Beat It! Popeye [arcade]
by Robert Guerra
[Appeared in the August/September 1983 issue of "Video Games Player"]
With Popeye, Nintendo has combined the cute characters, simple story
line, and good-natured violence of a Saturday morning cartoon with smooth
animation and exciting game play, to create a challenging contest. The object
is to help Popeye win Olive Oyl's love by catching hearts, musical notes, and
H.E.L.P. letters which she tosses from the top of the screen. Just to make
things interesting, Popeye is harassed by his old nemesis, Brutus.
Other dangers in this triple-screen game include bottle-throwing Sea
Hags, a deadly buzzard, and small white skulls. One thing Popeye has going
for him, however, is his trusty can of spinach. You're allotted one can per
screen, and once eaten, it gives Popeye about ten seconds of: "muskles."
During this time, he can knock Brutus for a loop, and most point values are
doubled.
You control Popeye with a four-direction joystick and a punch button.
On each of the game's screens, you are required to move Popeye up and down
stairs and ladders in order to catch the slowly falling objects. Most gamers
should find this considerably easier than climbing the ladders in Donkey Kong,
where exact positioning directly above or below the ladders is crucial. In
addition to knocking Brutus off the screen, the punch button is used to
defend Popeye against flying bottles, and to K.O. buzzards on the third
screen.
Scoring
When Popeye catches an object, its point value is determined by which
of the screen's four levels he's on. Hearts, notes, and letters caught at the
top of a screen are worth 500 points, 300 on the third level, 100 on the
second ]evel, and 50 points on the lowest level, When Popeye is under the
influence of spinach, all these values are doubled.
You can also acquire points by breaking bottles (100), punching the
buzzard(l000), crowning Brutus with a bucket (2000), or by sending Brutus
flying off into the water (3000). Be sure to eat your spinach before
attempting this one.
Screen One
To complete this screen, Popeye must catch twenty-four hearts. You can
keep track of the number caught by checking the side of Popeye's house in the
top left corner of the screen. In the top right corner is Olive's house, which
displays the number of lives left and the round you're in.
When the game begins, Popeye will be on the left portion of the
highest level. Brutus will be on the level below, on the right side of the
screen. Wait in this position until Brutus crosses over to the left. When he's
almost directly below Popeye, move left. This will "wrap" you around to the
right side of the screen. (This is the only level where you can wrap). At
this point, Brutus will decend the stairs to level two, where he will move to
the center and stop. Quickly move to the left edge of the platform and punch
the speed bag. This will slide it across into the bucket in the center of the
screen, knocking it down two levels, and onto Brutus's head to start the game
off with 2000 points.
While Brutus is trying to get the bucket off his head, you can catch
the hearts that Olive Oyl has been throwing, by jumping down to level three.
(Unlike cousin Mario, Popeye can't lose a life by falling from one level to
the next.) After catching the first heart, be ready to punch the bottles which
will be thrown by the Sea Hag emerging from the right. To break all of the
bottles, face right and pwnch like crazy. The bottles are deadly.
Continue catching hearts on the third level while occasionally running
upstairs to avoid Brutus. He'll never follow you up to the fourth level, but
if directly below, he'll jump up and try to knock Popeye to his death.
Once hearts begin flowing down below level three, you'll have to go
down after them. This is is a good time to head for the spinach, which is by
the stairs on the left side of the second or third levels. Time your arrival
carefully, because the can alternates between the two levels every five
seconds. When you reach the spinach (use the punch button) Popeye will turn
red and Brutus will take off.
If both Popeye and Brutus are on level three, Brutus will go down to
level two. Simply head him off by taking the ladder in the center of the
screen. If you eat the spinach on level two, go up the stairs to level three
and try the same tactic. When you punch Brutus, you'll be awarded 3000 points
and the screen will shake. While Brutus is out of commission, clean up the
hearts at the lowest level of that screen, working your way up to the higher,
more valuable levels.
If a heart should reach the bottom before Popeye catches it, you'll
have eight seconds to get to it before it sinks into the sea.
Never stop directly above or below Brutus. He's got a reach you
wouldn't believe.
Screen Two
Popeye's detail is to catch sixteen red sixteenth-notes which Olive
tosses from the top right side of the screen. As on screen one, Popeye will
begin on the left side of the screen on level four. Level three has a gap in
the center which Brutus can cross. Popeye can't cross this gap without falling
a level, but he can wrap on this level.
Move Popeye down the ladder to level three. Brutus will be across the
gap. Move Popeye back and forth quickly in one spot until Brutus crosses over
to the left side. At this point, wrap to the right side of the screen and
catch your first two notes
Since Brutus can't wrap around after you, he'll be forced to cross
back over to the right side to get you. If you stop moving, Brutus will throw
four bottles Popeye's way before crossing over. To prevent this, simply move
back and forth quickly again. When Brutus crosses the gap again, wrap to the
left.
Continue with this tactic until a note slips by the third level. As
in round one, this is a great time for spinach. This time the can alternates
between the stairways on the right of the second and first levels. Be sure to
get it on level two.
After you reach the spinach, head immediately up the stairs to level
three. Wrap through to the left side of the screen and keep going. You'll
either catch Brutus before the gap, or he'll cross over to the right side
while Popeye falls to the second level. Don't worry. Continlle to the right
and catch Brutus coming down the stairs. Use the same procedure for cleaning
up the remaining notes as you did for the hearts in round one.
One difference in round two is Brutus's ability to jump from one level
to the level below. Another is Wimpy's springboard in the lower left of the
screen. Popeye can escape from level two by simply running off the left side
and jumping onto the springhoard. When Wimpy lands, he'll send Popeye flying
to safety. Never use the springboard to escape bottles coming at Popeye from
the right side. It will catapult him right into the line of fire. Brutus can
use the springboard too.
Screen Three
In addition to Brutus and the Hags, now you have the pesky Buzzard to
contend with. While avoiding these dangers, Popeye must catch the letters
H, E, L, and P which float from Olive's mouth as she screams from the crow's
nest of the ship you're now on.
There's no way to wrap on this screen, and every level except the
first has a gap near the center. About the only things Popeye has going for
him are his spinach (kept on the right again), and a small sliding platform
bridging the gap on level four.
Popeye is on the left of level four. Immediately turn him left and
punch out the buzzard for 1000 points. Then run onto the sliding platform to
avoid Brutus. When he closes in, or a lot of letters start getting by, it's
spinach time.
Because of the structure of the screen, you'll probably have to head
for the top of the screen and then drop down on Brutus through a gap. If you
know you won't be able to catch him, make a beeline for the letters.
The remainder of the round will seem to last forever. especially when
you realize that Brutus can now jump down two levels. Get the ol' seadog
through this one alright, and he finally gets the girl. Watch for a Parker
Brothers home video game of Popeye on sale in July.
Minimum Score Potential: 45,000
[Scanned and edited by Dennis Brown -- brownd@ns2.apmtech.com]
