Popeye (SNES) Walkthrough/FAQ .7
June 6, 2003
Guide by KingMike
********
VERSIONS
********
7: September 17, 2003
----------------------
Well, I just found this sitting around. I haven't worked
on it in awhile, but I thought I'd share what I had
done.
Haven't worked on the level strategies, but most of it
is really no brainer stuff. It's probably with the
enemies you could probably use a few tips.
************
INTRODUCTION
************
Popeye the character should need no introduction. His
cartoons been entertaining children for generations. Yes,
just like many other children, I can remembered spending
hours on end watching Popeye.
I was glad to hear of an SNES (my favorite game system)
game being made based on him.
Popeye is an action game released for the Super Famicom by
Technos Japan Corp. It almost got released in the United
States, but for some reason it wasn't. Still, it is a fun
(though the board game can get frustrating at times) game
that doesn't have deathly important Japanese text, so any
Popeye fan (and those who aren't) should play it, just
because it's a fun game with good graphics for its time,
good play control, and fairly original game concept.
The idea of the game (from what I've grasped of the intro,
my Japanese skills are not enough to understand the text)
is that a wizard has captured the hearts of Popeye's
friends (so to speak). So, it's up to Popeye to travel
around the game board of each stage, and pick up the
pieces of the hearts, then beat Brutus in a showdown.
Then move on to the next stage of the game.
While moving around the game board, Popeye will hit upon
many spaces. Blue spaces are usually good stuff, like
money, health, items. White spaces are in between good
and bad. Red spaces are usually bad stuff, like damage,
lose coins or items. Popeye must travel to the heart
spaces, and find the heart in the action scene. Popeye
will also enter stages that don't have hearts, so be
ready. However, some stages will also have switches
that Popeye can turn to open up new paths on the
game board.
However, Popeye isn't the only one looking for the
hearts. His enemies will also be looking for them, and
if Popeye runs into them on the board game, he will
have to fight them for any hearts they've picked up. If
they don't have hearts, they'll leave behind items like
turkeys (for health) and Popeye dolls (extra lives).
I think if you lose against an enemy, you can quickly
re-challenge them without them recovering health, but
I'm not completely sure on that. Brutus and Sea Hag,
however, will definitely recover full health between
battles.
When you have collected the required number of hearts,
find Brutus on the game board, and fight him to finish
the stage.
**********
CONTROLLER
**********
Pad - Move in stages and in board game.
In casino, press UP/DOWN to place bet (1, 2 or 3 coins)
Select - Nothing.
Start - Pause.
A Button - Nothing.
B Button - Jump
Swim
Exit casino
Do not buy in shops
Scroll text in "!" spaces.
X Button - Use power-up
Y Button - Attack w/ anchor (use pad to aim)
Run (you can also run, then press DOWN to slide.
However, if Popeye doesn't make out the other
end of a ceiling, he'll lose a life.)
Start casino
Buy in shops
L/R Buttons - Select power-up
*****
ITEMS
*****
Coins - Collect 100 for an extra life. You can also spend
the coins you've collected to play the casino, or buy
powerups.
Popeye Doll - Gives you an extra life.
Spinach - You should all know what this is for.
After beating an enemy on the board screen, you'll
receive this to make the final blows to blow the enemy
to kingdom come.
Frog (Kerokero) - Become a frog. Walk through small spaces.
Swim easily (yes, like SMB3's Frog suit).
Propeller - Fly. Press B repeatedly to lift off.
Press Down to come back down.
Wheel - Roll through enemies for the rest of the stage.
Be invincible to most enemies.
*****************
BOARD GAME SPACES
*****************
White Spaces:
Usually, these do nothing. Occasionally, however, Brutus
will show up and chase you. Just jump to avoid him. After
three passes across the screen, he'll stop. I believe
you're certain to encounter him if you consecutively stop
on the same space.
Blue Spaces - Do one of the following:
Bird - You can move anywhere on the board that is
accessible by foot. Press Y when you want to land. You
don't receive the effects of the space you stop on.
Brutus encounter (guess Blue Spaces aren't ALWAYS good).
Coin roulette - Spin the wheel to see how many bonus coins
you get. If the amount of coins exceeds 100, it'll reset
to zero, and you'll get an extra life.
Extra movement around the board.
Receive a powerup.
