Level descriptions: The Big City This is our introduction to a few things in the game (Gun monkey's, using vehicles along with a Yumi benefit)! The firing pattern and aim can vary depending on the weapon so spacing and approach can be vital (Worth noting in some instances, stealth can be the better option to avoid a chaotic situation). From here on, this is also where a lot of takes can start to end fast due to RNG catching along with enemy clump. My strat is to start with the annoying ones at the start to hopefully make the routing easier (Ukki Nader being a lil tricky at the start due to how aggressive the pattern can be on entry). From here, I try to go from building to building catching what I can and what seems most efficient. The Super Monkey room can be scary without a morph so be fast and aware of what you're doing, and get outta there. I have been finding out also you can manip some monkey's catch RNG whenever they jump on and off of surfaces. I'm not sure if it's accurate or not (Someone can correct me), it seems to make the catch guaranteed. Regardless, when moving to the car, it can be a mouthful (as a lot of the series control scheme is). Best way I found to control it is use the left stick for accel and brake (using up and down) and right stick for turning (left and right). Once we hit the stadium, we see a bonus to playing Yumi. In lore, she's an idol and there's certain monkey's who are fans of her, meaning on sight will be rendered in awe (you can find this info when you scan them on the radar too). You can snap them out by hitting them a lot but, what's the fun in that? Get your free capture and I like to finish up with some Kung Fu Warrior. Dive kick feels good and if you can clump them, the multi-catch feels great. Not too bad but that start is rough. Specter TV Studio Honestly not a whole lot to talk about here that I haven't said previously. Though we are introduced to another new vehicle (The mech). It's the most difficult vehicle to use in the series and yet, I think an overall upgrade to the one you use in 2. Basically if you've ever played Katamari, the controls should feel almost 1:1. One thing to keep in mind when fighting as the mech is boosting (clicking both sticks in) deals pretty good damage, and the arena you fight in and you get barriers to hide when you deal damage to the mini-boss. I forgot to mention in Zone 1, all enemies are tinker toys, and they take extra damage when you hit the wind up gear on their back (This also affects rewards you get from them). Pretty straightforward level with that aside. I did learn the air catch with monkey's being grabbed on need to be on alert for it to work so that was interesting. Bootown This is where we're introduced to the Water Net (A gadget that never has a consistent control scheme in the series). You only use it for 2 sections in this level though that'll change as we get farther. Got some gimmick monkey's near the start, then we move to the mini-boss. You can shred it with a morph though I don't wanna use it until we get to the Super Monkey door which is after the second Water Net section (you lose the form upon entry). So I hit the trunk a few times with the Stun Club, then kick back with explosive rounds on the Slingshot. Something to note is you start with 9 rounds of both pellet types which is pretty nice (since you would normally buy these in the main game and not a lot of people would have used them... myself included). As we progress, catching more, the game noticed we used the RC Car to bypass block pushing. Fortunately, we only need to push 3 of the blocks and plant the Car on the 4th button. We meet another Yumi fan and monkey, then proceed to enter the secret room. I opt for Miracle Ninja since I find their range catch the most consistent (and they fast). From here, easy cleanup with the last 2. Wild West Town Here it is, the hardest level under these restrictions so far. 20 monkey's, and over half of them are carrying guns (mostly of the lock on variety). I had to get pretty creative when it came to catching some of them while reducing the RNG catch (since a dodge more than likely ensures I get shot). 2 of the monkey's in the first area are on ledges and any hit results in them being knocked down (with 2 different effects). Morrey is in a knocked out state while Ukki Gigolo enters rage. For some monkey's, hitting them with Stun Club then switching to net (has to be a fast input). From here, we move to the barrels. In the Main game, you're supposed to use Wild West Kid to shoot them down and move on however, I tried to keep within the challenge parameters and found some ways to get across. The order is RNG so I start with the Super Hoop hoping for a good pattern. If I get a garbage one, I can time a Stun Club hit and hopefully get out. The next monkey I gotta worry about is Mon Johny. This fella can shoot rapidly (and while you hang on ledge too), so I have to pray I can catch him during caution phase (The amber light on their helmet). From here, it's kinda a breather on the train. Play it safe and it should be fine (just crawl if you're on the train since you can be clipped by the gates). Once we're off, we gotta deal with Chammy Mo. Hit him off with the Slingshot then try to get a quick capture. If not, panic Fantasy Knight, auto block the first shot, hit, then capture as they rage. From here, Golon Moe can be annoying, just fire an explosive round to trigger rage then go for a catch. Then it should be easy from here with the Super Monkey door and the last one (Except I had a mind blank moment and it took me longer to realign the route). I would restart, this level was hell already... I'll just let it rock. Monkey Blue Even with Fantasy Knight, this is a step up from Monkey White. He's got a spread shot, varying speeds to ram you, bombs as his special, and adds that also shoot at you. We open with 2 explosive rounds since I wanna reserve any morph time I can (This also gives time for the bots to spawn). From here, I want to manage my positioning to block shots, hit the boss while killing enemies to get morph time (since losing it puts me at a deficit). There's supposed to be a duel shootout for phase 2 but I guess you can pump enough damage in to skip it. Much harder than it looks.
