With “Emio – The Smiling Man” Nintendo becomes a serial killer

Nowadays, Nintendo is known for its family-friendly image with gaming icons like Pikachu and Mario. But it wasn't always like that. In the eighties, there was a time when the Japanese developer was more open to adult content, like Famicom Detective Cluba crime adventure duology published in 1988.

While the original games were never released outside of Japan, Nintendo re-released them for Switch in 2021, bringing the series to an international audience for the first time. With over 143 million Switch consoles sold worldwide to date, it's important for Nintendo to diversify the types of games it makes so it can appeal to everyone, including fans of gory true crime stories.

Now the series gets its first new entry in 30 years with the title Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club and, unsurprisingly, it's a first-rate mystery game. And while it has a compelling premise and a terrifyingly suspenseful story full of thrilling twists, its abrupt ending left me with more questions than answers.

The smiling man revolves around a young middle school student who is found dead on the side of the road with his head covered with a paper bag mask depicting a smile. The case appears to be connected to cases 18 years ago when a killer named Emio gave crying girls a smiling paper bag mask before killing them. However, the case was dismissed as an urban legend. It's an eerie foundation that makes the mystery even more compelling as it progresses, aided by the charming cast of characters.

You play as a nameless boy (whose nickname you can choose), but the difference between him and other self-inserted protagonists like in games like persona or Pokemonis that his lines are actually fully voiced. Rather than being a silent protagonist or just spouting grunts and one-liners, he actually speaks with personality: kind, thoughtful, and supportive. It's a welcome change that keeps the protagonist from feeling too generic.

This also makes conversations with other characters feel less one-sided. Junko Kuze, a tough detective, has a bit of a rivalry with the protagonist, which leads to intense interactions when they meet on their own investigations. Kuze's partner, the aloof Daisuke Kamihara, is the perfect complement to her stubbornness and provides plenty of comedic moments. Without giving too much away, the game also handles the theme of childhood trauma incredibly well through some engaging backstories of its characters. Seemingly innocuous details about a person's past become pivotal moments in the story, and there were a few red herrings that made me question myself every time I thought I had figured out the culprit.

The smiling man is a point-and-click adventure that plays like a visual novel. The gaming experience is reminiscent of old LucasArts text adventure games from the nineties like Sam and Max set off And The Secret of Monkey Island. The experience is more like reading a book than the traditional action-packed gameplay style of games like Call of Duty or Uncharted. However, there is still plenty of interaction. Along the way, you'll examine objects and talk to NPCs about various topics related to the case.

There is a feeling of nostalgia, but The smiling man also feels accessible and easy to play, rather than being held back by its retro style. This is largely due to its great quality of life features, like the ability to skip dialogue you've already heard or setting it to auto-scroll. This lets you sit back and relax and read comfortably at a steady, book-like pace. The game also features a notebook that constantly adds new information about the characters you meet, as well as how the story progresses. All of these features make it easier for you to follow the story and keep track of its characters.

It also helps that The smiling man is well presented with a passionate, piano-driven soundtrack and a distinctive art style. Although the series has its roots in the '80s, the audio forgoes the old chiptune music and replaces it with modern instruments and beats, fitting for the era in which these remakes are now being released.

The developer of the game is the famous visual novel studio Mages, responsible for some of the most notable games in the genre, including the incredible time travel adventure Steintor. The characters are presented in 2D illustrations against a 3D background, and the slightly choppy character animations give the game an appealing mid-range budget feel compared to Nintendo's more polished franchises like The legend of Zelda.

But the character animations are still visually impressive with their bold colors. The music does a great job of intensifying the atmosphere when there is an unexpected twist, or calming you down when you are just strolling through the city. The expressive Japanese voice acting also makes conversations feel lively, but I wish there was an English dub. With The smiling man Since this is a brand new entry in a retro revival series, an English voice cast would have provided an even more immersive gaming experience for international audiences.

My biggest problem with The smiling man is that you'll end up with a lot of unanswered questions over the course of the 15 hours of gameplay. Due to Nintendo's review embargo and to preserve the surprises, not many details can be given, but many players may feel that the narrative experience is ultimately disjointed and could have been tied together more dynamically. Much of the story progression occurs through unexpected bursts of information, which could have worked better if key revelations were interspersed more organically throughout the story.

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a mechanically simple game, and once you reach the end, there is not much replay value. Nevertheless, one playthrough is enough for the cruel and heartbreaking mystery to leave an emotional impression. Even though I was not entirely thrilled by The smiling manDespite the fragmentary story, I went home with a smile. Fortunately, however, without a bag over my head.