Which Pokémon spin-off series first launched with Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team?

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon first launched with Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team.

The paired games were released in Japan in 2005, with Red Rescue Team for Game Boy Advance and Blue Rescue Team for Nintendo DS. They were developed by Chunsoft, rather than Game Freak, and adapted the broader Mystery Dungeon style into a Pokémon setting.

Unlike the mainline role-playing games, the player becomes a Pokémon instead of controlling a human Trainer. A personality quiz determines the player character, who then explores randomly generated dungeons, completes rescue missions, recruits teammates, and uses turn-based moves.

The two versions share most of their story and gameplay but use different hardware and include version-exclusive Pokémon. The series later received sequels, expanded systems, and the remake Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX for Nintendo Switch in 2020. It is often confused with Pokémon Ranger because both are spin-offs, but Ranger debuted later.