When Sony released their dual analog controller for the original PlayStation I, along with most gamers, were initially confused as to why they included two sticks on it. This was before the layout had become standard, and to me twin sticks didn’t make a lot of sense back then. Developers didn’t even think to use the set up for camera control back then, and it wasn’t until the following generation that the advantages were widely apparent. That’s why Ape Escape is special. This is a 3D platforming game released for the original PlayStation, and was one of the first cases in which the advantages of dual analog controls were made apparent. Unfortunately Ape Escape has since been largely forgotten, but in my opinion it’s one of Sony’s best titles ever, and it’s disappointing that this franchise hasn’t been given their top billing.
Ape Escape begins with monkeys escaping from an amusement park. They unwittingly break into a laboratory and put on special helmets that significantly increase their intelligence. Led by the nefarious ape named Specter their plan is to travel through time and re-write history so that monkeys once again rule the world. It’s up to our spiky haired protagonist Spike along with the help of his professor pal and a host of quirky inventions to capture all of the loose monkeys and restore order to the world. This scenario is told through real-time cut scenes that are very well done and fully voiced. As I mentioned earlier this is a 3D platforming game, and unlike most others on the console it absolutely requires a dual analog controller in order to play. Nearly every button is used on the controller which is no small feat considering its layout.
You begin in a very small hub. In here you can save your progress or load a file, and also select which stage you would like to play. Progression is linear with a new stage opening up only after you’ve completed the most recent one. Upon selecting a stage you’re thrown into a 3D stage wherein you must capture a specific number of monkeys, and when you reach that goal you can move on to the next one. These are designed with a non-linear approach meaning you can explore to your hearts content and capture most monkeys in any order that you choose. Snagging these simians is done with your net, but they don’t go down without a fight. The helmets on top of their heads flash lights which display their current state of worry. When this turns yellow they’re suspicious that you’re nearby, but when this changes to red they have spotted you and will try to escape. In most cases they simply run away dropping banana peels which can slow you down, but others will shoot projectiles at you are get close for a melee attack. You can sneak up on them by crawling (which is done by clicking down on the left stick) but by and large you will need to use your gadgets to stun and catch them. These are diverse and give you several different options.
While Spike can by default walk, run, crawl and jump the only way to catch monkeys is with his set of high tech tools. You begin with only two; the stun club and time net. These are useful throughout the entire game, and represent the most simple method by which to catch the apes. The stun club as you can imagine knocks any monkey hit by it down for a few seconds, and the time net is what you use to capture them. As you progress things become more complicated with the introduction of new gadgets. The first new one is the water net which you can shoot off only while swimming for when monkeys are trying to evade you by swimming underwater. The monkey radar is easily among the most useful gadgets for its ability to show you where monkeys are hiding, and you can even pull up a live feed of them when you’re close enough. The others are less important, but include the slingback shooter which fires projectiles, the super hoop that gives you a burst of speed, the sky flyer which allows you to reach higher platforms, an R.C. car used to access areas Spike is too big to fit through, and the magic punch which is basically a stronger version of the stun club but can break through certain walls and obstacles. These are all required within the main game, and for the most part they’re an absolute blast to use. Some monkeys are not accessible until you acquire specific gadgets, and you can return to previously completed levels to catch them all.
The level designs are enjoyable, and when you’re not tracking down monkeys the game keeps you busy fending off various enemies. It’s a lot of fun, and the gadgets serve well to keep things interesting from start to finish. If there’s one problem I do have with this game however it’s the control scheme. Spike moves easily enough with the left analog stick, and this is extremely responsive and precise. The interesting twist is that the right stick is used to control Spike’s gadgets. The direction you depress is the same one in which he will use the gadget. This works pretty well and was a nice trick to avoid the clunky nature of aiming your character in a specific direction to attack. The problem I have is with the face buttons. You designate your gadgets to these buttons, and pressing the corresponding button doesn’t use them but instead equips them. My brain is trained to use the face buttons to use items and jump, and throughout the adventure I still occasionally messed up in this regard. Meanwhile the jump button is set up to R1 which also feels unnatural. Was it worth using this scheme to take advantage of the analog stick for your gadgets? It’s a mixed bag in my opinion because the game isn’t quite as intuitive as it could have been with this set up.
Ape Escape is easily one of the most technically impressive games on the console. This is as close as anyone came to making a similar experience to Super Mario 64 on the system, and although the stages are a little small and new areas need to be loaded it’s very pretty. Spike animates fluidly and the environments are chock full of detail. This is an incredibly colorful adventure that has a memorable style. What’s more is that this game doesn’t suffer from nearly as much polygon warping as most other PS1 titles. I did notice touches of slowdown here and there (primarily when several enemies were on-screen at once) but it’s never a huge issue in my opinion. Either way The soundtrack has quickly become one of my favorites. The soundtrack compositions are absolutely wonderful here. The composers went for an electronic pop style, and it fits the zany nature of this title perfectly. To be honest this is one of the few soundtracks I would listen to outside of a video game, and I might have to track it down. Overall Ape Escape scores soundly.
3D platformers might have been a dime a dozen back then, but few hold up as well now as Ape Escape does. Sony managed to dethrone their console’s marsupial mascot in one fell swoop, and it’s downright criminal how they treat the franchise nowadays. This title isn’t even available as a PSone classic yet which makes absolutely no sense. In my opinion this is one of the classics. If you’re looking for the absolute best platforming game on the original PlayStation then look no further because it only goes downhill from here.
