-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
.______ ______ .______ ___________ ____ _______
| _ \ / __ \ | _ \ | ____\ \ / / | ____|
| |_) | | | | | | |_) | | |__ \ \/ / | |__
| ___/ | | | | | ___/ | __| \_ _/ | __|
| | | `--' | | | | |____ | | | |____
| _| \______/ | _| |_______| |__| |_______|
For the Atari 2600
----------------------------------------------------------------A GUIDE
_______________________________________________________________________
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
* An FAQ *
- by -
* Steve Taylor *
- Began: 10/December/07 -
* Posted: 10/December/07 *
- Updated: --/--------/-- -
* Finished: 10/December/07 *
- E-Mail:
[email protected] -
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Table of Contents:
(I-I) Introduction (I-I)
(C-N) Contact Me (C-N)
(V-H) Version (V-H)
(W-K) Walkthrough (W-K)
(T-K) Thanks to... (T-K)
(C-R) Copyright (C-R)
Note:
*This section needs to be re-vamped.
**This section needs to be completed.
***This section needs to be started.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(I-I) INTRODUCTION (I-I)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm afraid this section is blank for the time being, or at least until I write
up a nice, friendly welcome that I can use for the rest of my guides. Check
back for updates!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(C-N) CONTACT ME (C-N)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes. It's official. I love the attention. Gimme your e-mails. Make my head
explode with compliments.
To send me mail that I will read, please set it up with the following fields:
E-Mail:
[email protected]
Subject Line: Popeye (Atari 2600) Guide
Now that you've got my interest, you must abide by the rules below, or else it
won't be read and instead, ignored. Please, if you want your voice to be
heard, follow the rules/guidelines.
THE DO'S
=-=-=-=-=
- Inform me of errors that I've made. Either constant grammar or factual info.
- Pass on strategies and solutions on how to solve parts of the game which I
have not mentioned.
- Ask for help about things not mentioned in the guide.
- Write in words. Not internet short cuts.
- I like to read e-mails with proper formatting and grammar. Please do be sure
to write your e-mail like so.
- And please, read through the guide before even thinking about contacting me.
I've had many e-mails in the past about my other guides where they ask me
questions which were answered, or not answered in some cases, since some
were about the demo guides I had wrote.
THE DO NOT'S
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Send me chain letters or spam. That's one big no-no.
- Send attachments. In some cases, I do accept them, but usually for pictures
only.
- Call me names/Insult me/Threaten me/yadda yadda yadda...
- Use child like e-mails with crap colours. I don't want size 32 bright yellow
font on top of a lime green background.
- Type in alterNaTiNg CaPs LiKe ThIs or just in ALL CAPS AND STUFF.
- No stupid 1337 speaking. If I see it, it's deleted in a flash.
- Ask irrelevent questions which I answered in my guide. It irritates me to
have that done.
See those rules? Well...they're more like guidelines anyway...but it doesn't
matter either way! OBEY THEM OR DIE!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(V-H) VERSION HISTORY (V-H)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 1.00 - I'm working up steam now and I can now do a complete guide on
an Atari game in about three hours maximum, so this guide is near
enough complete. I'm still rather irked by my introductions,
but I haven't thought of a good enough one to include yet, so
excuse its current form.
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(C-N) CONTROLS (C-N)
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Controls:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=
The default controls for playing the game are as follows:
Left, Right - Moves Popeye in these directions.
Up, Down - Moves Popeye up and down steps or ladders.
Fire Button - Causes Popeye to perform a punch attack.
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(W-K) WALKTHROUGH (W-K)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Popeye" is comprised of three stages, and all involve our good old friend and
heroic sailor Popeye trying to capture the falling affections from his
sweet-heart Olive, up above on the platforms. However, that big old bastard
Bluto is out to wreck Popeye's day, and will gladly rough him up a bit.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-
How to Play:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-
In each round of the game, it is up to Popeye to win over Olive Oyl's
affections by catching all of her love hearts, musical notes, or the Xs (in
other versions of the game, it would have been the letters from her cries for
"H-E-L-P"), depending on which round you're playing. You've got to be fast
to catch them all, since if they fall and land in the water, you've got a
short time to catch them before they sink, and if that happens, Popeye'll
lose a life. However, it's not that simple. You've got Bluto to worry about
as well, who prowls the levels of the stage trying to grab our friend and
knock him down. If you get hit by him, you'll lose a life.
