Ape Escape: On the Loose

Revisiting the levels to mop up adds some replay value to the otherwise rather short game.

Pick it up for the kids, but don’t be surprised if you end up playing it yourself (paranoia or not).

The controls were not perfectly translated to the PSP, and the loading times are just too much of an annoyance. These factors make the game much less appealing than it otherwise would be.

With vibrant colours, decent sound and a new control scheme for the PSP, this portable version of this series will keep gamers busy for awhile.

But just be prepared for some frustrating controls and a somewhat unforgiving camera.

Though it’s regrettable that Sony opted for a retrofit rather than a rebirth, and while series stalwarts might initially balk at controls that fit awkwardly, given a chance the cat-and-mouse charm shines through, and make On The Loose a fine first stab at a new wave of portable platforming. [May 2005, p.93]

The coolest thing about Ape Escape besides capturing monkeys with lights on their heads is all the gadgets. They really make this one fun to play and gives you reason to revisit old levels just to run around with a new gadget.

It's great to see Sony still supporting this excellent franchise, but the PSP incarnation of Ape Escape does the series more harm than good.

The bright colors and cheery graphics design make this platform title as much fun to look at as it is to play.

Merely a slightly annoying, if charming, run-of-the-mill platformer. [June 2005, p.136]

Hardcore fans will probably snap this game up immediately, and if you’ve never played an Ape Escape title, this is a good place to catch up on the platforming that other gamers have enjoyed for years. However, you’ll have to take part of that with a spoonful of salt, because some of the magic just hasn’t crossed over from the console version to the portable rendition.

While the puzzles and level design are as solid as any handheld platformer out there, the crazy camera, imprecise control and gorilla-sized load times keep his old silverback from evolving.

The game is long enough to keep most fans pleased, with the small multiplayer mode adding some additional lifespan if you have a friend who also owns a copy of the game.

While it was a decent games for the PSOne, especially popular with the kiddies, it seems a waste of the PSP.

The only major problem with Ape Escape is it doesn't really offer a thrilling gameplay experience. Much like the original, it lacks that all important "wow" factor.

The core game is as playable and entertaining as any platform game to have been released since the original Ape Escape, and despite control issues there’s still a whole lot of monkey’s to be caught and a whole lot of fun to be had doing it. [June 2005, p.102]

The finely tuned control that made the first game such a hit seems to have been lost in translation, but the game still has considerable charm.

Although it has a few noticeable flaws, there's nothing so bad that game stops being a lot of fun to play. At worst, it just gets a little frustrating at times.

Visually this is the most disappointing PSP title that Gamestyle has experienced to date.

Had the controls been tightened and the camera more precise, we would have been looking at portable platform gaming at its finest, but this is still fun enough to keep fans of the series happy.

The game looks and feels somewhat antiquated and the camera can be frustrating at times, but there’s enough good to keep you busy for a number of hours… at least until SCEA announces a Sly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank or Jak for the PSP.

Fans of the series will probably miss the second analog stick, but having gadgets mapped to the PSP's face buttons works well, just not as well as before, and definitely not as intuitive.

Even with the adapted controls, Ape Escape: On The Loose is a splendid version of the enjoyable original.

It has all of the charm that the original had to offer with the portability of the PSP.

Hideo Kojima might love it, but first-time monkey-wranglers will wonder what all the fuss is about. The original games are better. [Apr 2006, p.98]

I eked a few enjoyable play sessions out of One the Loose, but the camera-control difficulties prompted me to ditch it for "Lumines." [June 2005, p.101]

According to Sony, stripping a game of it's most distinguished component is a sure way to achieve success.

The audio is equally delightful. The cheerful music complements the jovial sound effects very well. The voice acting is purposely sharp, though it is hardly annoying.

Of all the launch titles, while it may be the most basic visually, I find Ape Escape the most entertaining. Once a great game, always a great game. [May 2005, p.68]

The PSP has no right analog stick - and this is the fundamental problem with this game. [May 2005, p.82]

It also carries the baggage of dated graphics, cumbersome controls and scavenger hunt mentality that was all the rage (get it?) back in 1999.

Knowing that this would otherwise be a great portable platforming, its sad to see Ape Escape: On the Loose plagued by poor camera and controls and suffer in quality as a result. The charm and enjoyment is all here if you can tolerate the pesky technical difficulties.

If you have the original Ape Escape, stick with that.