I like Popeye. I don’t know why really, but I liked it since I was kid. I would watch the cartoon so much that my parents eventually bought me a few on VHS. I watched those whenever I could. I’d run around singing the Popeye the Sailor Man song so much that my mom actually worried about me for a little bit. One Halloween, I asked my dad if I could dress up like Popeye and he jumped. My parents though, in their infinite quest of equality, made me Olive Oyle and dressed my two brothers like Bluto and Popeye. I’m still looking for that picture.

So when I saw the ColecoVision had a copy of Popeye, I jumped at the chance to play it. And it’s fun. Good clean nostalgic fun. The Popeye theme with the toot-toot at the end is here and music is just cheeky fun.

It’s silly too. You’re Popeye and run around collecting hearts that Olive throws down at you. Collect enough hearts and it’s onto the next level. Bluto is after you though, and he takes swipes at you from the top, bottom and sides. Then Goons (green guys with flowers growing out of their heads) show up and throw bottles at you. You can punch the bottles, but you can touch Bluto unless you’re hyped up on spinach.

The level design is pretty simple. There’s a hive, and a blue bag like thing that gets Bluto if you time your jump of the ledge and punch it just right. Three tiers and Bluto is always moving to get you. Spinach shows up on the left or right ledges, but you’d better hurry because this spinach moves.

I just like this game. It’s cartooney fun with one of my fav characters.