Ape Escape | |
---|---|
![]() North American PlayStation cover art | |
Developer(s) | Japan Studio |
Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment |
Director(s) | Masamichi Seki |
Producer(s) |
|
Designer(s) |
|
Composer(s) | Soichi Terada |
Series | Ape Escape |
Platform(s) | |
Release | PlayStation PlayStation Portable |
Genre(s) | Platform |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Ape Escape [lower-alpha 1] is a 1999 platform video game developed by Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The first game in the Ape Escape series, the game tells the story of an ape named Specter who gains enhanced intelligence and a malevolent streak through the use of an experimental helmet. Specter produces an army of apes, which he sends through time in an attempt to rewrite history. Spike, the player character, sets out to capture the apes with the aid of special gadgets.
Ape Escape is played from a third-person perspective. Players use a variety of gadgets to pursue and capture the apes, traversing across several environments. The game's controls are heavily centered around the analog sticks, being the first game to require the use of the PlayStation's DualShock controller. Development of Ape Escape lasted over two years, and was generally focused on adapting to the use of the controller, which was a significant challenge for the development team.
Ape Escape was met with critical acclaim from critics, with praise particularly directed at the innovative use of the dual analog controls, as well as the graphics and music; the voice acting received minor criticism. The game is widely considered to be one of the greatest on the PlayStation console, and received several re-releases. The game also spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs, beginning with Ape Escape 2 in 2002. A remake, Ape Escape: On the Loose, [lower-alpha 2] was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2005 to mixed reviews.
Ape Escape is a platform game that is viewed from a third-person perspective. Players traverse several different environments to advance through the game. For most of the game, players control Spike—a boy tasked with pursuing and capturing the apes across time, preventing them from rewriting history. [1] : 2 Players use various gadgets to pursue and capture the apes, such as the Stun Club, used as an offensive measure against enemies, and the Time Net, used to capture apes and transport them to present day. [1] : 6–7, 14–15 More gadgets become available as players progress through the game. [1] : 6–7, 16 Players also control vehicles throughout the game, including a rubber raft, which allows travel over water, and the water net, which assists in traversing underwater. [1] : 14–15 The game's controls are heavily centered around the analog sticks: the left stick is used to move players, while the right stick manipulates the various gadgets. [1] : 4–5, 9
The apes are equipped with helmets, which feature a siren representing their alarm level: blue means relaxed, and unaware of the player characters' presence; yellow is alert; and red indicates fully alarmed, resulting in attempting to escape or becoming hostile. An ape's personality can also be determined by the colour of shorts: yellow is standard, light blue means timid, and red represents aggressive. Some apes are equipped with weaponry, allowing them to attack players, or binoculars that allow them to identify players from long distances. Players are required to capture a specific number of apes to clear a level; remaining apes can be captured upon revisiting the level. [1] : 6–8
Should players take damage, they lose a life. Players can recharge their health by collecting cookies. [1] : 8 Throughout the game, players can gather Specter Coins, which can be found in hidden locations in each stage. [1] : 12 Collecting enough Specter Coins unlocks three bonus mini-games: Ski Kidz Racing, a skiing game in which players race against opponents; Galaxy Monkey, a shoot 'em up where players fight against aliens; and Specter Boxing, a boxing game where players dodge and punch using the analog sticks. [1] : 16
The story begins when Specter, a white-haired monkey who is well known at his home in a monkey-themed amusement park, puts on a Monkey/Peak Point Helmet created by a Professor, which increases his intelligence beyond that of a regular monkey but, due to it being a prototype version, also twists his mind, turning him evil. Imbued with this new power, Specter gives Monkey Helmets to all the monkeys in the park and sets them loose, having them take over the local laboratory where the Professor and his assistant Natalie (Katie/Natsumi) are currently building a time machine. As Spike (Kakeru) and his best friend Jake (Buzz/Hiroki) arrive at the laboratory, they find themselves transported by Specter, along with all the other monkeys, to the various reaches of time. Realizing that leaving the monkeys to their own devices could rewrite history in disastrous ways, the Professor tasks Spike with finding all of the monkeys scattered across time and sending them back to the present.
Spike must also face off against Specter, who has not only built himself an advanced Monkey Helmet further increasing his own intelligence but has also brainwashed Jake to his side. After a lengthy series of captures and battles in segments of history ranging from the age of the dinosaurs, medieval times, and the present day, Spike is eventually able to capture all of the apes. Spike chases Specter to his deranged theme park, where he is holding a recently captured Professor, Natalie, and his friend Jake. Spike frees Jake of his mind control, and releases both the professor and Natalie, and goes on to find Specter in an alternative universe he calls the "Peak Point Matrix". Spike defeats Specter after a final battle, and he is captured and sent back to the zoo.
