Michael Jackson: The Experience Review

The King of Pop died under tragic circumstances in 2010. An emotional outpouring came throughout the world in reaction to his unexpected passing. It only took a few months before a movie was released in his honor and a dancing video game on home consoles. Now Ubisoft has brought Michael Jackson: The Experience to the 3DS. Are they a year late and a dollar short?

Michael Jackson: The Experience starts you off with a poorly put together tutorial that explains the controls and how the game works. Basically all you are doing is a series of swipes with your stylus on the touch-screen. Straight lines, taps on the screen, and twirls are some of the motions that get a virtual Michael Jackson perform his moves to the beat of the song.

The game features fifteen of Michael Jackson’s most popular songs. Among them are classics such as Smooth Criminal, Billie Jean, Thriller and Bad. While you are busy swiping the touch-screen with the stylus, an on-screen Michael Jackson busts out dancing. There are even sequences that play out like a music video. It’s a pretty cool presentation, but there is a disappointingly small selection of songs.

Graphically, Michael Jackson: The Experience is an improvement from the past handheld versions. Give Ubisoft credit for building the 3DS game from the ground up with 3D in mind. The choreography is great even if the gameplay isn’t. It also sounds fantastic with headphones plugged in. You will be jamming to his tunes and feeling like a teenage kid doing it.

Overall, Michael Jackson: The Experience for the Nintendo 3DS is short on content. The game sounds great and the presentation is well-done, but a paltry fifteen songs is not going to cut it for a $40 game. I would recommend waiting until it hits the bargain bin before even considering a purchase.