Ape Escape Academy, also known as Ape Academy in Europe and Piposaru Academia: Dossari! Sarugē Daizenshū[b] in Japan, is a party video game developed by Shift and Alvion and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable. It consists of a collection of 47 mini-games, many of which borrow from elements of Ape Escape 2. The game was first released in Japan in 2004, in Europe in 2005 and North America in 2006. By utilizing the PSP's Wi-Fi capabilities, up to 4 players can play at a time. The North American release was on the same day as Ape Escape 3.
| Ape Escape Academy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Shift Alvion[a] |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Series | Ape Escape |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation Portable |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Party |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
A sequel, Ape Escape Academy 2, was released in Japan and Europe, but not in North America.
Gameplay
editA monkey working for Specter, the player must work up from junior class to senior class by playing mini games by meeting certain criteria for each class. There are 9 mini games in each class to complete. Failing to meet the criteria rewards the player with an X, while meeting the criteria rewards an O, similar to tic-tac-toe.
Each level has a certain number of lines required to pass the class (one line consists of 3 Os, either horizontally, vertically or diagonal). The game also offers review lessons for players that have almost met the requirements. Usually, these are mini-games that the player has failed previously.
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 51/100[2] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 4.83/10[3][c] |
| Eurogamer | 4/10[4] |
| Famitsu | 27/40[5] |
| Game Informer | 7/10[6] |
| GameRevolution | D+[7] |
| GameSpot | 6.1/10[8] |
| GameSpy |   [9] |
| GameZone | 6.7/10[10] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 2.75/5[11] |
| IGN | 5.5/10[12] |
| Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | [13] |
| Pocket Gamer |  [14] |
| Detroit Free Press | [15] |
| The Times | [16] |
The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2] Many reviewers criticized the difficulty of most of the mini-games, as the controls were not explained fully, often leading to a failure during the first run in these minigames, but generally liked the variations in the available mini-games. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one six and three sevens for a total of 27 out of 40.[5]
Game Informer noted how the game focuses on mini games like the WarioWare series, said the game does give some quick thrills, and criticized the loading times between games diminishing the fast-paced feel in comparison to the WarioWare games; the magazine concluded: "Still, this unambiguous title manages to (mostly) hit its target."[6] GamePro said that the mini-games "look nice, but just can't compete with Wario Ware's [sic] non-stop style of play that is best suited for the stylus-equipped DS."[17][d]
The Times gave it a score of three stars out of five, saying, "With more than 45 mini-games in the mix, it is not surprising that the quality of them is fairly mixed — it is Ape Academy's major weakness that while many are rather too easy (the one-metre dash, for instance), others seem impossible (catching the contents of a kebab on a sword)."[16] Entertainment Weekly gave it a C+, saying, "Most of these minigames are fun and challenging, but the lack of a plot can leave you wondering just where you're going with the gameplay — and some become insanely hard after a couple starter rounds."[18] However, The Sydney Morning Herald gave it two stars out of five, saying, "Ape Academy's pace is languid. Frequent, lengthy loading delays frustrate, and many of the 50 challenges suffer from clumsy controls, ambiguous instructions, or are just dull."[19] Detroit Free Press gave it one star out of four, saying, "Throw in some excessive load times and a lame several-players-on-one handheld multiplayer mode and you have a barrel of frustration."[15]
It is believed that because of this game's lackluster reception, the future of the Ape Escape series in the North America is uncertain, as successive titles in the series (such as Ape Escape Racer and Ape Escape Million Monkeys) have yet to receive a North American release. However, Ape Quest was released for download for the PSP on the PlayStation Store in Japan & the US.
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Additional work by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan.[1]
- ^ Japanese: ピポサルアカデミ〜ア どっさり!サルゲー大集合, Hepburn: Piposaru Akademi〜a Dossari! Sarugē Daizenshū
- ^ Two critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 4.5/10, and the other gave it 5.5/10
- ^ GamePro gave the game 4/5 for graphics, 3.5/5 for sound, 2.5/5 for control, and 3/5 for fun factor.
References
edit- ^ "JAPANスタジオ作品一覧 2005年～2003年" [List of Japan Studio works 2005–2003] (in Japanese). Sony Interactive Entertainment. 2021. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ a b "Ape Escape Academy for PSP Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on June 16, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ Tsao, Jennifer; Ashley, Robert; Rea, Jared (February 2006). "Ape Escape Academy". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 200. Ziff Davis. p. 111. Archived from the original on February 12, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ Bramwell, Tom (August 30, 2005). "Ape Academy". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ a b "Collection of every PSP-game reviewed in Famitsu". NeoGAF. NeoGaf LLC. August 27, 2006. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ a b Helgeson, Matt (February 2006). "Ape Escape Academy". Game Informer. No. 154. GameStop. p. 113. Archived from the original on March 18, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ Hurh, JP (February 1, 2006). "Ape Escape Academy Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on February 10, 2006. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Davis, Ryan (January 17, 2006). "Ape Escape Academy Review". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, Phil (January 13, 2006). "GameSpy: Ape Escape Academy". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Zacarias, Eduardo (January 13, 2006). "Ape Escape Academt - PSP - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Cunningham, James; Hatchett, Geson "Racewing" (February 2006). "Ape Escape Academy". Hardcore Gamer. Vol. 1, no. 8. Prima Games. p. 64. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ Castro, Juan (January 19, 2006). "Ape Escape Academy". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ Kohler, Chris (February 2006). "Ape Escape Academy". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. No. 101. Ziff Davis. p. 84. Archived from the original on February 12, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ James, Chris (September 8, 2005). "Ape Academy". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media Ltd. Archived from the original on August 2, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ a b Huschka, Ryan (February 12, 2006). "'Ape Escape Academy'". Detroit Free Press. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on May 31, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ a b McNamara, John (September 17, 2005). "Ape Academy". The Times. News UK. Archived from the original on April 8, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2023.(subscription required)
- ^ Mr. Marbles (March 2006). "Ape Escape Academy" (PDF). GamePro. No. 210. IDG. p. 91. Archived from the original on February 16, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ Xu, Samantha (April 13, 2006). "Bananas! (Ape Escape Academy)". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Archived from the original on March 26, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ Hill, Jason (September 29, 2005). "Nightmare Before Xmas". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2023.