"What were they thinking?"

Popeye is probably one of the few games for the NES that had promise, but fell short. You assume the role of the favored sailor as he runs about collecting hearts, musical notes, or letters to appease and rescue his sweetheart Olive Oyl. Lets take a look at the game that not even Robin Williams could save.

Graphics 6/10
The games' sprites are huge and fit the screen well. All of the characters are very identifiable. However, the screens are bland and sometimes it seems if Popeye is simply a white block throwing fists. The graphics could've been done a little better, seeing as some of the other carts that came out for the NES at the time.

Sound 6/10
The music in the game is great. It reminds me of the old days of watching Popeye on tv. However, the sounds lack as the punch noise sounds more like bumps and sometimes the music has a magical way of completely distorting. In all, they could've worked on the sound a little more, the Arcade game of the same name was a bit better.

Control 8/10
The control of the game is great. A button to jump, a button to punch, and walking around using the D-pad. At times you may have to press a direction more than once to get him to start in that direction, but over all Popeye is a easy game to control. Sometimes you'll scream as you try to flee an enemy but it doesn't quite work your way. Spinach anyone?

Replay Value 4/10
The only people who should really own this game are die hard Popeye fans. It is similar to Donkey Kong with the exception that you are trying to collect items while trying to evade obstacles. There are no real reasons to play this game for hours on end, it gets old real quick. But then again if you just want to blow a couple of two dollars, then it might not be so bad.

In closing, Popeye is a game that severely disappoints. To anyone who may play it, it seems hurried along. It was released not very long after the NES itself, so it could be passed off as Nintendo just getting it's feet wet. It is a well known fact that taking risks is what sets companies apart from their competitors, but it just goes to show you that a big name doesn't insure a successful game.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 10/07/02, Updated 10/07/02