Moonwalking through 2017

One of the best things that happened to me after we returned from our epic holiday in the US, was the fact that the room had been completely redecorated and refurbished by my lovely sons, with the TV mounted on the wall and a unit underneath for all of my consoles...

You'll see the Dreamcast if you look closely. As well being able to access all of my old PAL Dreamcast collection, I found a couple of emulator discs, one for the Megadrive, one for the Game Gear and one for the Master System. One of the first things I did was fire up Michael Jackson's Moonwalker.

I have the game for the Master system, boxed with the iconic artwork on the front. The Master System version is very good, but the Megadrive/Genesis version is absolutely sublime.

The game, developed by UK company  U.S. Gold (with little hands on input from Jackson himself) is a  2D action- platformer 'beat 'em up', tied in loosely with the plot of the Moonwalker movie. You play as Michael, (who else?) and your mission is to rescue kids from the evil Mr. Big.

Your way of dealing with the multitude of thugs that try and hamper you, is to use "dance magic" (sic) . You dance, spin, moonwalk and throw your fedora at them... Just as in the video for Smooth Criminal, this is a most effective method of dispatching hardened crime-lords and gun toting hoodlums. On your way you'll be joined by bubbles, who dips in and out of the game.

The animations and control system for your character is as tight as a gnat's chuff, and you will enjoy travelling through the various levels, up and down the stairs and through the various corridors of the buildings you explore and battle in.

The classic Jackson songs Smooth Criminal, Beat it, Another Part Of Me, Billie Jean and Bad are all featured in the game. Playing the game is a joy, although completing the game can be a challenge.
The video above showing the reaction of modern kids to the retro game, is priceless!