Holy Diver (Famicom) James & Mike Mondays

James and Mike play Holy Diver! An extremely fun yet challenging Famicom exclusive title!
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Twitter James ► / cinemassacre
Twitter Mike ► / mike_matei
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amzn.to/1NOfDpi #retro #retrogaming #nes #snes #jamesrolfe #mikematei #atari #playthrough #gameplay #gamereview

[@itcheebeard]

I love how when James fails after some intense moment he always looks over at the camera as if to ask us if we saw that too. Makes me feel like im on the sofa with them haha

[@hankhell3896]

"This game really makes you want to Stand Up and Shout" Good one James.

[@VashStarwind]

Shout... shout... shout at the devil!? ha lol

[@B.-T.]

It's a shining gem, a rainbow in the dark, if you will.

[@jarshall2]

how did we get through this whole video without saying word Castlevania? not once!

[@raz09181]

ikr?

[@MrXabungle]

more like a fantasy Metroid to me.

[@grossincandescant8358]

Or Zelda 2?

[@chruscica]

I though the same, because is very similar...

[@DonPeyote420]

the floating enemies are just like the medusas

[@WalcomS7]

12:20 That was such a fucking 80s reaction. Well done.

[@billbarman]

This game probably didn't get released in America because Nintendo of America was really odd with moving any kind of religious references from their games. somehow Castlevania got away with crosses but the fact it's called "Holy Diver" and the whole snake/skull/cross thing prevented them from bringing this one over. There was another known NES game called "Devil's world" which Miyamoto worked on that didn't get released simply cause of the title, and a few references.

[@SegaDream131]

Because somehow a snake a cross and the word holy were going to end trade agreements....

[@joeywomer]

Holy diver, you're the star of the masquerade, no need to look so afraid.

[@vaudou_]

Jump! Jump!

[@joeywomer]

***** It's actually "Sunlight"

[@LaVeyCharkusVeros]

♪ *_"RIDE THE TIGER!"_* ♪

[@BeardFaceSuper]

♪ "OH GODIVA!" ♪

[@roguecactus7]

🎶OH WOAH OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAH OH OH WOAHHH.......holy diver......🎶

[@alfonsorosaszavala8594]

dio😔

[@Abigdummy4life]

TIGAA UPPACUT

[@anthonytilleman3576]

You can see his stripes but you know he's clean!

[@mootbooxle]

I was hoping to hear a chiptune version of Holy Diver :)

[@TheUnexistentChannel]

That would've been too badass lol

[@KTF0]

It would've been awesome if it had a sound effect that said "Look Out!"

[@michaelhall736]

Too bad. I would've loved to hear that, and Dio probably would've, too.

[@capsloco]

Well, if Mike and James managed to beat the game, your wish would have been fullfilled, since the credits theme of the game is just that. :D

[@Untouchaable]

I like watching videos of obscure games like this.

[@kcs8518]

ya mike should stream it

[@Buster_Flex]

+Film Production So the game just came out on the famicom..so you play it via emulation on a GBA SP?!

[@MoldyWest]

I hope to see an angry video game nerd of this.

[@Buster_Flex]

Moldy West As James likes the game..I doubt he will do an AVGN Episode out of it

[@mrwindblade5741]

James does plenty of AVGN episodes for games he likes. The AVGN is a scripted character that hyperbolizes NES game tropes, and Holy Diver looks to have plenty of fodder for comedy.

[@UnownDepth]

You thought this was Ron, but it was me Dio all along.

[@joeganbogan270]

DIOOOOOOOOO

[@FrozenLavaDragonProd]

I was just about to make that joke!!!!!

[@UnownDepth]

***** i guess i bet u to the punch. With Dio stand The World.

[@joeganbogan270]

Marshall Miles RIP KAKYOIN

[@UnownDepth]

Ringo Zeppeli​ thanks fam

[@simonbelmont0993]

Guys, this game TOTALLY deserves a long play!

[@bunnybismuth]

re "Why do they put English in old Japanese games?": Because it's easier to program 26 letters than a couple hundred kana.

[@schwarzerritter5724]

@@gurvmlk Games had manuals back then.

