, rec.games.pinball, 19 September 2010Popeye Saves the Earth is a Physical Pinball Table designed by Barry Oursler and themed and illustrated by Python Anghelo, with additional artwork by John Youssi and Pat McMahon. It was released by Williams Electronics under the "Bally" label in 1994.
As is evident from the title, this is a game based on the long-running Popeye comic strip. Popeye's long-time nemesis Bluto is now a planet-polluting profiteer; his companies' toxic activities have endangered five species of wildlife, while Bluto himself has kidnapped Olive Oyl, and Swee'pea has gotten lost in a maze of corridors. It therefore falls on Popeye to rescue the endangered animals, find Swee'Pea, defeat the Sea Hag, and demolish Bluto's cartel of corrupt companies. Only then can Popeye find his spinach and Rescue Olive in a six-ball multiball frenzy.
Popeye Saves the Earth has gotten mixed reviews, while some love it for its surprisingly deep rule set and gameplay, the theme and detailed playfield with lots of toys, others criticize it for its Anvilicious Green Aesop and odd use of the Popeye license and the obstructive upper-playfield with its needlessly difficult shots. There were also behind the scenes issues as the game required customized tooling which raised its price, and Williams' use of minimum orders incited a distributor backlash and threats of lawsuits resulting in the pin becoming kind of infamous as a result.
Popeye Saves the Earth demonstrates the following tropes:
- The Ark: Popeye travels the world (and carries numerous animals) on "Popeye's Ark".
- Artificial Limbs: On the backglass, Popeye's signature forearms have been replaced by a pair of pinball flippers. Justified, as spinach sometimes granted him minor shapeshifting abilities in the original Fleischer shorts.Popeye: "Blow me down, I iz a wiz of pinballz!"
- Black Bead Eyes: Seen on all of the Popeye characters.
- Card-Carrying Villain: Bluto, planet-destroying polluter and proud of it.
- Damsel in Distress: Olive Oyl, naturally.
- The Dragon: The Sea Hag serves as a secondary antagonist
- Eagleland: Taken literally, as one of Popeye's destinations is "L'Eagleland".
- Ecocidal Antagonist: Bluto.
- Fantasy World Map: The lower playfield has the Geomap, which shows the five regions Popeye must visit — Aphrodesia, Fashionation, L'Eagleland, Pandamonia, and the Sushi Sea.
- Fetch Quest: Sea Hag Multiball is started after the player collects four items (a Can Opener, Baby Bottle, Ketchup, and Flower); it's completed by returning the items to their respective owners (Popeye, Swee'Pea, Wimpy, and Olive Oyl).
- For the Evulz: This appears to be Bluto's only reason for doing what he does.
- Friendly, Playful Dolphin: Popeye has to go to the Sushi Sea to save the dolphins.
- Green Aesop: Delivered without the slightest trace of subtlety. Judging by what the game shows, Bluto runs his companies with the sole purpose of causing environment destruction. Even Pentex would tell him to hit the brakes.
- Make My Monster Grow: At the start of Olive Multiball, Bluto drinks Sea Hag's Insta-Grow potion to make himself larger and taller.
- Obviously Evil: Invoked by the names of Bluto's companies — Earth Pavers, Never Green Logging, Blutonium Waste, and Spill Oil Co.
- Power-Up Food: Spinach, of course.
- Progressive Jackpot: Olive's Dowry.
- Rhino Rampage: Averted; all of the rhinos in the game are friendly, docile, and endangered.
- Saving the World: It's in the title.
- Skill Shot: Launch the ball into the spinning Skill Shot Wheel and get the indicated reward.
- Spelling Bonus: O-Y-L raises the bonus multiplier, while P-O-P-E-Y-E lights a can of spinach.
- Toxic, Inc.: Bluto's companies, as listed above.
- Wicked Witch: The Sea Hag is an evil sorceress, as is standard for the Popeye franchise.
- Wizard Mode:
- The first sub-Wizard Mode is Sea Hag Multiball, and is enabled by collecting four Items — Can Opener, Baby Bottle, Ketchup, and a Flower. During this mode, return the Items to their owners to collect the jackpot.
- The second sub-Wizard Mode is Bluto Multiball, enabled by locking three balls in the Lockjaw under his chin. This is a three-ball multiball, and the objective is to repeatedly shoot the left ramp to collect the Jackpot, then shoot the Lockjaw to relight it.
- The final Wizard Mode is Olive Multiball, a six-ball multiball mode. To reach it, the player must rescue all five animals, complete the Sea Hag and Bluto multiball modes, Find Swee'pea, and defeat Bluto's four companies. To collect the Jackpot, collect five Spinach Cans and shoot the lock beneath Bluto's jaw to Save Olive.
- Zonk: One of the award selections score a two-digit point value (e.g., 20, 50, 70).
