The challenge? To dance like Jacko

A new interactive music video game helps players dance and sing like the king of pop, Michael Jackson himself. We kitted out three of our writers with the game and waited for them to break out the slick moves

LAURENCE MACKIN

WHEN I HEARD Michael Jackson was dead, I was at a gig in the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. That night, in its warehouse-sized cafe, and in every bar and club for several days after, the music was exclusively Jackson.

The following day we made a pilgrimage of sorts to the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, where the Jackson 5 had played some of their earliest shows, with nine-year-old Michael fronting the band. The streets were packed with people trying to get a little closer to the door, wedged in by traffic and stalls selling two types of merchandise: Jackson memorabilia and Obama goodies.

A block-long wooden wall next to the theatre was drenched with tributes, to the extent that sheets of plastic had been tacked over them. As these too filled up, more sheets were added.

There wasn’t much sadness. People were too busy singing Jackson songs, dancing his moves, or getting over their jet lag, having come straight to Harlem off the plane. It was an extraordinary, funky show of affection.

I spent an inordinate amount of my childhood crashing around the house backwards while trying to perfect my moonwalk, so Michael Jackson:The Experiencepromised to be the Holy Grail. It would give me the dance moves I had always craved.

At weddings, no longer would I have to fortify myself at the bar before stumbling on to the dancefloor. Now, thanks to the game, I could cut it up with Jackson shapes, perfected in the privacy of my own home.

This, though, is exactly where any performance involving this game needs to stay. I’m lashing away at some tricky crotch thrusts when I notice a neighbour staring from across the way, dialling a number on her phone.

“It’s okay, it’s only Michael Jackson,” I shout cheerfully. She dials faster.

Curtains closed, it's back to business. What's bizarre is how many of these dance moves I remember. The zombie stalk from Thriller,the gangster shapes in Smooth Criminaland the finger clicks from Billy Jean. On the easy level, I nail Thriller; Billy Jeanis more complicated (those damned crotch thrusts); and the less said about Smooth Criminalthe better – when I try to do the lean forward, gravity intervenes and the floor slaps my face – shamon!

Now, when I say I nail Thriller, I mean the game has given me a score of 70 per cent (on the easiest level). This, though, does not guarantee a slick and smooth dance move. Instead, it rewards me for flailing aimlessly, jigging on the spot, sweat beading on the brow, with the grace of a 2am drunken uncle.

Perfect for that wedding dancefloor, so.

EDEL MORGAN

WHEN I BROKE the news to my husband Eamon that I'd been asked to try out Michael Jackson: The Experience, he wasn't exactly doing a moonwalk. In fact, he went into a tailspin. Any affinity he felt for the king of pop ended post-Thriller, when he was 11 and his subsequent Neverland/Bubbles/baby dangling antics gradually turned his admiration to aversion.

He also pointed out – not very tactfully – that neither of us are known for our rhythm on the dancefloor, and the children are too young to have any real concept of who Michael Jackson was.

So you can imagine my surprise when I arrived home from work one evening to find him in a dance-off with our two-year-old to Smooth Criminal. The PlayStation 3 we had on loan for the week arrived while I was at work and I could hear the kids' squeals and whoops of excitement from the front gate. They loved the competitive element of the game, where each player holds a motion controller in their right hand and copies the dance moves of a virtual Michael Jackson (or his backing dancer).

Points are awarded for the slickness and accuracy of your moves and whoever gets the most points wins. The higher the score, the more stars you get, and you unlock a series of tutorials with professional dancers.

Any activity en famille has its issues and it all became a little fraught when Ava went into meltdown every time we tried to take the motion controller, with the result that we all ended up competing against her. You can choose your own comfort level, but the moves for the disco tracks such as Badand Beat Itare more intricate and energetic than, say, Heal the World, which is about the pace of a senior citizens' stretching class.

