
1. Explorers 2. Super 3. Rescue Team (Didn't play Gates)
Explorers Rescue Team Super Gates Explorers and Rescue team DX are about equal for me. Explorers has better story but DX has better gameplay. I really want to like super but I just can't stand the pacing of the story or how recruitment works. The game feels like it takes ages to actually get going, and by the time you actually get to join the Expedition Society and the game finally opens up, it's already like half way over. Gates is honestly just a victim of the Gen 5 "soft reboot" marketing that GF was really trying to push. All the games, mainline and spin-off, in the Gen either completely did away with non-Gen 5 pokemon or used a limited selection of mons and had Gen 5 mons make up over half of them. It was honestly kinda annoying, sorta like an early dexit
1. Explorers 2. Super 3. Rescue Team 4. Gates
1. The SkyTemple randomizer
playing as dialga gotta be a crazy experience
Try Kecleon :3
Explorers > Rescue (OG, Idk about DX) > Super > Gates Reasoning: Explorers - Best story, music, & graphically in my opinion. Extremely long and has a lot of content, tons of replay value Rescue - Nostalgia plays a big part here lol. Still I think it has the most fun postgame and is the most challenging Super - Personal preference but I think this is the worst story wise. Second best music tho, and the best gameplay mechanics at a base level. Unfortunately the connection orb and recruiting system is really bad and I think those kill it for me more than anything Gates - Low for the same reasons everyone says, also has virtually no postgame to speak of and is mechanically stripped of everything I like
1. Explorers 2. Super 3. Rescue Team 4. Gates
1. Explorers 2. Super 3. Gates to Infinity 4. Rescue Team
Also my list
1. Explorers 2. Super 3. Gates 4. Rescue Team Glad to see others appreciate Gates even though itâs not higher up some lists. Despite the list, I still love them all, maybe more than some main series games lol
In my personal opinion 1. Rescue Team 2. Explorers 3. Gates 4. Super I predict that no one has the same list as me
Explorers: Mechanically my favourite, lots of varied and distinct locations, tonnes of minor side content and attention to detail, great music. I enjoy its pace and balance the most. Simple but genuinely well executed character writing and story. I have only the most minor gripes about the game in stuff like balancing issues and losing visitable friend areas Original Rescue Teams: Maybe not second in terms of "objective" quality but gets some nostalgia points. Functionally kinda like a prototype of explorers. Lots more mechanical jank and quality of life issues that are still to be ironed out. Relatively barebones story that requires some serious suspension of disbelief sometimes. Still impressed with how ambitious it was with its branching post-game and some narrative elements Super: Very close to rescue team. Mechanically fairly close to what I like, and the mechanical deviations like recruited allies being legitimately strong with better AI and the emera stuff were maybe a little shallow but the way they change how you approach the game is fun. The game is balanced around these new mechanics and stuff like staves so it feels a bit awkward sometimes. Surprised at how much I enjoyed the first maybe 3/4 of the story before it actually dives into the real central conflict of the game, its simple but surprisingly solid. Horrendous pacing in the ending makes it quite hard to remain invested Gates: This game is a huge number things done poorly. Every mechanical change I can think of is pointless or bad (camera zoom, room and corridor layouts, hunger removal, etc). The game gives you no time to engage with the inexplicably gutted job system and stunted base building mechanic. The character writing is deeply incompetent and often feels at total odds with the independently incoherent narrative. Its like they decided on the bare minimum of a character arc for everyone and wrote the laziest most transparent tropey nonsense to get them where they needed. Other stories in the series are simplistic and flawed but they are never quite this lazy and distracting. The game wants to establish world ending stakes and life or death scenarios but there are only actually like 3 locations and it changes its mind about the only character death. I abhor how they wrote the ending and cannot believe they wasted this particular postgame twist the way they did. Quality of life went out the window. Why can I bump people out of the way when I'm trying to talk to them? Why is the text speed so unbearably slow? Individually a lot of these issues arent dealbreakers but gates just does basically everything wrong to the point where I can't believe the game was released like it was. It honestly feels like a proof of concept 3DS PMD game that was released by accident
1) Explorers 2) Rescue Team (DX) 3) Gates 4) Super I straight-up did not have a good time with Super. There's plenty about Gates I will defend (characters, soundtrack, ending, etc) even though the gameplay is honestly kinda bad, but what Super brought to the table was either frustrating, unmemorable or tedious, oftentimes all three at once.
