Ape Escape On The Move

[Robotazy]

It's a foregone conclusion that the Move will be needed to play this.

Originally Posted by Frank Cifaldi

Posted: 10/07/2010 Ape Escape on the Move is not Ape Escape 4. Let's get that out of the way. While the game shares the same concept as the original games -- namely capturing monkeys that antagonist ape Specter has set loose to cause mayhem -- this Move-specific title is made with new fans in mind.
The game (which has no official title yet, though in Japan it is called "Ape Escape Fury! Fury!") takes place in a first-person perspective at all times, with your Move-controlled tool in view on the foreground.



The main story mode switches between two types of play; an on-rails shooter and a "capture mode." During the shooter portion, the player moves forward automatically, only able to control the crosshairs of the slingshot. Players can shoot power-ups (like the battery, which recharges your vacuum) and bananas, which serve as your life meter.

Players can also shoot apes and other enemies, some of whom will shoot back. A press of the Move button will switch to a melee weapon, namely a fan that is waved by waggling the Move controller around. This is handy for collecting a large group of power-ups, or destroying a stationary obstacle (we had to destroy a boulder in our demo, for example).

After a bit, your character will stop and the game will switch to capture mode, with "Capture all of the Monkeys!" flashing on screen. Here, the fan option is eliminated, and gets replaced by a net. To capture a monkey, the player must reach forward (toward the screen) and swing the net at the right time. No buttons required.

Unlike previous games, the monkeys don't run away from you -- instead, they lunge at you, attempting to steal your bananas away. If your net misses, the monkey will steal some of your bananas and walk away, taunting you as it eats them. There is a very brief window to shoot the bananas out of its hands and get them back. Lose all of your bananas and you have to start the level over.

You can also switch back to the slingshot while in capture mode. Again, this will help you shoot down bonus items, but it will also stun apes and cause them to slow down. While this isn't necessary in the opening levels, eventually players will have to master this technique, stunning some apes so that they can capture others.

Filling your battery lets you use a powerful vacuum, which sucks up not only the apes, but most of the props on the screen. It looks like utter chaos.

Each story mode level is preceded by an anime cutscene. Sony wasn't ready to divulge who animated these scenes (that announcement is coming later), but it looked like high quality stuff.

Our time with the game was limited, but here are some other tidbits we learned:


Ape Escape is an on-disc retail game, and not a downloadable title.
Despite previous reports to the contrary, the game will be coming in 2011, not late 2010.
Over 500 types of monkeys can be captured in the game, all of which are logged on a "Monkeypedia."
There will be mini games in addition to the main story mode, though we weren't able to see any of these during the demo.
Though the game is meant for new fans, there will be nods to the previous games, including visits to previously-explored environments.

Well, Ape Escape is made by Sony, sooooooo...

[Jere]

....Nothing of value is lost?

[Rainbow Dash]

noooooooooooo

[Valigarmander]

Never played.

Or watched the anime.

[Sim Kid]

There was an Anime of Ape Escape, now?

[Valigarmander]

Yes.

And an American cartoon series.

[Rainbow Dash]

Oh phew they're still developing an Ape Escape 4 for PS3

(also i might need to check out the anime)