![]() This is another entry that focuses on the mini games but this time you play as a monkey. Turns out 2004 was a big year for the Ape Escape franchise because we also received the first game in the series on the PSP with Ape Escape Academy. The main complaint was that the formula became stale way too quickly even for a party game however, some critics appreciated the franchise for attempting to take some risks with its genre and gameplay. Primed & Pumped tried to be Sony’s attempt at a Mario Party game with different mini games using various gadgets from the previous Ape Escape games. Sadly, this entry in the series was not nearly as well received by critics and fans as the main line games. The first spin off to hit North America released in the summer of 2004 called Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed also for the PS2. A solid follow-up which is all anyone could really ask for. ![]() especially in comparison to the original. Critics enjoyed the variety in the game design and the return of the collect-athon aspect of the series but many felt the game was too easy. For simplicity’s sake, I will only be covering the North America releases and not the Japan exclusive games.Īpe Escape 2 was released in 2003 for the PS2 and was also received well. I never managed to play Ape Escape’s sequels or spinoffs myself as my family began to float towards Xbox and Nintendo for the remainder of my childhood, but there were two more entries in the mainline series as well as multiple spinoffs that I had no idea even existed in the early 2000s. There were a number of sequels to the franchise after the original 1999 release. Hunting the apes was more than just throwing a net over them but preparing for the type of monkey and the area that it was hanging out in. Monkeys wearing yellow pants were slightly faster than normal for instance, but a monkey wearing green pants was a demolitions expert and could launch missiles. The fashion forward monkeys would identify their quirky personality types by the color of their pants. Plus, the monkeys all had a little bit of personality to them. By the end of the game, you are true guru of the levels if you decided to go for 100 percent completion. As spike gets new gadgets, he will have to backtrack to get the monkeys he wasn’t able to get the first time around. Spike starts out with just a net and club but quickly obtains the water net and monkey radar to help catch monkeys in the water and ones that are trying to hide respectively. That variety was largely supported by the introduction of gadgets regularly throughout the game. Rayman certainly seemed one note in comparison to my underdeveloped brain. The game had great variety and that stuck out to me even as a kid. Ape Escape did a great job introducing colorful new worlds that ranged from prehistoric Earth with dinosaurs walking around to a medieval castle with a dungeon. What made the original game so special were its unique platforming levels and its utilization of gadgets as new ways that Spike can interact with the worlds. I can’t imagine trying to keep up with the monkeys, who run and jump all around the levels, with only the stiff PS1 D-pad. In fact, you couldn’t play Ape Escape without the DualShock controller as the game required the precision of the analog sticks. The added control sticks allowed for much more refined movement in the 3D world compared to what was capable with only a D-pad. Honestly, it sounds a bit like Rise of the Planet of the Apesbut that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.Īpe Escape was one of the first games to really take advantage of the (at the time) new DualShock controller that Sony released. ![]() The monkeys escape into different time periods and the player, in the shoes of Spike must hunt them down using his net and various gadgets. Ape Escape’s premise was simple: a monkey stole a helmet that made him intelligent and he released his monkey brothers form their prison to take over the world throughout time. The first Ape Escape was really well received by critics and fans alike back in the day and IGN at the time gave it a 9.5/10. Ape Escape is a Sony exclusive and was first published in 1999 on the original Playstation. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |