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 -- dgbrown (at) pixesthesia (dot) com]