First and foremost, as this is my first review, here's a little something about me (so you can get an idea what kind of person is reviewng this game). Otherwise, skip ahead one paragraph for the review.
Hi I'm Scott and as a kid I was quite obssesed with video games. For a while, playing games was part of the job, I have worked in the entertainment biz for about 4 years now, as a consultant (reading movie scrpits, conjuring up ideas and writing). Recently, gameplay has turned into a hobby. I have grown up with nearly every console and I don't have a favorite. I am willing to try any game to see it's potientail or not (unbiased). Finally, I dont' speak a word of Japanese and I'm currently living in Asia (Hong Kong) temporarily, hence the psp. So there ya go, now on to the review.
This game is based on a playstation game known as "ape escape," which utilized both analog sticks for the playstation controller (not to mention the game was genius and great fun).
The psp version is completely different. Infact, everything from the original is gone, except the monkeys. What you get is a not entirely a full game, but loads of mini-games jammed into one package and loads of monkeys.
The game is heavy on Japanese text, but with a bit of navigation, you'll be playing in no time. You'll also be given a tuturial which is pretty standard stuff.
You will challenge villians one at a time. Each opponent will show you several mini-games that are radomnly chosen (unless you time yourself right). There are 9 games which are layed out like a tic-tac-toe board. The goal? Try to win the entire board over (in which certain games have hidden rewards). Once you complete this, you will move on to the next villian.
For your own enjoyment I don't want to list and spoil every mini-game, but trust me, there will be plenty. The same mini-game maybe repeated, but on a harder difficulty, allowing for a tougher challenge.
If you really want to know, I will list a few mini-games, otherwise, skip this paragraph. A few of the games are: Soccer (goalie control), bowling, fighting, protecting bananas, selling roses, counting the amount of running monkeys, balancing act, bomb catching, swinging from rope to rope, campfire dancing, bull fighting, skydiving, dogdeball, air hockey, and tresure diving, which requires you to flip your psp vertically (very cool).
Graphically, the primates look great just like they have in their original forms. There is a feel for a 3D evniroment, but other than that you can only control what's in a limited area. It's cute, but nothing extrodinary.
Sound, can't say much for it. I hardly ever listen to sound when on portable gaming. I listen to my own music my own mp3. Hopefully another reviewer can clear this up, if it's important to you. What I have heard, it's cute, matching the overall theme.
Now, the flaws. There are a few min-games that require Japanese knowledge, like answering trick/quiz questions. Your gonna lose, unless you guess right or know the language. One parrticular game you are a cook and have to pick the right food...which is ordered in Japanese. Also, the load times, I'm sorry, but each mini-game has a load time when entering and exiting. It can become quite annoying as some games can be very short. I counted almost 6-8 seconds on some, while others are a lot like ridge racers load time.
Otherwise, this game can become addictive. It's a great game to play with out having to worry about progress and just have fun. I'd recommend it to fans of mini-games such as warioware and mario party. If you can get pass the load times, you'll have a great time. Don't expect this to be "out of this world" or original. It would've been nice to see the platformer it was once based on, but this will do for traveling needs.
I guess the load times wouldn't matter much for me, since I usually play this on my bed before going to sleep. as for on the road stuff, I usually play the DS, hehe.
Speaking of falling asleep mid-game, does the PSP automatically hibernate if you don't touch it for a few minutes? And if so, is that timing adjustable?
As maxflight mentions, the load times wouldn't matter much if your taking your time playing the game. However, my experience is purely based on traveling (taking the train/taxi). The loading doesn't really hinder the fun experience, just gets a little annoying.
hmm I just got this game and started playing it. so far it seems like it's not bad. but it's definitely not as good as warioware, doesn't not seem to be as charming as marioparty, but this could be due to the lack of japanese understanding. I will give it more time before I further judge it.
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