Was Heavy Rain's plot stolen from Super Mario Bros?

Alright, Im about 6 hours into Heavy Rain. Im loving it, Im hating it… Everything a good entertaining experience should be. However there is a sneaking suspicion that I cant get over that I’ve done this emotional roller coster before.

I wake up early in the morning, hit ^ to get out of bed, I turn around a few times not knowing how to walk properly and then finally get my short dumpy ass to the bathroom. I have some options. so I decided to press >. I turn on the water and wash my hands. Press < to pull out my lucky red hat. I shake my controller sideways to get my cap snug over my bead-head. I hear a loud bang and scream from downstairs… My hands start shaking, pulse is racing! A range of emotions hit me. X – Fear, O – Anger, [] – Denial. I run down the stairs to make sure my family is ok… I see a big green pipe but hit ^ just in time to jump over it. No! Peach! I see her getting thrown into a giant airship by some-a-kinda koopa! I miss hitting X in time and fail to grab my Star power-up and like a flash… The Princess was taken, why…. why…. Sad piano music swells… Super Mario Logo Appears.

What are you willing to do to save someone you love?

Now, if your playing Heavy Rain, it may not have hit you yet… but let my revelation sink in with you, “Holy shit i just spent $60 bucks for verbalized subtext!” But it really is OK to think that, because this unique style is new, exciting(to some), and is another step in the advancement of interactive media. Heavy Rain is a game that you have to just let happen, just like the snap responses the therapist that you will need after playing this game too much is looking for when reviewing Rorschach ink plats. Heavy Rain is a Hardcore murder drama that does its best to put its characters through the emotional wringer, and succeeds. Critics have torn Heavy Rain’s methods to hell and back so I’d rather not re-hash the same banter on how groundbreaking it is. I’d rather talk about how its effectively ruined/enhanced every single video game I have every played or will ever play again.

Lets talk about Storytelling and an important element that we never really realize is there but is always ever-present.

Subtext(sŭb’tĕkst’) n. – The underlying personality of a dramatic character as implied or indicated by a script or text and interpreted by an actor in performance.

Now that we know what subtext is, and given Heavy Rain’s dramatic and invasive thinking out of every motive has got me thinking… What was REALLY going on in Mario’s Italian dome as he continued his search for the Princess?

I plugged in my NES, blew into my SMB cartridge, and slid that bad boy into the system. Turned on the system and got busy. Crap… blank screen. Alright, let me blow on this somebitch again, sloooooly slide it in while holding my thumb on the bottom part, before I hear the click lets turn it on… logo? Sweet, click it and we’re off.

Okay, Mario, the princess was just kidnapped, what could he be thinking?! Fear, Regret, Anger, Remorse? Lets go with Anger. Mario goes rage and says “I told her to make-a sure she a locks the door when a she comes back from tha kingdom!!” Lets break some fucking bricks! BOOM BOOM, alright now we’re really getting into the characters emotions. Bricks broken and I find some coins on the ground, what do you do? Take them, leave them, donate them? Lets take them. Mario picks up the coins and says “My mushroom stash is-a low, I can-a use this to score some more.” Ok, we’ve got bloody knuckles and and some cash… Enemy goombah ahead! What do you do? Jump over, smash turtle on it, jump around it, reason with it? First lets see what Mario is thinking – Determination, compassion, coffee, mushroom. OK ok, lets go with the mushroom. Mario deals with his internal struggles, “I feel like-a such a pussy without my mushrooms, I see the way the princess looks at me when im’a tiny.” Not really relevant, but ok, lets make a decision, lets be good and jump over the guy, if I can get around violence I will. Mario sighs, “I know you’re just a lil squishy face weirdo, Im’a let you live to walk off a cliff another day!” Im getting emotionally exhausted, lets take a quick look at the character progression.

So far my Mario is a Drug addict Thief with anger management issues who is insecure about his stature and is a pacifist and I’m only about 30 seconds into this venture. I Can’t fucking do this anymore. DAMN YOU HEAVY RAIN! But no, Mario needs me, He needs to save that princess! I continue.

At the lava filled castle of world one, I finally see him, that bastard who stole the princess. I’ve got some options here, Compromise, Anger, Intimidate, or Rationalize. Lets try to rationalize with the freak, I’m no murderer. Mario says, “You have love ones too right dragon? What would you do if I stole the love of your life? Let me through, everything will be ok.” NICE MARIO! Good stuff, but the Koopa is confused and responds, “You don’t look like a gay, but you’ll never get my prisoner!” Strange, but whatever, Im stuck… Im presented with Taking his life to save another, what will you do?! X – Kill, O – Let live. I have no choice, I have to kill him. Mario says, “I don’t wanna hurt you fatty, but you’a leave me no choices. Im’a kill you now!” As Mario chops the Rope with the axe you see the Koopa fall slowly into the searing lava, he yelps and screams for his life that you just took. You killed him… You murdered him… Mario gets ahold of himself and rushes into the dungeon and sees a Toad sitting in terror. Mario says, “Little Toad, you are free, but I need’a to know where the princess is!. Toad looks up, blood and tears coming from his fungus face and says, “Mario… Im sorry, but your princess is in another castle.” Mario falls to his knees and cries out in terror of all the horrible things he’s done, and the knowledge of having to make all the same sacrifices over to save his beloved.

… Wow. What a tragically gripping and enthralling narrative. Im… I cant even think. What would it be like? What would I do? Can I move on? Do I have the strength? I, I don’t know anymore. Why did I not cry the first time I played this game… It was such a fun and upbeat game, for children even. DAMN YOU HEAVY RAIN… DAMNNN
YOUUUU!!

Will I ever get back to the light-hearted side of gaming without thinking about the consequences of every little action of my character and how it will effect his psyche? Will thinking every step out and living with every little choice be too much for me as I continue to try to enjoy my favorite games? I guess I have 2 options…

X – Continue, O – Give up.