[@Rad-Dude63andathird]

@@gurvmlk Japan's more bilingual than you think though. Probably has a lot of influence from the US occupation post-WW2.

[@SpencerLemay]

@@Rad-Dude63andathird More people speak Spanish in the US than people speak English in Japan.

[@Matt-hx3hd]

I love how into it you both get when you get to the difficult part of a game, that's how games should be experienced.

[@Billo1281]

You've been down too long, in the midnight sea!

[@DonPeyote420]

oh what's becoming of me!

[@yuyuribeiro]

Ride the tiger!

[@snausages43]

You can see his stripes but you know he's clean.

[@atranfanatic]

Oh don't you see what I mean!

[@RegretfulDeadMan]

+fffan9391 oh won't you see what I mean

[@RavenHouseMystery]

That game looks awesome. Love all the Dio references you guys made throughout the video.

[@thydungeonman26]

They should keep playing this. I feel like a part 2 should be in order.

[@henrywalsh]

"He didn't freeze! He didn't freeze! Oh god!"

[@Nojical]

-Dio Brando at the end of Phantom Blood

[@RedEyesRequiem]

You called?

[@Nojical]

Oh shit

[@JSPagliacci]

Zaaah....Woahl-do!

[@francoraviglione2686]

ZA WARUDO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@DrRockso79]

So... Holy Diver livestream one of these days, Mike? :P

[@joefish8087]

I concur

[@anonnnn600]

That'd be kickass

[@jackbandit2114]

I would be very interested in watching that.

[@Ragesauce]

These two are for sure gamer friends, their banter during the heat of gameplay is exactly like how I remember as a kid. I hope AVGN uses this game in one of their episodes, they finally did an NES release so it deserves some nerd attention!

[@DrakoDragonis]

"A rainbow in the dark". Bet your glad that rainbow didn't come with the worst 3 letters in NES history :P

[@feltoncope8821]

lmao

[@LordBaldur]

Underrated comment

[@Padre619]

L J N

[@TheSnakeOfSkyands]

Holy diver! You've been down too long in the midnight sea! what's becoming of me!?

[@uzieric1]

haha yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@stocchinet]

+Aadolf hello this is dog

[@JarJarBinks4ever]

stocchinet Helloooo la la la

[@JarJarBinks4ever]

They come for killing...

[@williambiondi5643]

My thoughts exactly.

[@Aktimelli]

Had to put holy diver on the background :D

[@noahcooke1749]

James = Black Sabbath Mike = WhiteSnake

[@ToolShopGuy]

hahaha

[@TheBrokenLife]

At least it wasn't Mike = Winger

[@SekruTheGreat]

So how long until mike resets the entire universe?

[@calvinanderson4245]

Nah, James needs to be a band referenced in Part 4. He died from a _HEART ATTACK._

[@darkfeeling97]

+Calvin Anderson Kiiiiiira

[@RBCraneGongfu]

I really like how James is such a big metalhead. Metalhead nerds are a rare breed.

[@filthypigdaddy]

No they're not lmao

[@txcforever]

What? Not by a long shot.

[@shawnwax9576]

most metal heads are closet nerds. .... hell most are openly nerds lol.

[@MRSkitzophrenic11]

YOU CAN SEE HIS STRIPES BUT YOU KNOW HE'S CLEAN!

[@maul42]

Looks like a cool game. Enjoyed watching you guys suffer through it, reminds me much of the joys and frustrations of finding a really challenging NES game in the golden days. Thanks for sharing!

[@BeardFaceSuper]

This is the weirdest thing. This morning I had the song "Holy Diver" stuck in my head. True Story.

[@DaShirtBoy1]

Demonic cherub, a reference to the album cover for Sabbath's "Born Again".

[@feltoncope8821]

underrated album

[@MrRandomguy521]

Born Again is one of my favorite Sabbath albums, largely due to Ian Gillan being on it.

[@robertoelfrijoleroconlaesp3348]

Those are called putti or putto, not cherubim. Cherubim have four heads, four wings, and four arms, along with bull-like hooves for legs.

