12/29/2023 0 Comments Ape escape playstation![]() ![]() Little did anyone know that image of a cartoon monkey with those Pipo helmets would live on in our minds for many years to come. Also, a weird little game about super smart time-travelling apes hell-bent on world domination was coming out called Ape Escape. People were checking their email on blackberries, The Matrix was changing action movies forever, and floppy disks were still a thing. But why would that be? Why would a series that has garnered the love and affection of millions of fans over the last 20 years suddenly just dry up? What the hell happened to Ape Escape? Ape Escape had a consistently strong showing throughout the series that spanned all the way from a late PS1 game in 1999 to a PlayStation Move game in 2010, yet, Other than a few cameos in other games like Metal Gear Solid 3 and Ratchet and Clank, we haven’t really seen much from the series in many years. The unique blend of a wacky story and setting where monkey’s with helmets that accelerate their intelligence, and a very unique, yet surprisingly functional control scheme, makes the series a stand-out even today. However, in the back of your mind that it was far better with a DualShock.Few games can claim the sheer amount of pop-culture stature that the Ape Escape series can. You can get used to them after a couple of hours of play time. Is this the best version though? Unfortunately not because of the poor controls. The bright & colourful visuals, the excellent level designs, fantastic music & sound effects, a decent difficulty curve, plenty of replay value & just really good platforming gameplay! As beyond this issue Ape Escape is still a fantastic game. It’s a real pity that a bit of time wasn’t spent on perfecting these controls for the Vita. A frustrating experience, one that makes underwater sections hazardous to your health. Instead to move the camera you have to use the d-pad or one of the shoulder triggers to align it directly behind you. The left analog stick moves with your gadgets mapped to the buttons. A massive negative surrounding this port are the below par controls which can not be re-mapped. Hence with the Vita’s two analog sticks I expected it to control in a similar way. Going in to this version of Ape Escape, the only version I was familiar with was the PlayStation DualShock version. As you progress through levels more & more will become available allowing you to go back to previously cleared locations to mop up the final few apes. This is where the gadgets come into play. ![]() Some run fast, some fight back, some are in hard to reach areas. It’s not as simple as running up & catching them with a net. Its tongue in cheek descriptions of the apes allows the player to plan strategies just how you’re going to capture a particular ape. The locations are fun to visit & the detail surrounding each particular ape makes them feel like part of the game rather than a collectable item. It’s clever & allows some real freedom in level creation. Spector plans to send his monkeys into important periods to rewrite time so the professor tasks Spike with capturing all the monkeys.Īrmed with numerous gadgets, players will take trips into important segments of history ranging from the roam of the dinosaurs, medieval times and present day.Īpe Escape’s story is good. This results in the boy being transported through time also. Spike arrives at the lab just as Spector is activating the time machine. Together they take over the Professor’s lab where he has been working on a time machine. He uses his new brain power to set loose all the other monkeys in the park. This massively increases his intelligence & turns him evil. Specter, a white-haired monkey puts on an experimental helmet created by a Professor. Having been previously ported to the PSP in 2004, the backwards compatibility of the PS Vita meant that it would also be playable on the system. It was a bold direction & one that paid off as it’s the controls that are often heavily complimented. The first game to require the use of the PlayStation’s DualShock as the game’s controls are heavily centred on the analog sticks. A third-person 3D platformer, it put you in the shoes of Spike, a young boy tasked with capturing escaped apes throughout many different time-periods. Originally released on the PlayStation in 1999, Ape Escape was a critical & commercial hit. ![]()
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