
Solve mysteries with the personality-packed Detective Pikachu! Unravel a series of mysteries across Ryme City with a tough-talking, coffee-loving Pikachu and his human partner, Tim Goodman. When a jewel theft occurs, the case sets this great detective duo down a path filled with mystery. Why did Tim’s father, Harry, go missing? What is causing the Pokémon-related incidents around Ryme City? Answer these questions and more by searching for clues, investigating scenes, and using your case notebook to make deductions. Talk with Pokémon directly and use their abilities to uncover clues. The gruff Detective Pikachu can talk directly with Pokémon. Learn more about the case and Ryme City as you chat up the local Pokémon. You’ll see a different side of Pokémon as you discover their distinct personalities. Some of these Pokémon use their special skills to assist your investigations. Take a ride on Growlithe to track scents using its sharp sense of smell! Investigate Ryme City, where Pokémon and people live side by side. Search for clues in Ryme City, where Pokémon and humans live and work side by side. With the help of the city’s Pokémon and people, Tim and his talkative Pikachu partner solve multiple cases. Investigate and deduce as the detective duo, both together and individually, on a search for the truth in this cinematic adventure game. Need some help with your deductions and game progress? If you ever get stuck during your investigation, you can consult Pikachu to get a hint. You can also activate a correct selection indicator when making deductions or while investigating a scene. With Story Jump Mode, you can choose to play any episode of the story. You can use it to replay episodes that you’ve already completed or skip ahead to episodes you haven’t played yet!
Q: Do you play as both Tim and Detective Pikachu?
A: You play as Tim Goodman, Detective Pikachu's human partner, to solve mysteries across Ryme City.
Q: Is there a way to get hints if you get stuck?
A: Yes, if you find yourself stuck during your investigation, you can get a hint by consulting Pikachu.
Q: What kind of mysteries do you solve in Ryme City?
A: You solve a series of mysteries, starting with a jewel theft, and unravel the mystery of Tim's missing father, Harry.
Q: What is the game's story jump mode used for?
A: Story Jump Mode allows you to play any episode of the story, replaying completed episodes or skipping ahead to those not yet played.
Q: Can you use Pokémon abilities to help with investigations?
A: Some Pokémon use their special skills to assist your investigations.
Q: How does Detective Pikachu interact with Pokémon in the game?
A: Detective Pikachu can talk directly with Pokémon to learn more about the case and Ryme City. He can also use their special skills to assist in investigations.
Customers frequently mention that "Detective Pikachu Returns" offers fun and charming gameplay experiences. Many customers believe they will enjoy the overall performance of the game. However, some customers have noted that there is too much dialogue in the game.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.

Solve mysteries with the personality-packed Detective Pikachu! Unravel a series of mysteries across Ryme City with a tough-talking, coffee-loving Pikachu and his human partner, Tim Goodman. When a jewel theft occurs, the case sets this great detective duo down a path filled with mystery. Why did Tim’s father, Harry, go missing? What is causing the Pokémon-related incidents around Ryme City? Answer these questions and more by searching for clues, investigating scenes, and using your case notebook to make deductions. Talk with Pokémon directly and use their abilities to uncover clues. The gruff Detective Pikachu can talk directly with Pokémon. Learn more about the case and Ryme City as you chat up the local Pokémon. You’ll see a different side of Pokémon as you discover their distinct personalities. Some of these Pokémon use their special skills to assist your investigations. Take a ride on Growlithe to track scents using its sharp sense of smell! Investigate Ryme City, where Pokémon and people live side by side. Search for clues in Ryme City, where Pokémon and humans live and work side by side. With the help of the city’s Pokémon and people, Tim and his talkative Pikachu partner solve multiple cases. Investigate and deduce as the detective duo, both together and individually, on a search for the truth in this cinematic adventure game. Need some help with your deductions and game progress? If you ever get stuck during your investigation, you can consult Pikachu to get a hint. You can also activate a correct selection indicator when making deductions or while investigating a scene. With Story Jump Mode, you can choose to play any episode of the story. You can use it to replay episodes that you’ve already completed or skip ahead to episodes you haven’t played yet!

