Ape Escape

1001 Video Games

Ape Escape appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Innovation

Ape Escape was the first game designed exclusively for Sony's PlayStation Dual Shock controller.

References

All of the primates in the game have a unique personality and name, and some of those are actually quite humorous. For example, there's an ape named "Indiana" hiding in a temple, "Darwin" is in a room full of computers, "Elvis" is found on a throne in a castle, "Mulder" is flying an UFO, and so on.

References to the game

In episode 7 of the anime Great Teacher Onizuka the protagonist, Eikichi Onizuka, is briefly seen playing Ape Escape on PlayStation. Everything is depicted faithfully - the HUD, the graphics, and even the gameplay process - making the game instantly recognizable.

Awards

• Game Informer
  • August 2001 (Issue #100) - #100 in the Top 100 Games of All Time poll

Information also contributed by Chris Chidester and Evilhead