[@Pixel-dan]

"He doesn't freeze! He doesn't freeze!" This was highly entertaining! :-)

[@syok1107]

KZbin gives out verified status to anyone these days

[@sociallyresponsiblexenomor7608]

Oh neat, didn't expect to see you here haha.

[@dragonballtalk8527]

Dan the man

[@skaftoise8008]

Mike, Will you be trying to beat this live stream?

[@JamesNintendoNerd]

Eventually I'd like to try. Working my way through Kid Dracula on Game Boy for the time being. -Mike

[@skaftoise8008]

+Cinemassacre looking forward to it.

[@Jacobe2of4]

Good luck. I watched a tool assisted speedrun of this game and the guy died twice.

[@DESTROYEUR666]

Nice idea!

[@thedillestweed2644]

He should. But It would take a lot of skill and time.

[@tom13king]

I'm surprised the main character of a game called 'Holy Diver' isn't Arjen Robben.

[@TheBadElf]

They're never going to get that.

[@fab1604]

LOL

[@danmount9462]

Or Sidney Crosby

[@tommyettinger1353]

someones jealous of a 2x stanley cup champ

[@OttoVonGarfield]

ha!

[@carlgood6019]

"That's another fucking health bar!" " that's huge" I love you guys....

[@frogmanxyz1997]

...BUT IT WAS ME! DIO!!

[@RasoKye]

WRRYYYYYYYYY

[@Prismtx85]

ZA WARUDO !

[@WDDragneel]

+Prismtx85 MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA

[@zeoxdragon]

TOKI WO TOMARE!

[@macanerodeldesierto]

HINJAKU HINJAKU!

[@joshbethune7162]

These guys always take me back when I was a kid with my best friend playing video games we would get so riled up during 1 player games giving each other tips and encouragement just the way James and Mike do I love these guys

[@almostamultikill]

This game is like Batman + Castlevania, which is awesome

[@Games_and_Music]

Irem strikes again!! I love how the dying sound is the same as for R-Type 2 on Game Boy. Everytime i hear the sound, i expect the R-Type stage tune to start playing.

[@scottb2794]

Holy Diver is hard in a Ligit way, not because it sucks. Had mine for 20+ years now. Still haven't beaten it. I still try from time to time though. I have to stop when I have the urge to throw the controller at the TV.

[@BenRangel]

Somehow I read this as if you were talking about trying to learn the song :) that made it oddly entertaining

[@SegaDream131]

Play it at somebody elses house.... Its not your TV.....🤗

[@xsonicsparkx]

That was the most intense James & Mike in awhile. Awesome episode. I hope you guys do a Part 2!

[@InsertCleverNameHere0]

"a holiday for hate" "Valentine was a saint" St. Anger, anyone????

[@silkwesir1444]

I thought how about Nero's Day?

[@Draikenx]

Watching James and Mike's expressions during the difficult parts cracks me up. It reminds me of little kids playing video games.

[@evilernie10]

Mike you are awesome for all of the hard work and dedication you put into making these videos! It will never go unnoticed by anyone.

[@Shyningfade]

This game looks fantastic! I'm loving all the obscure titles they've been trying lately.

[@HistoryUnwound]

Anyone else notice that this game is basically a hybrid between Castlevania and Megaman?

[@SiGhast]

12:21 James' reaction cracks me up hard.

[@ForceMaximus84]

"Do your demons....do they ever let you go?"

[@imluvinyourmum]

"I pressed jump!" Sure buddy, that's what they all say

[@JohnSmith-wj7ge]

James you forgot to ride the tiger.

[@soldi1135]

Thank you guys for nice start of the week!

[@calvinanderson4245]

WRYYYYYYYYYYYY

[@RasoKye]

ROADAROLLERDA

[@xRedx0]

ZA WORLDO

[@MrTheil]

KONO DIO DA

[@KuroNoTenno]

OMAE WA MITE IRU NA?!

[@RedGhost2BlueToast]

MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA!!!!!

[@gunslinger706]

12:20-12:25 "-Oh,it''another fucking health bar! -Nice!" So much joy in their eyes:D Priceless

[@lynchie137]

Love to see a sequel to this video.

