Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker: The Strange and Compelling Genesis Game

Developer: Sega   Publisher: Sega   Release: 08/90  Genre: Action

Before Sega introduced Sonic the Hedgehog, they relied on celebrities and athletes to enhance their Genesis lineup. Signing major figures like Buster Douglas and Joe Montana to endorse sports games was a no-brainer. However, their biggest triumph was securing Michael Jackson to star in a video game. It was the early 90s, “Bad” was blazing up the charts, and “Moonwalker” had just hit theaters. Naturally, the King of Pop deserved his own game, but how do you create a game based on a pop star? The answer: a side-scrolling platformer. While “Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker” may not be a classic, it possesses an inexplicable allure.

“Moonwalker” loosely follows the plot of the film of the same name, which is more of a musical with minimal storyline. Mr. Big, a drug kingpin, has kidnapped children and hidden them throughout the city. As Michael, your mission is to rescue the kids and put an end to Mr. Big’s mysterious plot. Surprisingly, Sega developed two separate games based on the film. Having played the arcade version first, I initially assumed this was a home port. To be honest, I wish it was, as the arcade game is superior.

Despite Michael’s gangster attire, he does not utilize a Tommy gun to defeat enemies. Instead, he relies on his flashy dance moves. His primary attack is a punch or kick that emits a magical dust, provided his life bar is above 30%. Additionally, there is a dedicated dance button with various uses. A light tap triggers Michael’s signature spin, while holding it down unleashes his fedora as a boomerang. Holding the dance button even longer prompts an impromptu dance number, forcing on-screen enemies to join in the performance and expire at the end. Performing dance moves depletes Michael’s life, but rescuing a child replenishes it significantly.

In each level, the goal is to rescue a specific number of children, at which point Michael’s chimpanzee companion, Bubbles, will appear to guide you to the end-level boss. Yes, it sounds bizarre, but it’s true. Children are hidden in various places, such as doors, bushes, dumpsters, and disturbingly even car trunks. However, similar to “Revenge of Shinobi” (which was coincidentally in development at the same time), any hiding spot can also contain a bomb. As you progress, you will need to save more children per stage, and they become increasingly well-hidden. That essentially sums up the game.

Sega has done an admirable job with this obscure license, embracing the quirkiness of the film and incorporating many of its set pieces as levels. In one stage, you find yourself kicking gangsters in a run-down parking lot, while in the next, you face an endless swarm of zombies and spiders. The only power-up available is a shooting star that appears under specific conditions. Collecting it transforms Michael into a mechanical version of himself, enabling him to fly and shoot lasers. While this form is mostly useless since you can’t rescue children in it, you can at least explore the level more freely. As if that weren’t enough, in the final level, Michael morphs into a spaceship, transforming the game into a shooter. Just attempting to describe it makes me sound like a madman.

Despite solid controls, the game struggles to overcome its repetitive nature. The enemy AI is incredibly simplistic, with most foes posing little threat. To compensate for this, each level is filled to the brim with enemies, resulting in tiresome battles against the same adversaries stage after stage. The monotony amplifies as the enemies become more bothersome. Furthermore, the game suffers from an excessive number of levels set in the same location, an issue shared with “Sonic the Hedgehog.” After the second level in a particular setting, you’ll likely yearn for the game to progress. Even the music, as much as I adore Michael Jackson’s hits, repeats endlessly. Thankfully, the game is relatively short, sparing the player from enduring an even worse fate. Nonetheless, “Moonwalker” would greatly benefit from a more streamlined experience.

In Closing

“Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker” surpasses initial expectations given its source material. However, it still falls short of being classified as a good game. The novelty of its premise begins to wear thin quickly, leaving players with a slow and repetitive action game they are unlikely to revisit after the initial playthrough.