The Ape Escape franchise has entertained PlayStation owners for a few years now and is one of the first to have announced its move to the handheld PSP platform. This time around the intriguing primates will not be escaping but will be attending some form of a higher education institution.
Have a look at the in-game images, follow the Screens tab above and read on to see what the developer has to say about the game. More importantly though, we may find out if this game IS a straight-forward port.
To become an expert in monkey business, you first have to go to monkey school, so enrol now at the craziest college the world has ever seen. You can work your way up through the school years by winning wacky mini-games, but keep an eye on your classmates - students they may be, but when it comes to trouble and tomfoolery, these goofy monkeys are pros!
Features:
- More than 45 madcap mini-games - huge variety of game styles, each overflowing with frantic fun and silly monkey humour
- Great multiplayer options - take on other would-be ape academics via WiFi compatible mode, or use the ingenious control system to play against a friend simultaneously on one PSP!
- From the creators of the critically acclaimed Ape EscapeTM series
We've seen Ape Escape 2 on PS2, can you tell us what is different about this game?
It's completely different! This game features the same characters from the Ape Escape series, and the same sense of humour, fun and silliness, but this is an entirely new game. It's a collection of 50 quick and very addictive mini-games, focusing on short but addictive gameplay, multiplayer action and many unlockable features and collectable items. Some games have been designed specially to also allow two players to compete against each other simultaneously on one PSP, and repeated play will offer many varied rewards.
So it's not just a port?
Definitely not. This is a totally original game for the platform, with lots of new elements, and quick-fire play, perfectly suited to the PSP audience.
What new elements have you introduced to the game?
With PSP being a totally new platform, we concentrated on the "portable" aspect of the hardware. Ape Academy offers mini-games that are not basic or minimalist but which use the PSP technology to provide detailed and colourful presentation with high quality animation and sound. We have included as many mini-games as possible and feel that players will be surprised and excited by the content. There are games which can be played by two people on the same PSP, and some by two players on different PSPs. There are also many games that use real physics in the gameplay mechanic to add even more depth and enjoyment.
Is this created by the same team that worked on the previous games?
No, although guided by the same production division, these are entirely new staff to the franchise and are full of enthusiasm for the game and the new medium.
Tell us more about the WiFi elements in the game.
From the many mini-games, we chose five games plus an extra mode for an ad hoc two player battle using WiFi. This is not just a WiFi game, players must bet the 3D Monkey figures that they have collected in the game, and fight for victory. The game allows the winner to collect the figures that are bet from the losers' collection. This is not simply a trading game - it adds real tension to the gameplay, and we feel that we have succeeded in adding real fun and addictive gameplay.
As a developer what is the most exciting element of working on software for PSP?
The fact that being able to propose free-play styles as a game design on this advanced hardware, and provide a game full of expression is something we are very happy about. The team feels very fortunate to be involved in working on this amazing machine at such an early stage, and would love to continue producing high-quality games that can be played at any time, and anywhere.
What features has the game got that takes into consideration the fact that the PSP is portable?
The fact that it is "portable" but the screen is so wide and the button position is symmetrical first inspired the team to design the game to allow two people to hold 1 PSP and playing games together. In Ape Academy we put in 13 games that can be played by 2 players on 1 PSP simultaneously. We feel our games' look and humour make them extremely endearing and will make players smile. This will also make the users want to walk around with it in hand to play with friends and partners.