The next step in your Pokémon journey starts here Take a Pokémon journey to the Kanto region with your energetic partner, Pikachu! Become the best Pokémon Trainer as you battle other Trainers, Gym Leaders, and the sinister Team Rocket. Catch Pokémon in the wild using a gentle throwing motion with either a Joy-Con controller or a Poké Ball Plus accessory, which will light up, vibrate, and make sounds to bring your adventure to life. You can also use button controls in Handheld Mode. Share your adventure with family or friends using a second Joy-Con or Poké Ball Plus (sold separately). You can even connect to the Pokémon GO app* using a compatible smartphone to bring over Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region! Explore the vibrant region of Kanto—home to beloved characters like Brock, Misty, and the nefarious trio Jessie, James, and Meowth! Throughout the story, your bond with your partner Pokémon grows stronger as you care for it and travel together. See the world in style by customizing Pikachu and your Trainer with a selection of outfits. True-to-size wild Pokémon roam around in the game—catch them like a real Pokémon Trainer by using timing and a well-placed Poké Ball. Battle and trade with other players who own the game via local wireless or online**. Go on a stroll with your favorite Pokémon in your Poké Ball Plus to level them up, and to receive in-game rewards after returning them to the game. Connect to Pokémon GO* to transfer caught Kanto-region Pokémon, including Alolan and Shiny forms, as well as the newly discovered Pokémon, Meltan, from that game to this one! *Using as a Pokémon GO Plus requires installation of the Pokémon GO application on a compatible smartphone. See pokeballplus.nintendo.com for details. Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online play. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/switch-online Game, system and Poké Ball Plus sold separately. *Pokémon GO application, compatible smartphone and persistent Internet access required. Data charges may apply. **Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online play. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/switch-online ***Using as a Pokémon GO Plus requires installation of the Pokémon GO application on a compatible smartphone. See pokeballplus.nintendo.com for details. © 2018 Pokémon. ©1995–2018 Nintendo / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc. Pokémon, Poké Ball Plus and Nintendo Switch are trademarks of Nintendo.

Play as a Ditto that has transformed to look like a human! Find and befriend your fellow Pokémon, carve out a life for yourself, and work together with Professor Tangrowth to build a town for everyone to live in. Learn the moves of your fellow Pokémon to change the land, such as Bulbasaur’s Leafage to make the wild grass grow. You can also use abilities to transform and navigate the world around you, such as crossing water with Lapras’s Surf. As you work to help nature flourish, more Pokémon will appear for you to meet and learn from! Create habitats, cultivate crops, and more in a world with varied weather and real-time day and nights. Gather materials to create items and furniture, till the fields to grow delicious crops, create habitats for the Pokémon you meet, take photos of fun moments, customize your hairstyle and clothing…there’s so much to do here! No need to rush, though—go at your own pace and enjoy the journey. With a real-time day and night cycle, varying weather, and other surprises, just taking a nap in your bed and letting time pass can be pretty relaxing. As your town develops, your fellow Pokémon may also come to you with requests you can fulfill to solve their problems or make the town a more comfortable place to live in. Eventually, you’ll be able to build a nice big home of your own—and then invite Pokémon, and even other players via local wireless or online, to visit and hang out together. You can even invite visitors who don’t have the game—whether they are on the Nintendo Switch 2 system or Nintendo Switch—by using GameShare! Get an in-game Ditto Rug as an early purchase bonus! Purchase the Pokémon Pokopia game early and you can get an in-game Ditto rug as an early purchase bonus. You can receive it by choosing Get via Internet from the Mystery Gift feature of the game until Sunday, January 31, 2027. The in-game Ditto rug can be received in either the Game-Key Card or digital version of the game. You can use it to decorate your houses! Any Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features. Membership auto-renews after initial term at the then-current price unless canceled. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/purchase-terms. Games, systems, and Nintendo Switch Online memberships sold separately. Nintendo Switch 2 system must initiate GameShare session. Users who receive software via GameShare can only play the software during the session in which it was shared. Shared game will not be playable after the session ends. Nintendo Switch 2 and GameChat required for each user engaging in GameShare via GameChat. Internet, Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features, including GameChat. During the GameChat open-access period, GameChat can be used without a membership. Not available in all countries. Terms and GameChat requirements apply. support.nintendo.com. The Mystery Gift option can be found within the Get Items menu option at the Pokémon Center in the Pokémon Pokopia game. You will need to connect your Nintendo Switch 2 system to the internet to claim this bonus. The user profile on your system will need to be linked to a Nintendo Account in order to connect to the internet. (This does not require a Nintendo Switch Online membership.) It takes approximately 30 minutes of play time before you can access the Mystery Gift feature. Item can only be redeemed once. Full game download via internet required. microSD Express card may be required (sold separately). Game-Key Card must be inserted while downloading game and each time game is played. For more information about Game-Key Card, please visit support.nintendo.com.

