If you were an arcade rat back in 1990, then you probably spent time playing, or at least listening to Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, which featured the singer doing battle against baddies and rescuing children by performing dance moves and using "Dance Magic" powers, i.e. spinning around and screaming "HOOOO!". Yes, for real. The game featured simultaneous three-player action, and includes a robotic MJ that appears when Jackson meets up with Bubbles the Chimpanzee.
True story -- and there's more. Read on after the break for more about Moonwalker and a video clip of vintage arcade play, along with the other video games Jackson appeared in.
[Thanks for suggesting this, Judd and Niko]
The game was also released on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, although these are generally considered to be far inferior to the arcade version due to gameplay issues. Other 8- and 16-bit versions appeared on everything from the Amiga to the ZX Spectrum. Own a copy? You might want to hang onto it. People are already selling versions of it on eBay, including the full arcade cabinet.
If you play the game through to the end, you'll see what amounts to an advertisement for Michael's music, and a credit claiming that he came up with the concept and story for the game, which, given the plot, isn't that hard to believe. It also made him one of the few musical acts to have his own arcade game, alongside Journey and Aerosmith in Revolution X.
It's worth wondering if Jackson will ever appear in a video game again, given the court battles in his last few years. It's surprising that a DDR-style Jackson-branded game was never released. Although, given the fact that we're seeing The Beatles: Rock Band nearly 49 years after the band was formed, there's always tomorrow. EEE-HEEEEEE!