Receive a Turkey (LIFE recovery).
Red spaces - Do one of the following:
Bird - Moves you on the board, but you don't have control
where you go or when you'll land.
Brutus encounter.
Coin roulette - You lose coins on this one (if you don't
have the amount of coins, you'll just lose what you do
have, but nothing else will happen).
Lose a powerup.
Take damage from lightning or a fireball (a fireball also
temporarily blurs the board graphics).
Shop (Y Button = Yes, B Button = No):
Professor - Sells random powerups.
Rough House - Eat a Turkey (for a charge of 5 coins), and
recover all LIFE.
Casino:
Line up the icons and receive coins. Press UP or DOWN to
bet from 1 to 3 coins. Press Y to start the wheels
spinning. Press B to exit.
! Spaces:
Talk with other characters. Often, they'll also give you
powerups or items.
? Spaces:
In Stage 4, the topography of the sublevel is hidden.
Rocks:
In Stages 3, 4, and 5, these appear as a result of volcanic
eruptions. They'll clear after a couple minutes, but they
will block your path while they're there.
At docks, you can wait for a boat ride to another part of the
board.
Also, look in some of the action scenes for switches to open
paths to other areas of the board, and to create shortcuts
between distant areas of the board.
**************************
GENERAL STAGE DESCRIPTIONS
**************************
There a few things that apply to all sublevels of the same
topography.
FIELD: May flood on some of the later stages. No real
dangers. Yellow blocks may be jumped through from below,
but gray blocks cannot.
WOODS: Trees with pointed stumps will damage you of course.
Watch out for bugs that glide down on leaves. The spiked
logs change in a pattern, with a rythem.
CASTLE: There are black rocks that will try to smash you.
You can safely get up by jumping through the platforms
along the sides. In the later stages, be careful as you
jump on the large pressure plates, as enemies and items
will fall from above the screen.
SAND: May sometimes flood. In the quicksand that flows
downward, you can fall below the sand slightly, and then
jump to move under objects.
WATER: Beware of fans. They will mostly push you away from
them, but you can fall and touch them, which hurts. Unlike
SMB3 or SMW, you cannot swim under the screen. As soon as
you fall off the bottom of the screen, you die.
HOUSE: Cracked pipes often shoot flames. At fireplaces,
they will shoot flames in a regular interval and at a
slight angle. So, learn the pattern, and duck to avoid the
flame if it's coming. Popeye can jump through most
horizontal pipes. Also of note are the mouse holes
(bugholes?). After you kill a bug, expect another one to
pop out in about half a second (not long enough to walk
past it without taking a hit).
CAVES: Lava kills you the instant you touch it. Other than
that, there's no other specific danger.
***********
STAGE HINTS
***********
MAP KEY:
! - ! Space
- - Path
* - Brutus (boss battle)
^V<> - Path opened by switch
BLUE - Blue Space
CASx - Castle sublevel #x
CSNO - Casino
FLDx - Field sublevel #x
FORx - Forest sublevel #x
HOUx - House sublevel #x
RED - Red Space
SANx - Sand sublevel #x
SHOP - Shop
STRT - Starting location
WFLx - Waterfall sublevel #x
WHIT - White Space
WTRx - Water sublevel #x
Stage 1 - Popeye's Home
-----------------------
You'll save Wimpy by collecting 7 Hearts.
BLUE-SAN1-BLUE------FOR2-FOR3------SHOP
| |
BLUE RED-WHIT
| | |
WHIT------HOU5-CASN-CSNO-FLD2-WHIT-HOU4
| | V
!---------HOU3 BLUE V
| | V
WHIT-BLUE-CVE1 FLD1 RED--RED-WHIT--RED
| | | | |
BLUE------WFL1 WHIT-BLUE-HOU2-WHIT-WHI*-----CAS1
| | |
WHIT-!----WHIT RED
| | |
WTR1------STRT-TURK-HOU1-TURK-SHOP
STAGE HINTS
-----------
(NOTE: In this guide, I won't bore you with longwinded
discussions of each level, just the stuff you need to
know. I gave the time limit of each level, as that seems
to be a rough gauge of the length and difficulty of each
sublevel)
Castle (500): You'll need the Frog power-up to cross the
small wall leading to the Heart and end of the stage.
