Detective Pikachu

System: Nintendo 3DS Release date: 23/03/2018

Important information

As of 27/03/2023, it will no longer be possible to make purchases in Nintendo eShop for Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

Please visit our Support section for more information.

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Free demo available*

A free* demo of Detective Pikachu is now available! You can download it from Nintendo eShop on your Nintendo 3DS family system, or via this page – just sign in and press the “Download demo” button to get started.**

Put your detective hat on – it’s time to crack the case of a boy’s missing father in Detective Pikachu, a unique adventure game filled with beloved Pokémon, only on Nintendo 3DS family systems.

Detective Pikachu is on the case!

Follow the story of Tim Goodman, an 18-year-old university student with a strong sense of justice, and form an unlikely partnership with a peculiar talking Pikachu! Gather evidence, interview witnesses, and piece together a variety of clues to unravel the many mysteries surrounding Ryme City.

Where could he be?

It’s been two months since Tim’s father mysteriously disappeared after investigating a wave of Pokémon-related incidents. After growing concerned, Tim heads to Ryme City looking for answers, only to encounter a talking Pikachu with a keen eye for solving crime.

Discover more in the Story Section

Begin your investigation!

Could that be a clue? Maybe that person saw something? You’ll need to talk to onlookers, search for clues, and collect bits of evidence as you try to solve a variety of cases with the help of Detective Pikachu.

Get clued up in the Gameplay Section

It’s good to talk

You can tap the supersized Detective Pikachu amiibo (sold separately) to access any conversation dialogues you may have missed and see all of Pikachu’s unique quips and antics!

Find out more in the amiibo Section

Investigate puzzling incidents involving many types of popular Pokémon in Detective Pikachu, a story-driven adventure full of action and mystery, only on Nintendo 3DS family systems.

Please note: this software does not support 3D images.

*Wireless internet connection required. The registration of Nintendo Network ID and acceptance of the network related terms and privacy policies required.

**To be able to pre-purchase download games or download demos from Nintendo eShop on the official website, you'll need to have a Nintendo Account which is linked to a Nintendo Network ID, and you'll need to have visited Nintendo eShop on the device you wish to download on at least once. To find out more, visit our Support section. Pre-purchases made through the Nintendo website are processed via Nintendo eShop.

This description was provided by the publisher.

What you need to know

This content is sold by Nintendo of Europe GmbH. The payment will be made with Nintendo eShop funds usable through the Nintendo Account used to complete the purchase.

This content is sold by Nintendo of Europe GmbH, payable with Nintendo eShop funds usable through your Nintendo Account. The Nintendo Account Agreement applies to the purchase of this content.

This content may be purchased by users who have registered a Nintendo Account and accepted the respective legal terms. To be able to purchase content for Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family systems, a Nintendo Network ID is also required and your funds usable through the Nintendo Account must be merged with the funds tied to your Nintendo Network ID. If the funds have not yet been merged, you will have the option to do so during the purchase process. To start the purchasing process, it is necessary to sign in with the Nintendo Account and the Nintendo Network ID. After signing in it will be possible to review the details and complete the purchase.

To be able to purchase content for Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family systems, your funds usable through the Nintendo Account must be merged with the funds tied to your Nintendo Network ID. If the funds have not yet been merged, you will have the option to do so during the purchase process. You will be able to review the details and complete the purchase on the next screen.

The details of this offer apply to users who sign in using a Nintendo Account with the country setting corresponding to the country setting of this website. If the country setting of a Nintendo Account is different, the details of this offer may be adjusted (for example, the price will be displayed in the respective local currency).

After your payment has been processed, the content will be downloaded to the applicable system linked to the respective Nintendo Account, or respective Nintendo Network ID in the case of Wii U and Nintendo 3DS family systems. This system must be updated to the latest system software and connected to the internet with automatic downloads enabled, and it must have enough storage to complete the download. Depending on the system/console/hardware model you own and your use of it, an additional storage device may be required to download software from Nintendo eShop. Please visit our Support section for more information.

In the case of games that use cloud streaming technology, only the free launcher application can be downloaded.

Please make sure you have enough storage to complete the download.

After your payment has been processed, the content will be downloaded to the applicable system linked to your Nintendo Account, or your Nintendo Network ID in the case of Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family systems. This system must be updated to the latest system software and connected to the internet with automatic downloads enabled, and it must have enough storage to complete the download. Depending on the system/console/hardware model you own and your use of it, an additional storage device may be required to download software from Nintendo eShop. Please visit our Support section for more information.

In the case of games that use cloud streaming technology, only the free launcher application can be downloaded.

Please make sure you have enough storage to complete the download.

The details of the offer are displayed based on the country settings of your Nintendo Account.

