User Reviews

For it's time it was a pretty good game. It was kind of a cross between Pacman and Donkey Kong. Not a top pick now but it brings back fond memories.

In this cool 4-bit arcade video game, Brutus is very upset and broken-hearted because Olive Oyl left him for our spinach-eating friend. So, Popeye must prove his love for Olive by collecting items that she tosses while avoiding vicious attacks by Brutus and the Sea Hag and her vulture. And yes, Popeye has his can of spinach (only one per level, though) that he can use to temporarily knock Brutus out and buy some time to collect more of Olive's items.

In each stage, there are three levels. In those three levels, Olive tosses items to Popeye. In level one, Olive tosses hearts. In level two, Olive tosses musical notes. In level three, Olive tosses the letters H-E-L-P. As each item is tossed, they slowly make their way to the bottom of the screen until Popeye catches them. Depending on when they're caught, take note of the difference in points. If an item falls to the bottom of the screen and is broken, Olive will be very mad at Popeye (especially if it's a heart) and he will lose a life.

In level One, where it starts, catch twenty-four hearts that Olive tosses to you. This won't be easy as Brutus tries to beat up Popeye and the Sea Hag throws bottles at him as well. When push comes to shove, eat the spinach and knock Brutus out. He can also hit a punching bag and cause a bucket to fall on Brutus's head. That has to be timed perfectly. In level two, catch twenty-musical musical notes. Wimpy and Swea Pea are also featured so they can help Popeye get around. In level three, collect the letters H-E-L-P. As the letters are collected, a ladder is built so Popeye will climb up to the top of the ship and save Olive, and the level ends. After the first stage is completed Brutus and the Sea Hag get more aggressive. Brutus moves a lot faster and tosses more bottles at a much faster speed and the Sea Hag tosses skulls at Popeye. The game continues until Popeye loses all his lives.

Just like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, this is one of the best old-school games, compared to today's standards. For a 4-bit game the graphics look good. The sound may not be the best, but at least they got the "Popeye Theme" right. The game is fun and challenging. Too bad the game isn't at any arcades. My evaluation: 8 out of 10.

For real though, this game is where it's at. I'm 20 years old and that's basically where it started for me. 4-bit graphics was fabulous. I hope you all remember this game with as much adoration as I do. That Bluto is a real meany.

I'm a fan of "Popeye" I remember seeing the classic cartoon shorts when I was about five to six years old. "Popeye" in a way was sort of one of the first superheroes, okay he didn't really have superpower more like a heightened ability. He's physically fit as he has anaerobic strength but of course once he eats spinach, he gains temporary super strength. In a way he was sort of a role model as he taught us to stand up against bullies but also to eat our vegetables so we can be strong.

Once I saw there was a video game on the guy, I was blown away seeing one of my favorite cartoon characters having a video game for once; this was one of the very first video games I've played when I was six at Chuck E Cheese and a little an a video arcade "Jolly Joker" in the Yakima Mall at the time. Let alone the fact this game came out on my birth year 1982 which makes this all the more fitting.

This is an arcade classic I really like and another of my favorite licensed games. Most licensed games based on classic cartoons or any cartoons tend to be hit or miss but just like Popeye's punches this one is a hit. Just like the cartoon it had heavy popularity, there were many ports of the game the one for the NES is the best one in my book.

I like the graphical presentation; the background design is pretty basic not must expect but I like that they had sort of the theme of the small town sea port but also capture the comedic atmosphere. I really like the character designs as they look like their cartoon counterparts which made the game even more enjoyable you really felt like you were playing/being Popeye. Music is decent now a whole lot as games back then never had a big focus in that, there is a little basic platforming tune but the tune that stands out is the famous theme song which actually sounds good even in video game form.

The platforming action is solid, it's one of those single screen platform actioners. But I like that because it's action in a condensed space, you constantly doing things while navigating whatever amount of space you have. The gameplay is solid and slightly unique. Here your trying to rescue Olive Oil but at the same time trying to win her heart as we see Olive Oil is raining down hearts, music notes, and letters down for you to catch while avoiding Bluto and also any obstacles thrown by both him and the old witch. If the hearts or any other rained down object goes to the bottom, there is a music timer where you have a limited amount of time to get it before the tune is over and you lose a life.

Of course, the godsend is the Spinach. A spinach can shows up on different platforms, if you on the right platform, you can retrieve it, eat it up and like in the cartoon turn the tables on the bad guys. It was always so much fun getting that spinach, whenever that happened, I thought "It's time to open up a can of whop ass." Which is usually is. However, there is a catch, the sensation of super strength only lasts for a brief amount of time and once that can of spinach is used, another won't show up again as least not for a long while. So, use the Spinach can for emergencies only.

If you a fan of the vintage cartoon series or into vintage video games, this is a classic worth checking out, "Popeye" packs a punch on the video game scene.

Rating: 3 and a half stars

One of the best 4-bit arcade games is one of the worst translated games for the Atari 2600, next to Pac-Man. The graphics are butt-ugly. Popeye is pink, Olive Oyl is red, and Brutus is green (with envy?). Olive tosses hearts, musical notes, and X's. The X's replaced the H-E-L-P letters in the third level. Why? The sound is annoying, but at least they got the "Popeye Theme" right. The gameplay sucks, too. Brutus doesn't deliver much of a challenge for Popeye. He either runs around in hopes of catching up with Popeye or tosses square-shaped bottles at him. There's no Wimpy or Swea Pea. The Sea Hag is there, but you can't see her as she tosses bottles at Popeye. Parker Brothers never really did a good job with video games, especially for the Atari 2600. The Nintendo Entertainment System version is much better than this piece of sh--. My evaluation: 1.5 out of 10.