James Davis Poem
Spiritual Warfare
–for the Nintendo Entertainment System, by Wisdom Tree, Inc., 1991, unlicensed
Your enemies are not killed; they are converted.
Occasionally, a convert will leave behind Spirit Points,
which you can use to purchase things like fruits.
Each fruit has its own unique method of attack.
Pears, though weak, come in handy in the Slums,
since they can destroy large weeds and junk piles.
Vials of the Wrath of God: these are basically bombs,
purchased in groups of three or seven. Samson’s Jawbone
acts as a boomerang. You’ll need this to get the Raft.
To begin, enter the red door and receive an apple
from the Christian Helper. The basketball player
you come across in the Park is of no consequence.
Do not go into the Bar in the Shipyard; you will lose
the Belt of Truth and have to go to the Pawn Shop
in the Slums to retrieve it. Using the Raft, cross the lake
and search out the Grey-Haired Man in the Airport.
He is slow and weak; it takes only three Vials
to convert him. He will drop the Helmet of Salvation,
which renders you invulnerable to dynamite.
The Church is to the east. Here you can buy grapes
for 75 Spirit Points. Grapes travel through solid objects.
Once you have beaten the Man in Black Robes
and obtained the banana, pass through the Woods
and enter the Prison, under which lies the Demon Stronghold.
The demons are vulnerable only to the banana.
You will now be in a blue room (aren’t you glad
you brought that key?) with the Demon Master.
He can be defeated with persistence. You will know
you have damaged him when his color flashes from red
to a lighter red—an almost imperceptible change.
James Davis was Mr. December in American Short Fiction’s Pinup Series. His interview with Idra Novey will be up on the Subtropics website any second now. He is an MFA candidate at the University of Florida.
Sunday Service
James! Hello!
James! Hello!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_Warfare_%28video_game%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_Warfare_%28video_game%29
WELL I LIKED THIS
WELL I LIKED THIS
I love this. Thanks, James.
I love this. Thanks, James.
i really like this poem.
do you guys know the mountain goats song “enoch 18:14”? uses appropriated video game language in moving ways, too.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBY097kLWKw
i really like this poem.
do you guys know the mountain goats song “enoch 18:14”? uses appropriated video game language in moving ways, too.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBY097kLWKw
At last, a decent poem on htmlgiant.
At last, a decent poem on htmlgiant.
I like James Davis
I like Nintendo
I even like the Mountain Goats
I like James Davis
I like Nintendo
I even like the Mountain Goats
I like James Davis
I like Nintendo
I even like the Mountain Goats
Brilliant. Loved it.
Brilliant. Loved it.
Brilliant. Loved it.
This is sexy. I don’t remember the game. But it didn’t matter. It was hilarious and sad. I wanted to die while laughing sadly and crying happily.
This is sexy. I don’t remember the game. But it didn’t matter. It was hilarious and sad. I wanted to die while laughing sadly and crying happily.
This is sexy. I don’t remember the game. But it didn’t matter. It was hilarious and sad. I wanted to die while laughing sadly and crying happily.
Not sure that last one posted-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFoetCTQEhA
Not sure that last one posted-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFoetCTQEhA
Not sure that last one posted-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFoetCTQEhA
blank post???
blank post???
blank post???
[…] fact, the poems of James Davis and Jessica Hammack (would link, but they’re, like, sitting in my kitchen instead of on the […]
strange to think about the ways we were infiltrated with ideology and amazingly sloppy language (i.e. ‘all your base are belong to us’) in all those hours of moving only our sore thumbs.
thank you james and html.
a perfect way to end my week long (unhealthy?) obsession with this:
‘super nintendo, sega genesis,’ ‘super nintendo, sega genesis’
wait for it.
i’m still waiting for someone to write the rampage poem, which always felt like a metaphor for capitalism to me.
strange to think about the ways we were infiltrated with ideology and amazingly sloppy language (i.e. ‘all your base are belong to us’) in all those hours of moving only our sore thumbs.
thank you james and html.
a perfect way to end my week long (unhealthy?) obsession with this:
‘super nintendo, sega genesis,’ ‘super nintendo, sega genesis’
wait for it.
i’m still waiting for someone to write the rampage poem, which always felt like a metaphor for capitalism to me.