The development of Ape Escape lasted approximately two-and-a-half years. Shortly after the development team began conceiving the design and concept for Ape Escape, they attended a meeting regarding the development of the DualShock. Intrigued by the potential of the controller, [4] the team implemented its use in Ape Escape, making it the first video game to require the use of the DualShock for gameplay. [2] [3] Conceptualizing the controls for the controller's analog sticks was the greatest challenge for the team, and the controls underwent great testing prior to finalization. [4]
The game's music was composed by Soichi Terada. After a game director listened to Terada's track "Sumo Jungle", he was given the opportunity to compose the music for Ape Escape. [5] The music changes in-game depending on the situation and level; for example, should players act stealthily, the music alters slightly to give a mellow atmosphere. [6] Music from the game was included in Ape Escape Originape Soundtracks, [lower-alpha 3] published on November 18, 2011, by Terada's label Far East Recording. [7] [8] The gameplay sound effects were designed by Masaaki Kaneko, while the sound effects in the cutscenes were provided by Masatoshi Mizumachi. The English voice acting was recorded at Dubey Tunes Studios in San Francisco, California, with Sara Holihan and Hunter A. Pipes III serving as voice-over director and producer, respectively. [9]
Ape Escape was officially announced in the April 1999 issue of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine . [10] A playable demonstration was integrated into the Jampack Summer '99 compilation CD released by PlayStation Underground . [11] A second playable demonstration was included on a promotional compilation disc released by Pizza Hut on November 14. [12] Promotions for the game were held on Cartoon Network during Sony's winter holiday marketing campaign of 1999. [13] The game was released in North America on June 22, 1999. [14] A remake, titled Ape Escape: On the Loose, [lower-alpha 2] was announced on May 11, 2004, during Sony's press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. [15] It was released as a launch title for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) on March 24, 2005. [16] The remake features altered controls, due to the lack of a right analog stick on the PSP, as well as some slightly different graphics and mini-games. [17]
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | 90/100 [18] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
AllGame | 4.5/5 [19] |
Edge | 7/10 [20] |
Famitsu | 32/40 [21] |
GameRevolution | B+ [22] |
GameSpot | 8.8/10 [6] |
IGN | 9.5/10 [23] |
Next Generation | 5/5 [24] |
Ape Escape received "universal acclaim", according to review aggregator Metacritic, based on 19 reviews. [18] Japanese publication Famitsu gave it 32 out of 40, based on four reviews. [21] Reviewers praised the game's use of analog controls, [6] [22] as well as its graphics [6] [23] and music, [19] [22] with minor criticism directed towards the voice acting. [6] [23]
GameRevolution 's Johnny Liu considered the innovative controls were one of the game's standout features. [22] GameSpot 's Peter Bartholow declared the controls "beautifully executed", praising the ease of use. [6] Doug Perry of IGN felt that, while the controls are initially difficult, using the analog sticks became "new and refreshing". [23] AllGame 's Scott Alan Marriott similarly found controls improved over time and praised the raft controls. [19] Edge credited the distinct stages and original weapons, concluding that Ape Escape "offers enough novelty to make it worth serious consideration for anyone tired of the many me-too platformers". [20] Next Generation felt the game's "general light-hearted cuteness makes it ideal for younger players, but its originality and challenge will also appeal to the most jaded hardcore players". [24]
GameSpot's Bartholow praised the visuals, naming the game "a sight to behold" and commending the use of colour and detail. [6] IGN's Perry wrote the textures "aren't terribly stunning" and found the character design "rather fundamental", but felt the game's lighting and camera blended to create "a fantastic and gratifying effect". [23] GameRevolution's Liu named the graphics "good, but not the best", noting frame rate slowdown. [22] AllGame's Marriott similarly mentioned pop-up issues and other glitches, but ultimately commended the graphics, noting the "distinct Japanese style". [19]
AllGame's Marriott praised the appropriateness of the music to the setting, [19] and GameSpot's Bartholow applauded the soundtrack's interactivity. [6] GameRevolution's Liu felt the music improves as the game progresses, similarly commending its use with gameplay. [22] IGN's Perry described the soundtrack as "a weird concoction of J-pop and techno-synth" and found the "poppy tunes" catchier than the "techno tunes". [23] Criticism was directed at the voice acting; [19] GameSpot's Bartholow described it as "uniformly atrocious", [6] while IGN's Perry referred to Spike's voice as "nothing special". [23] The game's other sound effects, such as the ape noises, were met with positive reactions. [6] [23]
