Ape Escape
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| Developer(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment | ||
| Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment | ||
| Distributor(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment | ||
| Director(s) | Masamichi Seki | ||
| Producer(s) | Susumu Takatsuka Takafumi Fujisawa Shuhei Yoshida (executive producer) |
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| Designer(s) | Kenkichi Shimōka Hingo Matsumoto Katsuyuki Kanetaka Kenji Kaido Hidekuni Sakai |
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| Programmer(s) | Yuji Yamada Kazuo Kato Kaoru Hagiwara Toshitake Tsuchikura Kenji Ishii Makoto Wakabayashi Kiyoshi Sakai |
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| Composer(s) | Sōichi Terada | ||
| Series | Ape Escape | ||
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Network | ||
| Release date(s) |
PlayStation Network (PS3)
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| Genre(s) | Platform game | ||
| Mode(s) | Single-player | ||
| Rating(s) |
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| Media/distribution | CD-ROM, UMD, download | ||
Ape Escape (known as Saru! Get You! (サルゲッチュ Saru Getchu) in Japan) is a platform game published, produced and developed by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It was originally released in 1999. It was re-released for the Sony Greatest Hits and Best for Family line-ups in 2000; for the Platinum Range in 2001; and for the PSone Books line-up in 2005. The game was re-released as a downloadable game via the PlayStation Network in Japan in 2007. Ape Escape is notable as the first video game to require the use of the Dual Analog Controller for gameplay.
Ape Escape is the first installment in the Ape Escape series, and tells the story of an albino ape named Specter who gains enhanced intelligence and a malevolent streak through the use of an experimental helmet. Specter mass-produces the helmet for the use of an army of apes, which he sends back through time in an attempt to rewrite history. The player character, Spike (Kakeru in the original Japanese version), must travel through time and capture the apes and ultimately Specter himself with the aid of special gadgets.
Ape Escape was met with universal acclaim from professional critics, who praised the innovative use of the dual analog controls and spoke positively of the graphics and music, with minor criticism going to the voice acting.
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Ape Escape is a platform game in which the player controls Spike, who must travel through time and capture all of the apes, thus preventing them from rewriting history. Spike has the ability to run, jump, climb, swing and use a variety of gadgets that become available to him throughout the game. The controls are centered heavily around the use of the two analog sticks, as the Dual Analog Controller is required to play the game.[1][2]
Ape Escape gameplay is based on the use of a multitude of gadgets, which each have their own unique function. Spike's primary gadgets are the Stun Club and the Time Net. The Stun Club is used as an offensive measure against enemy characters and to temporarily stun apes, while the Time Net is used to capture apes and send them back to the present day.[3][4] Throughout the game, Spike acquires more gadgets that are useful and are often needed to get some of the monkeys in earlier stages.[3][5] When a new gadget is obtained, the player is required to complete a training session, where the basics of controlling the gadget are learned. This training can be revisited at any time.[5] Examples of new gadgets obtained during the course of gameplay include a device that augments swimming ability and deploys nets to capture swimming apes, a radar that can detect apes and provides statistics on each individual ape, a slingshot for hitting distant targets, a hula hoop that imbues Spike with super speed, a propeller that increase Spike's jump height and distance, and a remote control car for accessing smaller spaces.[4]
Prior to entering a stage, the character Casi displays the number of apes that must be captured in that particular stage. During gameplay, the bottom-right corner of the screen displays a group of icons indicating how many apes have been captured (a net icon) and how many must still be captured (an ape head icon).[3][6] When the required number of apes have been captured, the stage is cleared and access to the next stage is granted. Stages that have been cleared can be replayed so that additional apes may be captured, some requiring certain gadgets that are not accessible until later on in the game.[3]
The lights mounted on the apes' helmets are indicators of the ape's awareness of Spike's presence. When the light is colored blue, the ape is unaware of Spike's whereabouts and is thus easier to capture through the use of stealthy maneuvers. The light turns yellow when the ape senses Spike's presence but is unsure of his exact whereabouts; the light turns back to blue if Spike avoids detection for a short amount of time. The ape's light will turn red if Spike is discovered. The ape will then either attack Spike or run away. A helmet light that is flashing, regardless of color, indicates that the ape is either actively hunting Spike or is about to attack.[3]
Other items in the levels include "Chips", which can be collected to gain extra lives and "Specter Coins", which unlock minigames. Each level is connected by a hub world called the "Time Station".