Live the life of a Pokémon Trainer and help protect the peace in Lumiose City! Lumiose City—a home for people and Pokémon alike. Thanks to an urban redevelopment plan driven by Quasartico Inc., the lush greenery of verdant parks intermingles with facilities using the latest cutting-edge technology. A lot has changed here since the days of the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y games! Choose Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile as your first partner Pokémon, and then set off on a grand adventure! Your journey will take you to all manner of sights in the streets arrayed around Prism Tower, including shops, restaurants, and places called wild zones—where Pokémon roam free. As you catch, train, and battle Pokémon, there will be plenty of people to meet too—like AZ, the enigmatic owner of Hotel Z, and Team MZ, the crew that aims to keep Lumiose a peaceful place. Catch, battle, and Mega Evolve—all in real time! Step onto the battlefield and command your Pokémon directly—there are no turns! For the first time in the Pokémon RPG series, Trainers and their Pokémon can both move around in real-time battles, and your Pokémon will unleash their moves when you tell them to. Strategically swapping out your Pokémon and accounting for each move’s timing and area of effect will greatly help you in this new style of battle. Harness the power of Mega Evolution! Unleash your Pokémon’s hidden energy to temporarily transform its appearance, enhance its capabilities, and perhaps even change its type. Use this power wisely and try to overcome your toughest challenges, like those posed by the rampaging Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon across Lumiose City. Investigate these dangerous incidents so you can put a stop to them—you may even encounter new Mega-Evolved Pokémon along the way! Compete in the Z-A Royale when night falls—or battle with other players in the Z-A Battle Club. You’re invited to join the Z-A Royale, a competition for Pokémon Trainers to test their skills and determine who’s strongest. Each night, a battle zone for the competition will appear. Prepare yourself by spending the day catching and training Pokémon, then venture into the battle zone to take on other Trainers. Be strategic and complete bonus card challenges as you battle to speed up your climb from Rank Z to Rank A. Reach the top, and you might just have a wish granted. You can also test your skills against friends or Trainers around the world in the Z-A Battle Club. Take on up to three other Trainers at once, locally or online, in frenetic real-time battles! Additional games and systems required for multiplayer mode. Sold separately. Any Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features. Membership auto-renews after initial term at the then-current price unless canceled. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/switch-online.
| Pros for Detective Pikachu Returns - Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gameplay, Overall Performance, Story, Fun | Gameplay, Fun, Ease of use, Nostalgia, Remake | There were no pros for this product— | Gameplay, Overall Performance, Story, Battle System, Mega Evolutions |
| Cons for Detective Pikachu Returns - Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite | |||
| Dialogue | Difficulty, Random Encounters, Motion Controls, Leveling Up, Catching Mechanics | There were no cons for this product— | Map Design, Voice Acting |