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Michael Jackson is having another cultural moment.
His biopic Michael just became the first film about a real person to cross $1 billion, passing Oppenheimer on the way. Thirty-six years ago, at the height of his fame, Jackson was the hero of something far stranger: an arcade game where his dance moves were the weapon.
Released by Sega in 1990, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker was an isometric beat-'em-up based on his 1988 film. Players guided a digitized Jackson through neon city streets to rescue kidnapped children from a villain named Mr. Big. Up to three people could play at once, each controlling Michael in a different outfit.
Dance Moves as a Smart Bomb
The signature move was called Dance Magic. Michael struck a pose and forced every thug on screen to dance along with him in perfect sync until they dropped, clearing the screen at once. His real songs played underneath. "Bad," "Smooth Criminal" and "Beat It" scored different stages, and "Billie Jean" played over the ending.
Related: Michael Jackson’s Biggest Pop Anthem Is Suddenly Topping the Charts 43 Years After Release
A Pop Star Who Loved Video Games
Jackson was a devoted gamer who worked closely with Sega, and the King of Pop lent his name and likeness to a run of Moonwalker titles across arcades and home consoles. Sega ported it to the Genesis and Master System too, which is where a lot of kids first played it at home.
The cabinet is a nostalgia favorite today, and it is drawing fresh attention. With Jackson's catalog surging again on the back of the biopic, his dancing-as-combat oddity stands as one of gaming's strangest star crossovers, finding a new audience 36 years after it first ate quarters.
Next: 1988 Arcade Classic, Ranked Among Best Video Games of All Time, Became a Timeless Hit
