News 'Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club' Launches On Switch Next Month

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After a cryptic teaser that left us all asking "Who is Emio?" Nintendo has today given us the answer. Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club will be bringing the mystery to Switch on 29th August.

Admittedly, today's new look at the project doesn't give all that much away, though an accompanying video (above) with producer Yoshio Sakamoto shares a little more info.

In this latest entry in the Famicom Detective Club series, you will play as a private detective tasked with solving a series of murders that all appear to be linked to renowned serial killer Emio, the Smiling Man. Expect to see returning characters from previous entries in the series alongside new faces in what promises to be a particularly spooky mystery.

Here's the official rundown from the game's eShop listing:

A student has been found dead! His head was covered with a paper bag with an eerie smiling face drawn on it—much like the victims of Emio, the Smiling Man—a killer of urban legend who is said to place such a bag over his victims' heads.
As an assistant private investigator, you are tasked with helping police solve this crime, which is reminiscent of a series of unsolved murders from 18 years ago. Has a serial killer returned, or is this the work of a copycat? Are these crimes inspired by the Smiling Man story, or the origin of it?
Discover the answers to these questions and more as a member of the Utsugi Detective Agency in this intense story of suspicion, isolation, and fragility.
Explore an interactive drama full of interesting characters
Continue the adventures of the Utsugi Detective Agency with the return of familiar characters—including the returning protagonist from previous games, and Ayumi Tachibana, who is now playable in certain sections of the game for the first time in the series!

Playing as the investigative duo, you'll need to learn a lot about the personalities and backstories of the other characters if you want to discover the truth. Who is harmless, and who is keeping important secrets? Ask questions, reference your notes, and make connections—you'll have to order your thoughts and examine your leads carefully to draw the right conclusions.

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Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club will launch on the Switch eShop next month for $49.99, and a physical version has been confirmed via Nintendo's US site, although there's no confirmation of a European physical release as yet — we've reached out to Nintendo UK to check. While English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish will all be available as on-screen text, the voiceover will only be in Japanese.

A Japan-only (at present) Collector's Edition has also been revealed, including an artbook, what appears to be soundtrack CDs, and other goodies.