First, I guess I have to answer the inevitable question that will come from Clay. No, I have no idea why monkeys amuse me so much. It isn’t because they’re little versions of people. If that was the case, I’d just watch the amusement after allowing a kindergarten class play around for several hours in mud and motor oil. No, I think it’s because they are another reasonably intelligent animal with the capability to manipulate things with their hands. And that they like to cause trouble much more than, say, a cat with thumbs (before you shout me down, my mom owns one. His name is Boo and he’s an amusing cat, but he’s still no monkey).
But where was I? Oh, yes, monkeys. I’ve been of the opinion that games featuring monkeys always have some redeeming qualities. This helped me enjoy, at least on some level, the Donkey Kong Country games, which certainly got tedious by the end of the run. But it left me absolutely ecstatic with the original Ape Escape, because I also got a kick out of the humor and the unique control scheme. Thus, the return of the primates in Ape Escape 2 was more than I could resist.
This time, you start as Jimmy, cousin to the first game’s hero Spike. Jimmy has been charged by The Professor (not the one from Gilligan’s Island, thank heaven) to deliver Monkey Pants to the monkeys of Park. Why? Because if there’s anything more funny than monkeys, it’s pants. But Jimmy, not quite on the ball, sends along the intelligence-enhancing Monkey Helmets, and sure enough, the cute white monkey Specter grabs one and turns into a megalomaniacal dictator again. Oh, like we didn’t see that one coming.
Anyhow, Natalie, The Professor’s assistant, forces Jimmy to go out with a stun club and net, out to capture the monkeys in all their locales. Basically, it’s just a set-up to get you back to what you started in the first game – catching monkeys. Because, in the end, isn’t it all about making sure that all your monkeys are safe, sound, and wearing pants? Well, and making constant jokes about monkeys in their pants?
For the uninitiated, the game’s controls, like that of the first game, are quite different. This game actually requires the use of both control sticks. The left one moves, and the right one operates whichever gadget you have active, which you can set by the standard control buttons. This also staggers the jump button onto the shoulder and moves around the usual camera pan buttons. To be honest, the control scheme takes quite a bit of getting used to, even for veterans, for two reasons. For one, it isn’t every day that you find a game that actually uses every single button on the Playstation 2 controller, even the L3 and R3 buttons. The other part is that the controls are quite sensitive, so if you aren’t careful, you’ll easily overshoot what you intend to do. It’s the only action game that I’ve seen with such a high learning curve for the controls, easily on par with a precise racer like the Gran Turismo games.
However, once you get that under your belt, you’ll have quite a blast hopping about catching monkeys. Heck, doing all sorts of odd things actually helps. I mean, if the monkeys can’t predict what you’ll do next, then it’s hard for them to properly avoid you, isn’t it? Plus, honestly, running around like a lunatic in this game is simply fun. It’s great just to see what you can and can’t get into. Sometimes, there are even rewards, like extra coins or another life. Or, of course, another monkey to catch.
The game’s graphical flair really can’t be denied. While you can still easily tell the difference between the FMVs and the actual action, the game itself flows quite smooth. It appears to be a solid polygonal engine, and even though it is rather cartoonish, you feel that they made the right decision to avoid cel shading. Everything moves smoothly, and the rounded edges actually look rounded. Indeed, the jaggies are quite gone. Just to remind you, though, one of the earlier FMVs shows Specter reminiscing against his final battle against Spike – and they show you the clip from the pre-fight chatter from the first game, and you can compare exactly how much of an update they’ve made.
However, the one thing that disturbs me about this is that the monkeys never really resemble monkeys. They look like brown Muppets with pants that have gone, well, more amok. There isn’t anything, like a tail or four hands instead of two each of hands and feet, to make you realize that these are monkeys. I mean, there is some cognitive dissonance involved here that allows me to deal, but seriously, guys, couldn’t they at least have tails?
The game’s sound is actually a bit uninspired. I mean, it’s certainly passable, and I didn’t turn it down. And admittedly, I enjoyed it when I heard the surprised shriek of a monkey I was about to catch. Honestly, it felt a bit good to let them realize I was right there, because they actually sound like monkeys. However, even though the game’s soundtrack is unlockable, piece by piece (in the surprise-laden Gotcha Box), you can really forego that. You could put on a CD, or you could just deal, for the most part.
