Nintendo Reveals Disturbing 'Emio' Teaser, And Fans Are Baffled

I read it as Elmo at first ngl

Color me intrigued.

It would be pretty interesting if Nintendo dipped its toes into making some Mature first-party developed titles. Eternal Darkness was great, but that wasn't internally developed.

With Nintendo's creativity, I bet it could rival some of the best M-rated games in the business!

"Did you see that?!"

"Yeah."

"Who's Emio?!"

"I figure it's some guy's name. Some guy named Emio."

I know its a bad joke but my friend said "it's the public execution of leakers"

I'd love for it to be a horror game from Nintendo, Eternal Darkness was great and it'd be cool to see them do something different and this is a fantastic way to get people's attention

I’m assuming this is a very weird ad relating to the next system. Maybe a built in AI like an Alexa or whatever. Could be interesting

Emio is the girlfriend of Enoah

Oh man please let this be a first party Nintendo thing I yearn for more mature games with Nintendo quality

@Phenzy If that were the case though, it wouldn't have that PEGI 18/M rating. It has to be a game of some kind.

@StardustWhip True. I just came back to say that!

@Fizza And hell, the original Luigi's Mansion was a decent introductory horror for kids, but then the sequel became full "cartoon with a pumpkin" in LM2...

This looks scary, is this official Nintendo? Any confirmation?

Very exciting if it's a new IP! We haven't gotten much new exciting IP from Nintendo this generation.

Everyone is saying Emio this and Emio that, but no one is saying ARMS this and Jump Rope Challenge that.

Fatal Frame maybe?

@mariomaster96 Erex is not pleased with that development

Squid Game Nintendo Edition tm

No relation to Splatoon

@PikminMarioKirby It has a Japanese Nintendo sub-website, not sure if third party games get that treatment

Its OBVIOUSLY a trailer for Arc System Works new Faust-centric Guilty Gear spin off game. Day 1 buy

Well, I dunno about you but I need an adult!

I got a fever! and the only prescription is more Emio!

@OwenOtter that was exactly what I thought when I was reading this

A few theories:
1. Emio sounds like Mario. Therefore this must be the third Mario brother, and his games will evidently have a Silent Hill vibe. Mushroom Kingdom survival horror confirmed.
2. Horror is scary and scary is bad. Bad things lead to frown faces, not smile faces but actually a smile IS a frown, upside down, which is the key insight that leads to solving the riddle. We can now translate the Smiling Man as the Frowning Woman. And Emio backwards is actually Oime. So that clears things up.
3. How would you get a bag off your head? With scissors! Therefore Nintendo has bought the rights to the back catalogue of Human Entertainment and this is a Clock Tower thing.

Pretty sure it’s one of these three. But don’t worry, no need to congratulate me until I’m proven right.

I am beyond confused as to what is going on here. I know Nintendo is one for curveballs and unexpected moves, but this has to one of the rather stranger things we’ve seen from them, to have this weird of a teaser for something that appears to be first party… I guess we’ll have to wait and see what is going on.

@PikminMarioKirby It’s on their official twitter accounts and directs to their official YouTube, the only name at the end of the teaser is Nintendo. Whatever it is, Nintendo is behind it.

It could always be a third party game that they’re funding/publishing if it’s not their own IP though

Is that you Tingle?

This is very different from Nintendo, so I'm intrigued

Nintendo, finally giving us a horror game after many years?!? 😱

Everyone asks “Who is Emio?” But no one asks “How is Emio?

@OwenOtter

Has Nintendo finally given in to the trend of Japanese "horror" games of finding anomalies that seemingly The Exit 8 started?

I say seemingly because I noticed a lot of horror games of this kind being released after The Exit 8 came out on Steam. Most notably Shinkanzen 0 and Platform 8.

Emio and MC Horace are the newest revealed members of the Wyatt family.

Very interesting, especially since it got age restricted on the (english) nintendo youtube channel
I wonder what its gonna really be about...

If Nintendo releases a horror game that's actually horror im 10000% in

If it’s an Eternal Darkness remake or sequel, I’ll cry

Looks creepy, but not really scary.

Emio is my sister's cousin's aunt's great-grandfather. Stop asking about him, you creepy perverts.

Emio could be related to emotion. Or Emote, or emojis. No basis for this other than the word itself seeming similar and we see changes on the bag's "face".

AS well emio means laughing,smile according to google

This is the man that's coming for the leakers.

@sanderev genuine question: what's the difference?

Emio as Switch 2 name confirmed !

I guess we'll know this Halloween season...

These are the new Miis, for Switch 2. Choose whatever colour of paper bag that you want.

Let's make #Emio4Smash happen, lol

Interesting that it would be dropped so unceremoniously… perhaps they thought it would be overshadowed in that last Direct?

Eternal Darkness 2!!!!

A male version of Emi Mikomori? .... Emio?

https://fatalframe.fandom.com/wiki/Emi_Mikomori

It's got Fatal Frame vibes all over it though.

Emio is the new name for the Switch 2, and everyone will be confused, just like when the Wii U came out

@SplatRay001
Why is Emio?

