Summary
Nintendorecently dropped a 15-second teaser foran ostensible horror game, referred to colloquially as eitherEmioorEmio the Smiling Man.Nintendo has stayed away from proper horrorfor quite some time now, so this reveal came as a surprise to many onlookers, especially those who associate the brand with a universally family-friendly image.
Of course, this is a completely reasonable assumption. Though there are some outliers, such asMetroid, nearly every flagshipNintendofranchise can be considered an all-ages affair. Huge IP likeThe Legend of ZeldaandMario, though they may dabble in some darker themes here and there, never cross the line into mature content. In many ways, this has helped Nintendo stay relevant for so many years: its best-selling properties steer clear of controversy and feel timeless due to their separation from specific real-world trends or problems. Having said that, it shouldn’t actually be such a huge surprise that Nintendo is branching out with something like a true horror title.
Nintendo Has Always Committed to Experimentation and Diversification
Recent Nintendo Games Prove the Company’s Aversion to Staleness
While someNintendo series likePokemonhave been accused of lacking innovation between titles, most big-budget games from the company actually take some big swings. This is especially evident when looking at some of the company’s more recent releases, likeTears of the Kingdom, which is designed around a radically inventive, complex mechanic in the form of Ultrahand. Then there’sEchoes of Wisdom, which is putting Zelda herself in the driver’s seat with a unique gameplay mechanic of her own, while adopting a top-down perspective—something that is not often seen in the world of modern AAA gaming. Nintendo also regularly innovates within theMariofranchise, with titles likeSuper Mario MakerandPrincess Peach: Showtime!leaping away from established formula.
This stands in stark contrast to otherbig publishers like Ubisoftor Activision which, for better or worse, tend to stick to a tried-and-true framework rather than risk a failed experiment when it comes to flagship franchises. On the one hand, this tendency can be seen as Nintendo sticking its neck out, adhering to its creative goals over everything. While this is likely true to an extent, there’s a far more pragmatic benefit here as well: Nintendo’s ability to diversify helps it stay ahead of industry trends. This is one of the main reasons why Nintendo is rarely, if ever, seen as playing second fiddle to another gaming company—it’s hard to predict what it will do next.
A Horror Game like Emio the Smiling Man Helps Grow Nintendo’s Brand and Influence
AlthoughEmio the Smiling Mancertainly stands out in Nintendo’s modern release portfolio, it’s not the first time the company has published a more mature title.M-rated games likeNo More HeroesandBayonetta 2have helped Nintendo draw in an older audience, providing raunchy and bold experiences that can’t be found in legacy franchises likeMario.Emiowouldn’t even be the first horror game that Nintendo has published, as games likeEternal Darkness: Sanity’s RequiemandGeisthave represented the genre, exclusively on Nintendo hardware.
At the time of writing, it’s not clear ifEmiois being developed by an internal Nintendo studio or a third-party team. The former scenario would be a first for Nintendo, as the aforementioned Nintendo-published horror games come from third-party studios.
Emiohas already been rated MA 15+ in Australia, with the Australian Classification Board citing content like cruelty, domestic abuse, and suicide references as reasons for the restricted rating. Needless to say, it’s shaping up to be a considerably dark, disturbing, potentially uncomfortable game at odds with what Nintendo is known for. But it’s becoming more and more clear that Nintendo may not want to be “known for” any one thing. With AAA gaming steadily becoming more homogenized, NIntendo might actually be protecting its brand by taking greater risks, like an M-rated horror game.
Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console launched in 2017, capable of being played in handheld mode or docked to a television. The Switch Lite, a handheld-only model, followed in 2019, with an OLED refresh coming in 2021.
