Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Skies (NDS) – Enhanced Explorers of Sky with New Dungeons, Fairy Type, and Quality of Life Improvements
Game Information
Original Game (ROM Base): Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (Nintendo DS)
Hack Status: 1.17.1
Language: English
Content Type: Difficulty Enhancement, Quality of Life, Gameplay Expansion, Content Expansion
Table Of Contents
About This ROM Hack
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Skies is a comprehensive enhancement hack for Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky that focuses on improving nearly every aspect of the original game while preserving its core identity. Instead of rewriting the story or drastically changing the game's structure, the hack expands upon the original experience with new gameplay systems, additional post-game content, improved dungeon design, modern mechanics, and numerous quality-of-life improvements.
The creator describes the project as being similar in philosophy to many well-known Pokémon enhancement hacks: keeping the original game recognizable while refining its gameplay and providing a more engaging challenge. Difficulty has been increased throughout the adventure, but the goal is to remain fair rather than becoming an extremely difficult "Kaizo"-style experience.
Every dungeon has been redesigned with new layouts, spawn lists, and unique mechanics. Modern Pokémon features such as the Fairy type, Sylveon, regional forms, team-wide experience sharing, and complete party control have been integrated alongside entirely new dungeons, additional post-game events, and dozens of gameplay refinements. While the core game is fully playable from beginning to end, the project continues to receive updates with new features and improvements.
Story Overview
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Skies largely follows the original Explorers of Sky storyline. Rather than rewriting the main adventure, the hack expands the experience by introducing new post-game events and optional content after key story milestones.
Players can revisit the Future after recruiting Dialga, unlock new ruins following the Regigigas storyline, explore Far Away dungeons after recruiting Palkia, investigate Magnagate after collecting all Seven Treasures, and recruit additional legendary and special Pokémon throughout the expanded post-game.
Key Features
- Enhanced Difficulty: Every dungeon has been rebalanced with stronger enemy Pokémon, redesigned spawn lists, and more strategic encounters while remaining fair and accessible.
- Complete Dungeon Overhaul: Every dungeon in the game has been redesigned with improved layouts, revised Pokémon encounters, item distributions, and additional gameplay variety.
- New Dungeon Mechanics: Certain locations feature unique gimmicks, such as permanent weather effects, restricted food availability, maximum darkness, dangerous floors, and other environmental challenges.
- Brand-New Dungeons: Explore entirely new areas including Metal Crag, Magic Alcove, Avian Terrene, Drake Fjord, Poison Bog, and Battle Hill.
- Expanded Post-Game: Several new post-game events allow players to revisit the Future, unlock additional ruins, access Far Away islands, and discover Magnagate after completing major objectives.
- Arceus Recruitment: Arceus has been added as a recruitable Pokémon and can be challenged at the summit of Destiny Tower.
- Fairy Type Added: Fairy-type Pokémon, Fairy-type moves, and Fairy Gummis have been fully implemented into the game.
- Sylveon Added: Sylveon joins the roster as a fully playable and recruitable Pokémon.
- Regional Forms: Regional variants have been introduced without replacing their original counterparts, allowing both versions of certain Pokémon to coexist.
- Alolan Vulpix Starter: Alolan Vulpix replaces the standard Vulpix as a selectable starter and partner Pokémon.
- Espurr as Partner Pokémon: Espurr has been added as a new partner choice.
- Complete Team Control: Players can manually control every member of their team during dungeon exploration instead of relying entirely on AI.
- Team-Wide Experience Share: Experience is distributed across the entire team, including Pokémon not currently in the active party, similar to later Mystery Dungeon games.
- Starter Selection Freedom: Players can freely choose any starter Pokémon if they are not satisfied with the personality quiz result.
- Starter Balance Improvements: Every starter and partner Pokémon has received revised level-up movepools, guaranteed powerful STAB moves at higher levels, and various ability improvements.
- Ability Reworks: Several starters receive improved abilities, including Eevee gaining Anticipation, Skitty receiving Scrappy, and Riolu obtaining Own Tempo.
- New Moves: Unused moves such as Spin Slash and Excavate have been restored to the game.
