Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed

"Really excellent and varied party game for four players, not excellent if you're looking for Ape Escape 3"

This game is centered around a minigame tournament format. There are 8 very different minigames. Stunclubs (kill each other with melee), RC cars (move with one alanlog stick and use the other to drive a detonatable RC car to explode the floor and collect coins), Dash Hoops (like coin collecting on a skateboard while the floor tilts), Obstacle Course (crazy chase to collect coins with weapons), Tank Battle (virtual on style shoot em up using both sticks), Watermech (omnidirectional underwater sub warfare), Slingshots (beautifully simple but effective goldeneye-esque 4-man shooter), and boat race (rowing using both sticks, hard at first then you get the hang of it).

These 8 events have 3-4 versions (different and more complex level design) which make them even more unique. I disagree with the other review with the lack of variety. Indeed, VS the cpu strategic depth is crippled (though still often fun), it's definitely an interesting and very fun game for 4-players.

Just don't hope for ape escape 3 and you'll love it if you're a fan of light hearted but intense party games. The controls are good once you get the hang of it (e.g. use L1 to keep the camera working for you, don't rotate the sticks too fast in the boats, use guard liberally in shootouts) and there is some great fun to be had. The graphics and sweet special moves fit the frantic mood perfectly.

The depth is added by the variety of different strategies needed in the events, plus the ability to cutomize and make custom tournaments. Each character has a good amount of strengths and weaknesses plus special moves that seem balanced. Each has 1 special melee move, 4 unique super moves, and the ability to collect many different 'monkey summons' from the honestly hilarious monkey fan club.

The wacky monkey fan club is a hilarious touch, whereby your story mode performance (even when cooperating with a friend) is rewarded with fans who write in with tips and send you special items. It's a great way to unlock stuff. The graphics are so fun that even the costumes are nice to play with, but the main things are the new gadgets and monkey summons. The best thing is that all of your work against the AI pays off in the brilliant multiplayer tournaments.

The hard part is just that you need four people available who are willing to take the game seriously. As serious fun, anyway. Even better if they all spend time customizing their teams, but that's rare since this isn't a blockbuster game. If it wasn't for the games total reliance on multiplayer and the need for four people, i might even give this game higher than an 8. At the very least, it succeeds in being a great party game especially for those who like to drink ;)

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/07/05