More cases await Pikachu’s investigative skills. The Pokémon spin-off sequel still exists, with a Switch release date of October 6, 2023 just a few months away. Pokémon Detective Pikachu
A first look at Detective Pikachu Returns didn’t reveal much about the game’s advanced gameplay or plot, but we did get a glimpse of Pokémon from subsequent generations, such as Scorbunny and Inteleon, that debuted after the original game’s release.
Watch the trailer for Detective Pikachu Returns, available on Nintendo Switch, below!
The first Detective Pikachu game was released on 3DS in 2018, marking one of the final major releases for the handheld platform before Nintendo abandoned it in favor of Switch. It centered on the titular electric mouse and Tim Goodman, the only person capable of comprehending Detective Pikachu’s every utterance. In an adventure game reminiscent of Ace Attorney, the duo searches for clues to solve mysteries while Pikachu chatters away.
Do you know that Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said that the financial failure of Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope was most likely due to the publisher’s choice to release a sequel on Switch? Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews upon its release in October of last year:
In 2019, the game was adapted into a popular live-action film starring Ryan Reynolds as Detective Pikachu. Even though it did not fulfill the internet’s desire to hear Danny DeVito voice a Pokémon, it was surprisingly excellent. A second film was also scheduled to be in production, but it has had trouble getting off the ground.
Negotiations are currently underway to bring on a new writer and director, which implies that production won’t begin for at least several years. It’s a shame, considering how excellent the first one was and how Pokémon’s popularity has only increased over the years.
Perhaps Detective Pikachu Returns will be another low-key success that sets the studios on fire. Its only competition in the Pokémon space this autumn will be the forthcoming DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, which does not feature a Pokémon detective with a hard-boiled disposition.