Emio the Smiling Man Debuts on Switch

Hello fellow gamers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Roundup for September 5th, 2024! It's Thursday already – where does the time go? We're diving headfirst into reviews today, with in-depth looks at Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. Our contributor, Mikhail, also shares his thoughts on Nour: Play With Your Food, Fate/stay night REMASTERED, and the TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK. After that, we'll cover the day's top new releases and round things out with our usual sales lists. Let's get to it!

Reviews & Mini-Views

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club ($49.99)

It seems reviving dormant franchises is the latest trend – video games mirroring Hollywood's practices. Nintendo's unexpected decision to resurrect Famicom Detective Club, a series primarily known in the West through a brief remake of its first two entries on Switch, is a fascinating case study. This marks the first new Famicom Detective Club adventure of the 21st century, a notable event.

The challenge with reviving old IPs lies in striking a balance between faithfulness and modernization. Too faithful, and the game risks feeling outdated; too much change, and fans might be alienated. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club leans towards the style of the recent remakes, which themselves closely adhered to the originals. This creates a unique blend. The visuals are top-notch, comparable to modern games, and the narrative pushes boundaries further than 90s Nintendo would have dared, even in Japan. However, the gameplay retains a distinctly old-school feel, significantly impacting the overall enjoyment.

The game centers around a student found dead with a smiling face on a paper bag over his head, unearthing unsolved murders from 18 years prior with a similar calling card. This introduces the urban legend of Emio, a killer promising eternal smiles. Is it a copycat, a resurfaced killer, or mere legend? The police are baffled, necessitating the intervention of the Utsugi Detective Agency! Through investigation and questioning, you'll uncover the truth.

The gameplay involves searching for clues, interviewing characters (often requiring multiple questions), and connecting evidence. It's reminiscent of the investigation sections in Ace Attorney. Depending on your preference for this style, you may find parts frustrating or tedious. Certain logical leaps could have been smoother, and clearer signposting would have been beneficial. However, it remains true to the genre's conventions.

While I have some story criticisms, I found the game largely engaging, with a compelling and well-written narrative. Certain plot points resonated less with me than others, but discussing them would spoil the experience. This is a story best experienced fresh. The positives outweighed the negatives, and the game truly shines when the plot intensifies.

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is atypical of Nintendo, yet the team's skill is undeniable. The adherence to the original mechanics might be excessive for some, and while the plot is mostly excellent, the pacing sometimes lags or resolutions fall short of expectations. Despite these minor flaws, it's a thoroughly enjoyable mystery adventure. Welcome back, Detective Club – don't stay away so long next time!

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate ($29.99)

The Switch is accumulating a fine selection of TMNT games. From the Cowabunga Collection to Shredder's Revenge and Wrath of the Mutants, now we have Splintered Fate, offering a different console-style experience. Several more are on the horizon.

This one is quite good. If you've played the Apple Arcade version, you know the premise: a blend of TMNT beat 'em up and Hades mechanics. Solo play is available, but the experience is enhanced with up to four players via local or online multiplayer. Online multiplayer worked well in our testing. While solo is playable, multiplayer significantly improves the fun. It's quintessential TMNT.

The story involves Shredder and a mysterious power, putting Splinter in danger. The Turtles must save him. The gameplay involves combat, tactical dodging, perk collection, and permanent upgrades. Death sends you back to the lair to retry. It's a roguelite beat 'em up, but with the Turtles, making it inherently better. It's not groundbreaking, but it's well-executed.

Splintered Fate isn't a must-have for everyone, but TMNT fans will appreciate this unique take. The well-implemented multiplayer is a highlight, showcasing a key TMNT element often absent in solo-focused games. Those unfamiliar with the Turtles might find better roguelites on Switch, but given the genre's competitiveness on the platform, Splintered Fate holds its own.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Nour: Play With Your Food ($9.99)

Nour: Play With Your Food's initial PC and PS5 release surprised me by omitting Switch and mobile. It felt perfectly suited for touchscreens as an experimental food art experience. I enjoyed the PC version, but it's not a traditional game for everyone. If you enjoy playful sandbox experiences and appreciate food, you'll likely love Nour, but the Switch version has shortcomings.