In the race to be family champion, Eamon tactically chose that and The Girl is Mine, another low-impact number, and racked up more 5,000 points in one competition. The boys, aged four and six, loved dancing to Thrillerand were fascinated by the graphics that showed Jackson turning into zombie.

I am proud to announce that I am overall family champion, having thrashed my opponents, one by one. We managed to have a mammy and daddy dance-off when Ava had her nap and after my victory I started to fancy myself as a bit of a mover – until, that is, I watched back my “best moments”.

There’s a camera attached to the PlayStation that records each game, and it soon becomes apparent that it’s not really about how great a dancer you are, but how quickly you can move your right hand and anticipate the moves.

One of the mysteries of Michael Jackson: The Experiencewas that Ava won a few games, despite the fact that she was largely ignoring the video and doing her own free-style interpretative dance.

This is the first interactive family video game we’ve played. We’ve never owned and X-box, Wii or PlayStation 3 and weren’t that pushed about it up until now. But it’s great family entertainment and exercise, and the interactive element is far preferable to the kids silently playing video games on their own.

At the weekend, my parents called around and there was something quite nice about three generations of a family dancing around the front room. The only drawback is that the room is quite small and the dances involves stretching your arms full length and swinging around while holding a motion controller, so the scope to hit someone in the face or stand on a small child while concentrating on the routine is considerable.

Up to four people can play, but there would have been carnage on the dancefloor so we stuck to a much safer two. We didn’t have a microphone, but if you do there’s also a karaoke option My only real reservation is the price. While you get hours of entertainment, €40 is a lot – and out of the reach of many struggling to make ends meet. Hopefully the price will come down, because what it really brought home was that, despite the weirdness and sadness of Jackson’s later years, he was an amazing talent.

SEAN FLYNN

“And when the groove is dead and gone, you know that love survives so we can rock forever.”

Michael Jackson, Rock With You.

THE PREMISE of Michael Jackson: The Experienceis simple: Jackson's music plays, while his lyrics and avatar fill the screen. The gamer can then sing – via microphone – or dance along using a motion-sensing game controller and video attachment.

You are then awarded points based on your ability to synchronise with the vocals or dance moves. The 29 songs on the menu includes familiar pop classics from Don't Stop 'til You Get Enoughand Billy Jeanto Thrillerand Beat It.Does pop music get any better than this?

The most exacting critics I know – my daughter Julianne (15) and son Luke (10) – put the game to the test. Their response? Rapture!

Over the weekend, they spent hour after hour, limbs flailing and warbling wildly in an attempt to emulate the king of pop.

The game delivered good family entertainment and plenty of laughs as we missed the high notes and fell to the floor. The competitive edge really adds to the fun. I lost out on Billie Jeanbut got back in the groove – as they say in these parts – on Rock with You.

The good news for the cardio-vascular conscious among us is that the game also delivers a decent workout. My kids were panting like dogs after a few rounds. This is one games experience that won’t turn your kids into sedentary drones.

While the gameplay is excellent, some of the song choices are dodgy. Jackson never exercised the greatest quality control, so why are the likes of Heal The Worldand Will You Be Thereincluded here? Even the dance routines for these numbers are dull.

But these are minor quibbles. And there will be others. Like me, you will probably approach this game with caution. There is still something jarring about a family-friendly game based around Michael Jackson, given his tarnished legacy.

But the game delivers on virtually all levels as a bit of fun for all the family. Best of all, it reminds us of the man’s genius.

Very few people could sing like MJ, and nobody could move like him. How he managed to combine both talents with such seamless perfection is almost beyond comprehension. And it becomes still more of a puzzle as you struggle to moonwalk across the floor.

Michael Jackson: The Experienceis exhausting, engaging and exhilarating. For a fleeting moment every kid (or adult!) can strut their stuff, sing along and imagine themselves as the king of pop. Now, which way to Neverland?

Michael Jackson: The Experience is available on Nintendo Wii (€40), XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 (both around €45)