Ape Escape takes place in a world similar to Earth over a number of different time periods such as the prehistoric age, where dinosaurs and early creatures can be found, a jungle area with temples,[7] an ocean area set mainly on the beach and in the water, an ice age period where everything is frozen over,[8] and a medieval age, which features castle environments.[9] Spike returns to a hub area after each time period to collect new gadgets and gain information as well as to allow access to previous and subsequent levels.
The primary protagonist of the game is a 10 year old boy called Spike (Kakeru in the Japanese version). He and his friend Buzz (Jake in the U.S. version and Western PSP remake, Hiroki in the Japanese version) go to see a new time machine the Professor has invented. Upon arriving, they get sucked into the time machine because it has been activated by Specter. Spike then travels through time to different eras, catching monkeys and obtaining new gadgets to make his journey easier.[10]
Specter is the main antagonist of the game. He is a white monkey who was a circus performer before he found a device invented by the professor called the "Peak Point Helmet" ("Monkey Helmet" in the U.S. version, PSP remake and all successive Ape Escape games). This helmet increases his intelligence and gives him the ability of speech, but tapped into his innate abilities and made him inordinately more powerful. This helmet however was a prototype version, mentioned by the Professor to be extremely dangerous. With his newfound powers, Specter decides to attempt to take over the world. He replicates his helmet (and even makes a special advanced version of it to make himself even stronger) and uses the copies on other monkeys to create an monkey army that he sends back in time to change the future so that apes rule.[10]
The Professor is an inventor who creates the Time Station (the device the characters use to travel through time) and the Peak Point Helmet (the device that creates the antagonist). He tends to be a little careless due to his age and relies on his granddaughter Katie (Natalie in the U.S. version, Natsumi in the Japanese version and European PSP remake) to keep him out of trouble. Katie is a computer expert who helps the professor work his inventions. She also maintains the Time Station so that it stays stable.[10]
Buzz is Spike's friend and enjoys friendly competition with him.[10] When the time machine is activated, he and Spike are split up and sent to different periods in time. He becomes mind controlled by Specter (according to Specter, Buzz had been "completely reborn"), but after being defeated by Spike later in the story, Specter's control over him is broken and he returns to the Professor.[11]
The monkeys are Specter's army and can be found throughout every area of the game.[12] They all wear helmets and coloured pants. Each monkey's helmet increases the monkey's intelligence to some degree, allowing the monkey to operate weapons and switches, but does not give the monkey the ability to talk like Specter. The helmet also displays the monkey's mood in the form of a flashing light on top. The colour of their pants denotes their personality which ranges from docile to aggressive.[13]
Ape Escape tells the story of a monkey by the name of Specter that comes into ownership of a Peak Point Helmet (Pipo Helmet), which greatly increased his intelligence, but also gave him evil intentions. He mass produces helmets for less intelligent monkeys (not identical to his own) to assist him in his plan for world domination by traveling through time, and it is up to a young boy named Spike (Kakeru), with the aid of the Professor - the inventor of the Peak Point Helmet - and his granddaughter, Katie (Natalie in the U.S. version, Natsumi in the Japanese version), to chase them through time and capture them all. He must also rescue his friend, Buzz (Jake in the US version, Hiroki in the Japanese version), who has been brainwashed into being Specter's slave.
Spike travels through various places in time, from the Dinosaur Ages to the future, in order to catch Specter's legion of apes. He also runs into the mind-controlled Jake during his adventures, and must defeat him in bonus levels that involve racing to complete an obstacle course.