- Future Generation Moves: Numerous attacks from later Pokémon generations have been added, including Bulldoze, High Horsepower, Petal Blizzard, Play Rough, Moonblast, Dazzling Gleam, Draining Kiss, Fairy Wind, Baby-Doll Eyes, Crafty Shield, and many more.
- Legendary Signature Moves: Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza now use their exclusive signature attacks including Precipice Blades, Origin Pulse, and Dragon Ascent.
- Luxio Tribe Returns: The Luxio Tribe from Explorers of Time and Darkness replaces the Manectric gang, complete with a custom Luxray Clear Mark icon.
- Revisitable Future: Players can revisit the Future after completing the story and recruit a shiny Celebi.
- Additional Classic Bosses: Mt. Blaze and Mt. Thunder return along with battles against Moltres and Zapdos.
- Revamped Marowak Dojo: The Dojo system has been significantly redesigned.
- Improved Chikorita: Chikorita has received gameplay improvements to make it a more effective starter.
- Improved Evolution Item Availability: Evolution items now have equal chances of appearing in Kecleon Shops and valuable rewards can be found in Zero Isle dungeons.
- Better Rank Rewards: Exploration rank rewards have been redesigned to provide more meaningful progression.
- Improved Shop Inventory: Vitamins, Joy Seeds, Ginseng, and various evolution items now appear more consistently in shops.
- Streamlined Gameplay: Numerous animations and interruptions have been shortened or removed, including Spinda's Café drink animation, Far-Off Pals events, faster Xatu treasure box opening, and additional Kangaskhan Rocks.
- Improved Navigation: A shortcut tunnel now connects Sharpedo Bluff and Crossroads.
- Automatic Dungeon Unlocks: Optional dungeons unlock automatically after graduation, while Seven Treasure dungeons become available after Dark Crater.
- Aegis Cave Improvements: The excessive Unown puzzles have been greatly reduced for smoother progression.
- Destiny Tower Improvements: Players can recruit Pokémon inside Destiny Tower, Grudge Traps have been removed, and Wonder Tiles have been added to later floors.
- Custom UI Improvements: The hack includes custom frames and numerous interface enhancements.
Known Bugs & Issues
The creator lists the following known issue:
- Dungeons that temporarily reduce the player's level to Level 1 may not correctly restore levels after being defeated. This can be fixed by using Chimecho's Assembly.
- The creator strongly advises not using save states, as save state files may become incompatible with future versions of the hack. Players should use the game's built-in save system whenever possible.
Screenshots
Download Links
v1.17.1: Mediafire
Developer Information
Developer / Team: Staro
Credits: End45 (Move Shortcuts, DisableTips, SameType Partner), Irdkwia (Fairy Type, Experience Share, Choose Starter, Expanded Pokémon List, Evolution System and additional gameplay patches), Cipnit (Complete Team Control), NeroIntruder, DunkinDo, CamusZekeSirius, Davilos, Emmuffin, EZERART, MonochromeKirby, numerous sprite and portrait artists, and the Explorers of Skies Discord community for feedback, testing, and suggestions.
Source & References
Official Thread / Website: ProjectPokemon
Community Link: https://discord.gg/ebkgfa8ynM
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Skies?
A: It is a comprehensive enhancement hack for Explorers of Sky that expands the original game with new dungeons, Fairy-type mechanics, modern gameplay features, quality-of-life improvements, and a more challenging overall experience.
Q: Does Explorers of Skies include a new story?
A: The main story remains largely unchanged, but the hack adds several new post-game events, recruitable Pokémon, and optional dungeons that significantly expand the adventure.
Q: What makes this hack different from the original Explorers of Sky?
A: Nearly every dungeon has been redesigned, difficulty has been rebalanced, Fairy-type mechanics have been added, new Pokémon and moves are available, and dozens of modern gameplay improvements have been implemented.
Q: Are there any important warnings before playing?
A: Yes. The creator recommends avoiding emulator save states because they may not remain compatible with future updates. Saving through the game's built-in save system is strongly recommended.
Q: Who is Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Skies recommended for?
A: This ROM hack is perfect for fans of Explorers of Sky who want a faithful but significantly expanded experience featuring modern mechanics, improved difficulty, new post-game content, additional dungeons, and extensive quality-of-life improvements without losing the feel of the original game.
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