Why Nintendo Dipping its Toes Back into the Horror Genre Could Be a Big Deal

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Why Nintendo Dipping its Toes Back into the Horror Genre Could Be a Big Deal

Highlights

  • Nintendo‘s history with M-rated games dates back to GameCube era with successful titles like Eternal Darkness.
  • Emio’s trailer hints at disturbing themes like domestic abuse and violence, possibly opening doors for more mature games on Nintendo.
  • Potential success of Emio could lead to remasters of older M-rated titles like Eternal Darkness and Geist for modern Nintendo consoles.

As a longtime Nintendo gamer with fond memories of exploring the vast worlds of their family-friendly games, I was taken aback when I heard about the latest M-rated game, Emio, being published by none other than Nintendo itself. Growin’ up, I played all the classics – from Super Mario to The Legend of Zelda – and always appreciated how Nintendo kept things light and fun for gamers of all ages. But seeing that iconic logo on an M-rated trailer was a real shocker!

On July 10th, Nintendo unveiled a mysterious M-rated game trailer titled “Emio.” The brief clip lasts just 15 seconds and features a figure in a trench coat and a mask with a smiling face drawn on it, presented through choppy cuts and an antiquated CRT television filter. Towards the end of the trailer, Japanese characters emerge, translating to “emio” or “smiling man.” Details about this upcoming release are scarce; for instance, we don’t know if Nintendo is solely publishing Emio or if they’re developing it in-house as well. Some fans might find it surprising that Nintendo would work on an M-rated game, but the company has a history of releasing such titles.

Nintendo’s History with M-Rated Games

In a more approachable way: Nintendo is known for creating games that can be enjoyed by all ages, from kids to adults. Although some of their games may contain cartoon violence or crude humor, earning a T rating, they remain popular and well-received within the Nintendo community. However, games with mature content, rated M, have been released on Nintendo consoles as well, like “Call of Duty: Black Ops” for Wii and “DOOM Eternal” for Nintendo Switch. These titles were not produced by Nintendo but were still distributed under their label. Despite this, Nintendo has published a few M-rated games themselves during the 2000s.

Back in 2002, Nintendo took a step into publishing more mature content with the GameCube console. This marked their first foray into M-rated games, which included the release of “Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem.” This action-adventure psychological horror game was a unique blend of history and horror, featuring characters from four different time periods ranging from 26 B.C.E. In this game, players encountered hallucinations as their sanity deteriorated after contact with the “Tome of Eternal Darkness.” Players engaged in intense combat against monstrous enemies while solving intricate puzzles in close quarters, all viewed from a third-person perspective. Both critics and consumers praised “Eternal Darkness,” but unfortunately, it didn’t receive a sequel. However, Nintendo continued to publish other M-rated games following its success.

Nintendo’s Other Published M-Rated Games

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but draw parallels between Nintendo’s groundbreaking release of “Eternal Darkness” for the GameCube in 2005 and their publication of “Geist,” another captivating first-person shooter and action-adventure game. However, it wasn’t until 2012 when Nintendo dared to publish another M-rated title with “Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge” for the Wii U. In the subsequent years, an assortment of M-rated games graced the scene on various platforms, such as “Bayonetta 2” and “Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water,” both published in 2014, and “Devil’s Third” in 2015. Presently, only “Bayonetta 3,” released in 2022, carries the M-rating for the Nintendo Switch.

In the “Gears of War” series, the Locust creatures were initially planned to be named “geists,” but this name was later switched due to potential conflicts with Nintendo and to avoid confusing fans because of the existence of a 2005 game called “Geist.”

Emio’s M-Rated Nintendo Potential

In various trailers and registrations for the game “Emio” in different countries, potential clues about the game’s narrative or motifs have emerged. A trailer released by Nintendo UK included a warning: “Some viewers may find the content of this video disturbing. Discretion is advised.” Later, the Australian Classification Board rated the game MA15+ due to its reported depiction of violence, cruelty, domestic abuse, and suicide. Given the game’s older appearance and domestic abuse themes, it seems that “Emio” could be a type of chilling tale where the cheerful man serves as some sort of vengeful spirit or entity that only manifests itself through a camera or screen.

If Emio is a hit, it might draw more horror gaming enthusiasts to the Switch, even prompting Nintendo to create or publish more mature titles. With popular GameCube games like Metroid Prime getting remasters on the Switch, Nintendo could possibly release enhanced versions of Eternal Darkness and Geist for the console or its next-generation system. These updated editions would help acclimate Nintendo’s contemporary fanbase to more mature content, as well as prepare them for potential future Nintendo games, including Emio and its potential sequel, depending on when these titles are released. Emio’s development and distribution could signal that Nintendo is growing more receptive to mature games on their platforms, given the increasing number of M-rated games they have published in recent years.

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2024-07-15 17:24