Ape Escape is the first video game to require the use of the Dual Analog Controller for gameplay.[14][15] The music of the game was composed by Sōichi Terada. The game's sound effects were created by Masaaki Kaneko, while the sound effects in the game cinematics were provided by Masatoshi Mizumachi. The voice acting of the American version of the game was recorded at Dubey Tunes Studios, with Sara Holihan serving as the voiceover director and Hunter A. Pipes III serving as the voiceover producer. The American voice cast consists of Scott MacGregor as Spike, Peter Bayhem as Jake, Michael Sousa as the Professor, Pete Burrows as Specter, Christiane Crawford as Natalie, Peggy Small as Casi, and Susan Michele as additional characters.[16] The game is compatible with the PocketStation application.[14] On-air promotions for Ape Escape were held on Cartoon Network during Sony Computer Entertainment America's winter holiday marketing campaign of 1999.[17]
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Ape Escape was met with universal acclaim from critics upon its release. Official PlayStation Magazine praised the game's "creative" use of the Dual Shock, describing the game as an "awesome platformer".[19] Doug Perry of IGN declared Ape Escape to be "the best 3D platform game on the PlayStation. Hands down." He went on to say that the game is "not only innovative, it digs deep into the analog control's inherent movements and brings out a breadth of fantastic gameplay elements that are unique to the game."[24] Scott Alan Marriott of Allgame (All Game Guide at the time) described the game as "one of the most enjoyable 3D platform games to swing onto the PlayStation in quite some time" and "one of the most innovative."[18] Peter Bartholow of GameSpot named the game "one of the best 3D platformers to date, brimming with innovation, originality and fun."[21] Electronic Gaming Monthly, in their January 2004 issue, referred to Ape Escape as "the amazing 3D action game that made capturing monkeys popular again."[19]
The game's graphics were met with mostly good comments. Doug Perry of IGN, in a mostly indifferent review of the visuals, said that the textures "aren't terribly stunning" and the character design was "rather fundamental". He described the art style as "cartoony" and "simplistic" and considered the design to be "extremely crude and simple" compared to that of the then-upcoming Sonic Adventure. However, he singled out the special effect for capturing an ape as "awesome" and cited that the "mixture of transparent lights, designed in rings and coupled with sparks (generated from a nice particle system), and a quickly moving camera, create a fantastic and gratifying effect."[24] Scott Alan Marriott of Allgame noted the "distinct Japanese style" of the graphics and mentioned that the main character Spike "has spiked hair and looks like he should be a member of the Speed Racer team." He added that the environments were "fun", but suffered from some pop-up and other minor glitches.[18] Peter Bartholow of GameSpot considered the game to be "a sight to behold" and noted the size, detail and color of the environments. Bartholow also mentioned the "strong, brilliant coding" that allowed for a long horizon while maintaining a consistent frame rate.[21]
Reception of the game's audio was mainly positive, with some criticism going to the voice acting. Doug Perry of IGN described the soundtrack as "a weird concoction of J-Pop and techno-style synth" that is "more Japanese than Western", and noted that the "poppy tunes" were catchier than the "techno tunes". While referring to Spike's voice as "nothing special", Perry described the apes' screeches and vocalizations as "funny and lovable".[24] Scott Alan Marriott of Allgame commended the authenticity of the ape vocalizations and noted the appropriateness of the music to the settings. On the subject of the game's voice acting, Marriott said that it "leaves something to be desired" and singled out the character Jake as "[sounding] like he has a serious cold."[18] Pete Bartholow of GameSpot referred to the "playful techno" soundtrack as "stage-appropriate" and noted its "mildly interactive" nature in that some of the music's instruments are muted when the player character moves stealthily. While considering the sound effects "nice", he described the voice acting as "uniformly atrocious".[21]
The staff of IGN included Ape Escape in an article documenting the "greatest PlayStation 3D platformers ever".[28] The staff of IGN also included it as #8 in their "Top 25 PlayStation Games of All Time".[29] In the final issue of Official UK PlayStation Magazine, the game was chosen as the 9th best game of all time.[30] The IGN PlayStation Team included the game as #8 in their "Top 10 Classics that Belong on the PSN".[31]
Reviews for Ape Escape: On the Loose, the PlayStation Portable port of Ape Escape, were mixed. Play Magazine considered the game to be the most "basic visually" of the PlayStation Portable launch titles, but also found it to be the "most entertaining", and concluded with "Once a great game, always a great game."[20] Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot lamented the loss of the "finely tuned control that made the first game such a hit," but felt that the game "still has considerable charm."[22] David Chapman of GameSpy said that "although it has a few noticeable flaws, there's nothing so bad that game stops being a lot of fun to play. At worst, it just gets a little frustrating at times."[23] Juan Castro of IGN warned that "fans of the series will probably miss the second analog stick, but having gadgets mapped to the PSP's face buttons works well, just not as well as before, and definitely not as intuitive."[25] Game Informer described the game as "merely a slightly annoying, if charming, run-of-the-mill platformer."[20]
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