Ape Escape

Ape Escape is a 1999 platformer developed by SCE Japan Studio for the original PlayStation, notable as the first game designed specifically around the DualShock controller's dual analog sticks, which it requires to play.

Players chase a horde of mischievous, time-traveling monkeys, each wearing a helmet that boosts its intelligence, across varied stages set in different eras, using a suite of gadgets controlled through the sticks. The right stick swings the signature Time Net to capture apes and operates other tools like a stun club and a spinning hoop, while the left stick moves the hero, giving the game a fresh, tactile feel distinct from other platformers of its day.

Charming, inventive, and demonstrating how new controller hardware could enable genuinely novel gameplay, it launched a lasting franchise and even inspired spin-off mini-game collections. The original has been re-released via digital storefronts on later PlayStation hardware, so curious players can still experience its playful monkey-catching antics.