Otherwise, you'll have to take the long way (up and around
the wall).
Start by jumping on the wheels to the right. Then, climb up
the platforms with the crushers, then back up and to the
left. Then, at the top, go to the right.
Stay on the wheels, because there's spikes below. Next, with
the downward section of wheels, you can fall to the left end to
land on a platform. Fall and veer to the left to land on a platform.
Now, you have to climb down through crushers (much harder). Pick up
the Heart to the left of them. Now, stand on the edge, and fall as they
are retracting. Move a little bit to land on the edge of the next ledge,
so you can wait for the next set of crushers to retract.
House-1 (150): You'll find the Heart below the pipe you ride
through.
House-2 (400): There's a Turkey above the start of the stage.
Jump across the pipes to get to it. The Heart is sitting right
out in the open on a platform in the middle of the stage.
I'm not sure how to get the Popeye between the pipes near
the end of the stage.
House-4 (150): Beware the double fireplaces near the start.
Hit the switch to create a bridge south of this stage.
Sand (450): Nothing really special.
Waterfalls (500): You can pass between the back and the front of the
waterfalls by using the pipes. Only the stuff on the same side of
the water can affect you. The Heart is found above the pipe exiting
the first stretch of water.
ENEMIES
-------
BERNARD THE BUZZARD: He'll fly slowly across the screen. Hit him
and he'll make two quick passes, one in each direction. Just jump
to avoid them. Hit him 3 times to get a Spinach.
BOXER: Hit him, and he'll start bouncing around the screen. You
can't hit him again until he uncurls himself. Try to run and
slide under him to avoid him in that state. Hit him 3 times to
get a can of Spinach.
BRUTUS: He'll hide behind the waterfall. You can only hit him when
he peeks his head to the front of the waterfall. He'll drop
boulders on you constantly, so hold Y so you can quickly speed up
to avoid them. It doesn't matter if you jump on him, or use the
anchor. After about 5 hits, he'll start chasing you across
the screen. This will always happen. Hit him once more with the
anchor, and you'll get the Spinach. Then just punch him a few
times and he's gone (applies to all battles).
Stage 2 - Spinochovia
---------------------
You'll save Blozo by collecting 9 Hearts.
HAMMER GUY: He'll either walk up to you and pound you with his
hammer, or he'll fly across the screen towards you. Either way,
hit him, and then jump his spinning hammer time. Three hits are
all he needs.
GENERAL: Easy to beat. Just hit him, and he'll hide behind his
breifcase. The moment he comes out of hiding, just hit him
again. Timed well, he'll never hit you. Three or four hits shold
be enough.
EMOK: This robot's a pain. When you hit it, it'll break apart.
Then, it'll start punching you. You must do sprinting jumps (face
it, hold Y, then as it approaches, press Forward and B) over it
to avoid it. I think you need to get in 10 hits for the Spinach
(I got it once, and died before grabbing the can. I didn't want
to fight this dude again). You'll probably a lose a life or two,
though.
BRUTUS: Now, Sea Hag will appear and cast a spell on him. Brutus
will move back and forth bobbing up and down. Just jump over him
until he stops, then jump on his head. About 6 or 7 hits should
get him to chase you. End the fight the same way you did the last
battle.
Stage 3 - Goon/Jeep Islands
---------------------------
You'll save Alice and Jeep by collecting 12 hearts.
BERNARD THE BUZZARD: Same as before, except that after the first
hit (and only the first hit), he'll come back with a boulder he
aims to drop on your head. Also, he can take about 5 hits before
the Spinach appears.
GENERAL: Easy to beat. Just hit him, and he'll hide behind his
breifcase. The moment he comes out of hiding, just hit him
again. Timed well, he'll never hit you. Three or four hits shold
be enough.
BRUTUS: Now Sea Hag gives him floating powers. He'll fly in with a
bomb, and you'll want to hit him in the just right position, so
that he'll bounce off the bottom, then left sides of the screen,
leaving you a hiding space in the lower-left corner (he always
flies in from the right, so you'll want the left side of the
screen as your hiding space). If he comes bouncing back at you,
just jump to avoid him. The usual 6-8 hits should do it, and you
know how to wrap it up.
Stage 4 - Ghost Rock
--------------------
You'll save Swee'pea by collecting 17 Hearts.
