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'Detective Pikachu' Is The Noir Pokémon Game We Didn't Know We Needed

The Pokémon Company is releasing a downloadable 3DS game in Japan about the adventures of a smooth-talking Pikachu detective. What?

'Detective Pikachu' Is The Noir Pokémon Game We Didn't Know We Needed
The Pokémon Company International
SMS

OK, did April Fools' get moved up this year? Because this "Detective Pikachu" trailer still doesn't seem like a real thing.

Yes, The Pokémon Company is getting pretty ambitious to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Pokémon Red" and "Pokémon Blue's" first release. There's already a Pokémon fighting game and a Pokémon augmented reality game slated for release this year.

Now, the company is adding to that roster with some sort of Sherlock Holmes / Pokémon crossover. The game is coming out on the 3DS digital store in Japan for about $12.50.

We've known there was some sort of detective Pokémon game in the works since an NHK program teased it three years ago during a profile of The Pokémon Company's CEO.

But now that there's a full-length gritty trailer, we have a few concerns. Most of them revolve around Pikachu's voice. (Video via Nintendo

Traditionally, Pikachu's high-pitched squeaks and squeals have been limited to its name. Not only has Pika-Holmes learned to talk somehow, it sounds like he's been hitting the whiskey and cigarettes a bit too much. Is this still a kid's game? (Video via IGN)

The game goes up for sale on Feb. 3 in Japan. No word on an American release but come on: This thing would print money over here.