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBTRauaERrU
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBTRauaERrU
strange to think about the ways we were infiltrated with ideology and amazingly sloppy language (i.e. ‘all your base are belong to us’) in all those hours of moving only our sore thumbs.
thank you james and html.
a perfect way to end my week long (unhealthy?) obsession with this:
‘super nintendo, sega genesis,’ ‘super nintendo, sega genesis’
wait for it.
i’m still waiting for someone to write the rampage poem, which always felt like a metaphor for capitalism to me.
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBTRauaERrU
Love love love love love. PS, James Davis, did you ever play Bible Stories on the Nintendo? It’s a WTF kind of game in the same vein. My minister grandpa gave it to us one year along with Kid Icarus. (I think he thought since it was about gods, Kid Icarus was okay.)
I love poems about video games. I wish all poems were about video games.
Love love love love love. PS, James Davis, did you ever play Bible Stories on the Nintendo? It’s a WTF kind of game in the same vein. My minister grandpa gave it to us one year along with Kid Icarus. (I think he thought since it was about gods, Kid Icarus was okay.)
I love poems about video games. I wish all poems were about video games.
Love love love love love. PS, James Davis, did you ever play Bible Stories on the Nintendo? It’s a WTF kind of game in the same vein. My minister grandpa gave it to us one year along with Kid Icarus. (I think he thought since it was about gods, Kid Icarus was okay.)
I love poems about video games. I wish all poems were about video games.
I don’t know about Rampage, but I’ve always wanted to write a story about Contra. It’s always in the back of my head.
I don’t know about Rampage, but I’ve always wanted to write a story about Contra. It’s always in the back of my head.
I don’t know about Rampage, but I’ve always wanted to write a story about Contra. It’s always in the back of my head.
also good.
i wanted to be bolder and say ‘capitalism and/or life’ but then i didn’t trust myself.
when i was in the sixth grade i had mono on NYE and the doc gave me codeine cough syrup. i got all ‘chopped and screwed’ and my friend and i played it for 36 hours straight (we took turns sleeping and since i had mono and on narcotics, i did most of the sleeping). when my friend finally beat rampage all it said was ‘game over’ and rolled the credits. we were pretty sure life was going to be just like that.
also good.
i wanted to be bolder and say ‘capitalism and/or life’ but then i didn’t trust myself.
when i was in the sixth grade i had mono on NYE and the doc gave me codeine cough syrup. i got all ‘chopped and screwed’ and my friend and i played it for 36 hours straight (we took turns sleeping and since i had mono and on narcotics, i did most of the sleeping). when my friend finally beat rampage all it said was ‘game over’ and rolled the credits. we were pretty sure life was going to be just like that.
also good.
i wanted to be bolder and say ‘capitalism and/or life’ but then i didn’t trust myself.
when i was in the sixth grade i had mono on NYE and the doc gave me codeine cough syrup. i got all ‘chopped and screwed’ and my friend and i played it for 36 hours straight (we took turns sleeping and since i had mono and on narcotics, i did most of the sleeping). when my friend finally beat rampage all it said was ‘game over’ and rolled the credits. we were pretty sure life was going to be just like that.
“we were pretty sure life was going to be just like that.” :)
“we were pretty sure life was going to be just like that.” :)
“we were pretty sure life was going to be just like that.” :)
James Davis is great.
James Davis is great.
James Davis is great.
[…] fact, the poems of James Davis and Jessica Hammack (would link, but they’re, like, sitting in my kitchen instead of on the […]
So good. For further reading, here’s the Sunday Funday instruction manual.