I’ll be honest here. When I played Michael Jackson: The Experience for the Nintendo Wii late last year, I dreaded the time I spent with it. Lackluster presentation, a questionable set list (why was “The Girl Is Mine” included?!), poor game controls (you only used the one Wii remote to track, oh, everything) and sorely missing options made it a dud all around, something not even worth Bubbles’ attention. Now, months later, Ubisoft has the opportunity to make up for that failure with an improved experience through the Kinect. Michael Jackson: The Experience seems better built for use with Microsoft’s device, which can track the whole body in comparison to frantic Wii remote movements. The main question now is if it pays off. Well, to be honest, the experience isn’t dreadful anymore, which is good news, but it doesn’t quite live up to Dance Central status either.
Where that game is more accessible and accurate, Michael Jackson: The Experience occasionally stumbles when it should be smoothly moon walking. Regardless, if you’ve been looking for something to scratch your King of Pop itch and your copy of Moonwalker for Sega Genesis isn’t immediately handy, you could do worse. Michael Jackson: The Experience features a number of modes to choose from, including a helpful Practice mode where you can try your dance steps, and an MJ School, where choreographers show you how to replicate MJ’s magic, as best as you possibly can. For the most part, the full body gameplay definitely works better here, though there is some noticeable lag, especially with on-screen Avatars, which you simply can’t shake. Where Dance Central tracked with utmost accuracy, Michael Jackson feels just a little bit off. It’s not a dealbreaker, however, and the fact that you can’t really fail a song, even if you’re dancing like Tito (d’oh!) guarantees that you’ll still have fun rolling through MJ’s hits.
The system utilizes a similar set-up to Dance Central. You’ve got your on-screen dancers doing their thing, while small silhouettes show you the next incoming move that you’re supposed to perform. As you proceed, your score can multiply, and you can become something of a legend if you do them well enough. Three difficulty settings are available, and if you think you’re good enough to prove “This Is It” (see what we did there?), you can tackle Master Performance mode, with enough over-the-top routines to make you think that your hair is catching fire. (Sorry, we had to say it.) Dance is the best way to go, though, as it won’t punish you too severely for mistakes, and you can just have a good time goofily trying to replicate spins and arm sways (and crotch grabs, if you’re frisky). While I groaned previously about some inclusions in the setlist, it mostly stays the same here, and if you’re a fan of MJ, you won’t be that disappointed at all. There are several classics to choose from, including some from the 70’s era (“Rock With You” is a standout), mega-hits from the 80’s (“Thriller” and “Smooth Criminal”) and even a few of the King of Pop’s final songs, such as “Money”. Not all of them are winners, but you’ll no doubt find some familiarity with a few, and come back to them often – especially if you’re trying to get your “jamon” on. (Really, what’s a “jamon”? We’re still wondering.)
This feature review continues on the next page, please click Page 2 below to see our final thoughts on Michael Jackson: The Experience for Kinect.
