Holy Diver (video game)

For the album Holy Diver by the band Dio, and its title track, see Dio.
Holy Diver
Cover art
Developer(s) Irem
Publisher(s) Irem, Retro-bit
Designer(s) Irem
Platform(s) Famicom
Release
  • JP: April 28, 1989
  • WW: July 2018
Genre(s) Platforming action
Mode(s) Single-player

Holy Diver (Japanese: ホーリー・ダイヴァー, Hepburn: Hōrī Daivā) is a 1989 video game software developed and by Irem.

Story

It is the 666th year for the world of magic, and the Crimson Kingdom is facing destruction at the hands of The Black Slayer, Demon King of the Underground Dark Empire. Realizing that his days are numbered, the 16th Crimson Emperor Ronnie IV decides to entrusts his two infant sons, Randy and Zakk, to his faithful servant Ozzy. With Slayer's forces closing in, Ozzy, Randy, and Zakk escapes to another dimension, with the hope of eventually bringing light back into the world.

Over the following 17 years, Randy, Zakk, and Ozzy devote and train themselves to the cause of Magic Justice, becoming wizard kings. Meanwhile Black Slayer has increased his empire over the countryside, making his interdimensional forces even stronger. In order to defeat Black Slayer and his army, Randy must retrieve the Five Crimson Emblem Seals. Making matters worse, Randy now must wage his war against Black Slayer alone, for Zakk suddenly goes missing, and Ozzy passes away.

Gameplay

The game is simlar to Konami's earlier Castlevania NES installments.[1] It is also similar to the game Getsu Fūma Den. In fact, one of the stages has sprites and graphics similar to those found in Konami's other game, Contra (the final boss is also very similar to Contra's). The HUD is like the one used in Nintendo's Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

In order to find and defeat Black Slayer, the player must travel through six challenging stages, which primarily consists of forests, castles, and caverns - all while seeking the Five Crimson Family Seals. The Five Crimson Family Seals are powerful magic spells, which are Twin Fire, Blizzard, Rock Breaker, Overdrive and Thunder. In addition to acquiring the seals, the player must also seek out the Bracelet, Jump Boots, Wizard's Staff, and The Cape of Protection - for the need of physical strength and endurance.

Release

The game was published by Irem and released on April 28, 1989 for the Famicom (Japanese version of the Nintendo Entertainment System).[2] The game was scheduled for a North American release in the same year, and even received a brief preview in Electronic Gaming Monthly.[1] However, the game was never released outside Japan. In 2018, when Retro-bit announced that they would release Holy Diver in English.[3] The new edition is limited to 2,900 copies, and costs 59.99 USD.[4]

Reception

Weekly Famitsu on release gave the game a 22 out of 40 score.[2] Brazilian magazine VideoGame gave the game an overall score of 3 out of 5.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 "Next Wave". Electronic Gaming Monthly: 22. September 1989.
  2. 1 2 "ホーリー・ダイヴァー [ファミコン] / ファミ通.com". www.famitsu.com. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  3. ↑ Life, Nintendo (2017-12-31). "Retro-Bit Announces R-Type Returns For Super Nintendo". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  4. ↑ Life, Nintendo (2018-08-06). "Gallery: Unboxing Retro-Bit's Incredible R-Type And Holy Diver Limited Editions". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 2018-08-26. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  5. ↑ "Reviews". VideoGame. 1 (1): 24. 1991.
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