Michael Jackson's Moonwalker (Master System) Playthrough
260A playthrough of Sega's 1991 license-based action-platformer for the Sega Master System, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker.
Sega's long-running partnership with Michael Jackson began in 1990 when they produced a pair of games based on the King of Pop's big-budget 1988 vanity film project, Moonwalker. Adapting the film's plot, both games put the player in control of MJ himself, who has to save kidnapped children from Mr. Big, a crazed scientist with penchant for building giant robots equipped with lasers and rockets.
The following year, Sega released an adaptation of the Genesis game, developed by Arc System Works, for the 8-bit Master System in Europe and North America.
With its smoothly animated sprites, fluid game play, and fantastic FM soundtrack, the Genesis game was a real showcase piece for Sega's 16-bit console. The Master System clearly didn't have the grunt to match that level of spectacle, but this version of the game came a lot closer than you might expect. The graphics are cut down, the gameplay is slower, Michael can no longer turn into a Gundam mech, the voice samples are gone, and the music is unpleasant - this is the Master System, after all - but the game's core survived the transition intact. You still moonwalk through scenes from the movie, compulsively search closets and car boots for children, throw your hat at people, grab your crotch, and stage impromptu dance performances. The controls are heavier and there are fewer enemies on-screen at once, but it all feels pretty similar.
The presentation was a big part of the Genesis game's magic, and a lot of that magic was lost in the porting process, but the Master System version of Moonwalker would've been a fine substitute for anyone who hadn't yet made the leap to 16-bit.
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