Hello, this is Super Asurada77.
Today we’re diving into one of the most unique and unforgettable games of the early 1990s — Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker for the Sega Mega Drive (known as the Genesis in the U.S.).
Developed by SEGA in 1990, this game was based on the Moonwalker movie — and yes, the King of Pop himself was directly involved in its development and supervision.
You control Michael Jackson as the star of the show, combining signature dance moves, iconic music, and stylish action — all wrapped up in one wild 16-bit experience.
And instead of rescuing a kidnapped princess (a tired old trope), this time you’re saving kidnapped children.
Oh… wait, I guess the “kidnapping” part hasn’t changed after all. 😅
🎮 Basic Controls
- A Button – Magic: Turn, break walls, open manhole covers.
- With a blue energy gauge: Hold to perform the dance attack.
- With a yellow gauge: Hold to throw MJ’s hat as a weapon.
- B Button – Attack:
- With blue/yellow gauge: Magic attack (area damage).
- With red gauge: Basic melee attack.
- C Button – Jump
- B + C – Jump Attack
- Up on D-pad: Open doors, trunks, windows, enter caves, use warp pads, ride elevators.
- Diagonal Up/Down: Climb ladders.
Your energy gauge changes from blue → yellow → red as you take damage, and your attack power decreases with it.
MJ starts with two lives, so use them wisely!
🕹️ Game Flow
Each stage shows the number of children you need to rescue. They’re hidden everywhere — behind doors, in trunks, windows, trash cans, even manholes.
Once all are saved, a chimpanzee appears, climbs onto MJ’s shoulder, and points the way to the boss. Defeat the boss’s henchmen to clear the stage.
Alright then — let’s go save those kids!
The opening scene shows off what a 16-bit console can really do.
Back in grade school, my jaw dropped the first time I saw this.
Throw a coin into the jukebox and the stage lights up — an awesome cinematic intro!
“Smooth Criminal” starts playing, and suddenly you’re reliving a scene straight from the movie.
You’ll spot a crying child tucked away in a corner. Just walk up to them and they’re automatically rescued.
They immediately run off-screen, completely ignoring the enemies.
“Alright kid, take care of yourself then!”
Look for club doors — stand in front of them and press Up to make Michael open them with his trademark flourish.
There could be a child… or a group of enemies waiting inside.
Once you’ve rescued all the children, a monkey appears and climbs onto Michael’s shoulder, pointing toward the boss’s location.
Head there, and the boss will appear briefly, taunt you, then send his goons to attack.
When your energy gauge is blue, hold the magic button and Michael will spin continuously — then break into a dazzling dance number.
The enemies stop fighting and join him on stage!
This is pure cinematic magic. The first time I saw it, I thought, “I’m so glad I was born to witness this.”
Michael and the enemies perform the iconic anti-gravity lean.
When the dance ends, the enemies collapse from exhaustion, and the stage is cleared.
We’re still on Stage 1, specifically 1-2.
Notice how the rescued children always run off on their own?
Must be tough being a one-man rescue team.
This woman will briefly block your path as you walk by — but you can’t attack her.
The monkey once again guides you toward your next destination.
The boss taunts you again:
“Ha ha! You’ll never catch me!”
Funny how these guys always end up on their knees saying, “I’m sorry…”
And of course, Michael unleashes the anti-gravity dance again.
Still on Stage 1-3 — this club is massive.
There was one child here I could not find for ages — I almost threw the controller.
Climb onto the pool table and press Up to open a hidden window.
At last — the missing kid appears.
Thanks for hiding so well!
See that folded ladder? Jump and press Up + Attack to release it.
Perfect. Now press diagonal up to climb. Easy, right?
For us old-school gamers, ladders are no problem… even if diagonal input is a pain.
And yes… the boss shows up just to talk, then disappears again.
This time, finish the fight with a few quick hits and a well-aimed hat throw.
Welcome to Round 2 — the stages are getting longer.
My eyes and wrists are already begging for mercy.
Michael pops open car trunks to save kidnapped children from street thugs.
Jump over bright cars and walls to access hidden areas.
Open trash cans — kids might be hiding inside.
And there’s the boss again… just talking. Again.
After another dance party, the thugs sheepishly walk away.
This time, car trunks are the main mechanic.
Michael methodically checks every trunk in the area.
The boss returns again — with the same dialogue.
When you start a dance party, enemies get shy and run off.
Just pick them off one by one and finish with a hat throw.
In this stage, manhole covers are key.
Where are those last two kids? Nowhere in sight…
Stand on the manhole cover and use the magic spin — the lid flies off and you can enter the sewer.
