(Please note – this is a review of the version of Ape Escape: SaruSaru Big Mission (aka サルゲッチュ サルサル大作戦 or Sarugetchu: Saru Saru Daisakusen) that is available through the Japanese PSN Store for Vita)
Brief but incredibly enjoyable experimental 3D platformer that packs all the traditional Ape Escape humour into a new gameplay idea that works wonders.
| Developer |
SCE Japan Studio; h.a.n.d
|
| Publisher | |
| Franchise | Ape Escape |
| Genre | 3D Platformer |
| PSTV | Yes |
| PSN | JP only |
World-building & Story
The evil monkey Specter is at it again! This time, he has developed a weapon that has shrunk the laboratory with Spike and Natsumi in it and captured their friends Hikaru, Aki, Kei, Yumi and the Professor. It’s up to Spike and Natsumi to save the day once again!
To do this, they turn the smaller laboratory into a makeshift Pipo Helmet that is able to control monkeys it sits on the head of and set off on a journey to rescue their friends by manipulating monkeys! It’s a predictably silly premise that the Ape Escape franchise has always excelled at and is fully explored here through a number of brilliant cutscenes.
I would go as far as to say that this is effectively Ape Escape 4 in terms of plot and ideas. It relies on knowledge of previous titles (the people you’re rescuing are all main characters from previous games plus the bonkers Freaky Monkey Five make a return) and effectively carries on from where the third entry left off. That makes it a little inaccessible to newcomers, but the humour permeates for anyone playing.
That’s because this series has long relied on parodies to get by and this is fully present here. One level in inspired by films and has you sneaking up on a monkey taking a shower (a homage to Psycho), being attacked by a chainsaw wielding, mask-wearing monkey (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and fighting a vampire monkey (take your pick). The variety is constant throughout (I loved a Scorpion King monkey in a tomb) and always hilarious.
That’s because these little apes are so expressive in their movements and reactions which never fails to get a chuckle from me as you sneak up on scientists or leap through the air as a giant bunny. This universe is crazy (the characters you rescue have been turned into things like board game pieces or doorstops) but it’s so much fun to just exist in.
Levels are unfortunately smaller than previously and the game as a whole is very short, making it more of a fun side-diversion – but a really enjoyable one.
Presentation & Sound
Reusing the graphical engine from Ape Escape 3, the visuals in Big Mission aren’t as impressive due to the PSP’s weaker harder – but this is still a gorgeous handheld title.
It all starts with a number of cutscenes that honestly look exactly on par with their PS2 counterpart – gorgeous, expressively animated 3D that looks brilliant. The character models in game are also great as all the monkeys look different except for their big gaping mouths and whirling helmets, ranging from leaping frogs to gliding bats to spinning warriors, all with unique clothes and movement animations.
Environmental design is also colourful with stages including sunny beaches, dark castles, speeding rapids in the forest and even a toy-themed play block world. If I had to fault something it would be that they feel a little sparse in terms of objects compared to Ape Escape 2 or 3, but this works within the design of this title and crucially performance is always very solid (except for one instance when there was a lot of fire on screen).
The soundtrack is an upbeat delight – the loops are a little short, but overall it fits the silly theme of Ape Escape perfectly. There’s also a tonne of Japanese voice acting here as well which again is great.
Soundtrack highlight – Specter’s Base II
Gameplay & Content
Introducing mind control hats a decade before Mario Odyssey, the gameplay in Big Mission is a clever twist on the franchise’s established ideas that’s a tonne of fun to play – while it lasts.
So the idea here is that, rather than using a net to capture monkeys, you’re possessing them using the laboratory-helmet. Each level starts with you defenceless in the lab and you need to move around and press triangle to jump and latch onto the nearest monkey you see. Failure to do so will lead to the battery draining and these are effectively your lives – you only get a game over when the lab runs out of battery.
Once you’re in control of a monkey, your abilities will depend on what it is. X is always jump and triangle causes them to leap with the helmet (so you can possess a new monkey – more on this later), while special abilities are square and circle. Most have some form of attack as one of these, but the other is a fun roulette to try out every time you possess something new.
Bunny monkeys can leap high in the air with square for example, while superhero monkeys can fly from the same button. Some hide in makeshift bushes making them invisible, some have whips for swinging Indiana Jones-style, some run fast and some have guns. In special cases, you’ll find that static monkeys can run up vertical walls by rubbing their feet on the carpet or electrical monkeys can charge sockets, which is how you progress through the levels.
It’s all basic stuff and you’re given the tools you need to progress in each zone, but using these abilities to capture the next monkey hidden in every area is part of the fun. Using bush monkey to hide and capture bike monkey who can quickly run away feels good, as does capturing a driver who can pilot a mech, or a UFO (the vehicles here are simplistic, but add nicely to gameplay variety).
Level design overall is a little simplistic and unfortunately linear and monkeys stand still once they’ve been captured (I’m assuming a PSP limitation, although this means that they’re free for you to grab at any time and you can replay levels from scratch in the hub world). Boss battles are far better, where you’re given four monkeys and have to use their skills to hit weak spots and overcome the Freaky Monkey Five.
The goal is just to reach the end of each level but there are counters for how many monkeys are in each, plus you still collect chips which are spent outside of levels on unlockable art, music and videos. There’s also a minigame (franchise tradition) called Gacha King where you build cards and then battle them which was pretty fun, but doesn’t really measure up to things like Monkey Football from Ape Escape 2.
Big Mission is also really short clocking in at just over four hours to complete the campaign first time through. There are collectables to buy after that but honestly I didn’t mind the short length – it introduces new ideas, explores them then finishes like a good succinct adventure.
Ease of Understanding
While the story beats will be lost on you due to the lack of subtitles, figuring out how to play Big Mission is easy even without Japanese knowledge – doubly so if you’ve played a previous Ape Escape title.
The way the hub is set up is just like in previous games with handy icons to help you, while tutorials from Natsumi in levels can easily be translated using Google Translate. Otherwise, controls are straightforward (and you’ll experiment with them anyway) and levels are well signposted, meaning that this is a super easy import for anyone on PSP or Vita.
Conclusion
Ape Escape 4 in everything but name, Big Mission is a wonderful gameplay experimentation that’s a little short, but incredibly fun while it lasts. It’s a crying shame that this title never made it to the west while lesser spinoffs such as Ape Academy or Ape Quest torpedoed the IP and if this is the send off for Ape Escape platformers, then it’s an absolutely glorious one.
8.5/10
kresnik258gaming 