Rumors of a series long dormant returning to life always sparks some interest, but this one could potentially be one of the biggest to date, especially if you’re an OG PlayStation gamer.
Although not as big as its following in Japan, the Ape Escape series developed by SIE Japan Studio is one of the most beloved PlayStation series in the West. It’s no wonder that a tweet from a relatively new account dedicated solely to the series' 20th anniversary is making the rounds, which you can view below.
ピポサル （あれから20年。ずっと逃げ回ってきたけど、もう追いかけてくるヤツもいないかな・・・？）
— 【公式】サルゲッチュ20周年 (@piposaru20th) June 23, 2019
#サルゲッチュ #サルゲッチュ20th pic.twitter.com/wo4mgUVA3m
The tweet is in Japanese, and states the following (according to Microsoft Translate): "Piposar (20 years since then. I've been running around, but I wonder if there's anyone chasing me anymore.)"
To add fuel to the flames is the fact that the account is being followed by the official SIE Japan Studio, and is accompanied by a photo showing a modernized rendering of one of the apes wearing the experimental Peak Point helmet. Putting together the pieces from there is inevitable, and the fact that we get a tease like this signals that Sony definitely hasn’t forgotten the series either.
It would be understandable if some people did see it that way, though. The first game in the series, Ape Escape, debuted for the PlayStation back in 1999, and its final mainline title, Ape Escape 3, for the PlayStation 2 back in 2005. Since then, we only got to see party game collections and spinoffs, most of which were only available in Japan. It doesn’t help that the final game we saw, PlayStation Move Ape Escape, launched to largely negative reviews. I’ll let you guess, based entirely on the title of the game, why it saw such a reception.
It would be great if Sony does indeed have something big planned for the series as a whole, as it’s actually quite the inventive and thoroughly entertaining platformer. It also helps that there seems to be a resurgence of digging up old IPs to reboot and rehash. Ape Escape could achieve the same level of success Crash Bandicoot did with his two remade titles, so Sony might have a possible hit on their hands. With the next generation of consoles looming closer, they’re going to need all the exclusive games they can get.
