Michael Jackson in video games

Michael Jackson in Scramble Training is a laserdisc video game released for arcades in 1993, running on Sega's AS-1 motion simulator cabinet. It was an interactive film ride featuring pre-rendered 3D computer graphics and allowed up to eight players to interact with the game. Michael Jackson provided voice acting and occasionally appeared in live-action full-motion video (FMV) sequences, while some of his music was also used.[3][4][5]

Michael Jackson was allegedly involved in the music production of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Conflicting accounts arose as to why he left the project, including the 1993 child sexual abuse accusations against him, or that he was unhappy with the sound quality of the Genesis which was generally considered inferior to Super Nintendo Entertainment System and other competing game consoles of the time period. On June 23, 2022, former Sonic Team leader Yuji Naka confirmed that Michael's songs were in the released game.[6] Jackson was never officially credited within the game.[7]

In Space Channel 5 and its sequel Space Channel 5: Part 2, Jackson appears as a fictional character named Space Michael (スペースマイケル, Supēsu Maikeru), whose likeness and voice is provided by Jackson.[8] In both versions of the game, Michael speaks in English, which is subtitled into Japanese in the Japanese version.

In the first Space Channel 5 Michael uses his singing skills against a singing robot and joins her to fight against Purge after he is rescued by Ulala from the Rhythm Rogues. Originally meant to be a one-time cameo appearance, Jackson had a more prominent role in Space Channel 5: Part 2, where he became the new head of Space Channel 5. Whilst Ulala is distracted by a fake scoop, the headquarters are attacked and Space Michael is kidnapped by Purge and the Rhythm Rogues and has to be rescued by Ulala in a level featuring several of Michael's signature dance moves. He then joins Ulala in a confrontation against Purge.

The May 2007 issue of EGM contains a quote from series creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi concerning what it was like to work with Jackson:

"We were in the middle of production of Space Channel 5, in 1998 or 1999. I got a call from the U.S. from my partner - the executive producer of Space Channel 5 - and he said, 'Oh, Michael wants to act in Space Channel 5.' I said, 'Who's Michael?' 'Who is Michael Jackson?' he said, 'The Michael Jackson - the real Michael Jackson'

My partner had shown him the 60-to-70 percent complete version, when it was almost at the end of the game. We had one month to finalize. But Michael wanted to do something, so we suggested that if he was OK with it, we could program the people in the game to do the Michael Jackson dance when taken over by aliens. he said 'yeah.' We initially had five aliens who danced. One of them became Michael Jackson.",[9]