Detective Pikachu is now available for North American and European players. To commemorate the release, Nintendo also launched a comic prequel.
Detective Pikachu eBook Available Now
The eBook is called Detective Pikachu Episode 0 - Eevee's Case. The story is told from the talking Pikachu's perspective, and it features his sleuthing adventure in Ryme City.
"In this fun featurette, Eevee asks Pikachu to find the culprit who messed up the yard at his home," the description reads.
"Pikachu must chat with many other Pokémon as he explores Ryme City to solve the mystery!"
The story takes place before the events of the game and sets up the premise of Detective Pikachu. It also introduces some important characters, such as the son of Pikachu's previous partner, Tim Goodman, and Amanda Blackstone.
The Detective Pikachu eBook is only 25 pages long, and it is available for free download on the Amazon Kindle Store, Apple iBooks, and Rakuten Kobo eBook store. The comic is only up until May 15.
What 'Detective Pikachu' Is All About
Unlike the comic, the Detective Pikachu video game is told from Tim Goodman's perspective. He teams up with Pikachu, whom he understands perfectly, to solve the mysterious disappearance of his father, Harry Goodman.
Due to unknown circumstances, Harry disappeared, leaving only his partner Pikachu with amnesia. To solve this case, players have to control Tim and cooperate with the more-intelligent Pikachu by finding clues and interrogating humans and Pokémon.
It has no battle elements unlike other Pokémon titles. Rather, the game focuses on the everyday interaction between humans and Pokémon.
"Imagine if Pokémon and humans were living in the same setting — how would that look," says Naoki Miyashita, game director.
"You will see a lot of Pokémon fulfilling traditional human jobs."
Although that's the case, Detective Pikachu still offers excitement and thrills. Instead of collecting Pokémon and violently making their way through the game, players have to slowly solve puzzles and mysteries.
The game was first released as Great Detective Pikachu: Birth of a New Duo on Feb. 3, 2016, in Japan. It was pulled out in January, and now it is back as simply Detective Pikachu in the Nintendo 3DS worldwide eShop.
The new version now has nine chapters, six more from the original's three chapters. Apart from the short story, Nintendo also released iMessage stickers to celebrate the launch of Detective Pikachu. The stickers are only available until June 14.
