Your Family Guide to Entertainment
Ape Escape 3
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Official Site: Sony Computer Entertainment
ESRB Rating: E-10+
Reviewed Platform: PS2
Available Platforms: PS2
For 1 player.
Overall: B
Violence: B-
Sexual Content: A
Language: A
Alcohol/Drug Use: A
What is this game about?
The evil Specter has released another horde of helmet-wearing monkeys on the population as part of his evil plan for world domination. This time, he's having the monkeys create TV shows that are so bad they turn the brains of those watching to mush.
It's up to Kei or Yumi (you can play as either the boy or girl) to round up the monkeys using a net, as well as other gadgets like a baton that you stun them with, or radar to zero in on their location. The idea is to capture the monkeys and shut down Specter's ability to broadcast his brainwashing shows around the world.
Is it fun to play?
I'm of two minds when it comes to Ape Escape 3. If I were picking up this game for the first time, I'd probably think this was quite entertaining. The graphics are bright and colorful, the game has a quirky, sarcastic sense of humor, the gameplay is fun and challenging at the same time, the controls are easy to grasp and the plot is silly and enjoyable.
Having said that, for those who have played Ape Escape games before, there's really little going on here that separates it from previous outings. The one really big, noticeable change is that the monkeys can grab your weapons or net and use them against you. But other than that, the basic premise and the fundamental gameplay haven't changed enough to make this a must-play unless you're a die-hard fan of the franchise.
One of the amusing features of this game is that, since the monkeys are making bad TV shows, you can actually film them acting out scenes and watch them later from the main staging area before you leap into the different levels.
What do parents need to know about Ape Escape 3?
From a parent's perspective, Ape Escape 3 is one of those games that moms and dads and kids can really enjoy together (heck, my mom and dad love playing it by themselves or with my son).
However, there's one thing parents really need to consider before going ahead and playing this game if they've never seen an Ape Escape game before: The question of violence towards animals.
If you're concerned about that issue, then seeing a monkey being hit with a baton and scooped up in a net probably won't sit well with you, so you may want to consider taking a pass on this one.
However, the violence is cartoonish – think more Tom and Jerry than Itchy and Scratchy.
As well, there are some rude characters, although it's nothing really out of the ordinary for comedic villains – after all, do you expect the bad guys to behave like good little people? That said, it's pretty juvenile stuff like verbal putdowns or insults. There's nothing that's overly offensive.
The game is recommended for kids 10 and older, largely because of the beatings and fighting that goes on (there are robotic creatures that will attack you during the game). However, if you feel your child has a good sense of right and wrong and isn't going to start hitting a sibling with a stick or a net after playing, kids as young as seven or eight could easily enjoy playing the game. Just know they might find some of the action sequences, especially later in the game when the number of apes you have to catch rises along with the difficulty level, a little bit tough for all but the most skilled of young gamers.