Holy Diver (video game)
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For the album Holy Diver by the band Dio, and its title track, see Dio.
| Holy Diver | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Irem |
| Publisher(s) | Irem |
| Platform(s) | NES |
| Release date | JPN April 28, 1989 |
| Genre(s) | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Holy Diver is a Nintendo game in the same vein as Castlevania.
The game is named after a Dio album and song, and features a main character who is, presumably, a representation of the band's leader and singer, Ronnie James Dio (in the same costume as the video for the song). The game is based on magic and medieval fantasy, themes which are often present in Dio's music. The band's "Holy Diver" music video also features similar imagery. More rock and metal references are made in the game's ending, with references to King Crimson, Slayer, Zakk W. and Randy R. (Zakk Wylde and Randy Rhoads, both were/are guitarists for Ozzy Osbourne.) It is thought to be about a "holy" warrior in the year 666 "diving" into hell to destroy Satan.
The game was developed by Irem and released in Japan in 1989. The game was scheduled for a North American release in the same year, and even received a brief write-up in Electronic Gaming Monthly. For unknown reasons, the game was never released outside Japan.
Although Irem designed the game, it looks and plays much like a Konami game. In fact, one of stages has sprites and graphics similar to those found in Konami's 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.
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