Michael Jackson's Moonwalker - The Review

In 1990, Sega worked with pop icon Michael Jackson to make a couple of games with them. One was a 3 player isometric arcade game. The other was a sidescrolling action title for the Sega Genesis. We'll be looking at the latter.
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Opening 3D Logo By:
Jan Neves
KZbin Page - / jan3d
Opening 2D Animation By:
Kevin Bhall
Facebook - / kevin.bhall.14
Episode Notes:
1. Captured on the Mega SG.
2. There were also home computer versions of Moonwalker, but Sega was not involved with them.
3. Due to the license, this game has never seen release on any other console.
4. Sega originally intended there to be a sequel to this, but once child molestation charges showed up, Sega decided to scrap it.
5. There are fan hacks of this that put Jackson's actual music in the game.
6. I always wanted a Sega CD version of this. They really could have cranked up the audio quality, animation, and cinemas there.
7. The last boss battle is a first person space battle where you are flying your spacecraft. You must avoid Mr. Big's missiles while scoring hits of your own.
8. Despite the stage and the dance moves on it, Thriller isn't actually part of this games soundtrack. There are a few 8 second snippets of it in the 00 revision, but that's it. It was removed from other versions.
9. When MJ died in 2009, these home games shot up in price. A complete copy will typically run you north of $100.

[@danfred7127]

Michael Jackson's music and image were inescapable back then. I think you summed up the appeal of this game absolutely perfectly. It was truly impressive playing this game when it was new.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

Just like your profile pic demonstrates the late 80s early 90s were that moment before everything kind of went to crap. This game somehow perfectly encapsulates that that time when people were either naive or ignorant or something and you could just enjoy a thing for what it was. something that's gotten damn near impossible in this day and age.

[@volvo145]

In my case the game let me to Michael Jackson and a lot of his music if not I probably would not have it in your head today down north of Jack’s on songs that I really like

[@Mattos77]

Really loving these more indepth look at these classics. Moonwalker was a big part of my childhood. So much nostalgia for this game

[@SegaLordX]

Thanks dude. Glad you're enjoying them.

[@nicktronson2977]

@Professor Mike PPC Me and my bro had the superior Master System version also.

[@andrewallan5442]

Played it to death too, swapping carts at school felt special .

[@acecarrera1]

"It's as natural as Mario jumping on turtles." Another word of wisdom from Sega Lord X.

[@nororengo286]

I remember back when MJ would release new music videos, it would be like a major TV event.

[@buckroger6456]

Same here, I remember watching the thriller video. If I remember correctly it was a prime time event on tv with a huge behind the making of the video and only at the very end did they play the music video.

[@cabdragon333]

I nominate SLX as official spokeman of SEGA gaming. He is the reason I still think Genesis does what Nintendon't

[@Darth001]

Totally agree

[@DeludedOne]

Well he isn't called Sega Laud X for nothing.

[@Tweaked818]

Yup i enjoy sega videos only because..NOSTALGIA!

[@85futureshock]

That 89-91 Genesis lineup gives me so much nostalgia for some reason. You had pop culture’s biggest names in sports and entertainment like Michael Jackson, Evander Holyfield, Joe Montana on the covers of the games and you had the closest thing to arcade perfect quality gaming with games like Truxton, Ghouls N Ghosts and Strider. It just represented such a wonderful time period not only in gaming but in childhood. Its hard to explain to those who weren’t around how much of a special time period that was.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

The world hasn't really been the same since Sega left the console business. As a software company they're okay but their output is not great though they've gotten better over the years.

[@mrbig2648]

I have the same feeling. I think a big reason why I have a special nostalgia for that early pre-Sonic Megadrive period is because the console still felt very "next gen" at that time (this was before the release of the SNES after all). People forget that the console was competing with the NES for 2 years before the SNES arrived. It was a very exciting time. I love those early Megadrive games (Mystic Defender, Forgotten Worlds, Sword of Vermillion etc)

[@mrbig2648]

SLX had a great video about that period called "Before the SNES". Well worth watching.

[@madaction9373]

The first genesis game I got! Classic.

