Like its predecessor, Super Mystery Dungeon is a dungeon-crawling rogue-like role-playing game featuring 3D characters and environments.

There, they meet their partner, who dreams of joining the Expedition Society but has become the town pariah due to his overeager nature.

Nuzleaf and the legendary Pokémon Yveltal petrify the player, partner, Suicune, and Raikou, destroy the spring.

Celebi explains that the player might have been summoned once before by Mew and the Harmony Scarves protect their wearers from petrification when near the Tree of Life.

Ampharos advises the player to seek out a Pokémon named Xatu on the possibility of bringing back their partner.

In April 2015, editors of Famitsu DS+Wii magazine stated that a new Pokémon game would be revealed the following month and that more details would come in a future issue.

[2] Gameplay footage from the title was first showcased on a Nintendo Direct broadcast on May 31, 2015, along with a final Japanese release date.

[11] Reviewers praised the story, new mechanics, and inclusion of all 720 Pokémon, but criticized the repetitiveness of the combat and overall gameplay.

Destructoid called it a "solid entry in the Pokémon franchise," commending its "tons of customization options" and "huge roster of potential allies and moves".

[7] Game Informer felt that the game was an improvement over previous entries in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, and had a "better, more focused sense of humor", but that it still had issues such as overly-simplistic combat and repetitive gameplay, declaring that it "pales in comparison to the core RPG installments.

"[13] Mitch Vogel of Nintendo Life similarly found it to be "tedious", elaborating that "Repetition that's present in nearly every aspect makes for a game that can sometimes feel like a chore rather than a form of entertainment".

Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon for "Handheld Game of the Year".