Emio - The smiling man: Famicom Detective Club - Detectives and urban legends

Nintendo is known for its many franchises that take the world of platforming and adventure to new heights. While these stories and characters have become true benchmarks for the brand and the industry, there are others that remain stuck in the past or even as Japanese exclusives. The case of Famicom Detective Club is one to be admired, as this title, born in 1988, had to wait more than 30 years to finally reach our continent thanks to a remastering of its two titles. Three years after that release, and 35 years after its last release, the saga continues with a new mystery.

Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a title that belongs to the visual novel genre. The game places the protagonist, a young 19-year-old detective assistant that we can name, who together with the other assistant, Ayumi Tachibana, will have to follow the case of what is the return of a serial killer whose first homicides happened 18 years ago and that has become an urban legend. To give details about the story is to steal part of the dish that is this game, but this story unfolds little by little, delivering in each chapter something more to develop both the case and its characters.

Mysteries to solve

If you have played the other Famicom Detective Club titles, or in your case any other title in the genre, you will know that the most important tool in this game is reading. In fact, it should be mentioned that there are some links and help that the game has if you got to play any of the previous titles, as well as cameos from their characters. In general, the game system is very similar to the one we found in the remakes of the franchise, but much more polished and with easier access between the options that you carry out in the research area, along with the information that you collect.

The gameplay is kept simple as part of the genre it represents. Our character will move from area to area, investigating and interviewing people. “Ask/listen” is one of the most important commands, as this is where all the information will come from. This will sometimes generate a conversation tree where we can talk about different topics, either about the case, another person, or any observation our interviewee wants to make.

On the other hand, we have the “Look/Examine” command, where we will be able to examine our environment, from the general to the particular. If we go to something more specific, a magnifying glass will be activated, allowing us to select a more specific part. In the case of interviewing someone, we can also put the magnifying glass on top, either to detect a change in the way they interact with us, or in some cases to generate some kind of funny comment. After this option, we also have the “Think” part, which is always useful when we are trying to clarify what we have been talking about or investigating, or simply use it as a tool to guide us a bit when we are confused about where to go next.

And it is the latter that reveals one of the details that Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club has. Sometimes the game doesn’t make it clear what to do when investigating or interacting. There are certain moments when you might be talking to someone and they don’t have anything new to say, but when you check “Think”, their hint is “Finish listening to what X is telling you”. This is where the other tools come in, like “Look/Examine”, which can give us the option to move forward. Although these kinds of barriers also serve very well to provide a kind of feeling in moments when you really need it. An example of this happens very early in the game, where our character goes to investigate in a remote area, and it looks like it will take an hour to wait for the next truck, at a stop that is completely away from civilization. And no matter how much we turn around or wait, nothing happens. Is this intentional, or is he taking advantage of the system? It’s something that works at this point.

A very special scenario

In addition to the story, something very special about this new release is the scenery. One of the most beautiful details that may go unnoticed is this Japan of the late 80′s, early 90′s that Famicom Detective Club is set in. From the design of the buildings, the cars, and even our “new” cell phone, it takes us to a point in the story that really makes us feel like we have traveled more than 30 years into the past to pick up where the last installment left off.

All this is reflected thanks to an extremely careful visual section. From the scenery, to the characters and their reactions, everything is very well detailed to convey emotions, to the distance in a place. The scenarios, although static in parts, show a lot of life, making the experience feel more complete.

Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a title we never expected to see. While its mechanics are extremely simple and can feel dated at times, the real fun of the game is its intriguing story. The mix of urban legends is part of the franchise’s history, and it feels like it fits right in. If you’re looking for a less action-packed experience, this is a good choice.

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