Gamers start a grassroots effort via an online petition to have Nintendo hire actor Danny DeVito as the voice of Pikachu in the recently revealed Detective Pikachu game.

When word got out that Nintendo was hard at work on a crime-filled detective game that took place within the Pokemon universe, consumers were understandably sceptical of the product. It wouldn't be until two years later that fans came to know the game as Detective Pikachu following a more formal announcement and reveal trailer. Undisputedly one of the more bizarre aspects of the debut was that the iconic mascot will – for the first time ever – say something other than its own name, instead opting to use human vernacular to communicate with the player.

Detective Pikachu marks the first time Pikachu will have a voice outside of the name-repeating vocals traditionally supplied by the ever-talented Ikue Otani, and many have given their take on how the electrifying rodent should sound. Opinions have varied drastically, but it seems the community has selected its voice actor of choice. For those that failed to read the title of this article, the actor being campaigned for for the voice of the Sherlock Holmes-inspired version of Pikachu is none other than Danny DeVito.

In the time since I began writing the article, the online petition on Change.org has raised by over 2,500 signatures, and it seems poised to keep climbing steadily at this rate. Unsurprisingly, the implications of having an actor of DeVito's notoriety would be an immediate pro for Nintendo's oddball Pokemon spin-off, but it still remains to be seen what both The Pokemon Company and the Big N have planned for the localized version of the game – or even if it will reach retailers outside of Japan.

With Pokemon's 20th anniversary kicking off this February with the re-releases of Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow on the Nintendo 3DS, it's primed to be a big year for the franchise. Setting aside the rather well done Super Bowl ad that the company has plans on airing, there's also no shortage of game-related content to keep fans preoccupied across both of Nintendo's platforms.

Hopefully plans to make Detective Pikachu available in places other than the land of the rising come to light in the near future, but in the meantime fans will be left to speculate on the game's contents. Who will voice the titular rodent and how will the game actually play? These questions will be answered in good time, although many wannabe Pokemon Masters will probably agree that the sooner that info comes in the better.

Do you think Danny DeVito should do the voice of Detective Pikachu? What other voice actor would you like to see take on the role? Get at us in the comments.

Source: Change.org