[@K3NTCLARK]

agreed! life bar is definitely from the legend of link

[@Protoman85]

This game would be perfect for the Retron 5's save state function, because starting the stage from the beginning every time no matter how far you got is morale-crushing

[@Tool0GT92]

Cue people googling "Holy Diver" lyrics

[@katakis1]

Lmao holy diver was our go to song when lighting up weed, no need to look up lyrics

[@TheAdamisgay]

When I was kid I thought he was singing "Oh McGuyver"

[@SuperMiramis]

When you shot away the blocks, this game remind me of Milons secret castle. Holy diver is a hard and cool game. Great review :-)

[@inkultrm8580]

aleister crowley day just cracked me up

2:02 - You expected a video game cover, but it was me, DIO!

[@raveoreynolds6049]

Holy crap, this game actually looks really fucking good!

[@jonnylaser85]

"He doesn't freeze, he doesn't freeze!" Classic!

[@NymphetamineGirl]

Fucking fantastic!! I love the Holy Diver album so much!!

[@Will-eh6xe]

been a gamer for 30 years and not once do I remember this game thanks James and mike u guys are awesome look forward to Mondays

[@Lukethefox]

The Game kinda does look like the Holy Diver music video as well which is all medieval themed.

[@SertanejaMusic]

Coincidence, I was just listening to that song on my way home before turning up my PC and checking out James most recent upload. Haha. HOLY DIVER!! YOU'RE THE STAR OF THE MASQUERADE!! NO NEED TO LOOK SO AFRAID.. WOAAAARGH!!! Great song.

[@LordBarros]

Castlevania and Mega Man had a baby, and it's Holy Diver!

[@JSPagliacci]

No shit. It reeks of Castlevania hard. I see Medusa heads in my nightmares.

[@evilnick2885]

"oh its another fuckin health bar" "nice thats huge" Im fairly sure those are the same faces and reactions the military had when we killed Bin Laden Fucking classic

[@jollaok]

The character model and motions of throwing spells looks like the batman game for NES. Even the purple character model.

[@RTUG00]

Solid Game. It's like Adventure of Link, Kid Icarus, and Castlevania 2 all rolled into one

[@ActionRation]

Am I the only one who went and watched the Holy Diver music video after this? Sometimes I wish that video was the trailer for an actual movie starring Dio lol

[@remziel]

Funkdoc used to do awesome speedruns of this game, should check them out

[@Kem1kal13]

Game looks solid. Loved the references to metal

[@patrick-aka-patski]

Somehow this reminds me of the NES game Faxanadu (also it's music and sounds)

[@DJScorpion234Forever]

I love all the heavy metal bands and songs you referenced in this video. By the looks of this video, I really wished this game was on the NES, I would love to give this game a "shot in the dark".

[@gadmajor9716]

Got a "Castlevania" vibe from this rad game! >.> I love it ❤.

[@The_Laser_Channel]

It was reminding me of Zelda 2 caves with the things flying around and jumping off ceilings

[@alcantar06]

+DvdXploitr Street fighter II sound effect too!

[@knowledgeasaweapon5098]

Castlevania+Zelda 2+dark souls difficulty?

[@VaunaKiller]

12:20 Mike's best face ever :D ""it's another health bar" type of face, to be exact )

[@akapantsusenpai181]

The sound effects from this game remind me of the ones from the NES Metal Gear game. When Dio dies, it has almost the same music as when you die in Metal Gear. I was listening to you guys playing this game and concentrating on writing something. Suddenly, Dio died and it reminded me of the floor collapsing in NES Metal Gear and dying.

[@lainhikaru6336]

Does the character ride a tiger in later stages?

[@CwithTheBeatles]

The amount of commitment in this video is amazing.

[@segalivechannel2991]

Play Demon's Crest on SNES. It's spin off to the Ghost'n'Goblins)

[@JaredLowry]

You've beaten the Dairy Queen you get blizzard.

[@InsomniacOvrLrd]

Holy Diver's input bug is really the one thing that holds it back. if you push left or right, on the same frame as the jump button, you don't jump.