[@SegaLordX]

You could have done a lot worse for sure.

[@madaction9373]

@@SegaLordX Absolutely. Keep up the fantastic job!

[@HybridAngelZero]

I gotta say, I absolutely LOVE the remixes of those classic tracks in both the Genesis and Master System versions

[@IamMarkSmith]

Man I look at this game so differently than I did back in the early 90’s. It was one of those games I thought would be just like the arcade version which I loved. I love this version a lot more today than I did back then and enjoy playing it. It definitely has a nice challenge to it. While it is different than the arcade it still has a “quarter muncher” kind of experience. I wish they were able to re-release both this and it’s arcade counterpart in a collection however we all know that unfortunately would most likely never be possible. Whatever the case is this is a game that should never be lost to time regardless of how it is preserved. It’s a legend of its time for the the fact they were able to capture MJ in pixel form during the highlight of his life.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

Remember when Sega was fun?! Pepperidge farms remembers.

[@leeweesquee]

Was? Still is

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@leeweesquee I mean the old games still are but as far as the company now, no I don't think so. They don't take chances they don't step outside their comfort zone they put out nice safe stuff that sells. (Which is fine I like most of their stuff) But they're not like they once were. Not putting out fun stuff like power stone or stuff that's just a blast to play.

[@TheSektorz]

Such a unique and bizarre game this was. I remember it fondly and with nostalgia, but past the first few levels, it becomes very not-fun and borderline unfair.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

Yep that sounds like a lot of 16-bit games of the time alright.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@The Monster Under Your Bed Everyone's got that handful of movies games and shows that is right in their nostalgia blind spot. Some people can simply say I know it's bad but it's like my guilty pleasure. Other people are completely devoid of self-awareness and will defend their crappy decision/taste no matter how many people say otherwise. I do think people's taste can change over their lifetime as well. What was totally passable as a kid or even teenager as an adult just isn't as good anymore. People that can actually admit that their tastes have evolved and changed are the people that I respect the most. people that can admit yes I used to have bad taste but I got over it.

[@cdrugly]

The moonwalking has no offensive purpose, but as I recall it’s the easiest way to open man hole covers on level 2.

[@marakarthegreat]

I can't believe they animated Michael grabbing his [I'm unable to add the word because of youtube's guidelines, but the word rhymes with walls]

[@dl6085]

His eyeballs. Yeah man, you are right. That was and still is disgusting

[@maegnificant]

his biggie smalls?

[@EliteGamersUnited]

Nose

[@EliteGamersUnited]

anyone remember the scene in Who Framed Roger Rabbit

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

The fact that both moonwalking and crotch grabbing were included as totally useless moves in this game is sort of incredible considering there was no point to it, it was just ridiculous and fun like the game was.

[@lexnoil]

The game that me and my cousin love to play when we was young. And we high five each other when we beat the game.

[@SuperHns]

not gonna lie, this is one of my favorite SEGA games, I remember playing this as a kid and humming the tunes, i still listen to the SEGA music of this game sometimes.

[@launchpadmcquack9305]

There are early versions of this game with Thriller in the graveyard

[@NickRinaldi1980]

I had this game and if you made the zombies dance it played thriller. I didn’t know this was only for early versions of the game ?

[@supersexysega]

@@NickRinaldi1980 Yes they took it out for most copies.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

So we all know what version of the game is worth the most. Like someone else in the comments said a complete version after his death is now worth upwards of $100 or more. The fact there's one version that has that eight second clip of thriller music is enough to drive the price up even more I bet.

[@supersexysega]

@@JohnDoe-wq5eu Yea just like in Revenge of Shinobi's case. If you confirm you have the rare early version people will pay a premium.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@supersexysega The one with Godzilla, Spider-Man and Batman (I can't remember if he actually got into the US version or not) I can't remember if there were more changes but I remember those ones.

