Which game inspired the 2019 film Detective Pikachu?

The game Detective Pikachu inspired the 2019 film Detective Pikachu.

Detective Pikachu is a Nintendo 3DS adventure game released in Japan in 2016 and internationally in 2018. It follows Tim Goodman, a young investigator searching for his missing father with the help of a talking Pikachu who calls himself a detective.

The film adapts the game’s central premise rather than retelling the stories of the mainline role-playing games. Ryan Reynolds voiced Detective Pikachu in the English-language film, while Justice Smith played Tim Goodman. The movie also added new plot details and combined characters and Pokémon from across the franchise.

The game and film are distinct from Pokémon Go and the mainline Pokémon titles. Detective Pikachu uses investigation, dialogue, and environmental clues as its main mechanics. Its unusual talking-Pikachu concept provided the foundation for the film’s mystery-comedy format.