Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness set to release April 20th

Nintendo today announced that its two new Pokemon Mystery Dungeon titles; subtitled “Explorers of Time” and “Explorers of Darkness“, will release in North America on April 20th. These two titles are of course sequels to the two Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games released in 2005, which were accepted with much criticism due to their simplicity and lack of DS-specific qualities. Still, PMD is an interesting take on the world of Pocket Monsters, putting you in the shoes paws of the Pokemon themselves.

The new titles are developed to boast improved features such as better graphics, a unique Wi-Fi option, and expected returning features like an engaging story and a variety of dungeons to crawl through. Over 490 Pokemon are present, some exclusive to each version (sound familiar?). Interestingly enough, the Wi-Fi ability is being utilized to allow online rescue missions and even the ability to send friends text messages or e-mails. In-depth details have yet to be given, but this Pokemon spin-off/sequel is sounding like an intriguing addition to the Nintendo DS library.

We’ve certainly seen our fair share of bad Pokemon spin-offs (Pokemon Dash?), but if Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness turns out like it looks to, then we may have another solid Pokemon game on our hands. While you eagerly anticipate PVG’s review come April 20th, check out the official boxarts released today courtesy of Nintendo, as well as a short trailer for the titles.