Hey Mrfurret!
I'm Student D1, but you can just call as Student, and welcome to the community! :)
The Mystery Dungeon series was a great spin-off; it is actually one of my favorites among all the spin-off games. I first played Explorers of Darkness and I was a Piplup at that time (by the way, I really love Piplup! I was so happy to be one. :D). My partner, if I recall, was Pikachu and he was very helpful when it comes to encountering a monster house; just a single use of Discharge and all of the opposing Pokémon will faint away. More than that, I just loved the story of the game and there were many things to do after the story. I also played Explorers of Sky, but I am still around the starting because I didn't put much effort in gaming there. I'm more busy finishing my White 2.
Anyways, if you want to have a chat, maybe Mystery Dungeon-related, I'm always open and I'd be happy to have a conversation with you. Well, read the rules if you have not read it yet and enjoy your stay in PC! ;)