Summary
After five years of the development on the latestPokemonspin-off title going deathly quiet, players now have an entire adventure of mysteries to experience inDetective Pikachu Returnson the Nintendo Switch. Taking place two years after the events of the original 3DS game, of whichtheDetective Pikachumovie was based on, Tim Goodman and his partner Pikachu are still searching for Tim’s missing dad, Harry. In the meantime, though, there are plenty of other cases and local worries to solve in Ryme City.
AsDetective Pikachufans likely already know, Ryme City is a place that aims to promote harmony between people and Pokemon in search of an existence where they can coexist peacefully. In this new sequel on the Switch, this balance is still a work in progress after the “R” chemical caused several creatures to go berserk. Despite that, Ryme City is filled to the brim with plenty of Pokemon living alongside their human partners peacefully inDetective Pikachu Returns. However, the representation of the iconic pocket monsters falls short in one way, as Paldea Pokemon are completely absent.
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Why Pokemon Representation in Spin-Off Games Matters
For likely over a decade ofPokemonhistory, there’s been a very careful balance between the mainline games developed by Game Freak and the spin-off titles produced by other development studios. Thanks to the existence of these other games, players had tons of other experiences in thePokemonworld while awaiting the big newgames likePokemon ScarletandViolet. Through this balance, many fans were kept satisfied, as these side titles included the latest creatures from the newer games to shine a different kind of spotlight on them that their original games couldn’t provide.
Iconic appearances by recent roster additions, such as the number of Hoenn Pokemon inPokemon Colosseumor the growing number of creatures that could be found and recruited in thePokemon Mystery Dungeongames, is only possible through Game Freak trusting other game studios with NDAs about the upcoming mainline titles so that these critters can be added during development. It is a purposeful exchange that helps promote multiple different games at once that has always made fans of newer creatures feel at home with themanyPokemonspin-offs.
Detective Pikachu Returns' Lack of Paldea Pokemon Says More Than It Seems
Despite the existence of this successful marketing strategy that’s been used for quite some time now,Detective Pikachu Returnsis a game released in Generation 9’s lifecycle that lacks any of the Pokemon from its respective generation. While some players may notice the lack of creatures likePaldea’s startersat the beginning of the game, who almost seem expected to appear in a game such asDetective Pikachu Returns, the omission certainly feels weirder as the adventure continues, and every generation gets its own moment in the spotlight except for Gen 9.
In fact, Galar in particular feels like the main focus inDetective Pikachu Returns, in terms of both the story and sheernumber of Pokemon appearingfrom that region in the game itself. Because of this, it could be easily assumed thatDetective Pikachu Returnswas meant to be released in Generation 8 rather than Gen 9. It would certainly make sense, given that theDetective Pikachusequel has been publicly stated as in development for at least five years.
What makes this situation even stranger isDetective Pikachu Returnswas developed by Creatures Inc, who has helped with the mainlinePokemontitles since the very beginning of the franchise. With the fact that the studio was likely working onPokemon ScarletandVioletalongsideDetective Pikachu Returns, the lack of acknowledgment for the Paldea region feels even stranger in that regard, as nothing was stopping the developer from throwing in a few pocket monsters from that region during the lengthy development period. No matter what the reason is, it seems that it will have to be up to other spin-off adventures to show off thePaldea Pokedex.
