#zettel #gaming/level-design sourced from: [[Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team]] # Playing through Magma Cavern with Pikachu is akin to Testicular Torsion I use this really over the top title to basically just say that it's frustratingly and painfully difficult. I played as Pikachu a LOT and as a result, I can safely say that Magma Cavern is easily the hardest part of the game, no doubt. The first four floors are all ground types, later floors have Rhydon which has Lightningrod, and then the boss, Groudon, is a pure Ground type. With a Pikachu + Mudkip combo, this boss fight is a pain in the ass and often incredibly time consuming without proper planning. Furthermore, there's not a lot of food options beyond Red and Black Gummis on the first few floors, so you have to load you *very limited* storage box full of Apples, and hope that you can mange the space wisely since you're gonna need Oran Berries, Pecha Berries and Reviver Seeds too. It's really interesting and strange because it's easily one of my favorite parts of the game from an aesthetics and atmosphere perspective, but also one of the most frustrating and difficult sections. My first playthrough I was using Pikachu and Treecko, and I think that's why Magma Cavern is a dungeon remains lodged in my head forever, holy moly this dungeon is unbearable with that combo. Between the Poison Types, Ground types, Fire Types and eventually Groudon, making it to the end of Magma Cavern is one of the most exhilarating feelings. It's especially worse when you consider the later game and their penultimate dungeons being much less stupidly difficult. Music's cool though, makes the dungeon exploration very tense and fun.