Michael Jackson's Moonwalker

Este jogo tem como personagem principal a grande estrela da música Michael Jackson. Aqui, ele faz de tudo para salvar as crianças que estão sob a mira do terrível Mr. Big. Ao longo de quatro fases, Michael Jackson dança ao som da sua própria trilha sonora e dá pontapés ao mesmo tempo.

When Moonwalker first came into the office, it proved to be extremely popular - just for the comedy value alone. Cameo screens with an animated Michael asking "Who's Bad?" give this game a comic aspect unrivalled by any other Megadrive game. The formation dancing is great as well - even the dogs and spiders join in! However, as with the Master System version, the limited gameplay may put a lot of hardened gamesters off. Highly recommended to Jackson fans (are their any left?) who like rescuing kids.

I'm amazed at how close this is to the Megadrive version - the graphics are very similar indeed, and the game plays very much in the same way. It's pretty good fun at first, and there's plenty of high-kicking action as you wend your way around the landscape freeing the kiddies from their captors. However, the difficulty level isn't set very high, so experts will find themselves finishing the game pretty quickly. Moonwalker is a fun game with plenty of neat touches, but if you're a competent player, try before you buy.

Michael Jackson is an easy target to joke about nowadays, but there was a time when he was in his prime, and this game hails from that era. It perfectly captures the Michael Jackson persona from his videos, and contains some pretty laugh-out-loud moments, because the character you're controlling is doing exactly the kind of stuff Jackson would on MTV. The game is short, which works in its benefit, as the game never rises above the find-the-children mission level after level. If you hate the game by the first level, you can stop. Though, if you still remember 80s Michael Jackson, this game is worth playing for some great nostalgia.

Moonwalker reste un bon jeu qui plaira certainement plus à ceux qui sont sensibles aux anciens tubes du King of Pop ou pour ceux qui ont fait le tour des beat them all sur MegaDrive. Compte tenu du prix dérisoire de cette cartouche aujourd'hui il serait dommage de s'en priver.

AAOW! Wacko Jacko's back to save the kids of the world, in this conversion of the Megadrive game reviewed in issue 108. This looks a lot like the enjoyable Megadrive game, but the music (which was that version's best feature) isn't as good, and without that the rather repetitive gameplay isn't enough to sustain your interest for long. Recommended only for novice gamesters.

"Bad" ist die Videospielumsetzung von Moonwalker keineswegs. Die Programmierer haben eine recht geschickte Mischung aus Filmelementen und solidem Actionspielprinzip hingelegt. Das weißgewandte Jackson-Sprite tänzelt elegant über den Bildschirm, und die Musik ist technisch hervorragend gelungen. Man wippt angetan mit und ist von den Songs nie genervt. Das Spiel selber bietet solide Unterhaltung, aber wenig Neues und ist zu leicht. Selbst wenn Ihr den höchsten Schwierigkeitsgrad wählt, spielt Ihr Moonwalker zu schnell durch. Davon abgesehen ein anständiges Modul für Michael-Jackson-Fans.

Moonwalker is a pretty average game all the way around. Don’t get me wrong, this is not Shaq-Fu by any means, and if you think about it, how good did you really expect Moonwalker to be? It’s a game based on a movie, made by a pop singer (albeit Michael Jackson). That fact that it is even average is a miracle. Platforming fans may want leave this one retired in the vault as it likely won’t impress you like others in the genre. For MJ fan’s however, if you don’t already own it, its a no brainier. I’d pick it up while it’s still hovering around the $50.00 mark.

Michael Jackson tänzelt erstaunlich leichtfüßig durch die brav in alle Richtungen scrollenden Plattform-Levels. Aber auch der schönste Tanzschritt kann ihn nicht retten, wenn plötzlich hinter einer Tür ein Räuber auftaucht. Dann heißt es Lebensenergie lassen. Von diesen unfairen Stellen abgesehen, ist Moonwalker spielbar und nett.

On one hand, this was a great opportunity for Sega to cash in on Jackson’s popularity and promote their new console at the same time, on the other, the game feels like an obvious quick cash-in. The arcade game wasn’t much more than what the Genesis was doing a year after its release and this game could have benefited from the extra development time. A version of the game was also developed for the Sega Master System and there was a sequel for the Genesis and Arcade planned a couple years later, but the first child molestation scandal killed that idea quickly. In all, if you’re not a fan of Michael Jackson, the generic platforming elements mixed with the repetitive gameplay will do little to hold your interest here.

So basically, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker is fun at times, but even compared to other platformers of the 16-bit era it can be a bit on the monotonous side. If you are a diehard fan of The King of Pop or are dying for another Genesis platformer to add to your collection, Moonwalker isn't a terrible choice; but it almost certainly won't be a game you'll keep going back to, even for nostalgia value.

For a licensed game, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker gets at least one thing very, very wrong. One of Michael Jackson's most recognizable features (beyond the absence of his nose) is his one white glove, yet this game fails to give him that magic accessory. Sadly the glove is not the only thing missing from this game, the magic that was Michael Jackson as his peak is nowhere to be seen here. This is a hollow attempt to cash in on a dance craze that nobody was ever doing. It's one thing to be excited about Michael Jackson's Thriller LP, but I would hate to meet the kid who can't wait to get his mitts on this Master System game. Forget Moonwalker, this game is Bad!

You cannot take anything away from Jackson's musical and performance legacy, but this bit of vanity simply falls apart due to pure laziness. The dance moves are a hoot at the beginning, as are the first few sights of the game's weirdness, but then the whole thing collapses into banality. Everything is stuck on repeat. You may want to rescue this one from a garage sale for the quirk factor, but it will not spend much time in your Genesis.

Bubbles? Yes, Bubbles. The chimp. Moonwalker is always looking to freak you out in new and stranger ways and the appearance of Bubbles just defies any logic. Once you save all the girls, he'll (and I'm not making this up) fly in on a shooting star to take his position on top of your shoulders where he will point you in the direction of the boss. Oh, and when I say boss, I really mean a collection of the same plain thugs that assaulted you throughout the level. Such a mediocre climax is typical of a game that, once you look past the dancing of Michael, is a thoroughly dull experience. Of course, the moves of Michael are really the main attraction here, and it is enjoyably disturbing to see him strut through levels screeching like a… well I'm not sure what. But why not just play the arcade version instead? It's more entertaining than this boring trudge through murky settings in pursuit of a bad guy who hides girls in bushes.

Overall, you should feel ashamed if you enjoy this game. It's a generic attempt to cash in on the movie's popularity by creating another lackluster licensed videogame. The soundtrack is good if you are a fan of Jackson's music, but the overall game itself is lacking and brings nothing new to the table. Sorry MJ, it's time to "Beat It". Okay sorry, I know the joke was awful.