People playing a Pokemon game for the first time, and those who have played cannon games, will have a lot to learn about this game. I’m going to help get you started by explaining everything you need to know to get you up to speed!

This guide will go over getting started and beginner tips for Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon including:

Basic Info and Controls - Info on the gameplay and controls. Dungeon Info and Tips - How dungeons work and tips for completing them. Misc Info - What you can buy at shops and other general info/tips for the game.

Basic Info and Controls

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon is different from other Pokemon games because you are the Pokemon and not a trainer. The game’s world is only inhabited by Pokemon, and you wake up one day in the body of a Pokemon with no memory of how you got there.

You start the game by choosing the Pokemon you will play. You can choose from all the starters in every Pokemon game, including Pikachu from Pokemon Yellow, plus Riolu. You also get a partner Pokemon to start with, which you see in chapter 2. This is also one of the 20 Pokemon you can choose at the beginning.

Controls

You hold L, then press A, B, X, or Y to use one of your 4 attacks. Like in other Pokemon games, each move has a limited number of uses. This is shown by PP. Hold R, then a direction to walk diagonally. Hold Y, then a direction to change which way you face without moving. Hold B to run.

Dungeon Info and Tips

The main portion of the game takes place in mystery dungeons. Dungeons are randomly generated each time, so you may find different items in different spots, as well as Pokemon, each time you enter one. Your goal is to reach the stairs on every floor until you finish the dungeon.

Think of the dungeon as a battlefield. Everything you do is turn-based, even moving. Every time you take a turn, an enemy Pokemon also takes a turn. If you move towards a Pokemon and they can’t reach you, they will also move.

A Pokemon must be directly in front of where you are facing in order to attack them. They can’t be on the side or even diagonal. Some moves can be done at range, like Bubble. Use this when you get within range to have the advantage. You can also press A without holding L to do a normal attack. This takes up a turn, so you can use normal attacks until a Pokemon gets close enough to attack. If you hold B and move towards your partner, you will switch places with them. You can also position yourself so that your partner can attack the same Pokemon you are attacking.

There is a Belly meter that goes down as you move through dungeons. If it reaches 0, you start taking damage every turn. You can fill this by eating things like Berries or Apples.

There are green Wonder Tiles you can step on if your stats get lowered. This restores you to normal, but it also returns raised stats to normal.

You can pick up any items you find just by walking over them. There are healing items, money, wands that give an effect, and more.

Dungeons also have a weather effect that changes how things work in the dungeon. For example, Clear weather allows you to recover HP for each step you take in the dungeon.

Pokemon types also have an effect on travelling in dungeons. Water Pokemon can move across water, but Flying Pokemon can move over water and in the air.

Other Useful Info

You can buy several items at Kecleon’s Shop, like apples, berries, and other useful dungeon items. There is also a deposit box next to the shop for storing items and money.

Pokemon can level up and learn new moves. You can only have 4 moves at a time, so you must forget a move to learn a new one. Pokemon can also evolve and there is Mega Evolution in the game, as introduced in X and y.

You can befriend, same thing as catching in other games, all 720 currently known Pokemon.

Every Pokemon and move has a type. Some types are strong to certain types and weak to others. The chart below shows each type’s symbol as well as the symbols for how effective a move is. When you bring up the move menu, it shows one of these symbols for each move.

That’s it for my Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon Beginner Tips and Tricks. Let me know if you have any questions!