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | 66/100 [25] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
1Up.com | C [26] |
GameSpot | 7.3/10 [17] |
GameSpy | 3.5/5 [27] |
IGN | 7/10 [28] |
Ape Escape: On the Loose received "mixed or average reviews" according to Metacritic, based on 35 critics. [25] Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot lamented the loss of the "finely tuned control" of the original, but felt that the game "still has considerable charm". [17] GameSpy 's David Chapman felt that, despite the noticeable flaws of the game, particularly the controls, it still remains "a lot of fun to play". [27] Juan Castro of IGN praised the game's use of colour, noting its enhancement on the PlayStation Portable screen. Castro also warned that "fans of the series will probably miss the second analog stick", but felt that the gadgets mapped to the PSP's face buttons would suffice. [28] 1Up.com 's Jeremy Parish criticised the porting of the game for being outdated, declaring it "a game that was better in another time, on another system, ported simply for cynical convenience". [26] Parish felt that On the Loose served "to blemish the PSP's reputation ... as a dumping ground for warmed over 32-bit offerings far beyond their sell-by date". [26]
Ape Escape sold 70,000 copies in Japan in its first three days, [29] over 293,000 copies by the year's end, [30] and more than 500,000 overall. [31] It sold more than 600,000 copies in the United States, [32] and earned the Greatest Hits label. [33] On the Loose sold over 250,000 copies, also earning the Greatest Hits label. [34]
Ape Escape is considered one of the most significant titles on the PlayStation console. Douglass C. Perry of IGN declared it "the best 3D platform game on the PlayStation", [23] and GameSpot's Peter Bartholow named it "one of the best 3D platformers to date". [6] Scott Alan Marriott of AllGame described the game as "one of the most enjoyable 3D platform games" on the PlayStation. [19] IGN included Ape Escape in an article documenting the greatest PlayStation 3D platform games, [35] and later named it the eighth greatest game on the console. [36] In March 2004, Official UK PlayStation Magazine named it the ninth greatest game of all time. [37] Game Informer ranked it 100 on its list of best games in 2001, praising its gameplay and innovation. [38]
Ape Escape spawned a series of games, including sequels and spin-offs. A direct sequel, Ape Escape 2 , was released for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) in July 2001, [39] followed by Ape Escape 3 for PS2 in July 2005. [40] Several spin-off titles were released exclusively in Japan: Pipo Saru 2001 in July 2001 [41] and Saru! Get You! Million Monkeys in July 2006 for the PS2, [42] followed by Saru Get You: Pip Saru Racer in December 2006 [43] and Saru! Get You! SaruSaru Big Mission in July 2007 for the PSP. [44] Another spin-off, Ape Quest , was also released worldwide for PSP in January 2008. [45] A series of party games has also been released: Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed in July 2004 [46] and EyeToy: Monkey Mania in August 2004 for PS2, [47] as well as Ape Academy 2 for PSP in December 2005, [48] and PlayStation Move Ape Escape for the PlayStation 3 in December 2010. [49] The character of Spike is available as a playable character in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (2012), [50] and an ape costume is available as a downloadable outfit in some of the LittleBigPlanet games (2008–12). [51] A mini-game featuring an ape from Ape Escape is included in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004). [52]
Ape Escape was added to the Deluxe tier of the PlayStation Plus lineup in May 2022, playable on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 with full Trophy support. [53] [54] On the Loose was added in August 2023. [55]
Ape Escape 2 is a platform video game developed and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the second game in the Ape Escape series, and is also used as the basis for the animated series by Frederator.
Ape Escape -On Air- is a CGI anime television series produced by Xebec based on Sony's Ape Escape video game franchise. The series and its sequel aired on TV Tokyo between April 8, 2006 and September 29, 2007, and loosely adapt storylines from Million Monkeys, Ape Escape 3, and SaruSaru Big Mission.
Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed is a video game developed by Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan and Ubisoft in North America exclusively for PlayStation 2. It is the fourth title in the Ape Escape franchise. It was never released in Europe, despite being advertised in the UK and Australia.
Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return, or simply Tomba! 2, is a platform-adventure game developed by Whoopee Camp and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The game was released in Japan in 1999 and in other territories the following year. The game is a sequel to Tomba! and centers on the exploits of the eponymous feral child as he attempts to rescue his friend Tabby from an evil race of anthropomorphic pigs.
