Who is Emio oh it’s just reading
Books, the scariest type of game
Huh, I feel compelled to comment on the recent mystery and reveal of Emio. For those not in the know, Nintendo recently twittered a short clip of a spooky trench coat man with zero context. The internet went abuzz for a few days, hype built up, and then it was revealed to be a visual novel and the internet immediately went un-abuzzed. But it’s not just any visual novel, mind, it’s a new Famicom Detective Club visual novel.
The Family Computer Detective Club series of video games are truly some niche-but-not-too-niche video games. They originally hail from an age of family computation, that is to say, the eighties, but were remade a few years ago for the Switch – hence the not-too-niche labeling. They’re mystery visual novels. You read some words, you pick some dialog options, you examine some scenery, bada bing bada boom you found whodunnit. But they’re made by Nintendo, and they’re old, so they carry some inherent interest for folks who are way too deep into this shit.
Anyway, not much is known about the new game. Yoshio Sakamoto, series designer and writer, is back in the saddle for this 30-year follow up title. That’s either good or bad depending on who you ask – a spotty track record when it comes to writing women, though that is largely based on a single title; 2010’s Metroid: Other M (its literally acronymized M:OM). This new game is about a spooky trench coat man that appears before crying girls to kill them and give them a happy paper bag face. It could break either way. Sakamoto is promising a divisive ending to the whole thing so at least we’re seemingly in for a ride.
If you haven’t yet you really should check out the first two games on Switch. They’re nice remakes though they sport some minor bits of archaic design. You’re an adult though, I’m sure you’ll survive. The stories are worth it, especially the second game, The Girl Who Stands Behind, which ends on an incredible high note. Oh, what’s that? You’re just curious about the series and want to learn more? Well, do I have a product of way too much effort which you can pursue until your heart’s content: the second issue of the now probably defunct-for-ever-but-never-say-never fanzine, Hookshot.
KB
Divergent choice such as these promise a fulfilling, reactive experience.