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A high percentage of licences bear little or no resemblance to the subject matter. The Popeye we know is quite a scrawny fellow with an ugly girlfriend called Olive. He eats a lot of spinach to give him the strength to fight his arch-rival; a fat, bearded bully called Bluto. The first two Popeye licences managed to incorporate all this quite admirably (particularly the earlier Don Priestley game) but Popeye 3 is a totally different kettle of spinach.

You see, it's a wrestling game. Popeye has been chosen to compete in an intergalactic tournament, fighting everything from H R Giger-style aliens to squat, dragon-type beasties. To me, this seems like blatant misuse of a licence - when did our favourite sailor ever have anything to do with things from other planets?

Also, whereas the first two games required skill and timing, Popeye 3 involves little more than rapid joystick waggling. You move around the ring until the computer decides both opponents are in a position to engage in a grapple. Once this has happened, frenetic waggling is required until either you or your assailant get a better hold. The usual result is one of you lying on the floor with the other jumping up and down on his head. Occasionally, Popeye takes the law into his own hands and executes a 'piledriver' (bouncing someone on their head).

It's possible to kick your opponent (wow!) while moving around the ring, but it's a weak and ineffectual move by a poorly animated sprite.

I also noticed Olive (standing by the side of the ring) holding a can of spinach, presumably for me. So I collected it, but the only result was a Dennis-The Menace style 'fighting cloud' with the wrestlers' fists shooting out every so often. Sadly, as ever, the winner was the one who waggled more and didn't use skilful joystick movements.

My arm soon started to ache - and I hate arm aches almost as much as I hate feeble wrestling games (or the FORCE crew taking the pee out of the way I speak... like).

With all the re-releases on the market at the moment, it rather hoped Alternative could come up with sadly something more original. Sadly, Popeye 3 falls to the canvas in the first round.

What a pity the programmers didn't eat their spinach. I'd rather be thrown overboard in the Arctic Ocean than play this game a moment longer. It's trying desperately to be the next WWF; and falling miserably. Popeye's kick is a waste of time, so the only thing left to do is get into a clinch and waggle the joystick like mad.

Not only is this tiring on the arm (you end up with a biceps like an anvil), it's even more numbing for the brain. A good combat game requires at least some variety of moves to make it interesting. Lacking this essential ingredient, even Popeye 3's two-player mode can't provide any fun.

Presentation 62%
Poor multi-load ringside "aliens" two-player option

Graphics 62%
Serve their purpose, but some very dodgy animation

Sound 54%
Fair Popeye theme, farty noises during fight

Hookability 23%
I'd rather eat my pants than play it again

Lastability 31%
Amount of opponents does little to improve matters

Overall 24%