Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed
| Ape Escape: Pumped and Primed | |
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| Developer(s) | SCEI |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Composer(s) | Soichi Terada |
| Series | Ape Escape |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 Arcade |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Party |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Ape Escape: Pumped and Primed, known in Japan as Gacha Mecha Stadium Saru Battle (ガチャメカスタジアム サルバト～レ), is a video game that was developed by SCEI for the PlayStation 2. The game was published by SCEI and Ubisoft in 2004. It is the fourth title in the Ape Escape franchise. It was never released in Europe, despite being advertised in the UK and Australia.
Unlike the other Ape Escape games, this game is more of a party game, similar to Mario Party and Sonic Shuffle. The game consists of minigames that the player must finish to pass. The story mode is broken up into different tournaments with 3 to 4 players, where 1 to 2 players must finish at least 1st place to pass. Usually, two types of events occur after the player finishes a tournament: a movie featuring the player's character of choice and monkeys, or a cutscene followed by a boss battle; this is the first Ape Escape game to have a rating higher than an E.
Story
Spike, Natalie, Casi and the Professor joins the High-tech tournament, a virtual world. Helga, the previous champion, is on an important mission to find the disk based on her father's research, hidden in the trophy. The Pipo Monkeys and Team Monkey also join the duel to win the tournament under Specter's command to gain power. Jake promised to join the tournament with Spike, but went under Specter's control. Jake will battle against the player three times in different styles, as well as Specter. Specter fights in a Goliath robot (Ape Escape 2) and it has 2 legs. On the third battle, it's on his battleship. The Pipotrons join the tournament, also looking for the disk.
At the end of the tournament, the Pipotrons steal the trophy (unless the player plays as them and wins it fairly) and discover the disk. The Pipotrons give it to a super computer virus called Grid Core, who wants to conquer the world. However, once he has the disk, the villain decides that the regular three Pipotrons deserve the same fate as the others. The new villain introduces a new tournament (aka the virus-tech tournament), where the characters are fighting for their very lives while getting closer to the villain's lair. Along the way, you will go against Super Pipotrons who are much more powerful than the original ones. The last few bosses before the villain are Dark Jake and Specter. When you reach the new villain (in the form of Grid Core) and defeat him, the virtual world turns back to normal.
Gameplay
The game consists of a series of minigames. The minigames consist of either: battling on teams or not with the normal gadgets, kind of like playing an Ape Escape version of Super Smash Bros. but 3-D; battling underwater using submersibles, (unless you're the pipotron which use evil sharks), using only torpedoes; Foot racing to the finish line, using any gadget you can (you may kill the opponents to win, but the level won't end until someone finishes the race); Collecting more coins than the opponents, you may also use gadgets; Collecting coins again, but this time the map moves on its own and you have to use the Dragonfly to get across the level alive; Battling in tanks, using only missiles; or finally racing on boats or rafts (except for the pipotron which use sharks again), plus you may only use missiles to attack.
If you beat the game you may use any gadgets on certain ones. If not, than all minigames will not allow you to use one or no gadgets until the Subfinals. You may not play against bosses or in the Virus-tech World in Verses mode. You may only use up to four gadgets in minigames that allow gadgets, and you may win new prizes from fans which all come from previous Ape Escape games if you win in certain times or with a certain amount of points or coins depending on the minigames. The Prize can be the 3rd prize Fan ID, the 2nd prize Fan letter, or the 1st prize present which could be a new summoning, gadget, vehicle, or clothing. The Gadget could be fiery, electrical, or icy and the vehicle can only be icy.
The Summonings are monkeys, that you gain by getting fan prizes, are used to help you win Levels where you're on foot. They can do things like heal you, cause a sandstorm, attack the opponent directly, etc. Each summoning can only do one thing and you can only have one summoning. Not all summoning came from previous games but two summoning came from the Freaky Monkey Five!
After the Subfinals you may use specials by combining buttons next to each other. Each Characters have different specials. For example, The regular Pipo monkey's strongest special is the RC car and the Stunclub combined and it causes you to throw a banana straight forward, and if it hits an enemy then several monkeys jump out of nowhere and beat up the enemy senseless. It won't always KO in one hit.
You also can fight each other in story mode. There are many place to fight. You can use five types of gadgets, such as Stunclub for hitting target, Hoops for make you run super fast, Slingshoot for shooting target from far, Dragonfly for you to fly. And car for bomb your target.
Reception
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The game received average scores, rating a Metacritic of 61.[1] Reviewers pointed that it's high qualities lay on its visual and sound effects,[2] and on its game mechanics,[4] but it lacks re-playability and overall appeal.
See also
References
External links
- Official website (Japanese)
- IGN
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