[@chaospoet]

I too am a hard rock/metal guy but being a child of the 80s I can't help but love Jackson's music from that time period. Looking back it's crazy how he went from being THE biggest thing imaginable and loved by all and considered a true artist and musical genius to being loathed and considered the walking definition of creepy in such a short span of time. I wish nothing negative had happened (I'm undecided on whether or not he did anything but the controversy forever tarnished him) and he hadn't died and was still well respected like he was in the 80s. I wouldn't put it past him, if he were still alive, just for fun to put up a KZbin video of him lets playing this very game while giving behind the scenes stories of it's development from his perspective. In a better timeline that's how people are dealing with the lock downs.

[@globalcitizenn]

Listen to the podcast Michael Jackson- A case for Innocence on itunes/spotify.. he didn’t do anything. He was a victim of false allegations & malicious propaganda. Don’t dismiss it as fan talk.. I sympathise with victims but one needs to look at the facts..

[@Lightblue2222]

Shinobi saves kids too! Why? Because he's awesome.

[@nothanksnoname7567]

Why? Because he has an island too...

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@nothanksnoname7567 I think you mean ranch, Epstein was the one that had an island.

[@nothanksnoname7567]

@@JohnDoe-wq5eu Yes, I was referencing him and his island. Does the fictional Shinobi have a ranch? I'm not too familiar with the games yet.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@nothanksnoname7567 Nope. That was just a good old-fashioned miscommunication/misunderstanding. I completely misunderstood what we were talking about there. My bad.

[@MollyDogsm]

I always loved the master system version. The gameplay is clunky but simple and the sound track rocks.

[@HakeemPurnell]

This and the Revenge of Shinobi reviews really brought me back. Thank you. I loved these early Genesis games, which made me a Sega kid for life. It wasn’t easy either with all the Nintendo fans around and at times, felt like I was the only kid with a Genesis. I foundry look back at these games which were the building blocks of my love for video games. Awesome review.

[@fusoya6544]

Me too. Ghouls n' Ghosts, Thunderforce III and Golden Axe were other early games I enjoyed for the MD. They were so impressive back in the day.

[@entezami777]

You're delivering hit after hit. love it

[@sethpoirier6271]

I loved this game as a kid. One of my favorite SEGA GENESIS games !

[@MuaadElSharif]

I like how you find the positive points in every situation. Your videos are uplifting. Keep up the good work :)

[@gtrzdaddy]

my biggest regret during Genesis era was trading my copy of Target Earth (Assault Suit Leynos) with the friend's Moonwalker.. what was I thinking...

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

Hindsight's 20/20 my friend. Don't beat yourself up that's how it goes. I've been there more times than I wish to admit.

[@stevesteve0521]

Loved this game and loved the music on it. It sucks that we never got a sequel for the Saturn or Dreamcast.

[@shawnrickman970]

Love the videos dude. Didn't have any sega growing up but I enjoy learning about the systems and games

[@urbanstrider]

I really like this in depth focus on single games! I hope you can keep it going!

[@PersianImm0rtal]

Michael Jackson is the king. In 2,000 years humans will still be watching his performances and listening to his music.

[@YacDiesel]

That he is

[@retrofan4life]

I love this game and have it complete in a protective case. Damn fun experience! Thank you for the video!

[@alexl2475]

When Michael puts the coin in the jukebox it is a great gaming moment.

[@25hztolife86]

Finally.

[@Diwasho]

He transforms from Michael Jackson to Mecha Jackson, the King of Robopop!

[@pliniomsann]

I had and played the Master System version so many times that it helped to make my childhood better

[@JasonB808]

I remember playing the arcade version of moon walker back in the day. Micheal Jackson was my favorite artist back in the 80s when I was a Kid. I used love singing his songs.

[@EliteGamersUnited]

Another amazing awesome incredible video Sega Lord. I hope everything is well with your sister I hope everything is improving health one wise stay positive and everything will work out for the best. Cheers brother

[@digsbious]

Oh the memories! thank you SLX!

[@Liquidcadmus]

I still wonder why they didn't try to make a port of the arcade. The Genesis could handle a downscaled version of it. there's some pretty good isometric games on the system.

[@mazonemayu]

They should’ve put the arcade game on the sega cd... content intact and music too, because of the cd storage

[@dangerotterisrea]

The Immortal was pretty awesome, different genre and hard as nails though!

