When Ape Escape first released on the Playstation many a year ago, it utilized the new dual shock controller and took gameplay to unexpected proportions. Ape Escape Academy (AEA), the second portable Ape outing, features everyone's favorite monkeys but presents them in a boring minigame fashion that is a tedious waste of time.

Going ape once again
When we last saw him, Specter's plans had failed once again because of his bumbling band of monkey minions. In order to raise proper monkeys, Specter has decided to start his own specialty training school called the Ape Academy. This academy is the center for the entire main game. You'll attend a monkey style "basic training" where you'll learn to push the buttons on the PSP. Once you've successfully completed training, you can enter the first grade and start your quest toward graduating from Ape Academy.

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The main game consists of a total of six separate grades. Each grade is run in a tic-tac-toe fashion where you are required to play nine randomly selected minigames for each of the nine tic-tac-toe spaces. Passing a minigame gets you a circle for that space, whereas failing a game gets you a big X. Once all nine games have been played through, the amount of spaces you have successfully attained is totaled and your passing of that current grade depends solely on how many rows you have created with your spaces.

The minigames come in a wide variety. Some test your knowledge of basic math and geography, while others are quasi-violent, filled with action as you pummel fellow monkeys. When a minigame starts, the title, goal, and controls are displayed for a short amount of time, but you're not actually told how to play the game. There's a short movie, but no real tutorial..

One of my particular favorites is Monkey Soccer, where you control the goalie and try to score on the opposing team. This would seem like a fun game, but only being able to control the goalie and having sluggish controls make this minigame an utter annoyance. The monkeys on the field don't help either, as they merely stand on the field. Obviously giving them AI would just be a ridiculous concept.

More than just school, but social aspects as well.
Play against your friends in two types of versus mode: share and multi mode. Share mode allows up to four players to play on one PSP. Multi mode allows gamers a more comfortable form of play, as you can play through LAN set up with two PSPs. Two players will still have to play on a single PSP.

In the main menu, you can also access the Game Collection, where all the games you have already encountered in Academy Mode are available to play. Due to the utter lack of gameplay instructions, this is a good place for players to practice games they have failed due to lack of understanding controls before being thrust into the game head first.

Showcase mode lets you view the various figurines you may have discovered stashed throughout Academy mode. Collectibles like this would usually add replay value to the game, but logging in the necessary game time to find them all is not necessarily worth the effort.

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Is it really worth the money?
The minigames are difficult to play; it almost feels as though there is lag when I press buttons. The monkey I control does not react fast enough to allow me to complete my task, and I end up mashing buttons on my PSP. This ruins games where reflexes are tested or you are trying to beat the clock, not to mention the life of my precious PSP buttons!

The games are randomly chosen each time you start a new grade. You may be lucky and find a game that is more innovative than the rest, like "Salvage," a game that requires you turn your PSP vertically so you can plunge deep into the sea to retrieve treasure. Even with games that you can tolerate, they are far and few between, so finding one you like to play is pure luck.

Sound is clear and visuals are clean, but nothing about them is really exciting. The visuals are as crisp as we've seen in previous titles, and the sound is exact down to the monkey shrieks, but that's it. There's nothing new we haven't seen before. If you're already familiar with the sound and look of the previous games, don't look forward to seeing anything innovative in this category.

AEA is like a cheap franchised version of Super Monkey Ball without plastic balls, Super Monekys or any sort of fun for that matter. I could not stand playing it for an extended period of time. Ape Escape Academy is absolutely horrendous. The only thing that will get me to play another game with these crazy monkeys is if Sony releases something worthy enough to dig them out of the hole they've dug themselves into.

-Flying Maiden