Ape Escape: On the Loose

"Great for those who didn't play the original; disappointing for those who did"

Ape Escape was the first game on the Playstation to use the DualShock controller, and the control scheme was absolutely genius. It was one of the many reasons why Ape Escape was a smash-hit on the Playstation, but the game itself didn't redefine or improve the genre. On the PSP, everything about Ape Escape is better except for the most important feature: controls. Since the PSP has only one analog... er... nub, the controls of Ape Escape: On the Loose aren't quite as good as they were before, but if you haven't played the original you probably wouldn't be bothered by the transition. The game has some great cartoony graphics that are eerily similar to Megaman Legends, and the cast of characters definitely have charm. It has this general "Playstation" feel that is pervasive in almost all Playstation platformers. It's a good game that doesn't do anything particularly different than games before and after it, but it does cover all the bases of the genre.

Graphics

Ape Escape: On the Loose is a VERY updated remake of the original Ape Escape. The texture filtering is the first and most obvious improvement, but the characters have also received a humongous boost in polygons. The terrain looks much better and the backgrounds are fantastic. Your main character, Spike, looks great. The facial expressions of all the characters are high-res, and the game has this wonderful cartoony vibe. It won't win any technical awards, but it's most certainly easy on the eyes.

If one were to compare Ape Escape: On the Loose to an Ape Escape game, it would be must better to compare it to Ape Escape 2 for the PS2. The game looks fantastic and runs smoothly enough not to bother.

Sound

Definitely Playstation-style platformer music. The music is CD-audio quality, but most of it is synthesized in a Megaman style. The voicework is grating, but then again most anime-inspired games like Ape Escape have extremely annoying voicework. The sound effects are great, and I love the ambient music.

Gameplay

Spike and his friend Jake are running to the professor's lab when Specter, the evil genius monkey wearing his signature Peak Point Helmet activates a time machine and sends monkeys back through time. It's your job to capture the monkeys and prevent them from destroying time. It's a generic story but the game follows through on its time-travelling premise by having you revisit locations in different time periods. As Spike, you must traverse the locales and find the stray monkeys, who will do everything in their power to resist being caught. After you catch a certain number of monkeys, you complete the stage. As with most platformers, you can return to previous stages to fully complete them.

The game is generic, and the control isn't that great but it has enough charm to override both of those faults. While not as memorable or as revolutionary as Mario 64, it is based on a game that came out four years after Mario 64 and therefore has a number of improvements in gameplay.

As I've said before, this game oddly has a "Megaman Legends" feel to it that is really bizarre. If you like this style of anime, then this game will be right up your alley.

Overall

Ape Escape: On the Loose is the perfect game for those who haven't played the original. It's new enough to not be outdated, and it's retro enough to feel like a classic. Most importantly, it's long enough to be worth the purchase.

A platformer should always be the first game you buy for a system because it allows you to explore a world outside of a vehicle and at your own leisure. As such, Ape Escape, while not being the best of the PSP's launch titles, is the game you should get first.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/18/05