I have played both, and like you I really like the Popeye theme. However in the end, game play does matter. Fish Tales is a more interesting game and will have longer staying power IMHO. It's also easier to resell/trade if you do get tired of it.

Popeye is better than most will say but should be half the price of FT.

FT though is a way better game.

You're kidding, right?

In my opinion, Popeye is boring. I also love the theme, but the game blows.

...another vote for FT.

Fish Tales super jackpots are like crack. Once you pop you can't stop! I finally got to play popeye at a festival last weekend and now I don't have to play it again..... ever

Not really.

FT tends to drain in the outlanes a lot. Kind of frustrating.

Popeye is way better than most people give it credit for. A lot of people who bash it have only played a few games on it, if any at all, and don't understand what to do. Case in point 3 posts up, "I finally got to play Popeye at a festival last weekend and now I don't have to play it again..... ever." I was one of those people who blindly said it was the worst DMD ever when I had never played it...just because that was what others said. You are not going to walk up to it, play it a couple of times and love it. It's a different kind of game with different rules. It's a lot like RBION in that regard IMHO, it takes some figuring out. Now Popeye is not perfect by any means, but way better than many give it credit for. The game has a lot going on and is challenging and the upper playfield obscuring two shots isn't nearly the end of the world that some people would have you believe. I really enjoy playing it now that I know what to do and what not to do in the game. All that said it should come down to price. Popeye should be about $500-700 cheaper than FT. Around here, Popeye would be about a $1,500 game and FT about a $2,000 game give or take a couple hundred.

fish tales is better in my opionion. mean outlanes, plays fast, great call outs. popeye is ok, wouldnt want to own one. tough lines of sight at times.

Same here. I had to give it a try since the one I played looked completely restored with great led lighting. I felt bored with it in a matter of seconds. Granted, I didn't give it much chance but I didn't think the playfield was laid out well. If you can get one dirt cheap, it might be fun to have for a while.

I love the artwork and sounds of Fish Tails. It has the best topper and best video mode of that era. It's a tough game with the short flippers and tendency for the ball to drain fast, real fast. About all you do is hit the boat ramps and then shoot for the monster fish. Not a whole lot of depth but still a far better choice.

Owned both, FT stayed 3 years, Popeye only 3 months.

I owned a nice one for 4 months and played hundreds of games on it. Saved olive oil once and found sweet pea twice.

I like playing most pinball machines especially ones with rules and am not a pinball snob. For the right price I will try almost any game.

Anyone thinking of buying popeye should read Atomicboys review. It's spot on but I think he is into playing pinball and not drinking pinside cool aid.

FT by a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG mile.

FT by far

Fish Tales is an EXCELLENT GAME - and a great value.
Popeye - you would be special, because I don't know anyone that has one!
(and I know a lot of pinball people)

I had the opportunity to put a number of games on Popeye at Pinball Wizard in NH. I gave it a fair shake, and walked away thinking it was the worst DMD machine I've ever played. The look of the cab and playfield are great (I even like the look of the toilet seat to be honest), but the gameplay was absolutely horrendous. There are a infinite number of games in that price range that are just soooooo much better.

FT has lasted over 4 years and counting.

Popeye lasted just over a month.

same here.

FT still here and popeye went after like 3 months. Really tried liking it but the shots are horrible. upper playfield is almost useless and because of it it makes the other shots harder.

Is this seriously even being asked? When I saw the title of this thread I just couldn't help but think it was a joke.

I know, right!? Clearly it's Popeye!!!

I haven't put enough time on Popeye to accurately be able to do a comparison, but I can tell you that FT isn't leaving my lineup anytime soon.

Fish Tales is Reagan. Popeye is Mondale.

I don't really like FT have never played Popeye ,with that said in four years of buying and selling pins I've never had a chance to buy a Popeye ,I see FT forsale every day ....Get Popeye now just incase you really like it ...

FT constantly whoops my ass with the lightning flippers. The extra ball shot is almost impossible for me.

Lets see one of the best B/W pins ever made compared to one of the worst B/W pins ever made. FT is a top 15 game IMO.

Well said - the Popeye hate is a bit of group-think. For the $1000-or-so it goes for, it's a perfectly fun widebody B/W game. If you love the Popeye theme, that carries it further than if you're not a fan. The music and voices are high quality and fun. Sure, Fish Tales is fundamentally the better game…but no one should be ashamed if they enjoy Popeye.

FT by a "long cast".........

If you play Popeye be sure to eats your spinach before starting multiball.