Other enemies to watch out for include bottles being thrown across the screen
for you to either dodge, or to punch out the way with the Fire Button.
Each time you complete a round, you'll proceed to the next, much harder round
automatically.
Spinach:
-=-=-=-=
However, Popeye is not defenceless. Whilst his punch alone is useless against
Bluto, if he were to grab a can of spinach (represented by a small green
square in the game), he'll transform into his super strength form and become
invincible for a short period of time. All Popeye needs to do is walk into
Bluto to knock him out and score 3000 points in the process. Grabbing the
spinach also causes all of Olive's items to freeze in mid-air, allowing
you to grab them easily. They're also worth double their original points.
Be warned however, as once you use the spinach, it won't return again for
that round.
Bluto:
=-=-=-
Bluto can attack you in a variety of a ways. The most obvious way for you to
die by him is if you were to just walk into him, or he into you. He's easy
to avoid if he's on the same platform as you, but if he's below you, you'll
find it a bit more trickier. If he's below you, he'll run along and every
now and then reach up and try to trip you up. It's the most common way to
die and will catch you out now and again, even if you've been playing for a
while. Occasionaly, Bluto will launch a bottle attack upon you. He'll fire
three bottles in quick succession, and you've ever got to move to another
platform to get away, or you need to punch them.
Points System:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
If you grab a falling item on the higest platform...........500 points.
If you grab a falling item on the second higest platform....300 points.
If you grab a falling item on the second lowest platform....100 points.
If you grab a falling item on the lowest platform........... 50 points.
If you punch an oncoming bottle.............................100 points.
If you knock Bluto out.....................................3000 points.
Popeye will be granted an extra life when he garners 40,000 points.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Screen One.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
There are four different platforms on this stage. The bottom one is the
sea-level one, which has a stair case on either side of the screen, as well
as two in the centre leading up to the next platform.
This next platform has two staircases, one on either side of the screen, as
well as a ladder in the middle of the screen. However, you can not climb up
the ladder.
The next platform is similar to the last, except this time, you can climb
down the ladder.
The top-most platform is in fact two, divided by a large drop to the second
floor. Popeye won't get hurt if he does drop off this ledge. Also, this is
the thru-ledge, as walking off to the left side of the screen will cause
Popeye to emerge at the right-side of the screen and so forth. It is the only
floor which does this, and can make avoiding Bluto pretty easy, since he can't
climb up here.
-=-=-=
Goal:
-=-=-=
In the first round, Popeye must catch 24 of Olive's love hearts before
they land in the sea and sink. Each time you catch one of the hearts, it'll
appear at the top-left hand side of the screen in Popeye's house. As soon as
all 24 hearts, the round is over and you'll move onto the next.
-=-=-=-=-
Spinach:
-=-=-=-=-
The spinach in this level does not stay in one place, but randomly switches
floors. However, it only switches between floors two and three on the left
hand side on the stairs.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
My advice is to let as many of the notes as possible fall before one of them
hits the water, and then grab the spinach can. Dart around like mad, grabbing
the hearts to double your score and knock out Bluto if he's in your way.
There's not much else to advise you on, except not to stay in one place, or
else you'll find yourself grabbed by Bluto from the lower levels. Also, try
to converse your lives and make it through without dying once. You'll need
as many lives as you can for the following stages.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Screen Two.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Round Two has four platforms again, but this time, there's a lot more gaps in
the floors, and there's an added inclusion of a trampoline.
The sea-level floor is accessible only by climbing down the stairs from the
second platform. If you drop off from the sides, you'll hit the trampoline and
end up flying to the top floor instead, meaning you'll end up missing one of
Olive's dropped notes, causing you to losing a life. Avoid making the mistake.
