A shared love of cars and all-things-automotive has a way of bringing people together. Many a father-son duo has bonded via hours of leaning under the hood of a classic ride in need of fixing up. And these days, that common interest also can be shared via an automotive video game.
Such was the case for YouTube user 00WARTHERAPY00, a 16-year-old boy who lost his father a decade ago. The two had spent hours playing Rally Sports Challenge together before tragedy struck. For years afterward, the boy simply couldn’t play the games he had enjoyed with his dad, unable to bear the pain of loss. But recently, he decided to dust off the vintage console. And the result is the stuff of a Hallmark Movie.
Check out 00WARTHERAPY00′s story in his own words, just as it was posted on YouTube:
“Well, when i was 4, my dad bought a trusty XBox. you know, the first, ruggedy, blocky one from 2001. we had tons and tons and tons of fun playing all kinds of games together – until he died, when i was just 6.
i couldnt touch that console for 10 years.
but once i did, i noticed something.
we used to play a racing game, Rally Sports Challenge. actually pretty awesome for the time it came.
and once i started meddling around… i found a GHOST.
literaly. (sic)
you know, when a time race happens, that the fastest lap so far gets recorded as a ghost driver? yep, you guessed it – his ghost still rolls around the track today.
and so i played and played, and played, untill i was almost able to beat the ghost. until one day i got ahead of it, i surpassed it, and…
i stopped right in front of the finish line, just to ensure i wouldnt delete it.
Bliss.”
Go ahead, manly men – dab those tears welling up in your eyes and don’t’ even try to pass it off as allergies. We won’t blow your macho cover. Truth be told, the guys here at E3 Spark Plugs are having a tough time holding it together, too.
Seriously, though. While video games often get a bad rap as addictive wastes of time that promote violent, lazy or otherwise low-culture behavior, this kid found a priceless gift, an emotional touchstone and a way to relive precious memories. Bliss, indeed.
