Michael Jackson The Experience HD

Review

Common Sense Media says

Music rhythm impresses visually; motions tricky to master.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Michael Jackson The Experience HD is a game that challenges players to dance (with their on-screen fingers) like Michael through a touch-and-tap rhythm game. The music and graphics here are high quality and include some altered footage from his actual music videos. There are several opportunities to make in-app purchases; parents can disable these purchases in their device's settings. The game itself is not all that easy to get the hang of and, unless your younger kid is a huge Michael Jackson fan or really into dance, the learning curve may be too steep to hold attention for long enough to master and progress forward. But for teens and Michael Jackson fans, this is an interesting app to behold. Users can share high scores via the Game Center social network, but participation is optional.

  • Ease of use3
    The game itself can be quite difficult to learn, especially for younger users. The tutorial's explainer isn't all that clear, and most of it has to be mastered by trial and error.
  • Violence1
    Some songs like "Smooth Criminal," "Beat It," and "Blood on the Dance Floor" contain mild references to blood and violence.
  • Sex2
    Some may find some of Jackson's signature moves too suggestive, especially for those who aren't familiar with his overall dance style. Some female dancers in the background of some song scenes are both dressed and dance suggestively. Some lyrics make references to mature themes ("Billie Jean is not my lover"), but nothing explicit.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism4
    The app has many in-app purchases options for more dances as well as new outfits for Michael. The in-app purchases are interspersed with the other dances. And, of course, the entire app is a promotion of Michael Jackson -- both his music and his image.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
  • Privacy & safety4
    Some privacy concerns. Players can opt in to Apple’s Game Center to track scores and achievements, and for some games, challenge friends. Players can send and receive friend requests using an email address or Game Center nickname, revealing the first and last name associated with each party’s Apple ID and, in the case of email requests, the sender’s email address. With iOS 5, players can opt to have a private or public profile, which can include a photo. With a public profile, your real name is visible to all other players, and Game Center will recommend you to other players using your real name. With a private profile, only your friends can see your real name, and Game Center will not recommend you to other players.
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Is it any good?

 

MICHAEL JACKSON THE EXPERIENCE HD is a beautiful app just to watch. The developer's ability to animate Jackson's moves and facial expressions and incorporate his music videos as well as bring diversity of songs into this game make it a real treat for MJ enthusiasts. The game, itself, however doesn't soar to quite as high praise as the graphics and music. The rhythm part is intuitive and essentially just follows the songs, but the hand motions and "shape" that players are supposed to mimic with their finger swipes from Jackson's onscreen dance moves can be quite frustrating to master, especially for younger players. Parents may want to explain their policy about in-app purchases to their kids before they play because there are a lot of them here. Overall, a visually and musically impressive app.

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This review was written by Dana Villamagna

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This review was written by Dana Villamagna
Topics:arts and dance
Category:Music Games
Platforms:iPad
Price:$4.99
Size:442.00 MB
Publisher:Ubisoft
Version:1.0.1
Release date:December 7, 2011
Minimum software requirements:iOS 4.2 or later
This review was written by Dana Villamagna

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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