GHOSTS: After hitting one, it will split into two. Run randomly
(missing them I think is a matter of luck. Expect to lose many
lives here), until they show up, and then start swatting them.
I think it's about 5 or 6 hits to get the Spinach. They don't
take hearts, and they're the only enemy here. So guess what?
You get to collect all 17 hearts in this stage yourself.
BRUTUS: His easiest form yet. Now he's got ghost power, so he'll
hide in darkness, and summon some ghosts (fortunately, these
seem to move slow enough for you to react to them). Kill them,
and Brutus will show his head in the spotlight for a second.
Hit him to score a hit.
Stage 5 - Sea Hag's Rock Hideout 412
------------------------------------
You'll save Olive Oil by collecting 19 Hearts.
BERNARD THE BUZZARD: Same as before, except now he seems to
drop boulders after every other hit. About 5 hits to get the
Spinach.
MARSMAN(1): He'll walk towards you. After you hit him, he
will always fly across the screen. Avoid that by ducking. Then
he'll bounce across the screen in ball form. Avoid this by
jumping, then pound him. Remember to always duck the moment you
hit him. About 5 hits for the Spinach.
MARSMAN(2): He'll throw barrels at you. They are thrown in a
pattern. I'm not sure if it's two low/one high, or just a high
throw when you get close.
Try to get a diagonal hit at him. After that,
he'll jump in his barrel, and try to jump on you. Prepare for
that by running immediately after you hit him. Slide under the
barrel to avoid it (start your slide as soon as he lands on
the jump before he reaches you). Then run to the right, and
make then wait for him to come back. Prepare to run and slide
as he's landing just before his last jump.
MAN WITH THE CANE: He'll just calmly walk back and forth until
you hit him. Then he'll either walk back and forth wildly
swinging his cane, or jump around the screen wildly swinging
his cane. In the first instance, just use a running jump over
him. In the second, prepare to run just after he leaps on the
jump where he would hit you. About five hits are enough.
BRUTUS: The pattern - he'll throw spiked balls at you. He always
throws the first on the ground, the second at about waist level,
and the third at head level. Jump the first, duck the other two.
If you make it over to him, jump on him. If not, he'll just
repeat the pattern. Then, he'll bounce across the screen. To get
past him, wait until he lits off the ground on the last jump
before hitting you. At that point, hold Y and run. You should
miss. The second attack is the boulder throw. Same as
in Stage 1, use Y to run, and hopefully avoid the boulders.
Again, about 8 hits to get Brutus charging.
Special Stage
-------------
Well, actually, you don't save Olive right after Stage 5. There's
still the matter of Sea Hag.
NOTE: I THINK you get unlimited lives for this (the scorebar will
not be present in this final battle). I'm not sure, but I think
I used up more than the six lives I had left when I first got
here. Popeye will still die from five hits. If Popeye gets hit
by a fireball, he will turn into a frog. In that state, one more
hit will kill Popeye.
SEA HAG: Actually, he's surprisingly easy to beat for a final
boss. When he stops to fire balls horizontally at you, just
run up and hit him. Then just dodge him until he stops near the
top-center of the screen. At that point, duck either in front of
the left-center column (of the background), or with Popeye facing
(but not in front of) the right center column. I believe these
are safe spots during this attack. Now, he'll either repeat his
last attack, or send brooms after you while flying across the top
of the screen. Jump on the brooms, and ride them. Know that as you
reach the edge of the screen, another broom will be flying in the
opposite direction. So, jump a second or so before hitting the
edge of the screen. You should land on another broom. Use them to
jump and bop Sea Hag on the head. It should take 15 hits to get
the Spinach.
Enjoy the ending!
*********
PASSWORDS
*********
If the going gets tough, use these passwords
to skip to the level of your choice.
Stage 4
Jeep, Swee'pea, Wimpy, Popeye, Marsman, Bernard
Stage 5
Popeye, Wimpy, Swee'pea, Nana Oil, Bernard, Alice
**********
DISCLAIMER
**********
Popeye is (c)King Features Syndicate.
SNES game is (c)1994 Technos Japan Corp. and American Technos
(even though they didn't release it Stateside, they're
credited in the end of the credits).
Redistribute this guide if you wish, just leave it
unaltered. Don't try to make any money of this.
Besides, nobody's going to pay any money for it.
