Mario.ERR

My Name is Daniel and I want to tell you a story. I remember growing up playing the Original Super Mario game on my NES, and so a few months ago when I had seen a contest for an old NES and a “Rare Super Mario Bros copy” I figured I might as well enter and relive my childhood, a few days later I had received an Email from this guy named Louis saying I had won the copy. I thought this was amazing and had instantly put my address for it to be mailed to me, little did I know that would be the worst mistake of my life. When it arrived I couldn’t wait to play it, but something seemed off, the previous owner had scratched the eyes off of Mario and wrote to not play it. I figured this was the old owner trying to play a prank on whoever won and so I hooked up the console and put in the game. But right on the menu something was wrong, instead of the usual title and Mario standing there there was a message from Louis. “I tried to tell you to not play but it’s too late, you’re his toy now”. I was confused but shook it off and restated the game. This time the game loaded and showed the familiar menu. I pressed play, the screen had glitched out and froze, the Sky turning blood red, and the word Error appearing next to Mario’s name. I figured it was a glitch and continued on. Eventually the screen unfroze but instead of seeing Mario, I saw Toad, I figured it was another glitch and continued on. World 1-1 looked a lot different, the Sky was the same red as the menu. It was awfully silent even after I turned my volume up to the max. I continued on to see no enemies in sight, and the shortcut pipe looked broken. I continued on to reach the flag pole and saw Mario standing there with Luigi frozen in a block of ice. I sat there now thinking this was some sort of Rom Hack, but before I could do anything the screen went black with only a picture of Mario, covered in blood, and above him the Words “Hello Daniel”. I nearly fainted, How does he know my name? Why does he look like this, What happened to Luigi. “Would you like to play a game?” Is simply said “No” to myself. “Louis was such a fun playmate, It’s a shame he finally froze, you’d make a much better playmate” I guess I had no choice, I pressed start and was Greeted with “His Realm” and I had 3 lives. It looked like a Castle Level but the music seemed slower and reversed. I noticed that Toad looked bruised and beaten now. I tried to move but I couldn’t, all of a sudden the camera moved forward to reveal another Toad and it looked like it was trembling in front of a lava pit, with blocks between as if it was a parkour course. Mario stood behind it pointing as if it was saying to go on, the Toad tried to back off but Mario then showed an Ice Ball in his hands, the Toad instantly tried to hurry away only to fall into the lava, letting out a horrifying scream sound a little to real. Mario then turned around grinned then vanished. The camera returned to me and I was once again in control. I feared what had happened to the other Toad and tried to not miss a single jump, As I got closer it felt as If the lava was actually there in front of me, I kept going though. Every jump was a risky one, but I didn’t want to know what happened if I missed or didn’t do it. I tried to take it slow and not fall in when all of a sudden a familiar sound played. I had to hurry before I ran out of time. Running and Jumping, hoping I don’t fall, barely making it to the Flag Pole. I got up and went to throw the Cartridge away, afterwards passing out on the couch. I then saw myself in a dark void. It felt cold, feeling as if it was below 0° then from the darkness he approached, looking extremely mangled. His mouth didn’t move but I heard a voice saying “You though you could escape me, and I didn’t like that” I then felt a big pain in my legs, with bruises very similar to the Toad. “Wake up, and Face the mighty Regem”- and all of a sudden I shot up, sitting in my chair with the Cartridge back in the NES and I couldn’t move, trying to felt as if my legs had been broken, and So I continued. “Hell” was the name of this level and I now had 2 lives, but the name fit the place. It felt extremely hot but also extremely cold. Looking around I saw the beautiful 1-1 but it was different, the sky being the same red as before, all the pipes were fixed but un-functional and the music felt eerie. I then heard a laugh. The Camera then moved to behind me, revealing Mario. The camera then returned to me and the words “Run” appeared. I was scared for my life trying to run quickly, but Toad’s legs were like mine. He could jump just barely high enough to get over blocks. I ran and ran but couldn’t jump high enough to clear the first pit. But instead of dying I fell into 1-2, it was dark, and empty. There was no music and the floating blocks had fallen. I hear a voice from above yelling “WHERE DID YOU GO”. I stayed silent until I couldn’t hear him anymore, I cowed in fear, hoping he didn’t find me. I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder. I screamed and turned around but no one was there, I then looked at the screen and saw another Toad shushing me, text on the screen appeared above him saying “Stay quiet, we don’t want him to find us.” He then motioned me to follow him, and I did. The words of his were small and slow, he was explaining this place to me, talking about how he can’t get down here unless he goes through the hole, and how he thinks it leads to death and so they hide down here. “I was just like you, a player, but I couldn’t escape and he turned me into a Toad.” I had asked who Louis was, and he responded, talking slowly “he was another player, the previous one to finish the game, he was turned into Luigi and became HIS playmate, I guess he stopped listening, and now HE wants a new playmate.” I walked into the Underground Toad village feeling safe, and feeling tired. I tried to go to sleep, leaving the game open to not have another nightmare like previously. Awaking in the Void like area again, I was once again greeted by that creature, his mouth still not moving. His chuckle sent a shiver down my spine.