If you are shooting for it with the left flipper...it's very hard, if you are backhanding it with the right flipper...it's almost impossible to miss. For me, it went from being the hardest EB shot in pinball to the easiest once I figured that out.

I really liked the artwork on Popeye. I also liked that it played the entire Popeye tune at the end of the game.

Williams really put a lot of work into making that machine. For a Superpin, it was easy to work on/shop.

I would have kept it, but had another machine lined up to buy.

I've owned two Fish Tales, and just got a Popeye last week. I'd only seen one Popeye before but had played the daylights out of it. So it's fair to say I was aware of the criticisms of the game, had experience with it, and made an informed decision to get one. In my mind, it's a woefully underrated and misunderstood game. Take a look at the longer reviews of it if you're thinking of purchasing.

Fish Tales is the better-designed game, but Popeye has gobs of depth. I don't think you can go wrong with either.

One thing to note - Fish Tales is worth $2000 on average, plus or minus a few hundred. Popeye practically always sells for $1500, and never really varies.

Currently 93% for FT.

Frankly, I thought it would be higher.

Agreed.

Perhaps Popeye *is* better than people say!

Get 'em both and let us know what you think!

-Rob
-Visit http://www.kahr.us to get my daughterboard that helps fix WPC pinball resets

Doesn't Marco have a NIB Popeye for $6K?

http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/GAME-POP

Did not read any of this thread but you have got to be crazy to not buy fish tales over pop eye !!!

I have owned Popeye and I enjoyed it for about a year. It is a very enjoyable game and I'm glad I had extensive time playing and understanding it. If I found a decent one for $1k, I'd buy it again.

That being said, I still think FT is the better game given a choice of the two. Good luck either way

Going against the grain here, but they messed up the theme of Popeyes big time. Rescuing animals instead of kickin ass all over the place? Who got that sold?

If I had to choose between the 2 (and I don't really care for either of them honestly), it may be Popeye, simply because it is so rarely seen, and would probably make better trade bait that a fish tales.

I'm weird, but... Popeye ALL DAY. In fact, no kidding, I turned on Popeye to play one game before bed and decided to check pinside while it booted. It's on flashing to my right at this exact moment...

Fish Tales I just can't stand for whatever reason. There used to be one at an arcade I managed, and I never connected with it no matter what I did. I could have stayed and played it at night for free, and I would close as quick as I could to go to the local restaurant and bar and play games there for pay instead. I have tried it a number of times since, and I simply don't care for it. At all.

Popeye on the other hand...

I *love* the playfield layout. I'll fully admit that I own it more because I think the art package on it is amazing, and not because the gameplay is ridiculously compelling, but come on - the playfield arch as the front of the ship? Cool! The speaker panel and translite as the top of the ship? Sweet. The cabinet sides as the ship in the water? Bad ass. And the playfield being the deck? I have to say, Python really did some creative stuff here.

Having said that, the art clearly was more important than anything else on the game, which is part of the reason that people don't like it, but I really think of Popeye as more of a playable eye candy game than anything else. It plays like it's not a widebody, because the majority of the right side of the playfield is wasted by wireforms that don't have anything under them. The game is NASTY with lightning flippers, and games are short which I do like.

The rules on it once you understand what is going on aren't horrible. Now, they aren't great, but they also aren't as bad as people out to make them out, although it takes a while to figure out what is up. The "video mode" thing is pretty neat, and the way it all works together is interesting enough. It plays more like a System 11 than a DMD, with the exception of the video mode thing. A really artful system 11.

Having said that, if I didn't have a bunch of machines around, there is no way in heck I would have wanted a Popeye. With how many you have, it might work out.

Oh, and the theme is take it or leave it, even if you like Popeye. I like Popeye, don't love it as a theme (more familiar with the theme from being little and playing the 2600 game than I am from anything else), but the weird tacked on animal stuff is... not what you really know from Popeye. It has some of the humor, but it isn't as outstanding as I would like it to be. Having said that, YOU'RE ON A BOAT!

Having said that... I'm the king of the world, on a boat like Leo... If you're on the shore, then you're sho' not me-oh. Time to play some Popeye.

Not even a contest: Fish Tales by a mile.

Fish Tales all day, every day!!!!!!!!!

As stated its a blowout! FT by a landslide!

FT gets my vote.

The problem, ok one of the many problems, is that the ship front end looks like a toilet seat. Which is appropriate for this game.

I don't think it looks at all like a toilet seat, but to each their own. I think it makes it look like I'm on a boat.

I have to agree with calvin12. That thing does look quite out of place.

poopeye

FT is a "keeper" game for me. Even better with the color dmd.

FT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>pop