Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Super Mystery Dungeon

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Super Mystery Dungeon returned the spin-off series to the more elaborate and darker storytelling fans knew from the Explorers trilogy, while also expanding its content on a scale unprecedented for the series at the time. The player again takes a personality test that determines their Pokémon, but this time the story follows several pairs of heroes across different generations of games, whose fates gradually intertwine into a larger whole. The return to more emotional storytelling was welcomed by many players as a correction of the simplified approach of the previous installment, Gates to Infinity, and a departure from its simplified pacing.

The gameplay remains true to the genre's principles — procedurally generated dungeons, battles governed by simple real-time commands, and caring for partners through shared abilities that can be transferred between party members. On the 3DS, the game uses stereoscopic display for both dungeons and animated cutscenes, and offers a larger roster of available Pokémon than any previous installment of the spin-off, which was appreciated by collectors and players seeking long-lasting gameplay alike. Difficulty gradually ramps up, and the endgame content offers demanding dungeons for experienced players willing to invest dozens of hours into completing each character's story, including optional challenges for players who want to get the most out of the battle system.

Super Mystery Dungeon is considered one of the most ambitious installments of the entire spin-off series, combining scope and content richness with a return to the emotional storytelling that made the series famous. For many fans, it still represents the peak of the mystery dungeon genre within the Pokémon universe and a natural culmination of the long-term development the series had undergone since its inception, thanks in part to the extensive interconnection of characters and story threads across several generations of games. The scope of its content and the return to a more emotional tone make it an installment many consider a symbolic farewell of the series to the classic approach fans had known from previous years.