The Nintendo Account Agreement applies to the purchase of this content.

The use of an unauthorised device or software that enables technical modification of the Nintendo console or software may render this game unplayable.

This product contains technological protection measures.

Content not playable before the release date: {{releaseDate}} . For pre-orders, payments will be taken automatically starting from 7 days before the release date. If you pre-order less than 7 days before the release date, payment will be taken immediately upon purchase.

A Nintendo 3DS NFC Reader/Writer (sold separately) is required to use amiibo on Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 2DS systems.

Nintendo Network ID registration required to download demos from Nintendo eShop. Terms and conditions apply.

Missing man

Tim Goodman, a bright 18-year-old student, travels to Ryme City in search of his father, who vanished without a trace two months ago. Tim’s father was investigating a surge of strange Pokémon-related incidents before he went missing after a car accident. Tim’s first point of call is the Baker Detective Agency, where his father worked as a private investigator.

A truly surprising discovery

As soon as Tim arrives in Ryme City, another curious case unfolds – a pair of mischievous Aipom have stolen a young girl’s necklace and are causing trouble! Tim rushes over to help, but amidst all the commotion he accidentally grabs a nearby Pikachu instead of the thieving Aipom.

It soon becomes apparent that Tim can somehow understand this peculiar Pikachu, and it can also understand him!

Who’s that Pokémon?

A coffee-loving, gruff individual who wears a deerstalker cap, Detective Pikachu has a personality all of his own! Instead of using his signature Thunderbolt attack in battle, this outspoken investigator relies on his lightning-quick powers of deduction to solve puzzles instead.

Together, Tim and Detective Pikachu embark on a bold adventure to track down Tim’s missing father and uncover a grand conspiracy sweeping the city.

Get clued up in the Gameplay Section

Dynamic detective duo

Channel your investigative instincts to solve the many mysteries surrounding Ryme City! With Detective Pikachu by your side, you’ll need to gather evidence, talk to passers-by and solve a variety of puzzles to crack the case. Think you’re up to the task?

Take down testimonies

Speaking to eyewitnesses is a great way to collect evidence – you never know what someone may have seen! Talk to nearby onlookers, ask them questions, and Tim will automatically jot down any key points that might help you with your investigation. Remember: there’s no harm in saying hello!

It’s not just humans who can help, either – Detective Pikachu can talk directly to any Pokémon who might be at the scene. Try chatting to the Pokémon you encounter to get a completely new perspective of what may have unfolded!

Let’s take a look

Always check your surroundings. You can often find interesting items, curious oddities and potential hints scattered around the environment that can help point you in the right direction. The more evidence you can gather when working a case, the better!

Make a note

Keep track of your clues and refresh your memory using the Touch Screen! Anything you discover during your investigation will show up in your Case List, along with character descriptions of witnesses you may have spoken to.

Puzzling problems

Once you’ve gathered enough evidence, you can start the deduction phase! Use your judgement and the clues at your disposal to solve puzzles, which you can find in your Case Notes.

Got something to say, Detective Pikachu?

Watch out for Pika Prompts! If you see a flashing icon on the Touch Screen, it means Detective Pikachu has something important to tell you. He’ll also try to get your attention in other ways, so remember to talk to him regularly for possible hints or to simply hear about his love of coffee!

Calling all new recruits!

Rookie detectives can start their adventure in easy mode! A light bulb icon will reveal the next necessary step to progress the story, and provide you with the correct answers during a deduction phase.

Want to hear more from Detective Pikachu? You can tap the Detective Pikachu amiibo (sold separately) to unlock all conversations for any chapters you’ve previously cleared.

Find out more in our amiibo Section

You can unlock Pika Prompts by tapping in the gigantic Detective Pikachu amiibo (sold separately)! With this supersized amiibo, you can view all the Pika Prompts for any chapters you’ve cleared and see all of Detective Pikachu’s funny quips.

Conversation starter

If you tap the Detective Pikachu amiibo, you can unlock chapter-specific Pika Prompts for all the chapters you’ve cleared so far. Detective Pikachu has plenty to say – whether that’s expressing his love of coffee, or providing more information on a case – you never know what you might have missed!

Want to unlock everything in one go instead? Once you’ve beaten the game, you can tap the Detective Pikachu amiibo to unlock all chapter-specific Pika Prompts, as well as non-specific ones, too.

Using amiibo

If you own a New Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS XL or New Nintendo 2DS XL, you can use amiibo on the NFC area on the bottom screen. You can also use amiibo on Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 2DS via the NFC Reader/Writer accessory (sold separately).

Video: Detective Pikachu

Put your detective hat on – it’s time to crack the case of a boy’s missing father in Detective Pikachu, a unique adventure game only on Nintendo 3DS family systems!