Ape Escape

2024-11-15
I can't believe I played this as a kid and bounced off. Maybe it's because it was the first game that popularized the use of dual analog sticks and that completely threw me off. But while those controls are kind of awkward, once you get used to them what you have is a terribly delightful platformer. Of particular note is the now legendary drum and bass infused soundtrack. It's punchy, fun, and bumping. Maybe it's because I played this on my PS2 upscaled with a Retrotink 4K but oh god the visual style is fucking incredible. Bright blues and greens and reds, tropical trees, beaches, snowy mountains, and a whole carnival level all rendered in that iconic blocky polygonal PS1 style.

But hey, you're here to catch monkeys, right? And thankfully it's surprisingly fun and challenging (due to the weird controls) and the game continually throws new gadgets at you to add wrinkles to the gameplay that keep it engaging. The story is comically simple and the voice acting is exactly as bad as you would expect from a game from 1999. That is to say: it rules. The apes themselves are hilarious with each one having a unique name, status, and a different set of animations when you inspect them. Statuses like "Needs a new pair of underwear" or "Getting over a lost love" are one of those fun touches a lot of video games seem to have lost in the 20+ years since Ape Escape.

I will say the game starts to lose it's fun, whimsical nature of the beginning by making platforming harder, and frequently frustrating, enemies more tedious, and, above all else, levels way, way longer. If you don't finish I'd say that's ok because the best levels are really in the first half of the game.

Despite the game seeming to lose track of what makes it fun in the search of adding challenge, it's an utterly charming game that everyone should play. And you best believe I'll keep bumping that OST forever.
2024-01-15
I can't believe I played this as a kid and bounced off. Maybe it's because it was the first game that popularized the use of dual analog sticks and that completely threw me off. But while those controls are kind of awkward, once you get used to them what you have is a terribly delightful platformer. Of particular note is the now legendary drum and bass infused soundtrack. It's punchy, fun, and bumping. The visual style as well is so delightful and fun especially in the first few worlds. Bright blues and greens and reds, tropical trees, beaches, snowy mountains, and a whole carnival level.

The core mechanic of catching monkeys is surprisingly fun and challenging (mostly because of the controls) and the game continually throws new gadgets at you to add wrinkles to the gameplay that keep it engaging. The story is comically simple and the voice acting is exactly as bad as you would expect from a game from 1999. The apes themselves are pretty funny with each one having a unique name, status, and a different set of animations when you inspect them. Statuses like "Needs a new pair of underwear" or "Getting over a lost love" add weirdness and charm that bring a smile to ones face and stand out as a style we seem to have mostly lost in video games in the 20+ years since this game was made.

I will say the game starts to lose it's fun, whimsical nature of the beginning that makes it such a blast to play by making platforming harder, and frequently frustrating, enemies more tedious, and, above all else, levels way, way longer. If you don't finish I'd say that's ok because the best levels are really in the first half of the game.

Despite the game seeming to lose track of what makes it fun in the search of adding challenge, it's an utterly charming game that everyone should play.