For newcomers, Nour lets you interact with food in various stages, accompanied by interesting music and playful elements. You start with basics, but the game's depth is surprising. This highlights why touchscreen control might be less intuitive.

The lack of touchscreen support on Switch is disappointing. Performance is also impacted compared to other platforms, resulting in noticeable load times.

Nour: Play With Your Food is worth experiencing if you enjoy food, art, and interactive apps. While the Switch version isn't ideal, its portability is a plus. Hopefully, its success will lead to more DLC or a physical release. Games like Nour and Townscaper offer a welcome contrast to more complex games. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Fate/stay night REMASTERED ($29.99)

Fate/stay night REMASTERED, released last month on Switch and Steam, is a remaster of the 2004 visual novel. This is arguably the best entry point into the Fate universe. For those familiar only with the anime or other games, this is a chance to experience the series' origin. The extensive playtime (55+ hours) makes the price remarkably low.

For those who played the original Japanese versions, Fate/stay night REMASTERED offers significant improvements, including English language support and 16:9 aspect ratio. The visuals have been enhanced for modern displays, although not to the level of Tsukihime's recent remake.

The inclusion of touchscreen support on Switch is a welcome addition. I played extensively on both Switch Lite and OLED, finding it well-suited to both handheld and docked modes. Hopefully, it will receive releases on other platforms like iOS and PS5.

It also runs flawlessly on Steam Deck. The only drawback is the lack of a physical Switch release. Its success hopefully warrants one in the future.

Fate/stay night REMASTERED is essential for visual novel fans. The low price makes it even more appealing. While not as visually stunning as Tsukihime, it's a worthwhile experience. I'm thrilled to finally play it in English after years of owning the Japanese PS Vita version. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 5/5

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK ($49.99)

Having limited VR experience, I missed out on TOKYO CHRONOS and ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos. This twin pack's Switch release provided an opportunity to finally experience them.

The twin pack lets you choose between the two games. TOKYO CHRONOS follows high school friends in an alternate Shibuya, dealing with lost memories and murder. The narrative is predictable at times but features good visuals. I'm curious to try the VR version after playing the Switch version.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is superior, with better production values, music, writing, voice acting, and characters. It transcends the visual novel format at times, enhancing the experience.

Despite some narrative shortcomings, the Switch version has some camera control issues. However, touchscreen support and rumble compensate for these flaws.

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great Switch experience, thanks to touch controls and rumble. I'm glad to have experienced these stories without needing a VR headset. I recommend at least trying the demo. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5

Select New Releases

Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku ($49.99)

The title perfectly describes the game's content: Fitness Boxing featuring Hatsune Miku. It includes 24 Miku songs and 30 more from the Fitness Boxing series. Mechanically, it's similar to other entries. Consider it if you want a Fitness Boxing game with Hatsune Miku.

Gimmick! 2 ($24.99)

A faithful sequel to the original, with improved visuals and challenging gameplay. Recommended for fans of clever platformers.

Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost ($29.99)

Combines rhythm game and bullet hell elements. The Touhou theme connects the disparate styles.

EGGCONSOLE Hydlide MSX ($6.49)

Another Hydlide version for completionists. May not offer much beyond the PC-8801 version.

Arcade Archives Lead Angle ($7.99)

A gallery shooter from 1988. A decent example of the genre.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

No Man’s Sky is a highlight. Other notable titles are frequently on sale.

Select New Sales

Sales Ending Tomorrow, September 6th

That's all for today. We'll be back tomorrow with more reviews, new releases, and sales. Check out my blog, Post Game Content, for more gaming insights. Have a great Thursday!