Popeye
| Developer: Parker Bros. | Publisher: Parker Bros. |
| Release Date: N/A | Also On: None |
Popeye must have still enjoyed some level of popularity in the early 1980s, for 1983 saw the release of an Atari 2600 game bearing his name. Third party games on the Atari 2600 are often nothing to get too excited about though, with the possible exception of games made by Activision. Is Popeye any exception to this rule? Read on to find out.
The concept of Popeye is simple. You control Popeye on a series of platforms and staircases. Popeye's girlfriend is at the top of the screen, and she blows down kisses in the form of hearts. Popeye must gather these up. Once he gathers enough of them, he moves on to a new level with a different set of platforms and does the same thing over again. However, should one of these reach the very bottom without being grabbed, Popeye will lose.
This sounds easy enough, right? Wrong. Two obstacles stand in Popeye's way: spinach and Bluto. Popeye dies if he touches Bluto, and Bluto will sometimes jump from below to try to grab Popeye. But the spinach will be the main threat to Popeye's survival. Spinach comes at Popeye under two circumstances. First of all, every time you grab a heart from Popeye's girlfriend, a can of spinach will come flying at you from off the screen on whatever level of the area you're on. Secondly, when you're on the same level as Bluto, he'll throw cans of spinach at you as well. However, you don't have to dodge these. If you time it right, you can grab them and get points for doing so, but the timing will be hard to get down when you first start playing the game.
Graphically, many of the pixels in this game are quite small. Granted, the color scheme isn't the world's most diverse, but it accomplishes what it needs to. The hearts are animated particularly well. For a 1983 game, these graphics are probably just about average, but they look good nonetheless.
The sound is easily a high point of this game. True, the sound effects aren't anything too exhilarating, but this game has something I don't think I've seen in any other Atari 2600 game I've played: in-game music. Not only is there an intro song before you begin playing, but there's a piece of music (fairly lengthy by Atari 2600 standards I might add) that can be heard while you're actually playing the game. This is a truly impressive feat, and it sets Popeye apart from other games of its era. Even 1988's Crossbow and Sprintmaster do not boast in-game music.
What then is my conclusion? First of all, Popeye is a fun game. It is a bit of a one-trick pony in that there aren't multiple game modes, but the mode that is here is quite entertaining. I will concede, however, that this game won't last forever in all likelihood. Aesthetically, particularly in the area of sound, Popeye is excellent. If you are a fan of Popeye, there is no logical reason for you not to give this game a try. Actually, if you're a fan of the Atari 2600 at all, there's little reason for you to skip out on this game. I would recommend that any true fan of the Atari 2600 consider buying this game.
| Graphics: | 7 |
| Sound: | 10 |
| Gameplay: | 8 |
| Creativity: | 8 |
| Replay Value/Game Length: | 6 |
| Final: | 7.9 |
| Written by Martin | Review Guide |
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