Well...here it is.

Time for the thing you've (most likely not) been waiting for. My experiences with the games. So, I first started out with Castlevania, it honestly didn't look bad at first. Of course, instead of the regular title screen it was just a black screen with Simon Belmont on it, the title (with the It Begins subtitle), and the words "Press Start". I did so and as expected, the intro began, nothing seemed different at first, but then I realized two things. First, the intro music was changed a bit. Not much mind you but when I compared it to the original version I thought something was off, and that's when I realized the difference.

At the end of the tune, there's a barely audible laugh that occurs. It was a deep baritone laugh and was probably a big clue to me that something was not right here. The second thing I noticed was that the little item holder already had the dagger in it and the number was was also filled though it was sort of glitchy, indicating that I wouldn't have to collect hearts throughout the game. I let the intro play out and then the game began, with the familiar stage one music. Like the original game, there were candles or torches or whatever you want to call them but the interesting thing happened when I tried to hit them, I pressed the attack and I fired a dagger at the candle.

I tried using my whip again to make sure I wasn't pressing the up button but sure enough I did nothing wrong the first time, you were always meant to use the dagger in this version. You know, I  always associated Greg with many titles, master programmer wasn't one of them. Then again Greg was known for getting stuff from garage sales so maybe someone else made this but I'm getting off track here. So I then entered the castle to continue onward when I came across something else. When I entered the castle, I wasn't greeted by those stupid ghouls with their arms up in the air. I was instead greeted by hooded men in robes.

The castle itself was different, I mean every brick and wall was placed the same but the texture made the castle look a lot more modern and clean. I tried hitting the candles but they just disappeared. I also noticed that the hooded men barely attacked me, they just either stood there and walked the other direction. I didn't think anything about though and just started killing them all with my unlimited daggers. As I progressed I soon came across those panther like enemies who were now german shepherds. Weird choice, I still didn't make anything of it and kept going through the level, noticing that the sea monsters (you know the ones that were in the downstairs part that looked like the creature from the black lagoon?) were taller hooded men, and that the bats were doves.

While I wasn't exactly einstein I wasn't brain dead stupid all. I knew what the hack was trying to do, it was trying to make me the monster because I was killing all these people and creatures for no reason but I wasn't buying it. It was just a game after all...at least I thought it was just a game. Anyway, soon I got the first boss which, to my surprise was  just an ordinary man. The strange thing was that this man actually had a text bubble that pooped up when I entered the boss room.

It read "So, you've come at last. Well then, better not waste any more time." and then stood there, as if he were waiting for me to strike him down. I then did deed as I threw 2 daggers at him. There was no orb that fell out of him but instead a rotten hand. It should be terrifying but the hand was so cartoony it made me laugh. I grabbed the hand and went on to level 2.

The second level decided to screw with having the level format resemble the original game and instead have a newly constructed one waiting for me. It started out with me walking along a hallway with walls made out of brick. There were candles everywhere and every once in a while a brick would fall from the ceiling to hurt me but I managed to surpass them every time. The only thing that was identical to the original level 2 was that its music was the same. I mean it, nothing was changed in the music, it was probably like that to remind me that I was playing Castlevania. Anyway, the new enemies this time were more muscled hooded men that took more hits to kill, hooded women (I actually didn't expect that, probably because I didn't think Greg would be that demented to have you kill women in the game), and bulldogs.

Once I got in further into the level the level started getting more intense, there would be more enemies, the music was often speed only to speed down before you've even noticed, and sometimes I would even start to see another hooded woman that would leave the screen as soon as I entered it. Soon I was at the boss battle which featured a hooded man with 6 bulldogs. Another text bubble appeared which said, "Oh no. You're not going to end me easily!"

The man then rose his hands in the air while the bulldogs attacked at me. I was surprised by how challenging this proved to be. 3 bulldogs would attack in the air while the other 3 would attack straight on, not to mention the fact that they all took 10 hits to kill. I barely had any time to attack and found myself almost getting killed. Luckily however I managed to kill all 6 as my health was restored and I was able to throw a dagger at the man. However, he said "Bah. A lucky shot, but can you do it again?"

I was then greeted by 12 bulldogs as the man just watched. I managed to kill all 12 even as I only had one bar of life left. My health was restored and I launched another dagger at the man. The man then said, "Blast. Still alive! Well, not for long!" Then however, I suddenly got an idea where I threw another dagger while he was still talking and it worked! The man then said "Huh. Trying to interrupt me now? Well-" Then I threw another dagger at him and the man died, although that didn't stop him from summoning 18 bulldogs!

However I still killed all 18 so I was doing pretty good. Then in the orbs place this time was an eyeball which was a bit more realistic and therefore more creepy looking. However I just grabbed it and entered the next level.

(continued)

A little update

Just to make a quick update, I've decided to post the entire thing in many parts. Why?

Just read it when its posted. Expect it to be posted on either sunday or monday. Now if you excuse me, I'm sorry it's just...nothing. Let's just say I decided to play all three games in one sitting (you wouldn't believe how short they are but then again these are hacked) and I regret it now. What do I mean? Well, like I said just watch out for the new post.

