Michael Jackson's Moonwalker Sega Genesis Thriller Cart.... Does it exist?!

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• Michael Jackson's Moon...
Master System Review:
• Michael Jackson's Moon...
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[@REBELsst]

Storytime. The versions of the game with Thriller were the release batch sold exclusively at The Sharper Image stores. They had variations in the box art and in the instruction booklet. Even stranger, bout 10% of those early games had the labels put on upside down. I'll share a video i made a few years ago. I have since gotten ANOTHER misprint than the one i show, that indeed did have a black n white genesis specific instruction booklet. I'll eventually get around to updating that video... hope that helps explain the supposed randomness of some games having Thriller and some not. the Sharper Image sold games are the ones with it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIPPhmiubZqgi6c

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

That's my next mission, finding one of those upside labeled carts!

[@ogsegasteve9430]

So this Sharper Image story seems to be just that, a story. Im 33 years deep into Genesis collecting and yes i have heard that story before. I was an avid fan of Sega and Sharper Image in the the late 80s early 90s. I would go into the SI store EVERY time i want to the game stores in the mall because i LOVED all the high dollar "toys" that SI sold that i could never afford as a teenager. I never once saw any Sega product at SI and I was in the HEART of Sega and SI country (in Silicone Valley were both were HQed). Having worked at Sega myself in mid 90s, when the Genesis was still in production, this idea of a special edition Sharper Image MW had never come up nor were than any Sega Published exclusive variants for retailers at that point (a la the Target exclusive version of NBA JAM TE). Moreover, I contacted Al Nilsen, former Global Head of Marketing for Sega and his reply to SI getting its own variant was: "Pretty sure that is not true". Beside myself, Ive got 2 other hardcoare, life-long Genesis collectors who had always felt the same way in that the SI thing was a lark. No receipts have ever turned up to validate the purchase of MW from SI. Worse yet I havent ever been able to find someone who flat out claims to have bought MW at SI. I own one of these true first print versions of MW complete with the manual and upside-down label on the cart. Nothing about it points toward it being a "Special Edition" in any way. So special is it that it has a lower quality B&W manual and a mis-applied cart label. Yeah right, a Special Edition with those "features", on Sega's PREMIERE Licensed exclusive title with the King of Pop? Yeah, well... kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6nFfYJrl6djis0 *OR* when the receipts turn up.

[@REBELsst]

@@ogsegasteve9430 no special edition Moonwalker was ever sold. as i understand it, it was destined for a "CLassics" or "Mega Hit" release but thats when MJ was having his legal issues and sega distanced their dealings with him (ie not crediting him on Sonic 3). the Thriller variant is just that, a variant, not a special edition. it was version 1.0 of moonwalker and as far as ive pieced together was initially sold as store exclusives like KB toys and Sharper Image for the first few months of its release or maybe only the first week. sources are not reliable with that. but it was the same game as sold other places. there were a total or 4 or 5 revisions of the game sold, but only the first one had thriller. the packaging was no different other than the small transitional changes from one revision to the other like the "S" size and color v b&w manuals.

[@sebastiann.8088]

Woah dude you got a rare ass version of Moonwalker! You are so damn lucky as those are nearly impossible to find. Yours is Revision 00

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Ohya, I owned five other versions before and none of them had Thriller so yes I'm very happy.

[@notsunnydaysahead]

SandbagX (I’ll like but answer shit 🤫)

[@REBELsst]

@SandbagX give or take, 15-20% of all the moonwalker games sold in the first run. its already an uncommon game... you do the math. as far as I've seen, there are 4 variants plus 1-2 prototypes. I've owned all 4 chip variants at one time or another. see my other comment above...

[@supersexysega]

Someone hacked the beta versions Thriller music into the final rom recently. So Thriller plays all the time during the graveyard stages. Very cool though to find the retail version with the Thriller short in it.

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Yeah I listened to it recently and it sounds pretty good.

[@Cubbie410]

Wait what? A version with thriller exists?

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

@@Cubbie410 It's on a prototype but it's not known if there is a cart version released out there.

[@Cubbie410]

@@AirZonkWorldChamp gotcha

[@demonology2629]

Wow you really got it I hope I get that same kind of version when I purchase it whenever I do 7:06👈🏻🎵🤩🎧🎶

[@KarlJacksonGaming]

Even in Russia I had a cartridge with this 4-in-1 game (where the other three were Sunset Riders, Street of Rage and Shadow Dancer). So that's it. With Michael, it was like that. Another part of me had music from Another part of me, but the dance was Thriller.

