Nintendo Switch Getting Free Emio - The Smiling Man Episodic Demo This Month
If you're on the fence, here's your chance to try the horror game free.
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is coming to Nintendo Switch this month, and it's safe to say that a lot of people might be on the fence about the game. Thankfully, Nintendo has announced a special demo, which will be broken up into three separate parts. The demo will allow players to experience the game's prologue and first three chapters, which will be released across separate days. Once complete, all save data can transfer to the game's full version, so those that decide to try it won't have to replay anything that they've already experienced. The episodes will be released on the following days:
- Prologue + Chapter 1- August 19th at 6 p.m. PT
- Chapter 2- August 22nd at 6 p.m. PT
- Chapter 3- August 27th at 6 p.m. PT
Emio – The Smiling Man is the first new game in the Famicom Detective Club series in more than three decades. As the name of the series implies, Famicom Detective Club started life on the Famicom video game system, which was (basically) the Japanese version of the NES. The series was a Japanese exclusive up until very recently; the first two games in the series were remastered and brought to Nintendo Switch in 2021. Given how few people in North America have ever experienced the series, this demo is a really good idea, as it will give players a better idea if Emio – The Smiling Man will actually appeal to them.
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is set to release on August 29th, so the last demo chapter will drop two days before the full game. Spacing out the material is a smart way to get players invested in the game, as opposed to dropping everything at once. This is just the latest in what's been an unconventional marketing approach from Nintendo for this game. It all started last month with a creepy teaser that offered no information whatsoever, before Nintendo officially announced the game about six weeks before its release date. It remains to be seen whether any of this will pay off, but hopefully Emio – The Smiling Man will manage to find an audience!
Are you excited for this new entry in the Famicom Detective Club series? Do you plan on checking out the free demo? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
