For anyone out there that’s ever thought, “Gee, if only I could solve crimes in the world of Pokémon with help from an adorably dressed Pikachu,” well, that very specific and detailed fantasy is soon to come true thanks to a new video game for the Nintendo 3DS.
Loosely translated to either Great Detective Pikachu or just Detective Pikachu, developer Creatures Inc. has cobbled together a game that seemingly casts Pikachu, the furry electric mouse Pokémon, as some kind of Sherlock Holmes. He’s even wearing the signature deerstalker cap and everything.
The gameplay appears to partner the player, as protagonist Tim, up with Pikachu as they explore “Rhyme City” (according to Google Translate, in any case) to uncover secrets and solve puzzles. A sort of Professor Layton meets Ace Attorney that isn’t the actual Professor Layton meets Ace Attorney video game with an added side of pocket monsters.
The Pokémon Company International is in the midst of celebrating the popular franchise’s 20th anniversary, which occurs on February 27th - the date Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green released in Japan in 1996. In celebration, they’re releasing several digital versions of the original games, distributing event Pokémon throughout the year, releasing special bundles with Pokémon-branded Nintendo handhelds, and more.
Great Detective Pikachu is set to launch on the Nintendo 3DS eShop on February 3, 2016 for 1,500 yen - or about $13. There’s also a special purchase period from January 27th to February 29th that knocks the price down to 1,200 yen - roughly $10. So far there’s been no indication that it will release outside of Japan, but there’s always hope.