[@Ottophil]

I don’t understand why they even made the playatations 1-4 they could have skipped right to the 5

[@Cyberbrickmaster1986]

When I was invited over for a sleepover at my teachers house in the 3rd grade, they had a Sega Mega Drive with two games. One was Disney's Aladdin and the other was Michael Jackson's Moonwalker. We mostly played Aladdin, because it was the better game. Though given modern circumstances, this game would be very rare and expensive, and will definitely never see a re-release. I mean, we can't even have Sonic 3 because of these reasons!

[@Marcus_K]

The game was graphically and musically way ahead of most games in 1990, when Super Mario 3 was released on the NES in North America.

[@MrThunderwing]

I remember being super impressed with the Soundtrack on the Megadrive version back in the day. One thing I never understood though was why they didn't use Thriller on the Zombie level...?

[@IIONNICC]

I wish new indie game developers would sometimes use Genesis color palette and audio.

[@IvanSantanaEu]

Blazing Chrome

[@TeamPandory]

Retro City Rampage?

[@happyhollandays]

Demons of Asteborg is a new indie Genesis game set to be released in the next month or so. Its earlier demo versions received rave reviews.

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

@John Smith In the hands of a skilled audio programmer, the Genesis can really sing. It can also make horrid noises if they don't know what's they're doing, or don't really care.

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

@John Smith Yeah, the music and sound effects are great on Sonic games, which coincidentally, I believe Michael Jackson worked on some of the Sonic 3 music (which is also why many speculate Sega opted to exclude Sonic 3 from many Sonic rereleases). Most people that regularly watch these videos already know that, but, just saying.

[@tenmoonchen7259]

Loving these single game reviews! Really hope there will be some bonus episodes where you can cover non-Sega games. I mean 8-bit/16-bit games on NES/Famicom/SNES/Super Famicom/Turbografx-16/PCE.

[@afropowa1598]

1:35 that took me forever to figure out when I was a kid, lol. I still love this game tho.

[@Patrick2480]

You should have mention the Graveyard scene was suppose to have the Thriller music but due to a rights issues with 1 of the writers of the song, it got change to Another part of me. There is a prototype rom on the net with the Thriller music.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

Apparently there is an eight second clip played when you do the make the characters dance special move in the graveyard level but only in one early version of the game.

[@ScottWozniak]

I play the MD+ hack via MiSTer that replaces the Genesis chiptunes with the original music and rightfully puts Thriller back into the game.

[@thedutchgoonie2989]

great review, pleasant to hear somebody say something nice about this game 👍 back in the day i was a huge michael jackson fan and a nintendo kid. but when in 1992 a vriend of mine showed me his megadrive with sonic, streets of rage, ecco, shinobi etc. and moonwalker.. it turned me over to sega 😜 so this game won me over, sega's strategy definitely worked!

[@sg-hu5xq]

I think a part of my brain that wasnt accessed since 30 years just got touched!!

[@BecauseYNot]

Awesome video!

[@Patrick2480]

when playing Beat it, Send for The Man *for those that get that reference*

[@shoeflaps]

@@MrChuNu KZbin seem to be allowing full screen now. you should go and catch up.

[@Patrick2480]

Also helps if someone closeby is corpsing, lol

[@davidgill7412]

There are hacked versions of Moonwalker that use MJ's vocals. MAME 2003plus core for the arcade and Genplus GX and the MEGA SG cart for the Genesis version.

[@ScottWozniak]

Yep. I play MD+ hacks via MiSTer. Streets of Rage 2 with the arranged music is an awesome experience.

[@davidgill7412]

@@ScottWozniak I have a question. How do you patch MD+ games?

[@ScottWozniak]

@@davidgill7412 I just grab them already patched. Google is your friend.

[@antenant9294]

One of the first games I got for my Mega Drive, back in 1991 I think. I still have the same cartridge today. :) I really liked this one, but I couldn't explain why now... so thanks for explaining its appeal more eloquently than I can!

[@SilverAxe13]

Great review, as always. I’ve never gotten to play this, and I’d love to hunt down a copy sometime. As a longtime fan of Jackson’s music, I gotta play this.