Gotta say… You’re pretty good. And man, this seems like a super charming game. Such a creative set of stages with a ton of little nods to stuff. Gameplay looks fun, too! Lots of tools at your disposal, and a fast, frenetic rhythm to it all. (Also, shout out to that trickshot at 20:24) Good stuff, man!
"Just what I'd expect from the man with the same code as the boss." Thanks Sonnance! It's an incredibly charming game. Might have spoiled you on the peak of the series if you ever play it, haha! Also yeah, the gameplay is smooth as butter. Tons of flex in how you wanna approach specific encounters, which encourages you to think on the spot, showcasing some nice player expression. Only thing I'd say is maybe don't do a damageless attempt. :P
![Ape Escape 3 - Zone 3 [Survival/No Damage]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1i4qMYaj1xI/mqdefault.jpg)
![Ape Escape 3 - Zone 3 [Survival/No Damage]](/img/tr.png)
![Ape Escape 3 - Zone 4 [Survival/No Damage]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QhTpfRkbBUg/mqdefault.jpg)
![Ape Escape 3 - Zone 1 [Survival/No Damage]](/img/n.gif)
Level descriptions:
The Big City
This is our introduction to a few things in the game (Gun monkey's, using vehicles along with a Yumi benefit)! The firing pattern and aim can vary depending on the weapon so spacing and approach can be vital (Worth noting in some instances, stealth can be the better option to avoid a chaotic situation). From here on, this is also where a lot of takes can start to end fast due to RNG catching along with enemy clump. My strat is to start with the annoying ones at the start to hopefully make the routing easier (Ukki Nader being a lil tricky at the start due to how aggressive the pattern can be on entry). From here, I try to go from building to building catching what I can and what seems most efficient. The Super Monkey room can be scary without a morph so be fast and aware of what you're doing, and get outta there. I have been finding out also you can manip some monkey's catch RNG whenever they jump on and off of surfaces. I'm not sure if it's accurate or not (Someone can correct me), it seems to make the catch guaranteed. Regardless, when moving to the car, it can be a mouthful (as a lot of the series control scheme is). Best way I found to control it is use the left stick for accel and brake (using up and down) and right stick for turning (left and right). Once we hit the stadium, we see a bonus to playing Yumi. In lore, she's an idol and there's certain monkey's who are fans of her, meaning on sight will be rendered in awe (you can find this info when you scan them on the radar too). You can snap them out by hitting them a lot but, what's the fun in that? Get your free capture and I like to finish up with some Kung Fu Warrior. Dive kick feels good and if you can clump them, the multi-catch feels great. Not too bad but that start is rough.
