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Michael Jackson's MoonwalkerFrom Sega Retro
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker (マイケルジャクソンズ ムーンウォーカー) is the name of two video game tie-ins made by Sega based on the 1988 film, Moonwalker. A third (sometimes subtitled as The Computer Game) was released by U.S. Gold for home computers, but had no involvement from Sega. As the name suggests it is endorsed by pop sensation Michael Jackson, who would go on to have a long history working with Sega. Moonwalker is made up of a number of short films and does not tell a coherent story from beginning to end. As a result, all versions of Michael Jackson's Moonwalker are based on one segment of the film, Smooth Criminal, which sees Jackson using various music and dance related abilities on a quest to save kidnapped children from the hands of the evil "Mr. Big" and various American gangsters.
HistoryThe game was originally released for the Sega System 18 arcade platform in 1990. This version is played from an isometric perspective and behaves similarly to a beat-'em-up game. Moonwalker was then retooled and re-released as a 2D side-scroller for the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Master System. Though the two games vary considerably, both have the same goals and incorporated synthesized versions of the musician's hits, such as "Beat It" and "Smooth Criminal". In the early days of the Mega Drive, Moonwalker was often used as a flagship product of Sega's system (particlarly in North America), with Jackson's persona being used along with many other celebrities in an effort to put a dent in sales of Nintendo products. Even though both versions of the game have a stage takes place in a graveyard and have the "Triller dance" which can be performed, the theme of Thriller does not feature in either game (being replaced with Another Part of Me). It is suspected that the reason for this was that Jackson did not write Thriller (though did write the other songs). The Sega versions of Moonwalker have now achieved cult status and are remembered for being a memorable point in Jackson's career, marking a change in stage personas between the albums "Thriller" and "Bad". Jackson would work with Sega on several future products - he would be responsible for much of the music in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (though remains uncredited) and features in both Space Channel 5 and Space Channel 5: Part 2. GameplayArcade VersionThe arcade Moonwalker is played from a top-down isometric perspective. Players assume the role of Michael Jackson and are armed with a basic melee attack. All enemies on-screen can also be forced to "dance", which will cause damage in the process. Something which is never explained is how up to three Michael Jacksons, all sporting diffent attire, can play at once. If players find Jackson's chimp, Bubbles, they will turn into a robot and have the ability to fire projectiles. Sadly the arcade version is known to be plagued with a "suicide battery" - a battery which, after it stops working, makes the arcade board completely unusable. This makes a working arcade Moonwalker a rare sight in the modern age. Console VersionConsole versions of Moonwalker play similarly to their arcade counterpart, but are played from a 2D perspective. As with the arcade version the objective is to go around destroying enemies while finding the missing children. This version is notable for having several pointless features which do not appear to have much effect on gameplay (for example, If a meteor falls out of the sky, catch it to turn into a giant mech that shoots lasers and is invincible for a short period of time. You cannot rescue children while invincible. ManualsMega Drive VersionProduction CreditsArcade VersionBGM
All Songs Written and Composed by: Michael Jackson
Game Concept & Design by: Michael Jackson Mega Drive VersionPlanner: Koi Master System VersionDesigners: Udi, Sadou, Fudou Physical ScansArcade Version
Mega Drive Version
Master System Version
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