Decap Attack

Decap Attack: Chuck's Secret Origin

Has anyone ever really known how the headless hero, Chuck D Head, really came to be? Well, this isn't any horror story, filled jump scares, gore, or some odd things happening that can't. This is in fact, just a hidden story within the game, but unfortunately, it seems to be accessed only by beating the emulated version of the game in such a specific way, that it can indeed be both frustrating, and near impossible. And for this reason, I cannot exactly say of how this is achieved, because after learning of his real origin, you will come to understand as to why just hearing about it, is enough. I also regret to inform you, that I also did not take any screenshots due to being so focused on beating the game, that it did not cross my mind, and I am definitely not that fast to go from controller to a camera in such a short span of time. It roughly started in the summer of 2013. Now, before you assume the cliche that I am some avid gamer who obsesses over certain games or games in general, please reconsider. My interests range from anything from the Legend Of Zelda, to games like Chakkan The Foreverman. Hell, even at times I get in the mood to play racing games, or sports. I don't choose one game or genre and stick to it. After consoles wore out for me, I began playing emulated games on the PC. I couldn't believe I hadn't found it sooner, cheating on games I could rarely beat without help, or finding ways to find hidden easter eggs in games, or even using a save state. I played anything on there, but I started turning my attention in Genesis's direction. The one game I wanted to play was in fact Decap Attack. It was just a fun game to play. From what I could tell, you were this headless body, wrapped in gauze, and your eyes seem to be on your chest, this is Chuck D Head. As you progress in the game, I suppose you're finding body parts to fix for some strange balding doctor, and his deformed assistant. Kind of a Frankenstein-esque appeal to the game. All the while, you have to save the world you're in from an evil being who is trying to overrun it. After beating the game, the cut-scene shows Chuck, becoming a human boy again, and being thanked for saving the world. My only thought at the time was, what exactly happened to him in the beginning? How had he become what we had seen in the game in the first place? It is never explained, and I wanted to find out. I tried the internet, and many hours later, my search had come up empty. Within my search, I did however find an emulator version of the game. Awesome, I thought to myself, because I could add it to my library of games already put onto my computer. I then searched countless hours for a story on what happened to Chuck for a few more days, but I had still come up empty after hundreds of pages of finding nothing. I figured I would just let it go, and just play some games, something I can do better than the luck I'd been having finding the history of the characters. It started as me playing A Link To The Past, and after that had grown boring, I hopped from game to game, just going through the motions as I had when I had been a kid. Suddenly, I found myself playing Decap Attack after a few hours, and wow, did I miss this game. It was fun, new for the time of horror, and platforming. It was like Sonic in the movements. Holding the D-pad left or right, had Chuck running and gaining momentum, but having to be careful of this, for enemies can appear out of the unseen part of the screen, hitting you and taking part of your health with it. You're only weapons are stretching your face to hit an enemy, or finding a head, which you can throw at enemies, but if you're hit even once with the head, you lose it, and have to find it again. After about 10-12 game overs on the first level, which proves how rusty I am with this game, I quickly rolled back into my old school groove. I got better and better, nearly beating the first level perfectly. i was quickly becoming determined, slowly beating levels perfectly. After world one, I noticed a symbol at the top right corner. As far as I could recall, I had never seen a symbol like that until now. I had assumed that maybe if I had gotten all 7 symbols, it would unlock a bonus scene or level in the game, so I set out to obtain all of the symbols. 2, 3, and then 4, after a few tries, I had now gotten 4 symbols on the top right screen. But, world 5 was now in my sights, and how much I curse this level. I remember it fondly from my childhood. This is by far the most frustrating level I had come across in this game. It is one of two levels where it automatically scrolls to the right, while something is chasing you. This one, is a rage inducing train-like monster, who will kill you with one hit, and he is pretty damn quick if you let him catch up, and relentless I already have trouble beating this level without dying, let alone doing it perfectly. That seemed damn near impossible. I wanted to see this through, so I gave it my hardest effort. But unfortunately, I had died until the game over screen had appeared, and in a rage, I slammed down the controller and kicked the chair back and walked away from the computer, cursing and screaming at the game, calling it a cheating piece of shit. So close, so mother fucking close, that I wanted to taste that victory I so very much deserved. I had only 2 worlds to go after that, and I would have been in the clear. I sat down, smoking a cigarette to calm my nerves, because I can't let this get to me, I have to be positive that I can beat this. After a few moments, I turned to my computer screen, grinding my teeth, still furious that I had come so close. "I will fucking beat this, I have to see what is on the other side of that victory." I quietly murmured, as I sat back down in the chair and picked up the controller. Enduring the first 4 worlds, I quickly had gotten back to world 5, letting my anger and determination control me with a passion that burned hotter than the fires of hell. Before I realized it, the screen faded to black, and appeared with the 6th world title, along with symbol #5 appearing in the corner. I had to pause, because I had needed to let myself relax, before ending up getting to overwhelmed and potentially destroy my new progress. I started up again for world 6, and seemingly, like a blur, it was already gone. Now, level 7 was staring me in the face. This was it, the last world, and final boss. With every part of me, I set forth on this fight, dodging his attacks, trying to hit him when I could. This final boss wasn't at all easy, and he was truly a pain in the ass. i was down to half a heart, and I fought harder, dodging even more, and still trying to strike a hit. Finally, with one more throw, I finally made contact with him, and in multiple flashes, he started to die before my eyes. I had done it. I had gotten every level perfectly. After a moment, the screen faded in to show Chuck on the operating table, and with flashes of what seemed to be lightning, he had then transformed into the human boy as he always had after the game. After the screen faded to black, I waited to see if there was a bonus level, but nothing happened. I was so upset, and angry. I couldn't believe my effort was for nothing. And before getting up, I saw the screen come back in, but it was the doctor, speaking through text boxes. "Chuck, I know this journey made no sense to you at all, nor do you understand why you were what you were. Those men, the ones you had to banish, were in fact a cult, bent on the destruction of our world. You were indeed once a human boy, no older than 10 years old, but you were tragically beheaded and mangled in a hit and run, involving a drunk driver. That skull you had used throughout your journey was in fact a holy artifact we had found many years ago. But not a single body could use it. It was made for someone with a pure heart ad soul, and that is why we had chosen you, Chuck. You were an innocent, pure-of-heart child. Fate had placed you and the skull in a bond beyond no other. becoming one, to save us from the evil hands of that cult. In return, we found a way to fuse you two together, and make you normal again, and to give you a second chance in life. Go now, Chuck, and be with you parents again, who miss you so very much. The screen slowly faded from that screen to another, coming in as a slow, blurry image. The more it came in, I got to see it. It was a family photo, with Chuck in-between his mother and father, and the game then faded to black, with the words "Happily Ever After" in the middle of the screen. I just sat at the chair, in shock at what I had jut seen, and had read. he was just a small child, in the wrong place and the wrong time. yet, he was given the opportunity to live his life that was so tragically cut short, and grow up with his family once again. To this day, I still play this game, among the others. The only difference, is that I now have a better understanding of why some back stories aren't involved in video games. Because it doesn't matter how they came to be, as long as we know that no matter what can happen in life, we may always get that second chance to be who we are made to be.

~JohnnyBlack1991