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Play Holy Diver (Japan edition · Japanese) Online
ホーリー・ダイヴァー
Play the original Holy Diver online. Switch spells, freeze hazards into platforms and guide Randy through six challenging stages and boss fights.
Browser play
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) / Famicom — EmulatorJS controls
Default Player 1 keyboard mapping. Change keys in Controller Settings.
| Console button | Keyboard |
|---|---|
| ↑ / ↓ / ← / → | ↑ / ↓ / ← / → |
| A / B | Z / X |
| START / SELECT | Enter / V |
Open Controller Settings to configure your keyboard or gamepad. Touch controls are available on mobile.
How to Play Holy Diver
Quick start
Press START and descend through the opening tall area to its lower-right exit. Use normal shots on the first enemies and collect the early Power Wrist before tackling breakable blocks. Pause with START to select TWIN FIRE, return to play and use SELECT to turn Randy blue when you need the spell. Aim for the first boss's head, then leave on the left after winning to collect the BLIZZARD emblem.
Controls
Left/Right moves; Down ducks. A jumps, with height affected by how long it is held. B fires the normal shot or uses magic; Up+B shoots straight up. START pauses/opens spell selection; choose with the D-pad and press START to return. SELECT toggles normal white mode and blue magic mode. Spells require M. As a dragon, move in eight directions, fire left/right with B and revert with SELECT.
Holy Diver — About this game
Holy Diver gives Randy more than a basic projectile: each recovered emblem expands his spell selection, making the right magic useful for both combat and traversal. Twin Fire offers an early stronger attack, while Blizzard can stop enemies and turn hazardous pools or waterfalls into temporary footing. Permanent equipment also changes what you can break, how you jump or how efficiently you spend magic. Ordinary shots cost no mana, so preserving the M reserve is part of preparing for difficult encounters. Knockback near pits makes positioning as important as damage. This entry is the original 1989 Japanese release, not Retro-Bit's later official English edition.
Cheats
No cheats have been added for this edition.
Player verification and sources
Browser play was reviewed before this edition was published in the catalogue. The date below is the catalogue publication date, not the game’s original release date.
- Browser test and catalogue publication date
- Browsers and devices
- PC: Chrome, Edge and Firefox. Mobile: Chrome on Android and Safari on iPhone and iPad.
- Player engine and core
- EmulatorJS 4.3.0-pre · nes
- Tested by
- rwEmulator
Sources and editorial basis
rwEmulator reviews edition metadata, release information, game manuals and first-hand browser-play notes. Available manuals are linked below; the editorial policy explains how facts are checked and corrections are handled.