Meitantei Pikachu: Shin Konbi Tanjou (Great Detective Pikachu: Birth of a New Duo) was released exclusively in Japan on February 3, 2016 on the Nintendo eShop featuring the first three chapters of what would later be internationally released as Detective Pikachu. From January 27, 2016 to February 29, 2016, the game could be purchased in Japan for ¥1,200, instead of the normal price of ¥1,500. Players who purchased Birth of a New Duo were able to receive a ¥1,500 discount on the full Detective Pikachu game until April 22, 2018. The game was removed from the eShop on January 12, 2018, just before the announcement of the full version.