Ape Escape is a series of video games developed primarily by Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, starting with Ape Escape for PlayStation in 1999. The series incorporates ape-related humour, unique gameplay, and a wide variety of pop culture references. The first game in the series is the first game to have made the DualShock or Dual Analog controller mandatory.
Ape Escape 3 is a platform video game published and developed by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 video game console.
Ape Escape Academy, also known as Ape Academy in Europe and Piposaru Academia: Dossari! Sarugē Daizenshū in Japan, is a game for the PlayStation Portable system that consists of a collection of 47 mini-games, many of which borrow from elements of Ape Escape 2. The game was first released in Japan and later in Europe and North America. By utilizing the PSP's Wi-Fi capabilities, up to 4 players can play at a time.
Ape Academy 2, also known as Piposaru Academia 2: Aiai Sarugē Janken Battle! in Japan, is the sequel to the PlayStation Portable party game Ape Escape Academy.
Saru! Get You! Million Monkeys is a platforming video game published and developed by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It was released throughout Asia a year after the previous title Ape Escape 3. The game was planned to be released in the United Kingdom in late 2006. Ultimately, it was never released outside of Asia.
The Bigs is an arcade-style baseball video game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii and PlayStation Portable. It was released in June 2007 in North America, and in October in the PAL region. A sequel, The Bigs 2, was released on July 7, 2009.
Monkey Hero is a role-playing video game developed by Blam! and published by Take-Two Interactive for the Sony PlayStation video game console. The game is similar to the likes of The Legend of Zelda and Secret of Mana and borrows many ideas from these games, such as a top-down perspective and gameplay focused on exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving. Gameplay elements include large dungeons, fighting and puzzles. It has a whimsical manga-inspired look that makes use of both 3D and 2D graphics.
Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity is a 2007 video game for the Wii console based on the animated television series Code Lyoko. It is the second game based on the French animated television series Code Lyoko. PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable ports of the game were released in 2008.
The Sims 2: Castaway is the third console spin-off of the life simulation video game The Sims 2 for the Wii, Nintendo DS (NDS), PlayStation 2 (PS2) and PlayStation Portable (PSP). It is also available on mobile phones; Nokia offered Castaway on the Ovi Store. A roughly similar game, The Sims Castaway Stories, is available for personal computers, but is not a direct port of Castaway.
Bomberman, known in Japan as Bomberman Portable, is a video game developed by Hudson Soft for the PlayStation Portable handheld console. It was released in Japan in July 2006, in North America in September 2006, and in the PAL regions in February 2007. It was initially released as simply Bomberman outside Japan, but later released in North America as Bomberman Legacy.
Assault, known in North America as Assault: Retribution, is a 1998 action video game developed by Candle Light Studios for the PlayStation console. It was published in North America by Midway Games and in Europe by Telstar.
Saru Get You: SaruSaru Big Mission is a platform video game developed by h.a.n.d. and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable. A spin-off of the Ape Escape series, it was released in Japan and select parts of Asia in 2007.
Pipo Saru 2001 is an action video game in the Ape Escape series developed and published by SCEI for the PlayStation 2 video game console in Japan.
The Bigs 2 is a baseball sports video game developed by Blue Castle Games and published by 2K for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, and PlayStation Portable. The game serves as the direct sequel to The Bigs. The first trailer for the game was released revealing players like Ozzie Smith, Wade Boggs, Roberto Clemente, and Reggie Jackson and a number of other Hall of Famers. Milwaukee Brewers All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder is the cover athlete chosen by 2K Sports. For the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii editions of the game, the English play-by-play announcer is Damon Bruce while the Japanese announcer is Kasey Ryne Mazak. It was released in 2009. The game was indirectly followed-up by Nicktoons MLB.
PlayStation Move Ape Escape, simply titled Ape Escape in Europe and known in Asian countries as Ape Escape: On the Move!, and in Japan as Furi Furi! Saru Get You, is a 2010 rail shooter and party video game developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 video game console. The game was originally announced at the Tokyo Game Show 2009 as one of the title supporting the PlayStation Move controller. The title was released on December 9, 2010, in Japan, then in 2011 on June 24 for Europe, and on July 5 for North America. An English version of the game in Asia was also released January 31, 2011.
The first PlayStation game to require the DualShock was Ape Escape in 1999.
On air promotions include Fox Kids Network (for Spyro Ripto's Rage), Time Warner Inc.'s Kids WB channel (Um Jammer Lammy) and Cartoon Network (Ape Escape).