Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Old-school"

In summary, Ape Escape: On the Loose rekindles fond memories of the PlayStation classic. It certainly doesn't offer anything new in terms of mechanics, but the solid gameplay of the original remains, making On the Loose one fun game to carry in your pocket. Fans of the series will probably miss the second analog stick, but having gadgets mapped to the PSP's face buttons works well, just not as well as before, and definitely not as intuitive. Graphically and visually, On the Loose looks pretty good. It's makes great use of a super-bright color scheme, which is only enhanced by the PSP's mammoth screen.

poistives: fun platforming action
MONKEYS!
a bunch of charm

negatives: control is a little meh
camera gets messed somtimes

presentation: It's Ape Escape in pocket form. Good transition from console to handheld 8.5/10

graphics: While not the best looking game on the PSP, it still looks good due to the humorous design tone and cheery color scheme 8/10

sound: Sounds like Ape Escape 8/10

gameplay: While the solid mechanics of the original shine through, the PSP version suffers from a wonky camera and somewhat sloppy controls 8/10

lasting appeal: Finding all the monkeys and playing the snot out of the mini-games will keep you busy for awhile 8.5/10

Overall: 8/10

My Verdict: Rent It First :/