Ape Escape Review | Monkeys, Gadgets, Regional Accents

25 years ago, a PlayStation-exclusive was released that required a new peripheral called the DualShock It had not one, not three, but TWO ANALOG STICKS. So, this one definitely made an impact at the time. We're going back to 1999 to look at a 3D platformer chock full of puzzles and monkeys to collect. We're talking Ape Escape.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at how Japan Studio had to communicate how players would use their new controller, and some big TV ad campaigns that ran in the States. We also take a look at some Japanese adverts that we would've welcomed on out television screens back in the day.

In our review, you'll hear some chat on a giant satellite dish called a Monkey Radar that tells you where the escaped apes are (as well as how quick, powerful, and perceptive they are); an enemy’s trousers tell you a lot; the Metal Gear Solid similarities in the game’s visual language; going into the foetal position and being “nearly invisible”; catching a monkey sneakily vs them seeing you and jumping into a spaceship; the joy one can derive from catching a misbehaving time traveller; swinging gadgets around via the right analog stick; swimming in a 3D space with your Water Net; whacking those cheeky little guys over the head with Stun Club more than you need to; a Hoop, a Sky Flyer and an RC Car for puzzle-solving; the art of rowing a boat; phenomenal level design; trashing sandcastles; a big dinosaur; Specter doesn’t want to go back to Monkey Park; two different English-voice casts with two different scripts; a much more fun Watch Dogs profiler; an AI construct called Casi; Spike’s Shinobi Deathblow; and a soundtrack that doesn’t fit but definitely fits.

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Ape Escape is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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