Between this, Genji: Dawn of the Samurai and Wild ARMs 5, JapanStudio's late era PS2 titles showcased an unprecedented budget and mastery of the PlayStation 2 hardware as the PS3 was out on the market. The attractive maps to explore, upbeat soundtrack, and even more aggressive monkeys push Ape Escape 3 beyond what its sequel was able to achieve early into the PS2's life. The movie theming is humorous, though the monkey names didn't make it through the localization process well.

It's a shame that Ape Escape 4 never happened, but I am not sure what JapanStudio could have done as the PlayStation 3 crippled them permanently. I hope that one day, we learn what that Ape Escape tease was for the 20th anniversary alongside their canned project after Gravity Rush 2. Also thanks Konami for making sure this game never gets rereleased...

If you want to transcend...the spirit of the monkey.....within you.......so that you can go, wherever you are, on Earth or on the planet of the monkeys, to be able to reach the "bananirnana".....then I say to you......play Ape Escape 3.

The ape has escaped for the third time.
The first...was memorable, the second escape... good.

But the third... the third... was glorious. A real monkey show.

I can say that the third escape... left the monkey mark... a solid monkey mark.

Peak Monkey Game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t17KDr5M37A

Ape Escape 3 is more in line with what I expected from 2. I complained that I didn't like the style of 2 nearly as much as the first and I think this game meets half way between the two. I still wish the style was less fisher price because the fact that you play as a grade schooler is more obvious than ever in this game. I like the theming with TV and movie references. Unfortunately they did the freaky monkey five dirty and the boss battles overall leave a lot to be desired.

The gadgets are all familiar from its predecessors but the real new stuff is the transformations. I've heard some praise for these but they're mostly unimpressive. There were only 3 that I felt were good outside of their mandatory uses. I feel like they could have been reworked to be more useful, and maybe cut a few of the redundant transformations.

This game doesn't top the first in my eyes, but I liked playing it regardless and I'm glad it's better than 2.

Not as great of a game as I remember, but still pretty good. The vehicle sections have NOT aged well and the linearity and action focus of some stages isn't my cup of tea, but it is simply impossible to ignore the sheer amount of charm Ape Escape 3 has. The movie parodies are great, and the monkeys have more personality than ever. The forms are a lot of fun although I think some are clearly better than others (shout out Wild West Kid).

Also, I think the post game is pretty weak. If you go ahead and catch all the monkeys before the final level, you just get to go back to empty stages to comb for one door that houses 4 more monkeys. Lame. The OST is considerably weaker than Ape Escape 1, which is a major ding for me.

Mesal Gear Solid might be peak tho

Good:

For sure the most fun Ape Escape. Gameplay three games in has definitely solidified. Transformation gimmick offers a lot more player freedom and fun solutions. Graphics and cutscene visuals look better than most games today. Sound is almost a show stealer. Surprisingly good, non intrusive VA's.

Not Good:

Some overly easy bosses. Mildly annoying gameplay segments (the race car ones).

Verdict:

Re-release???????

8.5 / 10

The peak of the Ape Escape franchise. Ape Escape 3 improves on everything in 1 and 2 while introducing some new elements and loads of new content.

This time, Spector teams up with a human to build TV satellites to mind control and enslave the people of Earth using his own television station. The previous protagonists, Spike and Jimmy, have fallen under the trance so now it's up to the Kei and Yumi to save the day and stop Specter. It's a fun and lighthearted plot fitting for a series like Ape Escape.

The gameplay follows the same structure as 1 and 2. You run around with cool gadgets and catch apes with your net. Highly addictive and super satisfying. This time around they introduce morph suits, which allow Kei and Yumi to power up and increase their attacks and movement abilities. These suits are sometimes required to progress and solve puzzles, and they add a unique spin to the established ape catching formula. There's a bunch of cool side modes in this game as well, such as simian cinema which allows you to make your own short movies using the apes you captured. However, the side mode most people remember is Mesal Gear Solid. This is practically a whole short game within Ape Escape 3 that's based on another game series, Metal Gear Solid. It's a lot of fun and not something you would expect in a game like this. It's a neat bonus for clearing the main games story mode!

