Super Mario Darktime

October 21st of Friday in 2011, it's a day that would forever haunt me. As crazy as this may sound to a lot of people, but what has happened did freak me out.

So here's the story: you all know the famous game store called GameStop, right?

It's a place where gamers go, buy, trade, and sell their games for other games or cash.

My day started like any other day. It was the 21st of Friday, and I just had a dream of myself playing Super Mario Sunshine.

It was a game I loved, it was also one of my most favorite childhood games I have played. But it was also a game I lacked for my collection.

You see, I was starting to keep games and not taking them back for trade or money, and Super Mario Sunshine was next on that list.

The game wasn't that much now, only $21 at my local gamestop store. I had enough and thought to go get myself a used copy since you and I both know they stop making gamecube games.

I was waiting for the store to open at ten, but it was nine in the morning so I thought I could go now and wait for the store to open. I was really that desperate for the game.

When I showed up to the store, I just had to wait a little longer for it to open, no big deal. When they opened, I walked inside and looked where the gamecubes were, but I seen no sign of Super Mario Sunshine.

I asked the employee of the store if they had any copies and just my luck, they only had one left. He said that "the reason why it's not on the shelf is because of the room." it made sense, it was pretty tight where the games were.

While he reached to grab the game, he took out the disc and gave a little weird look on it. The title on the disc did have 'Super Mario Sunshine' on it, but the word 'Sunshine' was marked to 'Darkshine' which is very odd to me. But we both shrugged because we knew how people are with their discs. He asked if he could clean it off but I shook my head, I could do it myself.

When he put the disc in a empty case, I gave him the money I had and took the game to my car. But for some reason, I felt a little...odd. I just bought a game I was excited to play, why should I feel nervous? Ignoring the feeling, I went straight home and put the disc in my Wii.

At the time, the intro movie was being played, I smiled brightly, it was a good feeling to feel like a kid again. But before the movie went into the scene inside the plane where Mario, Peach and Toadsworth should be, the video frozed. But the audio kept on going. I thought it was maybe because of the disc and for who I am, I like to take the disc out and see how bad the scratches were.

What was very strange is, there were NO scratches at all. Maybe the game wasn't working right for the moment so I put the game back into my Wii and started the game again. This time, it skipped the video right away and to the title screen.

Remember the time when the title screen comes up, Mario shouts "Super Mario Sunshine!" well guess what? It didn't happen. By this time, I went ahead and go where the files were, and I found two files that were already made.

I found this extreamly weird because there was supposed to be no save files at all, that only works with DS games, not gamecubes. Both files had the name "dead" on them. No track of shines, no play time records, no nothing, just the name of 'dead' on the files besides the third.

Thinking of it strange, I went to the first 'dead' file and it took me back to the title screen. What the heck? So I went to the second 'dead' file, and it took me to the title screen again. So I went to the third empty save file and it finally started the game.

It was starting normal, when they all show up and find a mess on their landing spot. I was now able to play the game without any more weird things going on. I went to get F.L.U.D.D. and cleaned up the mess. When I defeated the mini-boss, I found a Pianta lying on the ground there not moving. I don't remember anything like that happening when I played Super Mario Sunshine before.

The game later progresses to the trail of the mess Mario, or should I say Fake Mario, has made. He was found guilty of course and him and F.L.U.D.D. were talking like before.

Now I was expecting the next scene where the cop Piantas talk to Mario about "no running off" but this time, it just started right away. But the area was different this time. I remembered the game all bright and happy around Isle Delfino, but it was darker.

I mean DARKER. The sky was dark and the clouds were red and the sea was red as well. And the Piantas? They were by the stands of fruit and such...dead. I was starting to think this game was hacked by a person who finds this as a joke.

Wondering what else has happened, I went to the front of the area, where the statue stands. Right there, I found Peach. She was holding something so I ran towards her for a closer look. She turns around...and she holds the head of Toadsworth. His eyes closed, blood dripping from his head and spine hanging below. By that time, my strange feeling came again, I was feeling sick for how real the blood looked.

Then the screen was starting to get a little blurry. Peach was the only thing in the screen who was not being blured and her eyes were starting to go dark. The sound of the music was starting to sound off, like notes are missing their cues and just start playing without matching the beat. I was watching Peach, then she drop the head of Toadsworth and the camera was starting to quickly move towards her face, her mouth was wide open, more wide than any human being should have.

I was in complete shock as my head started to hurt with the music and blur, when the camera was starting to run towards her, I couldn't breathe and with complete fear, I rushed towards my Wii and shut the game completely off and my TV as well.

My heart was pounding fast and hard. For some reason, even though it was just a game, it felt like my spirit was being lifted out of me. Goosebumps were all over my body as I got up and started to walk to the kitchen and grab something to drink to calm myself. I kept thinking to myself "what the hell was that!?" and I never stop thinking that to this day.

When I finally had the courage to start the game again, I had to know what the heck has happened to the game. Maybe I could find a way out of this sick hack. When I got to the title screen, I went to go for the third file but this time, it had the same name as the others 'dead' and this is when I flipped. After seeing this, my Wii completely crashed.

I tried turning it on again but it just wouldn't work. Thankfully I just bought my Wii three months ago, so I could explain to Nintendo about this damaged disc and they could repair me a new Wii. The disc then came out of the Wii, I looked at it and took it out. I put it back in the case, took it outside and trashed it. I slammed it with a hammer, took a match and oil, squirt the oil in the case, and threw a lit match in the case and watched it burn. It was all over...and I felt happy.

I watched it burn until it was no more. I walked back inside and to my room, to my suprise I saw my TV on with a static sound with it. Next thing that happened, Peach's demonic face showed up on my screen, voices from the speakers were screaming "Die, Die, Die, DIE!"

Each time the word was shouted, her eyes got wider, her smile just got more wider as well. It was like she was starting to come out of my screen. I looked at my Wii as the little light was blinking, you know by the power button?

I went and tried to turn the system off but it just wouldn't work. "Shoumetsu! Shoumetsu! SHOUMETSU!" that was the japanese word for 'Death' and it was starting to freak me out on how it sounded coming from her mouth.

I went ahead and unplugged my Wii from the TV and I looked at the screen of her face. Blood was starting to droll from her mouth and eyes, it was freaky. When I pulled the plug, the screen fadded to black. I tried to pick up my Wii and it was completely hot.

I rushed to the kitchen to grab some towels to cover my hands with the heat of my Wii, and threw it to the trash as well and set it outside, waiting for the garbage tuck to take it away. Two hours past and he came, and I watched him crush it in his truck, I sighed in deep relief as it was finally over.

I should have saved it for a new Wii but now, after that, I think it's best to just wait for the Wii U. Everytime I think of a used gamecube game, I am scared to buy it because who knows what can hide behind those discs.

I have no idea what could have happened if I kept that nightmare of a disc, but I'm sure that it would not have been good. I should have took pictures, but with the fear I was having, I never thought about it at the time. Well, this is my story. And one I will never soon forget.

As much I would love to, but the face of Peach will haunt me forever. But I just hope one day, I will get over it. I just want to say, if you ever get a game and it doesn't act the way it should...be extra careful. Don't make the same mistake I did.