[@joemama5839]

Awsome also you should make a full gameplay of moonwalker your really entertaining

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Maybe in the future, the game can be tough in spots.

[@Oysterblade84]

There is an IPS patch that you can download from Romhacking.net where it plays the full Thriller song in stage 3 instead of Another Part Of Me, it's only just come out.

[@sebastiann.8088]

I have that same patch as well. Really cool!

[@playgame-y4e]

Michael Jackson Moonwalker on SEGA GENESIS COOL

[@handmakingtv]

That's crazy that there are some NA versions with the thriller song in the dance magic. I thought the only ones that had it were the Japanese copies. That's why I bought a Japanese megadrive version. Its a shame there isn't a visual way to tell which version it is without playing it.

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

It's weird because NES carts it's easy to see which revision it is but not most Sega games.

[@rubenmejia4881]

Update: I was finally able to test my cart and it has the thriller! 👌

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Nice!

[@RetroGaming-gp2ef]

So I’m guessing the thriller version is probably more expensive & rare than the other versions?

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Well to be honest I don't see too many sellers listing the two different versions so it's possible to get Thriller one by mistake.

[@RetroGaming-gp2ef]

@@AirZonkWorldChamp So it’s basically just a random chance to get a copy that has thriller.

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

@@RetroGaming-gp2ef Although I have 7 thousand plus hits on this video currently, it's not like Logan Paul licking his feet to millions out there so I don't think too many collectors are too awhere of it .... yet.

[@ronaldhenson9170]

Michael Jackson rules

[@jamesl.anderson1384]

3:40

[@jamesl.anderson1384]

0:36

[@gregrld]

I had this version growing up in Toronto, Canada. I played it so many times. I didn't know it was rare until today.

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

@@gregrld glad I could help a little.

[@paulbradley705]

i cant be hte only one expecting thriller in the graveyard scene, still an awesome game. we could get speed demon game.

[@thenostalgiafactor5023]

Also, isn't there a sound/music test in the Options menu?

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Yes but it doesn't play that Thriller sound bite there.

[@thenostalgiafactor5023]

@@AirZonkWorldChamp There's video on KZbin of someone's cart playing the Thriller song in the sound test.

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

@@thenostalgiafactor5023 Maybe it's a prototype or early build because it's not in my cart.

[@RetroGaming-gp2ef]

So it’s real

[@glammetalgamer2592]

I have a Japanese Moonwalker with Thriller and a Japanese Super Shinobi/Revenge Of Shinobi with the copyrighted characters. I also have Japanese Mystic Defender but never finished it so not sure if I have the nude version but the Japanese box art on the back has a nude girl so I assume so.

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

I think the Japanese version of Mystic Defender doesn't have a censored edition since it isn't quite a big deal to have a nakked chick in the game over there.

[@MegaMrJIN]

Awesome but still , I find they should keep the soundtrack running for the graveyard stage instead of just having it for the dance magic attack. Just saying.

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

I'm sure they wanted too but lawyers are way more ruthless then drug dealers.

[@rubenmejia4881]

Wow thats interesting to see i never knew! Im currently on my 3rd copy of michael jacksons moon walker. The last one i sold for sure had it but i didn't that was a actual thing. I have a current copy now but i cant check it since i dont own a genesis at the moment but id love to know if theres a good way to differentiate them

[@linkdbacks0775]

my Moonwalker game cartridge has Thriller and I did the trick to play Thriller and it worked also it has the secret game menu where you can select the stages so my cartridge is a prototype

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

It would be cool to see the game in action.

[@ronaldhenson9170]

I have a copy of Michael Jackson moon Walker for the sega genesis and it has the thriller theme in addition I bought a copy of Michael Jackson's moon Walker for the sega mega drive

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Cool, I wanna try out the MD version someday.

[@davesmidnightgamingenterta3523]

Ok now I want to check my copy.

[@ramirovilla5271]

I got my Sega genius summer,1990,I

[@ramirovilla5271]

Sega Genesis I meant, thanks

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

@@ramirovilla5271 my autocorrect always does that.

[@thenostalgiafactor5023]

It reminds me of the Revenge of Shinobi version differences. Unfortunately for that game, you have to get to stage 4 or 5 before you can start determining which version you have.

