Review
Release Date: 07.01.2003
Platform:
PlayStation 2Developer:
Ubisoft EntertainmentPublisher:
Ubisoft EntertainmentReviewed by
Brian J. Balsan on 8.1.2003
| Review Rating: 9/10 | User Rating: 7.75/10 |
The world needs more wacky games like this.
It's been some time since the last Ape Escape was released (with the intention of making full use of the Dual Shock controller)...unless you lived in Japan, where a semi-sequel dedicated to simian nudity was released between then and now (oh those crazy Japanese). Why SCEA decided to pass up the sequel to one of its PSOne Greatest Hits titles is beyond anyone. But you have to thank Ubi-Soft for giving the game a second chance. Ape Escape 2 still seems to attempt to prove the use of the Dual-Shock controller (which doesn't seem to make sense, since the controller is a requirement of the PS2 itself), but there's so much more in this game than the first ever had that you will be playing for hours to unlock them all.
The story takes place sometime after the original Ape Escape (and, one can only guess, after the events of the Japan-only semi-sequel), Where Jimmy, a new helper to the Professor, accidentally sends peak-point superintelligence helmets to Monkey Park along with the pants he was supposed to send. Because of this blunder, Specter once again takes control of the apes and sends them back in time again. Now Jimmy has to do what Spike did in the first game: travel through time and capture every monkey possible.
If you've played the first Ape Escape, then the controls shouldn't be new to you. In fact, much of the gadgets from the first game return to help you out, along with a couple of new ones. Specter, however, has recruited new help, in the form of the "Freaky Monkey Five" a group of powerful apes that should remove any form of doubt in your mind that this game may have come from someplace other than Japan. None of the voice actors from the first game return for AE2, but it's just as well: Ubi-Soft does a much better job dubbing the game than Sony ever did. The voice of Jimmy, for the record, is the same person who does Misty in the English Pokemon dubs, and it actually fits the character pretty well.
While capturing monkeys is all fun and good, SCEI added things to make the game worth reaching that elusive 100% for. Gone are the "Specter coins" replaced with mario-like gold coins. These coins can be collected and used in the "Gotcha machine", similar to those machines you see in Laundromats and supermarkets where you put 50 cents in and get a little toy...well, as you play through the stages, more things can become available in the gotcha machine. You can collect CG photos or concept art, you can recieve three brand-new minigames, monkey fables (Beware: If you didn't care for bananas before, you'll probably hate 'em now), and my personal favorite: 4-Koma (Japanese Comic strips). More companies should use the idea of translating the comics through subtitles captions.
And, just like in the first game, the game isn't over until you've captures each and every monkey. Some monkeys don't even appear in the stages until much later in the game, and by then you'll be given a new type of Monkey tracker to hunt them down with. And then, even when you've found all the monkeys and beaten the game for the real ending, it's not over yet...
The only complaint I have for this game, aside from the weird placing of the jump control, is that one of the comics had been edited in the localization. Probably because Ubi-Soft wanted to keep the K-to-A rating, a comic describing the creation of the Porky enemies (A mix of pig and poo. No, seriously) had the 'poo' portion of the comic blurred out. Aside from this unfortunate (but somewhat understandible) omission, The game has pretty much gone by uncensored.
Ape Escape 2 is an awesome sequel to the first, And while it probably won't get as much recognition as Ubi-Soft's other games, it's still one to pick up and keep. If you enjoyed the first game, you'll love this one. If you never played Ape Escape, now's the time to start.
And if you still like bananas after this, then I salute you.