Where things start to go a bit awry, though, are with the voice actors. Don’t get me wrong, the voice actresses for Jimmy and Natalie, Veronica Sands under a pseudonym and Rachael Lillis, respectively, are solid voice actresses. In fact, you may recognize them from their other work. Unfortunately, it’s too easy to recognize them, and when I put a little more description, you can tell why.
Jimmy, the main character voiced by Sands, is an overeager pre-teen. He tends to be rash, easily bullied by his female counterpart, needs to catch all of the titular creatures, and is always accompanied by Pipotchi, which is a mascot of sorts for the titular creatures. Meanwhile, Natalie is a slightly older tomboy, always berating her younger counterpart, but always asking for them to help or offer advice. She also has red hair kept in short pigtails flayed to the side. If it sounds like I’m describing their more famous cartoon roles, namely Ash and Misty on Pokémon, you’d be right. And considering that they use the exact same voice for their roles in that show and in this game, it gets a bit frustrating. Of course, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised – this isn’t the first game where Rachael Lillis forgot to make her characters sound distinctive. Still, it’s a disappointment to hear that.
So just do what I do – skip when you have to hear them and just witness the game’s absurdist humor. Naturally, you probably could make a whole game based on monkeys and their pants, and quite a bit of it is. Heck, you have to pay attention to the pants, as the monkeys wear different colored pants based on their attitudes and methods of handling trouble. You’ve got everything from your standard yellow pants monkey to your gun-toting black pants monkey to your heavy ordinance green pants monkey. Just reread that sentence and not crack a smile. Other than Clay, you can’t do it, can you? What’s even better is that these are customized for the level you’re in. You’ll deal with monkeys in Afros, kung fu monkeys, space station monkeys, monkey pirates, and even my personal favorite, the ninja monkeys. And heck, this doesn’t even go into the monkeys with special outfits, like the Megamonkey and Monkey Claus. It’s a monkey cornucopia.
What tops this off, though, are the side clips you wouldn’t catch immediately. Each monkey has its own quote, as does each enemy, and the jokes hidden within them are priceless to find. After running over this game top and bottom, I’ve found buried jokes about the exploration of African jungles, Quentin Tarantino, The X-Files, ancient Aztec legends, and even They Might Be Giants. Gee, would I give it extra points for being the second game to make a reference to my favorite band? You’d think they knew I was reviewing it or something.
The final thing this game brings worth mention is three additional mini-games involving monkeys. I don’t know, do you want to alert Sega about this, or should I? Especially since one of the games, and the most solid of the lot, is Monkey Soccer. Seriously, Ubi Soft, you better hope that Sega isn’t as fond of calling in their retainers as much as they once were. If that wasn’t bad enough, another is a knockoff of Donkey Kong Jr., although since Nintendo hasn’t touched that in ages, they might overlook it. The last is a Dance Dance Revolution knockoff, and really all three have one thing in common. Namely, they aren’t worth playing. Apparently, only monkeys without pants, and in spheres, can do effective mini games.
Though, as a final note, one thing that refreshes me about this game that I can’t say too often anymore. Ape Escape 2 has a second quest, this one starring Spike instead of Jimmy. My lord, a classic second quest? Perish the thought! Even better, the voice actor for Spike doesn’t sound like another famous part (heck, I certainly expected him to sound like Yugi or Yama Yugi, since Yu-Gi-Oh blatantly ripped off of Spike’s haircut). Plus, since Spike’s control isn’t as fluid/twitchy, you can simultaneously get more challenge and control the game easier. Makes you wish you got to start as Spike in the first place, really.
In the end, Ape Escape 2 has decent controls, decent but occasionally grating sound, and decent graphics. So why am I recommending this game? Because it’s funny and entertaining. From encountering the Monkey Statue of Liberty on the first stage to the sushi-sized monkeys during the credits (conveniently accompanied by sushi for comparison’s sake), this game is filled with all sorts of absurd jokes, and the more you get, the more you feel you enjoy. The game isn’t really innovative, and it won’t wow anyone. But at the end of the day, you’ll find yourself still laughing about how the health meter cookies have the Japanese word for “monkey” on them as well as the subtle joke behind Pierrot the clown monkey. And even if you only rent the game, which most will probably want unless they’re real monkey fanatics (or pants fanatics), you’ll end up appreciating it.