[@joshporter5205]

Anyone else think its a bit like a cross between Castelvania and Metroid?

[@jacobpalmer9282]

DIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@gruntpocalypsenow]

Nani wo tsurunda!

ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORAAAA!

[@jacobpalmer9282]

MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA

[@aimfuldrifter]

...is dead.

[@MrBossyful]

You've just scratched the surface here, actually - the further you get, the harder it becomes, and it just never stops. Easily one of the top 10 most difficult NES/Famicom games by far.

[@EgillH]

2 freaking hilarious moments: "He doesn't freeze! He doesn't freeze!" "Oh god!" and "It's another fucking health bar!" "NICE!"

[@erichunt1002]

I love how intense you guys get. Keep up the good work!

[@Mac3Media]

Killswitch remake...with Howard Jones as the hero...???

[@bobbysteurer]

And Jesse Leach as the final boss. lol

[@Mac3Media]

+vxthunder funny but he didn't have anything to do with that crappy holy diver song...and in my opinion is the better of the two...alive or just breathing...best album

[@Mac3Media]

+RasenTensho448 or what ???

[@Mac3Media]

+RasenTensho448 so stop trashing what people like...over the Internet no less...that's what pussies do...is that what you want to be ???

[@KillswitchRobie828]

+RasenTensho448 So I'm idiotic for liking Killswitch? just curious what bands do you like? I hope you don't answer with cliché bands such as Slayer, Sodom, and Exodus.

[@monkwerks]

Are the game mechanics similar to Adventures of Link? The health bar, special weapons menu, and the castle scene reminded me so much of that game.

[@Blizzard56k]

Fun watching you guys play hard games. It really puts me back in the 80s while watching. Awesome game, thanks guys!!

[@Play-On7]

Anybody here a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure fan?

[@Nashifruit]

WRRRRRRRYY!!

[@YusukeShirogane]

Im a fan!

[@googlesaurusrex]

Awful series awful fanbase.

[@googlesaurusrex]

Trevor Belmont There is and it's certainly not the JoJo fanbase.

[@googlesaurusrex]

Trevor Belmont No. I like JoJo. I just think the fanbase is complete balls. And at the same time I might not like say....Fallout but I wouldn't say that fanbase is that bad.

[@xombiemike]

I love how excited this made the guys. Really made them seem like they were kids back in the early 90s.

[@theringwoodbros]

YOU'RE THE STAR OF THE MASQUERADE, NO NEED TO LOOK SO AFRAAAAAAAIIID!!

[@BuzzKirill3D]

Regarding the "the opposite of Valentine's day", Powerwolf has a song called "St. Satan's Day", I recommend any heavy metal fan with a taste for cheese check it out.

[@MeatWisdom]

I checked a longplay of the game, and the reference to Randy and Zakk comes in the ending text crawl (your character is named Randy, and Zakk is mentioned to be another wizard. No mention of Ronnie). King Crimson also gets a mention as the name of a royal family.

[@DESTROYEUR666]

6:35 Oh now we are in Metroid

[@michaelwolfe9496]

I celebrate Aliester Crowley's Day every day!

[@TigerhawkT3]

James calls the game a "Rainbow In The Dark" in reference to a Dio song and can barely suppress his dad-joke chortles, and Mike just sits there and nods. I hope James explained the reference to Mike at some point.

[@MortimerZabi]

I remember watching this game being speedran back in AGDQ 2013. I remember it being described by Funkdoc (the game's runner), as the "game Battletoads wants to be when it grows up." Sounds accurate--especially since there's apparently a portion of the last level that you cannot complete without exploiting a jump glitch.

[@thegraymarketsafari2485]

Damn, they beat us to it... this one is on our list. And we were just talking about Dio yesterday: "If you have to warm up, you don't have it."

[@Horzuhammer]

The holiday you're talking about would be called "Dies Irae" of course! The day of wrath! Holy Diver is so awesome. Made my day when I saw that thumbnail.

[@Deep_wolf]

Reminds me of Kick Master. Holy Master. Holy-Master-Vania!