What's up with Nintendo and this creepy smiling figure?

The 15-second "Emio" trailer has freaked people out.
By Shannon Connellan  on 
A creepy still from "Emio" showing a person with a bag over their head emblazoned with a smile.
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Nintendo, the gaming giant responsible for adorable releases like Animal Crossing and all things Mario released a nightmare fuel, 18+ trailer for upcoming Switch horror game Emio on Wednesday.

Right at the top, Nintendo declares, “This video contains scenes that some viewers may find disturbing,” and recommends “viewer discretion.”

Then we’re treated to 15 seconds of a grainy, erratically edited visual, complete with creepy music box soundtrack, of a tall person wearing a paper bag on their head emblazoned with a smile. It’s creepy as hell. And in the last moment it appears to have drawn on teeth. Love that for them.

It's clearly a clever marketing moment for the horror game, simply captioning the YouTube clip #WhoIsEmio and channelling a real Smile vibe.

WHO IS THIS PERSON? AND WHY ARE THEY SMILING? 🙃 The theories are flying.

Topics Trailers

A black and white image of a person with a long braid and thick framed glasses.
Shannon Connellan

Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about everything (but not anything) across entertainment, tech, social good, science, and culture.


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