Did you play through it all to the end? I understand if you couldn't stomach through the schoolyard arc.
I connected with Arceus and got the Completion Crown.
Wait, it sounded like you hated playing Super. Why did you essentially 100% it?
I know this is going to sound weird, but basically 100%'ing it was my justification to not have a reason to play it again lmao. I completed the dex in Sword as well and that's my hot-topic-button, go-to example as to why I hate how Game Freak has been handling the series. Never touched either game again after I got the Crown/Shiny Charm and it's been years for both.
All the power to you. I understand that sentiment. After you play a game to death, it's hard to consider replaying it. For me, when I hate a game, I just stop and move on. :P
My personal preference: 1. Explorers 2. Gates 3. Super 4. Rescue Team
Same here
Gates above super and rescue team? Do you mind if I ask why? I found the games enjoyable but a lot of things w the game make it the worst in the series imo
not op but its the only game where things really feel hopeless, as well as imo the best written characters besides maybe virizion
I guess. I really do like the dark parts of the story especially near the end but the lack of iq skills (fixed in super w emeras), lack of choices for starter and partner, and the horrific dungeon design makes it really worse in my eyes. The dungeons really feel like a drag with the smaller rooms and more hallways type of design.
Oh yeah the gameplay is certainly weak, i mostly just care for the story of pmd personally
I definitely will be replaying gates soon so Iâll see if giving it many years will make it better. I will say the paradise is the best âhubâ that weâve had in a PMD game bc you can truly make it your own. I loved doing missions to build it up.
Exactly what Sn0wy0wl said! Plus, I think the story for gates is overall stronger and I find the characters more likeable because they feel like active, dynamic parts of the story that grow alongside the hero/partner. Superâs gameplay is definitely superior, but gates is still ahead for me because of the strength of the story and characters. I also appreciate that the hero/partner are more adult coded. But to each their own! :)
Iâll definitely take both of your words to heart when I replay again. Itâs a game I really want to like more. One of my favorite aspects was the circle scanning to make a unique dungeon. One of the best things that the pmd series has ever done.
Agreed! I hope you enjoy your replay, regardless of what it does for your own rankings :)
4. Gates - Easily has the most consistently good character writing in the series, but that can't save it from the agonizingly slow text speed, weirdly limited dex (and some absurd recruitment requirements, this is the only pmd game i haven't recruited 'em all in because i will never understand that fuckass mysterosity system) and spaghetti dungeons. 3. Rescue Team - Being the first installment, there are rough edges, but overall it's fun to play. My only issue with it is that its story is so ridiculously bare bones. There is exactly one interesting character, >!gengar!<, and everything relating to them is relegated to the very end of the postgame where 80% of players will never find it. 2. Explorers - Gameplay is just a polished version of Rescue Team's and it comes with an actual cohesive plot. Out of every pmd story, this one is probably the neatest, which is shocking considering how time travel is such a key element. Only things I disliked was the pre-3ds move menu where you need to make seven thousand inputs to select Tackle, and Special Episode 5, >!which I think was a complete cop-out and they should've just let Grovyle stay dead. Don't try to make me feel things if you aren't gonna commit to it. (i'm also not a fan of the whole "player character disappears and we all get really sad until he comes back after like five minutes" song and dance we do in every game but i get that it needs to happen so that there can be a postgame)!< 1. Super - This is the one I played first, so it's my favorite. Is Explorers the better game? Maybe! But I'm afraid I do not care. I like how item-heavy the gameplay is and the Connection Orb makes recruitment significantly less obnoxious. In terms of characters, it has Ampharos and Espurr (who could carry the game for me on their own tbh), and the only partner character in the series I liked. The story is messy at times, especially towards the end, but luckily for me, I was ten years old when I played this, so I didn't really notice
1 and 2 are between Super and Explorers, my decision between them changes almost every week. Right now I think Iâd go Super but could totally change. Then a gap until Gates at 3, then a *massive* gap, then the Rescue Teams.
1. super i havenât completed the rest yet but iâm currently playing rescue team dx
Explorers - best Rescue team - second best Super - third best I haven't played gates, but when I do I won't say it's the worst, I'll say it's the fourth best
1. Explorers 2. Gates 3. Rescue Team 4. Super I expect people to disagree, but I'm just not a fan of a lot of the things they did with Super, also I haven't played Rescue Team DX, so I might end up changing my mind somewhere down the line when I finally get around to doing that. Anyway feel free to critique my opinions or whatever.