Latest Famicom Detective entry...?

Nintendo decided to make a horror IP? Finally!

Super Emio Bros. WAHOOOO

Always happy when Nintendo tries something new. So far the vibe is pretty "standard horror" with the jumpy cuts and slendermanly scares and all, which I don't care for at all, BUT it's just a 15 seconds first glimpse, what do I actually know. Curious!

That got me giggling WAYYYYY too hard lol!
Very interesting, can't wait to have more nightmares...!

I do love that someone is already starting a Smash Bros petition for this guy, I would sign it!

Uh oh.
I think Nintendo has snapped.

@ViewtifulCool I like this idea and direct connection with her name.

@ScalenePowers It could be because Directs are aimed at all audiences, and this is an age restricted trailer.

I'm gonna go for the longshot and say Eternal Darkness 2!

A mature rated Nintendo 1st party game maybe????

YES PLEASE.

@Pak-Man @MrCookieCrisps question does Eternal Darkness have Japanese characters (language btw)

The wildest part is this seems to be an EPD production going by the lack of compulsory legal descriptions.

Nintendo working with the Wyatt Sicks, weird.

They said ‘f*** ya Capcom, all Marty Flan wants is a Resident Evil built from the ground up for Switch, and if you’re not gonna give it to him, we’ll have a go ourselves!’ Why thank you ever so much Nintendo, I’ll buy a million copies!

@NintendoWife to be fair the last horror game by Nintendo directly made was Eternal Darkness which was back in the GC.

Alright Nintendo you have my attention.

Uncle Howdy really is everywhere these days.

My next question is how long does Nintendo let this stew before we get more info?

Anti-Matter is gonna be furious when he sees this

Am I the only one who thinks Emio is a great ñame for Switch 2?

It’s Joker from Persona 2 Eternal Punishment lmao I wish

This is just so bizarre but if this is an in-house developed horror game, then count me very excited. Last times Nintendo ever dipped their toes into the genre was Eternal Darkness and Fatal Frame but one was externally developed while the other they only published so I'm completely captivated by the idea of a horror game fully from their own minds.

Emio IS Switch 2

@luxoricious I was thinking the same thing you beat me to it

Bray Wyatt is smiling. ❤️❤️

Could be the small game from Bloober Team. They are doing a Collab with Nintendo on a small budget.

@OwenOtter I logged in just to press like lol

@AG_Awesome

You mean Bray is emio...

Really random and out of no where. They caught my attention and I wanna know more about this horror game.

This is really interesting. I would love to see a horror title from Nintendo.

Developer Bloober Team (Layers Of Fear, Blair Witch Project, The Medium, Observer) also just dropped that they're working on a game for Nintendo Switch. So this is p connected with that. They mention that it's a collaboration, "with the world’s best game creators for Nintendo platforms."

https://nintendoeverything.com/bloober-team-working-on-project-m-for-nintendo-platforms/

Interesting, interesting... I'm always up for a good horror game and it's even more interesting if Nintendo themselves is involved with it!

What is this? Looks so scary. İt looks interesting too. We will see. İs this new İP from Nintendo that will be so awesome. İ like horror games but not all of them. İ like Silent Hill and Fatal Frame. That is it.

@Indielink Interesting!

Crazy how Bloober Team went from being a vaporware Wii dev under Nibris to shovelware dev to working on a Silent Hill 2 remake and (possibly) working with Nintendo directly. Fair play!

I wonder why this wasn't in the Nintendo Direct? A bit strange to be showing this now.

I don't typically play M-rated games because I tend to avoid games that have a lot of strong language or sexual content. Because of that, I haven't been able to dabble very much into the horror genre. I've never played Resident Evil, for example, although I'm sure they're solid games. Little Nightmares is one of the few I've been able to dabble in. If this game is just rated M for blood and gore, though, I'm okay with that. Fingers crossed, as I don't really see Nintendo internally developing a game with a bunch of swearing and nudity. I'd very much like to try whatever this is.

is it pronounced e-myo, emo, or eem io?

I’ll never forget that Summer spent by the lake with Emio. With great fondness do I recall the long walks, the fishing trips, and the evenings spent sipping wine in that hilariously dingy cabin by the shore. This was back when Emio was young and dynamic; they had ambition and drive. It was before Emio changed and became the Emio we know today. It was before Emio gave up being Emio and started down that dark path towards being Emio. Only Emio knows what happened to Emio, and by the gods does Emio relish that! “Emio is as Emio does” they say. You know what I say in response? “Emio!”

I'm potentially intrigued. It's been a while since Nintendo dipped its toes into M rated territory, I believe since Devil's Third.

Bag man! Complete with dirty flasher Mac.

@lyle_catcliffe I genuinely spat my coffee out laughing at your comment. I’m dead 😂

Ooh, now THIS is interesting! I’m not a huge horror guy but I’m more than happy to see where they take this on the principle alone

It’s Emio Mario!

@N00BiSH Something that is creepy can be scary but doesn't need to be.

For example a vampire or a ghost are creepy, but not always scary. But the monster under your bed is. (See Monster's Inc.)

