Populous

From Sega Retro

This teeny-tiny article needs some work. You can help us by expanding it.

n/a

Populous MDTitleScreen.png

Populous
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System
Publisher:
Sega Mega Drive
Electronic Arts (US/EU), Sega (JP),
Sega Master System
TecMagik
Developer:
Genre: Simulation

















Release Date RRP Code

Populous (ポピュラス) is a 1989 computer simulation game by Bullfrog originally released for the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST .It was ported to the Sega Mega Drive internationally and Sega Master System in Europe. The American Mega Drive version does not have any TMSS support at all.

In Populous, players play as a deity who controls land to affect peoples's lives in the hopes of crushing followers of another deity. The game is played from an isometric perspective, although unlike later attempts at simulations (such as Sim City 2000), there is no scrolling. The Mega Drive Populous is said to have been the first game Electronic Arts released for the system (or indeed any Sega console).

Populous' sequel, Two Tribes: Populous II (a renamed version of Populous II: Trials of the Olympian Gods) was also released for the Mega Drive, as well as the more combat-orientated Power Monger.

Promotional Material

  • Populous SMS FR PrintAdvert.jpg

    Master System FR print advert

Physical Scans

Mega Drive Version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
91 №38, p86
94 №4, p34
75
92 №11, p144
90 №5, p62
87 №5, p10/11
91 №1, p79[1]
93 №2, p50-52[2]
96 №4, p30/31
89 №2, p70/71
93 №13, p30/31
100 №23, p54
70 №5, p21[3]
65 №18, p66
85 №15, p122
Sega Mega Drive
 87
Based on
15 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
60
[4]
ACE (UK)
91
[5]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
75
[6]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
70
[7]
Buzz! Computers (UK)
84
[8]
Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)
94
[9]
The Complete Guide to Sega (UK)
94
[10]
Console XS (UK) PAL
75
[11]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
75
[12]
Game Mania (UK)
90
[13]
Game Power (IT)
82
[14]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
60
[15]
Hobbytes (RO)
72
[16]
Joystick (FR)
92
[17]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)
90
[18]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
63
[19]
MegaTech (UK)
91
[20]
Micromanía (segunda época) (ES)
80
[21]
Mean Machines (UK)
93
[22]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
91
[23]
Player One (FR)
96
[24]
Power Play (DE)
86
[25]
Raze (UK) NTSC
89
[26]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
93
[27]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
100
[28]
Sega Pro (UK)
70
[29]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
65
[30]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
60
[31]
Supergame (BR)
80
[32]
Tilt (FR)
95
[33]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
78
[34]
Zero (UK)
85
[35]
Sega Mega Drive
 82
Based on
32 reviews

Populous

Mega Drive, US
Populous MD US BoxBack.jpgPopulous MD US BoxSpine.jpgPopulous MD US Box.jpg
Cover
Populous MD US CartTop.jpg
Populous MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, EU
Populous MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
Populous MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, JP
Populous MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
Populous MD JP CartTop.jpg
Populous MD JP Cart.jpg
Cart
Populous MD jp manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, BR
Populous MD BR Box.jpg
Cover
Populous MD BR Cart.jpg
Cart

Master System Version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
95 №0, p47/48/49
92 №118, p104/105/106
90 №21
94 №18, p189
75 №2, p43
97 №11, p40/41
90 №11, p28
96 №21, p10/11
100 №23, p58
90 №24, p85
Sega Master System
 92
Based on
10 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Ação Games (BR)
69
[36]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
75
[6]
Consoles + (FR)
95
[37]
Console XS (UK) PAL
88
[38]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
92
[39]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
94
[40]
Game Mania (UK)
90
[41]
Game Power (IT)
90
[14]
Games-X (UK)
90
[42]
Hobby Consolas (ES)
92
[43]
Joystick (FR)
94
[44]
Micromanía (segunda época) (ES)
75
[45]
Player One (FR)
97
[46]
Raze (UK) PAL
90
[47]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
96
[48]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
100
[49]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
88
[50]
Tilt (FR)
95
[33]
Video Games (DE)
88
[51]
Zero (UK)
90
[52]
Sega Master System
 89
Based on
20 reviews

