Now on almost every next-gen platform available, Michael Jackson: The Experience HD is also different on almost every single one. The Vita version, very much reminiscent of the iPad version, is not a dance game like it is on the PlayStation 3, but it’s still a music/rhythm game at heart. Trading in your PlayStation Move controller in favor of a touchscreen, does Michael Jackson: The Experience HD rock your world on the Vita, or is it just “Bad”?
Here’s what we liked:
Fun to play - Gamplay consists of you drawing arrows, tapping on the screen, and drawing circles all on the Vita’s 5″ OLED touchscreen. The game starts up with a tutorial, giving you the chance to get each motion down before heading into the actual game: making it easy to pick up and play for Michael Jackson and rhythm game fans alike. There are some instances where you have to use two fingers, but we never had a problem doing the required motions on the screen. The medium and expert difficulties are also not so hard to play that newcomers to rhythm games can’t enjoy the game.
To be able to interact with some of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits is something most fans of his music have wanted for some time. There might be better versions of this game out there, but the pure joy you get while playing Michael Jackson: The Experience HD is almost worth the price of the game alone….almost.
Unlockables galore - Leveling up plays a big factor in Michael Jackson: The Experience for the Vita (sorry, we’re not adding “HD” to the end of the name every time). For instance, you can’t even perform perfect motions until reaching level three — which can be seen as both a good and a bad thing. You don’t unlock the subsequent difficulty levels, medium and expert, until ranking up as well. It forces you to play the game, and that’s something we are completely fine with. Completing challenges in each song unlocks background dancers and effects that will be there for your next playthrough of that song.
Visuals - Michael Jackson: The Experience on the Vita is definitely one of the best looking versions of the game. Cut scenes before, during, and after each song look great on the OLED screen, even if they are pre-rendered videos. With each song Michael Jackson wears an iconic outfit from that songs music video, making you even more immersed in the game. The color of each motion lets you know exactly what you need to be doing, making sure you’re not just playing a guessing game.
Here’s what we didn’t like:
Lacking songs - With only 15 songs included in the game, we can’t help but feel slighted. Michael Jackson had many more hits than that. Where is “Rock My World”, “P.Y.T.”, “Dirty Diana”, and many others? With the Xbox 360, Wii and PS3 versions having between 27-30 songs, we expect more than just 15 in the Vita version. The rumor is that post-launch DLC will happen down the road, but as of right now, no DLC is currently available. Let’s hope that was not canned, and we’ll see downloadable content in the form of songs later down the road.
Multiplayer - There is a head-to-head dance battle mode if you have friend nearby with a Vita. But the game is lacking online leaderboards and wi-fi dance battles — two things that would make the game just that much better. Online leaderboards should be in just about every game nowadays, and with players trying to get the highest score they can on each song, it’s a real shame they are absent.
Michael Jackson: The Experience is a well-made, overpriced rhythm game. It does what is advertised, but it’s a real shame only 15 songs are included to mess around with. Those 15 songs are extremely fun to play, but for most people they’ll be done with the game after playing each one. Double the amount of songs, and the game is instantly a launch game we would recommend to Vita owners. But with the sole omission of “Dirty Diana”, we simply can not recommend people spend $40 on it when it feels like half of the game is missing. Not to mention you can get the game cheaper on another system. We suggest wait for a price cut within the next six months and pick it up then.
Score: Try It (at a lower price)!
Michael Jackson: The Experience HD was developed by UbiSoft Shanghai and published by UbiSoft. It was released on February 15th, 2012.
