Jacko: A Life in games

You don’t have to be a fan of Michael Jackson’s music to be shocked and saddened by his untimely demise. He has certainly left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment. Videogames too, as we remember today.

Moonwalker
Loosely based on the movie of the same name, this 1990 Arcade/Megadrive smash was the King of Pop’s first videogame outing. It was essentially a scrolling beat ‘em up, although, perhaps inevitably, the fisticuffs were eschewed in favour of magic attacks and a hilarious move that saw all on-screen bad-guys join Mike in an impromptu synchronised dance-off – dogs included!

Sonic 3
This is one of gaming’s more enduring mythologies. Jackson had been approached to write the music for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. However, following the child abuse allegations, Sega swiftly moved to distance itself from the star. Jackson’s Sonic 3 music was reportedly erased, but many now believe that the soundtrack bears many similarities to existing MJ tunes. Was it merely re-credited to another musician to avoid the taint of scandal? We may never know.

Space Channel 5
An immortal cameo appearance in this cult Dreamcast rhythm/action game from 1999. Jacko turns up in silver-suited ‘Space Michael’ guise and gets his groove on with Ulala and co. A more fulsome role followed in the ’02 sequel where Michael harnesses his skills against a musical robot. The original will always be our favourite, though.

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2
If the violence was shunned in Moonwalker Jackson was significantly beefier and ready for a punch-up in this bruising Dreamcast/PS2 brawler from 2002. Mike was one of several unlockable characters, alongside Bill and Hillary Clinton and basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal. Jackson fought wearing a single sequinned boxing glove. Hey, what else?

And that’s pretty much it for Jackson and videogames, although his music has been used in a number of high-profile titles, most notably Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. There are also skits in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and LittleBigPlanet.

Looking ahead a Jackson-themed SingStar special edition would seem to be a fitting tribute to the man – maybe a couple of years down the line. Jackson was also rumoured to be starring in an as-yet untitled game at the time of his death, although recent events may have thrown a spanner in the works. Meanwhile Moonwalker for Xbox LIVE Arcade, Virtual Console and the PlayStation Network should be a formality. We hope so, anyway...