Download Popeye 2

Were it not for the fact that Popeye is a famous cartoon character and that this was a great C64 platformer, I wouldn't even consider reviewing it.

Don’t get me wrong, the game is actually quite good, but there’s something about the graphics… In DOSBox it gives out a weird 320X400 pixel resolution that just makes the whole thing go nuts. You’ll see what I mean in the bottom part of the screen. It’s not something you’d really need to play the game, but it’s a nuisance. And in WinXP it runs way too slow to play. Well, at least the colors are good and the characters quite well made.

Also the sound is of poor quality. You’ll need it though, because when you hear a his, that means a bomb is lit and you need to touch it to extinguish it.

And what’s the point of the game? Well you need to climb the construction site. The time is limited and there are obstacles on the way. Barrels are falling from above, bombs are randomly set off, steel railing is falling or disappearing under your feet, springs are springing and fires are burning. And let’s not forget good old Wimpy. He won’t let you pass until you bring him his dose of hamburgers (you’ll need to collect those on the way). You also get to fight. You’ll have to pick up spinach first. Can’t find it? Don’t worry, it’ll bounce around you, when it’s time to fight.

Basically the game is a nice idea and I really loved the C64 version of it. This version is trying to be as good as the C64 one, but it’s not succeeding. I haven’t had the chance to test it in real DOS environment, hopefully it runs better there. But it’s still playable and fun. All in all the game deserves a good mark for the gameplay and design, but a bad mark for the technical merit.