Jump to climb back out later.
Another boss appears out of nowhere. Maybe he’s just a puppet?
Now Michael hosts a dance party with dogs.
After the show, deliver the punches of justice to finish the stage.
Time for a zombie stage — with “Billie Jean” playing in the background!
Zombies jump back to their original positions after being hit.
Attack once, wait for the jump, and hit them again in a repeating pattern.
Michael even dances with the zombies.
When will the boss actually fight?
Michael throws a second dance party anyway.
Stage 3-2 features a boss fight with a zombie that splits into body and legs, attacking separately.
If you rescue a certain hidden child first, a meteor will strike.
When it hits Michael, he transforms into a giant robot.
He can now fly and fire homing missiles with the magic button.
Use diagonal down attacks to hit shorter enemies.
You can hang from a tree by jumping onto it.
From that hanging position, jump again to launch yourself forward.
Oh, it’s you again… just send your minions already!
A dance party doesn’t end the fight this time.
Two zombies appear and split apart.
Even their legs cause damage on contact.
Attack one side, then quickly spin-dash to the other. Alternate attacks back and forth.
This is the final stage of Round 3.
Once you rescue all the kids, the boss appears again — followed by a swarm of zombies.
Dodge with spin turns and take them out one by one. Eventually, you’ll clear the stage.
Welcome to Round 4 — the end is near! Stay strong!
At the cave entrance, press Up to enter.
Children or enemies may be inside.
Use save-load tactics to check, then reload if there’s nothing useful.
At this point, the game feels more like a maze than a rescue mission.
If you’re directionally challenged like me, get ready to cry.
Still, push through and reach the boss. Come on, send your henchmen already!
Even in caves, Michael throws dance parties.
Truly, the greatest artist ever.
Follow the same tactics as before.
See that cave? Save the game and then enter.
Oh… no kids, just spiders. Reload and try again.
And there’s the boss again — talking and summoning minions. Classic.
Another dance party! Michael never gets tired…
But my hands and eyes sure do.
The final cave stage awaits — with a massive enemy rush at the end.
From screenshots alone, it might look the same — but the map layout is different.
The map may change, but the boss remains the same.
Still says the same lines every time.
Time for a massive dance party featuring soldiers and zombies.
Even after the show, defeat them one by one.
Finally, it’s time to invade the enemy’s main base.
The keyword here is warp.
Stand by the small console next to the door and press Up.
Climb onto the large machine and repeatedly attack while crouching — it will explode and disable electric or laser traps, allowing you to proceed.
Step onto the round platform and press Up.
Whoa — warp time!
You can’t progress without it, but there’s no indicator, so I spent ages figuring this out.
Okay boss… you can stop showing up now.
Even inside the enemy base, Michael hosts a dance party.
Party people, let’s go!
Stage 5-2 repeats the same patterns.
The boss is still the same. I’m getting tired of this.
But hey — the dance parties never get old!
Perhaps sensing our boredom, the game changes up the backgrounds a bit.
Ride the elevator to another building to rescue more children.
Even when challenged to fight “one-on-one,” the boss keeps running.
How far will you run? Into space?
Hold the magic button — instead of a dance party, Michael transforms into a robot and wrecks enemies.
Use jump (booster) to dodge laser attacks, and magic (homing missiles) to wipe them out.
Michael annihilates all remaining henchmen.
With all the kids rescued and the minions defeated, it’s time to escape the base’s traps.
At last — the final showdown!
The base explodes, and the boss escapes in a bizarre aircraft.
Has Michael boarded a similar craft… or transformed again?
It’s the final round — the ultimate battle.
So… you did run to space. 😂
Watch the radar on the right. The blue dot is the boss’s ship.
Align it to the center and fire away.
Hold the attack button for rapid fire.
The boss meets a fiery end.
Run all you want — but now it’s over. Go atone for your crimes in the afterlife!
Congratulations! You’ve beaten a long and exhausting game.
Someone please drop eye drops into my burning eyes…
Oh wow — Michael himself contributed to the concept and design of this game.
Much respect to the King of Pop.
Fun fact: He’s also rumored to have worked on the soundtrack for Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
The End!
While some stages can feel repetitive, the sheer joy of seeing 2D dance animations is worth it.
Just keep your cool — if you miss a gimmick or action cue, you might end up throwing the console out the window.
Thank you so much for reading this long retro journey.
Enjoy your gaming time — and keep dancing!
survive this legendary retro adventure. 🎮
Original article in Korean: [link]