Specter TV Studio
Honestly not a whole lot to talk about here that I haven't said previously. Though we are introduced to another new vehicle (The mech). It's the most difficult vehicle to use in the series and yet, I think an overall upgrade to the one you use in 2. Basically if you've ever played Katamari, the controls should feel almost 1:1. One thing to keep in mind when fighting as the mech is boosting (clicking both sticks in) deals pretty good damage, and the arena you fight in and you get barriers to hide when you deal damage to the mini-boss. I forgot to mention in Zone 1, all enemies are tinker toys, and they take extra damage when you hit the wind up gear on their back (This also affects rewards you get from them). Pretty straightforward level with that aside. I did learn the air catch with monkey's being grabbed on need to be on alert for it to work so that was interesting.
Bootown
This is where we're introduced to the Water Net (A gadget that never has a consistent control scheme in the series). You only use it for 2 sections in this level though that'll change as we get farther. Got some gimmick monkey's near the start, then we move to the mini-boss. You can shred it with a morph though I don't wanna use it until we get to the Super Monkey door which is after the second Water Net section (you lose the form upon entry). So I hit the trunk a few times with the Stun Club, then kick back with explosive rounds on the Slingshot. Something to note is you start with 9 rounds of both pellet types which is pretty nice (since you would normally buy these in the main game and not a lot of people would have used them... myself included). As we progress, catching more, the game noticed we used the RC Car to bypass block pushing. Fortunately, we only need to push 3 of the blocks and plant the Car on the 4th button. We meet another Yumi fan and monkey, then proceed to enter the secret room. I opt for Miracle Ninja since I find their range catch the most consistent (and they fast). From here, easy cleanup with the last 2.
Wild West Town
Here it is, the hardest level under these restrictions so far. 20 monkey's, and over half of them are carrying guns (mostly of the lock on variety). I had to get pretty creative when it came to catching some of them while reducing the RNG catch (since a dodge more than likely ensures I get shot). 2 of the monkey's in the first area are on ledges and any hit results in them being knocked down (with 2 different effects). Morrey is in a knocked out state while Ukki Gigolo enters rage. For some monkey's, hitting them with Stun Club then switching to net (has to be a fast input). From here, we move to the barrels. In the Main game, you're supposed to use Wild West Kid to shoot them down and move on however, I tried to keep within the challenge parameters and found some ways to get across. The order is RNG so I start with the Super Hoop hoping for a good pattern. If I get a garbage one, I can time a Stun Club hit and hopefully get out. The next monkey I gotta worry about is Mon Johny. This fella can shoot rapidly (and while you hang on ledge too), so I have to pray I can catch him during caution phase (The amber light on their helmet). From here, it's kinda a breather on the train. Play it safe and it should be fine (just crawl if you're on the train since you can be clipped by the gates). Once we're off, we gotta deal with Chammy Mo. Hit him off with the Slingshot then try to get a quick capture. If not, panic Fantasy Knight, auto block the first shot, hit, then capture as they rage. From here, Golon Moe can be annoying, just fire an explosive round to trigger rage then go for a catch. Then it should be easy from here with the Super Monkey door and the last one (Except I had a mind blank moment and it took me longer to realign the route). I would restart, this level was hell already... I'll just let it rock.
Monkey Blue
Even with Fantasy Knight, this is a step up from Monkey White. He's got a spread shot, varying speeds to ram you, bombs as his special, and adds that also shoot at you. We open with 2 explosive rounds since I wanna reserve any morph time I can (This also gives time for the bots to spawn). From here, I want to manage my positioning to block shots, hit the boss while killing enemies to get morph time (since losing it puts me at a deficit). There's supposed to be a duel shootout for phase 2 but I guess you can pump enough damage in to skip it. Much harder than it looks.
Gotta say… You’re pretty good.
And man, this seems like a super charming game. Such a creative set of stages with a ton of little nods to stuff.
Gameplay looks fun, too! Lots of tools at your disposal, and a fast, frenetic rhythm to it all. (Also, shout out to that trickshot at 20:24)
Good stuff, man!
"Just what I'd expect from the man with the same code as the boss."
Thanks Sonnance! It's an incredibly charming game. Might have spoiled you on the peak of the series if you ever play it, haha!
Also yeah, the gameplay is smooth as butter. Tons of flex in how you wanna approach specific encounters, which encourages you to think on the spot, showcasing some nice player expression. Only thing I'd say is maybe don't do a damageless attempt. :P