Power-Up #6: Bubbles the Chimp (Moonwalker)

For the better part of a decade, Michael Jackson was the King of Pop. Thriller had managed to outsell Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles, making it the biggest album of all time. But the future was bleak for the Gloved One. A string of scandals halted his music career, and the famed musician died just as he was mounting a comeback. See for yourself in this short video.



Purpose: In real life, Bubbles the Chimp was one of Michael Jackson's closest friends. He lived at Neverland Ranch and even made television appearances. In the game, Bubbles turns Michael Jackson into the robot from the Moonwalker movie. I'm not sure why. This power-up allows Michael Jackson to shoot lasers and quickly destroy all enemies on the screen. Like I said, I'm not sure why.

Legacy: Bubbles the Chimp appeared in this 1990 arcade game, along with similar action games on the Genesis and Master System. That was the last time Bubbles the Chimp appeared in a video game. Years later, Bubbles the Chimp attempted suicide. (Sorry. Not every episode of 29 Questionable Power-Ups of Christmas has a happy ending.)

In Real Life: No matter how much you spend, chimpanzees are unable to turn a regular human into a robot. They aren't even able to turn a very troubled musician into a robot. That's just not how chimpanzees work. And even if they could turn you into a robot, they aren't here to be your pet. Let them live a free, happy life.