Remembering Michael Jackson
Jackson’s popularity was such that his influence has permeated the gaming medium, whether through his direct involvement, composers riffing on his yelps and yowls, or just a bit of cheeky satire. Yet what I’ll remember most about him is how his music became an essential component of the sonic texture of arcades, along with the distant warble of a dying Pac-Man, the chime of a stage beginning in Galaga, a bold narrator extolling the virtues of Dirk the Daring.—Jeremy Parish
While it’s true that 1UP’s Michael Jackson retrospective skipped over my favorite homage—the ‘Thriller’ dance sequence near the beginning of Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti (video link)—it’s certainly a nice gesture. More meaningful, though, I think, is Jeremy’s short and heartfelt little ode to MJ over at 1UP’s Retronauts blog.
edit: Oh, my.
- Retronauts blog – R.I.P.: Jackson’s Unspoken Gaming Legacy
- Offworld – One Shot: MJ, in Memoriam
- GoNintendo – Michael Jackson tributes in Mario Paint
See also
Michael Jackson’s old arcade games up for grabs
I Love the 80s: Michael Ian Black is REALLY into Ms. Pac-Man
Retronauts: oh, god, here we go again
About Jenn Frank:Jenn thinks the Atari 2600, Game Boy Micro, and Apple iPhone are all viable game consoles. Email her at jenn at infinite lives dot net.
I thought Moonwalker on Genesis was a pretty solid little platformer. To that end, a friend of mine wanted me to prove it Saturday.
He complained to me the following day that he spent all of Sunday with the Genesis rendition of “Smooth Criminal” running through his head. I feel that is a win for both myself and Michael.
WOOHOO UPDATE!
Does moonwalking in Super Metroid count?
I’ll allow it!