Use the trampoline only to avoid Bluto's bottle attack, or to make it to the
top floor.
The thru-ledge in this stage is the third floor, which is seperated by a gap.
To cross the gap, you'll have to drop down and use the trampolines on the
bottom floor.
-=-=-=
Goal:
-=-=-=
In the second round, you've got to catch the 20 falling musical notes before
they reach the sea and sink. Again, you've got to evade a rather annoyed and
very angry Bluto. Just as in the last round, each note you collect will appear
in Popeye's house at the top of the screen.
-=-=-=-=-
Spinach:
-=-=-=-=-
This is always located at the bottom right hand of the screen, resting upon
the trampoline. You can not jump to get it. You must climb down there using
the steps.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Do not, whatever you do, stay on the bottom floor for long. Since there's
no thru-way, and you can't use the trampoline, you will get trapped by Bluto
if he gets down there, making this a very unfair level. Stick to the top
floors and grab the notes before they drop down too far. If you're getting in
over your head, quickly make your way to the sea-level and grab the spinach.
Try to use it as a last resort, as wasting it early on will only hurt your
chances of seeing the next stage.
-=-=-=-=-=-=
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Screen Three.
-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
This version of stage three is somewhat different from the other ones I
remember. Normally, you'd be running around collecting the letters "H-E-L-P"
which Olive drops to form a ladder, but this round is completely different.
Instead, we've got lots of little tiny stairs dotted around the sides of the
map, and in the centre are gaps in the floor and a conveyer belt that speeds
Popeye along to the other side should he touch it.
-=-=-=
Goal:
-=-=-=
As always, you've got to collect 20 of Olive's little "X"s which fall from the
sky. The count is displayed in the top left hand corner of the screen.
-=-=-=-=-
Spinach:
-=-=-=-=-
The spinach will randomly change location, switching between the bottom two
floors on the right hand side of the screen.
-=-=-=-=-
This stage is tricky if you're not upon the top floor, as the little "X"s that
Olive drops do not float down like in the previous games, but drop down like
bricks. If you're not there to catch it straight away, you'll end up chasing
it, but it falls so fast it'll be sitting on the sea in a matter of seconds,
so try to avoid using any other platforms.
I'm not sure whether it's just me or not, but Bluto seems to really lax on
this level, keeping to the lower floors instead of chasing Popeye around. That
does not mean you should relax yourself, since he is still a threat.
Remeber to be careful when grabbing the falling Xs near the conveyer belts,
since once you grab one, a bottle will be thrown at you. If you're on the
conveyer belt, you'll be hurtling towards it, meaning you'll have to time your
punches in advance.
However, with all that being said, I found it to be the easiest stage.
-=-=-=-=-=
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Since there are only three stages in the game, you'll be zapped right back to
the starting stage to do it all over again, except this time the difficulty
has been increased, making everything much faster; the rate at which Olive
drops her items, the speed of Bluto's pacing up and down, and the rapidness
that the bottles are thrown from off-screen. If you fancy an endless
challenge, go ahead, but I'd recommend moving onto the Atari 5200 version of
the game, since it's much, much more faithful to the original Arcade version.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(T-K) THANKS TO... (T-K)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are people who deserve credit, and they are as follows:
Thanks to:
-
http://www.network-science.de/ascii/'s wonderful ASCII generator!
-GameFAQs for hosting this file.
-And nobody else. Go away. You don't deserve anything.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(C-R) Copyright Information (C-R)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==============================================================================
This text file may not be republished and reprinted for any charges and/or
profits. This includes being reproduced in books, magazines, ebooks, CDs,
DVDs, on other web sites other than GameFAQs without the permission of the
original author. Any changes to this file without the permission of the author
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You are free to save it for later reference, and you may
also print it if you wish.
The latest version of this guide can always be found on the GameFAQs.com
gaming website.
Pfft...that's a lot of legal mumbo-jumbo, ain't it?
_|-|_
Copyright 2007 Steve 'Jimfish' Taylor. <(o_q)>TM