Soichi Terada was brought back to do the soundtrack for this game, and he does a fantastic job as you would expect. Lot's of good DnB beats like with the first game.

A few nitpicks. For one, the protagonists aren't really all that interesting this time around. It's cool that you get to choose between playing as a male or female protagonist this time around, but neither Kei nor Yumi are as engaging as Spike or Jimmy. Though that's just personal preference. Bosses are also super easy this time around. The Freaky Monkey Five from the 2nd game return, but they're all total pushovers compared to how they were previously. They'll all go down in seconds as soon as you deploy any of the morph suits. If you want the fights to be actually challenging, then avoiding using the suits.

Overall, I believe Ape Escape 3 is the best Ape Escape game. It's a shame we never got a fourth game in the series, as there could have been so many ways to expand the gameplay even further. Maybe someday...

This is by far the best Ape Escape game, it really does everything I would want an Ape Escape game to do perfectly. This game also made me really dislike the second game because it made me realize how many issues 2 has. The weapons are much better and more focused in this game, with the main focus being the morphs, which I absolutely loved, and the level design is way more interesting in 3. Controls are also much improved.

The levels here are great, every level feels refreshing and unique, not just in this series but in the 3D platforming genre as a whole. The story is goofy as usual, along with the voice acting, but that's part of what makes Ape Escape so fun. All I can say is that if you didn't enjoy the second game like I did, don't let that push you away from Ape Escape 3, this is one of the best 3D platformers out there.

i love this game! :3 it radiates charm and cuteness! another great ost, just like the other games, but now there is a really loving attention to detail permeating the entire game, in monkey variety especially; after the first few stages, it seems like there are many more monkeys with themed costumes or altogether unique outfits than there are monkeys who wear just the colored pants. the theme of television/film is an adorable and logical progression to the disjointed level progression in ape escape 2. and surprisingly the shopping centre is pretty well balanced with how many coins you get in this game too, and i appreciated only having to do very minimal grinding upon completing all the stages a second time. the morphs add a welcome dimensionality to gameplay; theyre a snap to change to, have really cute designs, and almost all of them add some unique element of traversal alongside their unique fighting styles. precious game that always has a place in my heart :3 <3

SIMPLESMENTE O PRIMEIRO JOGO QUE EU JOGUEI NA VIDA

tenho muito carinho pelo Ape Escape 3, recentemente joguei até zerar ele no emulador e mesmo mais de 18 anos depois ainda dei muitas risadas e me diverti do inicio ao fim entendendo todas as referencias a filmes dos anos 80/90

uma pena que os comandos desse jogo podem parecer confusos pra quem não se acostumar.

I love the theme of this game, having every level be based on tv shows/movies is a really fun idea and allowed them to fill each world with tons of fun references. The stages are all really varied as well, flying planes, amusement parks, beaches, hot springs and a lot more, each level feels really fun and unique. The gameplay is improved as well, the core is still the same dual analog stick monkey catching and platforming action, but they add fun transformations that shake things up. Some are better than others but it leads to fun moments and makes the boss fights more interesting than the typical affair. This is a series I grew to like more and more as I played them, I wish I played them growing up because they almost definitely would have been favorites of mine.

El mejor Ape Escape de la franquicia. La jugabilidad llega a otro nivel, con trajes especiales que vas desbloqueando en la aventura, con ataques especiales, nuevos aparatos... Los dos protagonistas son extremadamente carismáticos, además de contar con un BUEN DOBLAJE, algo que creía imposible en esta franquicia.
Además, que la premisa del juego sea ir capturando a los monos por los diferentes sets de grabación de películas, series y demás, hace que el juego entero esté lleno de referencias a la cultura popular y a cientos de películas legendarias.
Un verdadero juegarral