Nintendo has a habit of announcing a highly-anticipated sequel and then neglecting to mention anything more about that sequel for years afterward. It has officially been more than six years since Metroid Prime 4 was announced and Nintendo hasn't mentioned anything about it for a very long time. What might give all you Samus fans hope that the project isn't dead is Detective Pikachu Returns got treated the same way, and that sequel now has a release date.
Officially getting its first trailer and a release date of October 6, 2023, during this year's jam-packed Nintendo Direct, the long-awaited Detective Pikachu sequel is already available to pre-order. An opportunity many of you will likely grab with both hands after waiting for a follow-up to the Pokemon spinoff for so long that the last installment was released on an entirely different console.
The bad news is there's just one edition of the game, and also no pre-order bonus, at least not yet. It's entirely possible Nintendo conjures up some sort of pre-order bonus closer to the release date. For now, all you'll get for placing your pre-order is the assurance your copy will arrive as soon as possible on release day, or as the clock hits midnight on October 6 if you order a digital copy.
Detective Pikachu Returns
Get That Pikachu A Coffee
Detective Pikachu really is back via the Nintendo Switch exclusive, Detective Pikachu Returns. At least he will be when the game launches on October 6. Thankfully, you don't need to wait that long to secure your copy as you can pre-order right now.
Other than not having to worry about it again until the game is released, another good reason to pre-order Detective Pikachu Returns now rather than wait for release day is the schedule facing us this October. With Alan Wake 2, Super Mario Wonder, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 all launching during the same eight-day period, any games you can pay for now will prevent you from bankrupting yourself once October is here. Starfield and Mortal Kombat 1 will also be here a few weeks before that which is why I've desperately been trying to space out my own pre-orders throughout the year.
If you're unfamiliar with Detective Pikachu but anything on Switch linked to Pokemon has your attention, brace yourself for an unfamiliar adventure, and I mean that in the best possible way. Pikachu can talk in this particular Pokemon universe, and that's not even close to the weirdest thing about it. The wise-cracking Pokemon also has a penchant for coffee that effectively drives him, so yeah, not much like the little yellow mascot best known for following Ash around.
If you like Pokemon spinoffs, odds are Detective Pikachu Returns is going to be your thing. Solving crimes with a talking Pikachu? That alone should be incentive enough to give it a whirl. Unfortunately, the original game on Nintendo 3DS isn't currently available on Switch.