When i was little, me and the rest of our family, when it wasn't around, didn't have a lot of disposable money. Most of our stuff we used for entertainment was handed down from our other siblings when they had the latest version. One of the those items was a Super Nintendo with three controllers (One of them a turbo) with a few games. From the top of my head they were Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario World, Streets of Rage, and Castlevania: Dracula X.
Even when the Nintendo 64 was out and everyone (including my relatives who gave us the SNES) was stoked with Mario Kart 64 and Super Mario 64, i was still playing with last gen device....and to be honest i am still glad to this day i did. In fact, if it wasn't for that machine i wouldn't have some fond memories of my mother with it.
The first game i played was Donkey Kong Country and while it was fun, i was never able to pass the first level of the mines (I think the 5th world) so with that i gave up on it and watch my mother beat it like it was no problem. She was the one that told me to get the oil drum so that the platform won't fall.
The next game was probably the most emotional and yet, life changing game i have ever experienced.
More than just the story of the cartridge, but what it changed in the real world for me. Because of it i was not only able to see the beauty of a game, but the beauty of a loved ones cooperation with someone they loved in need, someone to build up and make sure they strive for what they truly want all by themselves, the beauty of achieving something even though it has no actual value in the real world. A game that founded our true bond of enjoying something together not only as a team, but as a family.
And that game was Castlevania: Dracula X
A story of a man wanting to save his girlfriend and rescue a little girl form the clutches of an evil spawn of Satan, destined to intervene with this creature by his bloodline for all eternity, it was his turn to remove this sore from the land of the humans and restore peace to it once again as his grandfather, and his grandfather, and so for did. The story was enough to get me digging through the game for what i was expecting the correct ending. You see i was never really good at find the tidbits of the game; I would just rush through it as a child would always. So most of the time i would forget stuff like hidden chicken or the occasional candle.
As I journeyed into the castle, i stumbled onto stage 3. In what is usually called, "The Trial Stage". Now it gets this name, and many others, because of certain part of the stage that determines which path you will take once you complete it. The problem with one of these paths is that it never made you finish the stage; it made you proceed to the next stage immediately.
Usually i never liked to go through hard stages, and as such when i was knocked off the pillars by a dragon head, avoiding the skeleton, throwing bones at me, i was happy to see the stage 4 logo. But in reality this is where it all goes wrong.
If you fall off the pillars and don't make to the other side, you will automatically receive the
worst ending and there is nothing you can do about it for it to change. As i proceeded to complete 4 and then 5, i found my way climbing towards the top of the clock tower. Where at the top i am greeted with a giant skull and a woman with a green dress. It was at this moment where my mother saw what i did and decided to keep watching on what i assume now was how i would react towards the woman being changed into a monster. As I defeated the skull with the woman on the top i was stoked to see the final battle; the battle of love and revenge.
Though this battle took me forever to accomplish i was able to beat him surprisingly with only losing 2 lives, leaving me with just one remaining.
The scene of Dracula being slain was playing, and i couldn't have been more happier to do so. As the music started playing, i shouted towards my mother that i was able to beat him and restore his love and the peace of the world. My mother contempt at what she saw me complete, but still saddened at what i did at stage three (as a adult now i now know she was sad and wanted me to have the best ending).
But as the credit's rolled, i was only greeted with a picture of Richart staring at the village on horse back, alone and with no lover to be seen. I was confused and starting worrying on what happened. Was it something i did? Mother told me that i beat the game, but i never saved the two girls.
My heart sank.
My feeling of seeing Richart and his girlfriend being together was never going to happened. I started crying. The tears wouldn't stop and i was sobbing like i never had before. The pain of losing someone you sacrifice your safety of your life all went down in vain. It was a burden i still to this day, can't stop crying about for. It was at the moment when my mother wanted to help me in saving them; a second chance.
And that's where we started the strong moment in our bond as a child and mother. We stood up for day on end, trying to find the correct parts and finding every hidden item on the map. She even drew out a map for every level we adventured through and marked on the spots where the items were and where the paths lead to. And so we started what i thought at the was a two person wrecking crew. We were unstoppable. Every moment felt as if i was truly immersed in the game. I do the killing of the little guys, and she would kill the bosses. It was paradise to say the least.
And then finally reached the Trial stage, stage three; The Pillars. She showed me how to avoid the Medusa heads and break the large dragon heads in order to go over them. And she showed me where to find the key, the last candle before leaving the hall. She told me to never lose the key if i wanted to see the end. So i did by to do so, but most of the time i would accidentally pick up a knife or a cross from a candle. She would swoop up and grab the key for me. Clearly i was not fit to complete it, so i asked her to complete the stage for me. As time went on we arrived at the middle ground. This is where you can find both the girls,but to do so you needed a key to open their prison i found the first door, leading into the room with a little girl. My heart paced fast and my eyes starting to grow big.
I found the girl. But it wasn't over. If wanted to see the true ending i need to find the girlfriend. And so we continued. And as our journey continued, we stumble upon a platform flooded with water. We tried for at least 10 minutes to find a way through it. It was then she told me to crack the water flowing out. I attacked it and the water stopped almost an instant. It was time to save her.
As we fell down the steps we see one more door that needed to be opened. And there she was, the woman with the green dress from last time. I have found her; i have found the reason of his quest, and i have couldn't been happier. Now it was time to finish this once and for all. We fight on the clock tower and to my surprise it wasn't the skull, but Death. I never wanted to kill death more than i did at that moment; but he had the first laugh. Although it might have taken me a second shot i defeated him, i was till rather happy to kill him.
Now was Dracula. I was sadly not the one to beat him. It was my mother who did, but through every fire shot and and reappearance he conjured, i kept up and helped her out. As she striked down Dracula in his final form one last time i felt a huge weight being lifted off of my back. I...no, we bested Dracula, together.
And as the credit started i was happier than i could ever be to
this
It one of the fantastic moments of my life, and i couldn't have done it any sooner if it wasn't for the help of my mother. Thank you, mother. You gave me a strong, powerful, yet small moment of happiness that will forever be played in my head until i draw my final breath. I have no one thank but you.
From your son, with hopes to seeing you when my borrowed time on this earth has dried up.
-Fernando
RIP 1970-2012