[@Ghostyx1989]

i just added this to my genesis mini then you make a video on it perfect timing man hahah

[@NinjakX]

Awesome video man. This was the main reason I wanted the genesis

[@vfletes1]

Not that the other video weren't any good.. But like the others mention this videos with in depth are very good. I really appreciate the extra work that goes will all these videos.

[@malcolmar]

Again, very well done! I LOVED this game. Sadly I made the mistake of selling my original copy when I sold my first Sega Genesis. Now this game goes for so much money on the aftermarket :( Loving this more in-depth look at specific classics. Keep up the great work!

[@aaronmerkel5216]

This was the only game i hung on to after getting rid of the genesis. No book though cuz i cut it up to decorate my room. Idiot i know

[@HybridBoss]

Great review

[@AverageDrafter]

This was by far the best game to do Music and Sound menu check, which was a relatively new novelty in the 16-bit era. All the "HOO!" "WOO!" "Michael!" in the SFX, and then... my god.. all those bad ass Quincey Jones/MJ compositions squeezed through the purity of a six channel Yamaha YM2612. When I first heard it, it let me appreciate the music striped from the image and MJ himself (both were in decline at the time). Now, its both an authentic example of his output of the time, and also weirdly striped of his presence... which is probably a good place to be.

[@LeeONardo]

Still got my original copy I got for my birthday. Always loved MJ =)

[@arisdulgerian2053]

I remember playing this in an arcade overseas back in ‘92. It was hard for me to find when I returned home & wanted to get it for my Genesis.

[@mole28]

Great video! I still like this game and play it every now and then. One thing i always found strange is that they didn't use "Thriller" on the graveyard level.

[@MaidenHell1977]

HARD ROCK AND METAL.

[@bertrand4064]

I must have thanked you before knowing your channel, I hated all the old sega consoles, but since I saw your content I developed a taste for them, especially the sega saturn. last year i traveled to japan and bought a saturn and quite a few games i even bought an excellent copy of Radiant Silvergun. I love my Saturn and it is thanks to you that you opened my eyes to a console with a huge amount of treasures.

[@rosiello5100]

Sega was quite big in Italy at the time (kids either had a Commodore Amiga 500 or a Mega Drive, or both) and I remember a rather aggressive marketing campaign on TV for this game. This was rather new because it wasn't common for videogames to have commercials on TV and we kids were excited everytime we saw them.

[@Cafeman_2D]

Never saw or knew about the movie, but when I found a copy of this in the 2000s, we found it surprisingly bizarre and entertaining. It's almost a parody of Michael. I'm surprised you didn't show the between levels cinematic of MJ yelling a gravely Genesis "Wooo!" , we roared in laughter and delight at that! It has an early Shinobi feel to it as you mentioned it was the same developers.

[@brianeych]

the genesis moonwalker is reminiscent of shinobi with a splash of tranquilizers and painkillers.

[@pyrobison2002]

I saw the arcade cabinet on vacation in myrtle beach when i was 5. Blew me away

[@j23_stuff]

I was an early adopter of the Genesis and I had this game. It was awesome at the time. This game and Castle of Illusion were my 2 main games in the early Genesis years

[@derekbuckler3859]

I played this game to death when it came out, i loved the music, graphics, and the animation is top notch. Another game i take out from time to time to play, and yet another timeless sega genesis classic. Thanks for mentioning one of my favorite games x, great vid as always

[@mauz4930]

Still remember the 90's, me and my brother renting it as soon as it was released in italy.

[@Huntern0rt]

Great Review.

[@Adalwolf17]

Such a gem of a game.

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

I’m proud to own this and grew up with MJ’s music so Moonwalker means a lot to me and the Mega Drive sound chip does his music proud.

[@BocaRetroGames]

I had the master system back when it was released, and remember the excitement around it's release! We had to make reservation prior to be able to rent this cartridge back in the day. It really was fun and exciting as a kid. I've got to play these games again. I also like the arcade game, and I wish that made a port to the genesis.

[@masonwilcox7055]

I love Moonwalking though this game!, and the music will keep you humming all the way through.