Also something that's scary doesn't really need to be creepy either. (but that's a thriller, not a horror)

@Kyloctopus didn't expect another firefly lol. We're here!

The main villain of waluigis ghost mansion

Luigi's mansion 4 confirmed.

@sanderev not sure if Monsters Inc is the best example but I do see your point.

@Not_Soos I'm in the same boat as you. I love creepy games that don't rely too much on shock factor. Little Nightmares and "Inside" are some of my favorites!

Even if this does end up being something too violent for me, I'm still interested in seeing Nintendo's design philosophies in a genre they don't dabble in very often.

I just find it funny because “Emio” sounds like baby talk for “it’s mine” in Spanish.

@Samalik Luigi’s Mansion 1 literally has the King Boo fight take place in HELL.

@Ruler-Of-All-Evil dont forget a decapitated Bowser

Emio for Smash when?

@Fizza Eternal Darkness was FANTASTIC!

@luxoricious Emio sound too much like Emo to me, which makes me think my Switch 2 would commit the Red Ring of Seppuku like 2 of my 360s.

On a side note, watched the vid, and someone pat my shants…. Seriously though, intriguing. Curious to see where this goes.

It makes perfect business sense to pivot some resources into mature content. After all, there is a whole generation of kids that grew up with the switch who probably don't wanna tell their teenage friends at school they still play mario.

could Nintendo be making a new horror IP?

@_Figo_ Tickle-Me Emio launching on Switch in 2025!😝

I think this is mostly likely a new IP, considering the fact that Eternal Darkness was HEAVY with the insanity effects. But if it is, it'll be crazy to see the new mechanics.

Does anybody else think this could somehow be a hack?? Like some bad actor got into their social accounts for the day?

I've seen a lot of people translating the Japanese text (笑み男) at the end as "smiling man" but I don't think anybody has mentioned that it's read as えみお (Emio), so presumably Emio is not literally his name but just a title, like "Slender Man" for example.

@InTree I don't think Eternal Darkness used Japanese characters though I could be wrong.

I think this is a new IP.

@jrt87 How do you know this is Bloober?

Nvm, read it. It could be a Bloober game but it will be J-Horror from the looks of it.

Yeah sure, Nintendo. Keep it weird.

@itemcollector My teenagers are pretty edgy mofos sometimes, but they still love Mario and Pixar etc.

Silent Hill, isn't it?

And Nintendo's family-friendly policy goes straight out the window.

It's a Kirby game. This is a throwback to the edgy, barely-connected-to-the-product commercials of the 90's.

The Laughing Man's cousin, perhaps? No idea, I'm just interested. Someone in their marketing team knew how to draw the attention for sure.

You all thought the Wii Vitality Sensor was dead. Well you were dead wrong. In this new horror game by Nintendo you need to press the joycon infrared camera to your thumb to read if you're scared or not.

Guess nintendo is getting rid of DMCAs. You infringe on their IP they send emio after you.

@Mallow9623 Bayonetta?

'If you misbehave the man will come over and you'll be sorry.'

'What man?'

Nintendo:

Mario has Wario. Birdo has Emio. Sh1t is about to get real....

It’s a me! Emio! Wahoo!

They finally put a smile on Waluigis face?

Is it emo-mario?

I seriously don't see the point in putting the tweets of random people in your articles. This is obviously an intriguing thing, but who cares to see the tweets of a nobody who types in broken English?

Could just be a new Famicom Detective Club game, or something like Another Code perhaps? It just has "mature themes".

Emio is secretly Reggie, who's come back to take names and kick some arse!

@JokerCK Sheesh. That's dark af.

@Samalik Yes, it's true that Nintendo openly supports games that are adult in their material (like Bayonetta, Persona, Resident Evil, etc), but those are all developed by third-parties (for example, Bayonetta is a Sega game).

However, this is one of the first games I have seen published by Nintendo that is adult in its subject matter.

@HammerGalladeBro Platform 8 is by the same developer.

It makes my heart happy to see all the Gabbo references in this thread.

@Clyde_Radcliffe now I have the sudden urge to un-ignore Anti-Matter just to see how huge his aneurysm is going to be, I'm chortling uncontrollably at that.

His rant will be huge & I can't wait for "This is bad for kids & I will be going back to my PS5 machine." Which still has no games to speak of.

@anoyonmus Fair point.

@Mallow9623 This is the company that put RESIDENT EVIL 2 ON THE N64 AND GAVE YOU THE OPTION TO MAKE ZOMBIES BLEED GAK IN IT, WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?

@Ruler-Of-All-Evil Again, if I understand correctly, the RE games are developed by Capcom and Nintendo doesn't have a super huge hand in them, except for releasing them on N64 and GameCube and whatnot. In other words, the RE games are third-party.
However, this game, The Smiling Man, is an IP that Nintendo itself is putting out which is very rare for them.

@Mallow9623 Yeah, Nintendo doesn’t have a lot of first-party horror stuff. The closest we’ve gotten before this were the Metroid franchise and Luigi’s Mansion.