New Developments.

Well as you might have known, I've talked to The Omega Mushroom earlier today and together we've found something interesting. Like I mentioned the box came with a weird book that listed button combinations and movements. The reason I called it a "manual" was because there was a little blurb in the first page that told you how to move and attack in the games.

Now I know what you're thinking, don't manuals also have button combinations and movements? Yes but one, these button combos were more like codes and there were 10 of them too. Just look at the list!

Up Left B B Up

Up Right A A Up

Down A A A A Up

Down B B B B Up

Left B A Select

Right Down Down Start

Left Up

Right Down

B B B A

A A A B

Now before I point what's exactly odd about the list, remember that blurb I told you about? Well let's see what it says:

"In Metroid and Contra, pressing Up aims your gun up. In Castlevania, pressing Up does nothing. In Castlevania and Contra, pressing Down makes you crouch. In Metroid pressing DOWN turns you into a sphere (though you must find the right power up to correctly perform this command).

"In all games, pressing LEFT, makes you go left. In all games, pressing RIGHT makes you go right. In all games, pressing Left makes you go left. In all games pressing RIGHT makes you go right.  In all games, pressing B fires your weapon. In all games, pressing A jumps."

Now despite the fact that this blurb can pretty much be used for ANY game I want you to look at the order of the commands. Notice anything? I didn't either but The Omega Metroid did and spilled it out. If you look at the order of commands you'll find what many gamers would recognize:

Up
Up
Down
Down
Left
Right
Left
Right
B
A.

Looks pretty familiar huh? (For those of you in the dark, it's the famous Konami Code, a specific code  that's been used in many of their games) Now look at the button combo (or as I call it Code) list.  I'll put it in bold in case you don't recognize it.

Up Left B B Up

Up Right A A Up

Down A A A A Up 

Down B B B B Up

Left B A Select 

Right Down Down Start

Left Up

Right Down

B B B A

A A A B

Yeah, the EXACT SAME CODE! Oh and those movements I mentioned? They're pictures of Greg Darien (I'm dead serious) with this creepy smile doing a lot of movements which are

Up
Up
Down
Down
Left
Right
Left
Right
B
A

You guessed it, it's the Konami Code.  So, either Greg likes to print easter eggs (since I'm sure he has something to do with this I mean come on, they're pictures of him in the book for god's sake), or this'll be very useful for when I play the games. Speaking of which I'm going to start playing them tomorrow. Why? Because I'm just tired and I want to sleep in.

That's all.

Well...might as well explain what's going on.

The name I'm going by is 1upmushroom, don't ask why it's just a thing me and my friends do. Oh wait, I bet you're wondering who I'm talking about. I am part of a trio of guys who look exactly alike each other, who are the others? Well in the outer regions of youtube you'll find an account called Classic-Luigi-Fan. He's one of my friends, in fact, he's my best friend. Another guy who I'm sure  at least has a blog is The-Omega-Metroid. He's kind of the sci-fi geek of our trio. You know, making theories, looking up cultures and stuff, solving cryptic puzzles, he'd make a great ARG host. 

So anyway, as you have probably guessed, we just go by our nicknames. Nothing special, we just like them that much, that and you know privacy and all that. Ok, back to the reason this whole blog thing exists.  Yesterday, at my house I got mail. That alone would have triggered a red flag but the real kicker was that the mail was actually a small brown box with a sign on it that said "To: 1upmushroom From: Darien!" 

Darien Greg, a man known for getting tangled in the paranormal and other mythical bullshit and also being a pain in my ass. He's annoying as hell, going on about haunted games and lost episodes and other stuff people read to waste time on the internet. Of course, he also doesn't happen to like me (then again, many people don't like me), always calling me a "loser", and always challenging me to play and/or watch haunted shit all day. One time, it got so annoying I threw up my arms in the air and finally accepted his challenge. Then yesterday I got a package from him, and inside it were 3 NES games, a sort of manual and a note saying "Play them in the order they arrived." 

I sighed, wondering what I've gotten myself into and examined them in the order they arrived. The first was "Castlevania", the only difference on the cartridge cover I could make out on this one was under the game's logo, it was a subtitle. There were only two words but it felt off to me, "It Begins", huh. The next one was "Contra", again very much the same cartridge cover except for a subtitle under the logo that said "Very Futile". Yawn, so far nothing creepy and then I came to the final game which was (oddly enough) Metroid. 

Of course there was a subtitle under it, this time it being "No Redemption". The only thing left to examine was the manual, hell it wasn't even a manual, it was just a mini book with a list of movements and button combinations. So yeah, I had to borrow Classic-Luigi-Fan's NES since I had no NES and I had to make a blog because I was no longer allowed to use CLF's Youtube account since I kind of abused it (nothing real major but he didn't like me posting cuss words on comments sections). 

Why would I use CLF's youtube account, to post videos about this crap of course but I guess this'll do for now. So, besides the cliche subtitles I guess there's nothing out of the ordinary in these games though I haven't played them so that would explain. I know people aren't really reading this blog but what do you think I should do? Also, why these random games? 

Again, what have I gotten myself into?