Populous

Master System, EU
Populous SMS EU Box.jpg
Cover
Populous SMS EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Master System, BR
Populous SMS BR Box.jpg
Cover
Populous SMS BR Cart.jpg
Cart
Master System, AU

Populous SMS AU Cart.jpg
Cart
Necretro-round.svg
NEC Retro has more information related to Populous
  1. ↑ File:Megatech UK 01.pdf, page 79
  2. ↑ File:MeanMachines UK 02.pdf, page 23
  3. ↑ File:Segapro UK 05.pdf, page 21
  4. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 178
  5. ↑ ACE, "November 1990" (UK; 1990-10-xx), page 86
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Aktueller Software Markt, "Dezember 1991" (DE; 1991-11-15), page 152
  7. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "September 1991" (JP; 1991-08-08), page 35
  8. ↑ Buzz! Computers (UK) (+0:00)
  9. ↑ Complete Guide to Consoles, "Volume IV" (UK; 1990-11-xx), page 34
  10. ↑ The Complete Guide to Sega, "" (UK; 1991-05-xx), page 49
  11. ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 133
  12. ↑ Famitsu, "1991-08-23,30" (JP; 1991-08-09), page 1
  13. ↑ Game Mania, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-xx-xx), page 80
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Game Power, "Dicembre 1991" (IT; 1991-1x-xx), page 34
  15. ↑ Hippon Super, "September 1991" (JP; 1991-08-03), page 90
  16. ↑ Hobbytes, "1/1994" (RO; 1994-xx-xx), page 31
  17. ↑ Joystick, "Décembre 1990" (FR; 1990-1x-xx), page 144
  18. ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 62
  19. ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "November 1991" (JP; 1991-10-08), page 91
  20. ↑ MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 79
  21. ↑ Micromanía (segunda época), "Febrero 1991" (ES; 1991-0x-xx), page 26
  22. ↑ Mean Machines, "November 1990" (UK; 1990-10-29), page 50
  23. ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 140
  24. ↑ Player One, "Décembre 1990" (FR; 1990-xx-xx), page 30
  25. ↑ Power Play, "11/90" (DE; 1990-10-12), page 138
  26. ↑ Raze, "December 1990" (UK; 1990-10-25), page 70
  27. ↑ Sega Power, "December 1990" (UK; 1990-11-01), page 30
  28. ↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 54
  29. ↑ Sega Pro, "March 1992" (UK; 1992-02-20), page 21
  30. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 66
  31. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
  32. ↑ Supergame, "Maio 1992" (BR; 1992-05-xx), page 30
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Tilt, "Décembre 1991" (FR; 1991-1x-xx), page 75
  34. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 21
  35. ↑ Zero, "January 1991" (UK; 1990-12-06), page 122
  36. ↑ Ação Games, "Setembro 1993" (BR; 1993-09-01), page 37
  37. ↑ Consoles +, "Tilt Hors-Serie" (FR; 1991-07-xx), page 48
  38. ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 143
  39. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "September 1991" (UK; 1991-08-15), page 104
  40. ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 149
  41. ↑ Game Mania, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-xx-xx), page 81
  42. ↑ Games-X, "12th-18th September 1991" (UK; 1991-09-12), page 36
  43. ↑ Hobby Consolas, "Diciembre 1991" (ES; 1991-1x-xx), page 36
  44. ↑ Joystick, "Juillet/Août 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 189
  45. ↑ Micromanía (segunda época), "Diciembre 1991" (ES; 1991-1x-xx), page 73
  46. ↑ Player One, "Juillet/Août 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 40
  47. ↑ Raze, "September 1991" (UK; 1991-07-25), page 28
  48. ↑ Sega Power, "August 1991" (UK; 1991-07-04), page 10
  49. ↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 58
  50. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 72
  51. ↑ Video Games, "2/91" (DE; 1991-06-07), page 84
  52. ↑ Zero, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-xx-xx), page 85
Retrieved from "https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=Populous&oldid=257344"