Since the release of the Nintendo Coin-op classic Donkey Kong in 1981 gamers have had a fascination with simians. Donkey Kong and his crew, Congo Bongo and Super Monkey Ball have all found their respective ways into the hearts of gamers across the globe. The latest game featuring monkey mayhem that has hit US Shores is the vastly entertaining UbiSoft/Sony romp known as Ape Escape 2.
At its core Ape Escape 2 is a brilliant platformer that holds its own against the best of the genre that the PlayStation 2 has to offer. It is an amazingly original concept that is downright entertaining from beginning to end. Well it is original for the vast majority of gamers who missed the 1st incarnation on that PS2. It is colorful, has spot-on controls, catchy music, puzzles that are not frustrating, and a difficulty level that is ideal for all gamers. It is however not without its faults.
Let us begin by looking at the graphical and aural presentation of this title. As mentioned earlier the game is extremely colorful and visually pleasing. Jimmy, the supporting characters, and the monkeys are adequately animated and in some cases downright adorable. The environments are lush and serve their purpose extremely well. Some clipping issues do arise when Jimmy is too close to the edges of an environment, and the wretched jaggies once again rear their ugly heads. Neither of these issues detract from the overall aesthetics of the game. The sound effects are what you would typically expect from a platformer, and the background music help to create the easy going mood of the game. The game could certainly use some additional polish, but nothing is present that hinders the fun factor of Ape Escape 2.
This game is all about gameplay (isn't that what ALL games should be about?). You have 300 monkeys that you need to catch (as well as their leader who is plotting to take over the world). The game gives you plenty of options in regard to how you wish to catch these colorful little creatures. Your first item is your monkey net which is used to catch every land based monkey. The Stun Club will probably be your most used gadget. Use the club to knock down a monkey for a second or two giving you just enough time to net it. Use your Sling Shot to knock monkeys down from high platforms, or switch to explosive pellets to knock a pesky monkey down for the count. Your speed hoop is used to catch those ever so speedy blue-pants wearing apes, and other items are used for solving puzzles. The monkey radar helps you locate hard to find enemies and even gather data from them, and the bananarang and RC car rounds out your inventory. The RC car is used to solve some switch based puzzles, and the bananarang can knock out enemies, or send out a banana scent to attract hungry apes.
Switching between the various gadgets becomes second nature just a few minutes into the game. Two additional gadgets are unlocked after completion of the game, but I will leave it up to you to see them for yourself.
The game controls brilliantly, and the monkeys and puzzles are varied enough to never get boring. In addition to sneaking up on a monkey, knocking them silly with one of the clever gadgets, or chasing one down on foot at full speed, several vehicles are present to add some additional variety to the gameplay. Submarine (or swim) after an aquatic monkey and shoot a net at them to capture them, use a raft to row across bodies of water that contain predatory fish, or use a snow mobile to speed down sloops after some skiing simians. The transition between foot to vehicles is seemless, and a tribute to the wonderful controls of this title. Rounding out the package are some rather uninspired mini games, and various other collectibles that you cash your game collected coins in for. Monkey Soccer, Monkey Dancing and Monkey Climber are the mini games, and they are good for a few minutes of laughs each. Concept art, video clips, photos, additional RC car skins, soundtracks, etc. are all collected in between stages and are a decent added bonus.
I cannot stress enough how truly enjoyable this game is, particular to platforming fans. It took me close to 16 hours to collect all 300 monkeys and a vast majority of the collectibles, and never once did I find the game tedious, or frustratingly difficult. I highly recommend this title to any fan of the genre, and to anyone looking for a light-hearted title to enjoy some quality time with.
-Frank
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