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Yeah, the first version of ROS has Batman and he's one of later bosses of stage 6.

[@Chicomite]

I already commented this so sorry for repeating, but if you boot up Revenge of Shinobi, on the title screen it will say Yuzo Koshiro at the bottom of the screen if you have the version with Batman and Godzilla, etc. So you don't have to beat half the game to find out what you got.

[@nickfairchild1987]

The Nostalgia Factor not true I got the board # to determine which version you got of shinobi

[@angeles2425]

Stages 3. Balled flame thrower guy will be Rambo.

[@AgentLevitar]

I actually really like the version of Another Part of Me in this game. Well tbh I love all of the Genesis tracks haha

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Yeah, I agree all the tracks here still sound great even in the midi format here.

[@edgarmcfly]

My game plays thriller too !!! Yeaaaaaaaaaah !

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Nice, I wonder how many copies are actually out there of this version?

[@sahidurrahman7497]

You can download online Moonwalker (Prototype) has with thriller song full music it's simple 😄

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Ohya, I heard it already.

[@sebastiann.8088]

@@AirZonkWorldChamp Hey I got some great news! I just recently gave a rom hack to a seller on Etsy that includes the FULL version of Thriller on the final release. Go check it out and see if you can get yourself a copy! The seller's shop is called FanBrewGames.

[@paulbradley705]

wish moonwalker game was on psp or ps,3,4,5,wii or switch but i guess sega owns it and wont license it to nintendo . just guessing. i wonder if i should buy stand up aracde.

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Sadly I don't see the game ever being re-released again.

[@theNSXman]

Very cool! I never knew this was a thing.

[@nicolasgenerico9380]

Man this is so awesome, i thought that never existed a version with the thriller song. And by the way there is a sound test screen, i do not know how to access it but i think you can find it on the internet.

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

The game has a basic soundtest in the options but it just plays the few music tracks already in the game.

[@nicolasgenerico9380]

@@AirZonkWorldChamp Oh, ok then. I really wish it could have a full version. And by the way, i think someone made a fan-made genesis cover version of the thriller song. I think ou may like it.

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

@@nicolasgenerico9380 Ohya, I heard it. Not too bad.

[@IntellivisionDudeGaming]

Nice

[@JasonRelaxation]

grats on cart and selling other

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Thanks dude.

[@TheMonster83]

It was always my understanding that Thriller was never sold on the game do to license issues. Rod Temperton wrote Thriller. There are repo carts that are made with the Thriller theme in the game. unscrew your cart and make sure you have an authentic board. What's to stop someone from flashing the Thriller modded rom to an authentic board?

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Well, I opened it up and it looks normal enough. The thing is many first revision games include some odd copyrighted info like Revenge of Shinobi I mention here too. That game had to be altered over 5 times already.

[@lutherheggs451]

Nope. There was a release that had Thriller on it, but was quickly recalled and pulled from shelves because he didn't write the song, Rod Temperton is the guy who wrote Thriller....I had a cart that had it as a kid, it made sense that the song only played during the dance.

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

@@lutherheggs451 Did the cart you remember have the full Thriller theme on the 3rd stage or was it just during the dance segment like here?

[@Chicomite]

I got really lucky at a game store and got Revenge of Shinobi 1st version for $20 with all the Batman and Godzilla, Rambo, etc in it. The clerks had no idea there was a "pulled off the store shelves" version. Here's a tip how to tell with a cartridge: pop it in a Genesis and let it boot up. If the title screen says Yuzo Koshiro, you sir have a 1st version Revenge of Shinobi. If not, then nope. Also it says in the manual, but that's if u get a manual. I gotta research this Mystic Defender censorship, I actually was playing it yesterday, I wonder what version I have? Is there something in the box that says what revision it is, or I just have to get to that part?

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

Nice, that's how I got my ROS too and its good to see the game super cheap still. Sadly with Mystic Defender the only way to see the original release is to beat the game and seeing whether Alexandria is wearing a dress or not.

[@Chicomite]

@@AirZonkWorldChamp say no more, I am booting up my Genesis and am totally ready to beat Mystic Defender and see those digital 16-bit tittays!!! Or a girl in a dress, either way I'm beating that game tonight. Thanks Ryan :)

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

@@Chicomite Good luck, I know the orb attack works well on the final boss.

[@Ravenclaw022]

I have it for android but its bugged.