[@j.goggels9115]

Sega Lord X must be stalking me through my webcam 😂. How did you know I was playing that game? The final levels (5-3 and following) wowed me. This game is so under-rated. The moves. Level 3 is gorgeous. This is so much better than Kid Chameleon and ... very significant in the Megadrive's lifespan. Why is it always brushed off? Well of course, Jacko is no longer a thing anymore and admittedly the mechanic is repetitive butstill there are plenty of details that makes this game special. Of course, it belongs to the Top 15 Megadrive games. You're very right about the nostalgia factor. This Megadrive game is another part of us.

[@Mayydayy86]

Sega Lord corpsing? SEND FOR THE MAN! 7:05

[@xXxGantzzxXx]

Both arcade and genesis version are great imo. I love both of them equally

[@kapparomeo]

Now that the Safechuck suit has been dismissed and Michael's innocence has been demonstrated yet again, a review of his game is very timely to celebrate the good news. Thanks!

[@RetroGamingSwede]

No love for the master system port? I absolutely love that version.

[@Guernicaman]

I for one would love to see a fan game of Moonwalker, where they make things less repetitive, add more enemy variety & better stage layouts.

[@gordondaniels9308]

Being the huge nerd that I am, I always heard the Weird Al renditions of Beat It and Bad in my head when I played this game.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

Let's see so that would be eat it, and wait what was the weird Al version of bad called?!

[@gordondaniels9308]

@@JohnDoe-wq5eu Fat.

[@michaels9595]

We watched the Moonwalker movie over and over along with star wars as a kid. Playing this game was so much wish fulfillment. It was just everything. It was fun playing with two and seeing different colored suits.

[@redherronrecords]

You mean the one where he rescues what look like kids from what look like the cops? I loved that as a skid.

[@Marshall_Lee_Morningstar]

I used to play this game all the time. Never beat it (lul) but it was just fun hearing the music and playing as Michael Jackson.

[@ravagingwolverine]

I was a bit young when this game came out and not really a fan of music in general then, but this game did look cool. By the time I got my Genesis, there were so many new games that I never got to play this game in depth. This game does show the limitations of a four-megabit cart more than some others of the time. I think some of the FM conversions of Jackson's music translate really well to video game background music based on the bits played here.

[@briannorthFW]

I had this as well and totally agree, it was one of those games you were too cool for yet somehow it was crowd pleaser for the Genesis, considering it was early software

[@jmullner76]

Nice review; loved the game as a kid. One thing about the moonwalk: use it on conveyor belts to not get slowed down on them.

[@thefroyukenfiles3641]

Great work on the review, SLX. Here's hoping you were able to comb through it during editing fine enough for it to avoid having it flagged for the music. 🙏

[@KevinTwiner]

Awesomeness 😎

[@jimmyyaoharbin]

Will Always Love Michael Jackson

[@michaelbarry7783]

I literally just beat the game tonight. I played it a ton in the 90s and love it still. I remember getting to the final battle but could not remember if I had beaten it back then so I had to make sure I did it lol

[@Albert8044]

In Michael Jackson Moonwalker, there is one song that was in the arcade port but absent from the Genesis version, and that song is Thriller.

[@mulry101]

Great review! This game is the main reason I bought a Sega Genesis!

[@jessecappelletto5621]

This game is hilarious, it was one of my first Genesis games back in the day and I used to play it a ton!

[@AnarchistCatGrrl]

Great video! Are you gonna do Splatterhouse next for Halloween?

[@thefifthdoctor6780]

My childhood 😎 still own today

[@priscilam.9808]

I guess this game makes more sense for those who grew up in the 80s like me. I got for my birthday a walkman and a Thriller cassette tape. Simpler times... I kinda miss that early Genesis era.

[@grahampompidou222]

I like how the logo looks on this package

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

I mean in general geez that is a very late 80s early 90s cover. No matter what the game actually is that cover is amazing.

[@The1uptriforce]

WAIT you CAN get the gun guys to dance!!?!?!?! I never bothered because they run away on the first level they appear that's awesome thanks for showing that.

[@chumpyman]

This was the first game i bought on the mega drive with my own money. I was so excited when it came.