On August 29 , Nintendo will unloose its most surprising game in decades . Emio — The Smiling Man : Famicom Detective Clubis an unlikely revival of an NES visual novel serial publication that has n’t had a new debut since 1989 . That ’s not even the shocking part : It ’s an mebibyte - rate game about a dissemble consecutive killer . It ’s for certain not the kind of game you ’re expect from Nintendo , peculiarly in 2024 .
That was n’t always the case , though . While Nintendo has a kid - favorable reputation these mean solar day , it has occasionally play around in darker labor over its long calling . Just see back at the GameCube’sEternal dark : saneness ’s Requiem , a gory horror game that Nintendo published . Emiois a throwback in more ways than one , both bring back an old serial and an older variation of Nintendo willing to experiment with new consultation .
Is Nintendo hold out full blood and gumption ? Not in all likelihood . I ’ve now played the chess opening prologue and first two chapters ofEmio , which are far tamer than the M - rating may signal ( hold open for a cuss Holy Writ or two ) . Even so , I ’m already finding myself enrapture in a creepy killer story and detective gameplay that feels refreshingly old schoolhouse . It ’s not the Nintendo game anyone expected , but I ’m beaming it live already .
From Mario to Emio
Emio — The Smiling Man : Famicom Detective Clubis a visual novel with dot - and - click gameplay elements . It continues the story of the Utsugi Detective Agency , which line up itself look into a murder after a teenager turns up dead . As characters warn me that the body is a macabre view , I brace myself for some disturbing visuals . Instead , I simply learn that the killer whale has placed a paper bag over their foreland with a grin imbibe on it . Not precisely scandalous imagery .
The repugnance is fairly light inEmio‘s orifice chapters with no explicit imagery to speak of . I ’m told the victim was strangled and I get one creepy sequence teasing the mysterious killer , but it ’s all reasonably light . The M evaluation seems to be more tie to ripen language so far . I do n’t gestate to see any nightmare - inducing violence in a modern Nintendo plot , but I ’m hope the later chapters get just a bit more visceral to sell its sinister vision .
While I may have get toEmiofor its surprising rating initially , I ’ve see myself stay put for what ’s already form up to be a honest mystery . What I know so far is that the murder looks like link to a serial of killings 18 years prior , as well as an urban legend about a grip - wearing “ Smiling Man . ” The early chapter jell the phase for a tedious - burn enigma that I ’m eager to see through . In Chapter 2 , my consortium of suspects take up to widen as I meet suspicious students and teachers . I ’m already taking mental note , which is the preindication of a substantial mystery .
Emiodoesn’t just use writing to make player feel like a tec . I have a sidebar full of options at my disposal that let me poke and prod each scene . In plus to questioning characters , I can click around the concealment in hunting for hint , utilize my phone to make a call , stop to collect my own thought , and look up to my journal that keep track of each character I cope with . All of that helps the experience feel a bit more active than yourstandard optical novel , as I have more options than just select dialog prompts .
None of it is frightfully alone for the genre , but that does n’t bother me so far . If anything , Emiofeels classic in a way I take account . Its uncomplicated UI and light-headed music caterpillar track still make it feel like its NES predecessors , even if the example are more forward-looking . That old - schooling feel work within the story too , which is still set around the same era . As before long as I was handed a clumsy brick mobile phone , the classic style felt right at dwelling .
I ’ve got my calibre - of - life nitpicks ( its lack of speck controller is rummy ) , but there are n’t any crimson flags so far . Nintendo seems to be delivering a square serial slayer mystery with just enough fundamental interaction to keep me engaged . Its winner will entirely come down to how well it pay off its creepy assumption . I just go for that it ace the landing or else I venerate that Nintendo may take its M - give away experimentation back to the burial site .
Emio — The Smiling Man : Famicom Detective Clublaunches on August 29 for Nintendo Switch . Two demonstration are available nowon the Nintendo Switch eShop , with a third coming on August 27 .