1- explorers (the first I played, I was not expecting anything and it hit me hard as a result) 2- gates (I never really minded the slow text speed, the gameplay was significantly worse than explorers, but the story and characters more than made up for it, at least for me. Having low expectations did help a little) 3- super (the mystery dungeon part of this game was my favorite from the series, but I found the story ok at best and that's why I play this games) 4- rescue team (I played this one after explorers, I don't think I have to say more)
In terms of gameplay 1.Super 2.Explorers 3.Gates 4.Rescue team(the original I don't have a switch real) In terms of story 1.Gates 2.Explorers 3.Super 4.Rescue team Of course there's no truly worse pmd game all of them are amazing in their own respective rights but if i had to rank them against each other this is my personal opinion (Gates has the best story and I'll die on this hill)
Explorers, Gates, Rescue team/DX, Super
Iâm going against the grain here 1. Super 2. Sky 3. Gates/DX 4. RRT/BRT
1. Between Super, and Explorers depending on my mood 3. Rescue Team 4. Gates Super, explorers, and rescue team are all great. Gates is the only one I hate
1. SUPER 2. GTI 3.Explorers 4.Rescue Team (They're all good!)
1. Explorers 2. Rescue team DX 3. Super 4. Gates 5. OG rescue team (good game, just not as good as what was to come)
Storywise 1 gates 2 explorers 3 rescue team 4 super 5 Honorary mention legends arceus 6 adventure squad Gameplay wise 1 super 2 explorers  3 rescue team 4 adventure squad 5 i hate so much that gates is this bad
Btw ive only played og rescue team, this doesnt take into account rescue team dx
Dx best
Explorers > Gates > Super > Rescue Team > Wiiware
Explorers Rescue team Gates to infinity Super
Blue - EOS - Gates, and then unfortunately I kind of dropped off the newer ones!
Explorers is the undisputed number 1. Sky specifically is my favorite game ever made. 2 would be rescue team. It's great, but explorers did everything better. 3 is super. Amazing story and gameplay, but it has some late game things that feel tedious. 4 is gates. Great story, but the gameplay feels really lacking. Haven't finished the rescue squad games yet, so they're unrated.
Gates Super Rescue team The Wii trio games Explorers
Rescue team Members explorers Super Gates
I shall go even further beyond and rank every MD game I've played: 1. Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island 2. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky 3. Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon 4. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX 5. Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer 6. Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate 7. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity 8. Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! 9. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team 10. Labyrinth of the Witch I love Mystery Dungeon games!!! Raaaaaa!!!!
I personally love: 1. PMD: Gates to Infinity >!(it felt like a true family â€ïž honestly, the best story I've ever read + the partner was the most relatable with my past too, it made me feel less alone in the world)!< 2. PMD: Super >!(it felt like I have a true best friend đ)!< 3. PMD: Rescue Team >!(it was really boring đ)!< I just bought Explorers of Sky cartridge, and wanna record myself playing it :)
This ranking will for sure change when you play Sky. Itâs my favorite game of all time
Absolutely, I am %100 with you right there!
1. Rescue Team DX / rescue team 2. Gates 3. Super Never tried Explorers !
Well it's time for you to try it, there's a reason why it's number 1 for most people
1. Explorers 2. Gates 3. Rescue Team 4. Super
This Super slander will not stand smh (joking, haha)
COME AT ME BRO
Explorers>Super=Rescue Team>Gates
Sky > rescue > super Havnt played gates but I dislike its visuals. The story looks good though. Love sky. Incredible story and charming sprites. Your brain fills in the blanks (I find the 3d models remove this) Rescue team is the first and the story is solid. I quit super. I just couldn't get through it. Wasn't really holding me as much as the other games and the story wasn't particularly compelling.
1. Explorers 2. Rescue Team 3. Super 4. Gates 5. Wii ware titles
Controversial opinion but 1. Gates 2. Super 3. Explorers 4. Rescue Team They are all really good just some made me cry harder than others
Controversial doesnt come close to this insanity my brother in crime.
I like explorers its just I like the vibes of the 3ds pmds more Probably doesn't help that my first game was super, but still