Talk about a match made in heaven: video games and monkeys go together like students and money-off vouchers.
Ape Escape 2 not only features mountains of simians, it's also stacked to the gills with cool platform action and general Japanese craziness.
The original Ape Escape was the first PlayStation game to demand use of the then new Dualshock analogue controller as you battled through time, capturing monkeys with the aid of a variety of unlikely James-Bond-style gadgets. This PS2 sequel is more of the same, opening with the accidental distribution of intelligence-boosting helmets along with special monkey pants. (Whether the game actually means underpants or trousers is never made clear and so you never know whether the peculiar dialogue is meant to be preposterously rude or just sounds that way to British ears.)
The nonsense never gives up as you get to operate a monkey radar, use a remote control car to press switches and fling specially scented banana-rangs. And you really do need all these gadgets and more, since the monkeys are always hidden in the most inaccessible areas of the many levels, with most able to defend themselves with everything from monkey kung fu to guided missiles. Although the game really does nothing different from its predecessor--even the level settings are disappointingly familiar--the addictive gameplay and immense variety ensure that all but the most cynical hearts will find something to enjoy here. --David Jenkins