MOONWALKER
Original Release: Sega, 1990, Arcade
Never again making an appearance in this form anywhere else, Moonwalker is a weird-but-not-bad isometric beat em up
Moonwalker (Arcade, Sega, 1990)
Where to Buy: eBay
How to Emulate: Arcade Emulation Guide
Review by: C. M0use
This is one of two Michael Jackson games made by Sega in the early 90s, based on the part of MJ's Moonwalker movie/concert thing where he turns into some freaky robot to save children. While the Genesis incarnation of this game was a platformer, this one is an odd hybrid shooter/beat-em-up displayed at an isometric perspective. It's almost kinda a rail shooter, in a way. But not. Eh.
Anyway, the diabolical Mr. Big has kidnapped a bunch of children for who knows what purposes, and MJ goes up against his army of stormtroopers and Metal Phalluses. Seriously, there's this one enemy that is like a mini Metal Gear with a giant hydraulic dong loaded between its legs. Fascinating stuff.
Even more fascinating is when Michael encounters Bubbles the Chimp roaming randomly around each level, and turns into a freaky metallic cyborg in a frightening transformation that is still giving me nightmares. Mike also has a special "dance attack" which makes all the enemies groove uncontrollably (robots included) and then explode.
At the end of every level Mr. Big is waiting in some ridiculous contraption or another. These fights are the highlight of the game, as he alternates between random Engrishy taunts and bizarre confessions of love for MJ.
The whole of the game consists of five levels, which are fairly short, and while the gameplay is not too bad it also isn't anything great either. Ultimately, the game is only worth playing once with some friends just for the weirdness value.
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