Commodore User
1st November 1989
Author: Mark Patterson
Publisher: U. S. Gold
Machine: Amiga 500
Published in Commodore User #75
Moonwalker
Michael J seems to have done rather well for himself. After all, is it that wacko to earn over sixty million in a year? This should be enough to tell us that Moonwalker, the movie, wasn't made for financial gain, but more likely as an ego trip.
The first level finds Michael trapped on a movie set being pursued by hordes of fans. His only means of escape is to disguise himself as a rabbit. En route, Michael must also collect film equipment and run over packets of drugs left behind by the evil Drug Baron.
Next MJ has to collect crystals in order to transform himself into a super-powered sports car. Another maze section follows, also featuring small, not particularly imaginative, graphics.
Stage three is the famous Thirties night club (as featured in the Smooth Criminal video). Now Michael has to collect a gun and seriously mess with the bad guys. As they appear at the windows, they have to be shot. At the end of this level, the Drug Baron kidnaps Michael's friend Katy and runs into the next level.
Finally Michael transforms into a robot for the final face off with the Drug Baron. This time he's up against a small army of hoodlums and the Baron's massive laser cannon. If he survives all that, Michael transforms once more and whisks off into the sunset.
Each level is accompanied by nice, if somewhat repetitive, samples from the album - one feature which helps to save the game, whilst between each section is a short animated cartoon sequence outlining the plot. They're so well done though, that they tend to overshadow themselves.
Licensing a film like Moonwalker would have been a big, not to mention expensive, risk for anybody. And US Gold have done surprisingly well considering the overall limited scope for a game, and the legal restraints from Jackson's lawyer. They insisted for instance, that the graphics in one scene be changed; Michael is very proud of the face that he can move about on tip-toes, so the Jackson estate made sure that this remarkable event was captured on the software.
My overall impression of the game is that it's limited. The first two sections are almost identical, while the last two follow very similar lines.
This will go down well with fans of the film and the artist. But, for the rest of us, it's a miss.
Scores
Amiga 500 VersionGraphics | 83% |
Sound | 83% |
Playability | 64% |
Lastability | 62% |
Overall | 63% |
Scores
Amiga 500 VersionGraphics | 83% |
Sound | 83% |
Playability | 64% |
Lastability | 62% |
Overall | 63% |