The 3DS cinematic adventure Detective Pikachu is finally heading to the West when the full game launches worldwide on March 23rd. The first episode of the long-awaited title came out in Japan two years ago. The game’s trailer showcases the English dub, and Pikachu’s English voice, for the first time. Players will quest alongside the coffee-drinking, gruff-talking Electric Mouse as Tim Goodman in his bid to find his missing father in Ryme City.
In addition, a special Detective Pikachu amiibo will launch alongside the game. Notably, it is at least twice the size of the Smash Bros. series Pikachu figure. In game, the Detective Pikachu figure will unlock all the Pika Prompts (cutscenes) from chapters you’ve cleared, and those scenes in turn offer hints.
In advance of the game’s March release, Nintendo is releasing a special Pikachu-themed New 2DS XL in North America and Europe on January 26th for $159.99 USD.
Detective Pikachu has been a long time coming. It was technically announced way back in late-2013, when The Pokémon Company was developing a game where Pikachu could talk with motion capture animation. It laid low until early 2016, when the first episode of the then-episodic game launched in Japan, now pulled from the 3DS eShop. A Detective Pikachu movie starring Ryan Reynolds from Universal Studios also beings production in early 2018 for a 2019 worldwide premier.
