Ape Escape Advanced Strategy Guide ================================== version 1.2 on 15 Apr 00 written by Alan KWAN Shiu Ho (tarot@netvigator.com) Copyright 2000 Alan KWAN Shiu Ho Preface ------- This is an advanced strategy guide for Ape Escape. This guide contains spoilers; it is recommended that you don't read it until you have finished the game and have achieved or approached a 100% clear rate. To players who have cleared the game, I'm trying to point out some short cuts and time attack routes that may have been overlooked. Hopefully, this can add a bit more enjoyment to the game for such players. This guide can be downloaded from my personal homepage: http://home.netvigator.com/~tarot/Games/Ape01.txt You may freely distribute this document on a personal basis, provided that the document is unmodified. Permission for distributing this document on other sites will normally not be granted. If you would like people who visit your site to be able to access this document, please place a link with the above URL on your site. If you feel that you can offer useful information to be included in this guide, please e-mail me at mailto:tarot@netvigator.com Credits will be given. If you need help with more basic strategy issues, please visit GameFAQs. Short Cuts ---------- Stage 4-2: Under the platform that can be reached by lowering the bridge with the rotating switch, if you use the sky flyer while standing /atop/ the rotating switch, you can reach the platform directly. Stage 5-1: Where you first come upon the hill by following the road from the starting place, there is a gentle ridge, and you can actually climb to the top of the hill from there. Just walk squarely along the top of the ridge until you come to a small plateau. From there, jump from valley to valley until you reach the last peak, the left slope of which you can just walk on. During time attack, you can reach the small plateau from the other side (after getting the chips and perhaps the monkey at the four igloos) using the sky flyer or by jumping from a small foothold right under it. Stage 5-1 (again): When not doing time attack, if you run in the wrong direction from the staring place, you'll come across a post-box which tells you that you're heading the wrong way. But actually, from that spot, you can jump to the platform under the fan. There is a stepping stone on the hillside, so you don't even need the sky flyer. Also, you can shoot the fan machine with the slingshot before you jump. This eases the climb by a little bit. There are places around the fan from which you can shoot the fan machine, too. Stage 7-3: You can enter the castle from the top instead of from the main entrance. On the right-hand side of the castle (from your view, when facing the main entrance), there are some green patches of land on the hill slope, with a monkey there. From the highest patch, you can jump to the top of the castle with the sky flyer. This saves having to deal with the traps in the castle left room, if you do this when initially invading the castle. However, using this route for time attack is not very efficient, although you can still get gold rank. Time Attack Strategy Tips ------------------------- 1. Weapons: The magic punch and the explosive slingshot can make it a lot easier to capture fast or offensively strong monkeys. The magic punch is much faster than the time net and has a longer reach. Note that when you knock down a monkey with a weapon, the duration for which it stays down depends on the attack strength (damage power) of the weapon. The knock-down time of the magic punch is long enough, such that even in the case of a double KO, you'll still be able to get back up before the monkey does. The explosive slingshot is useful when you need to knock down a monkey from afar in order to get to it before it does something nasty (such as running away to nowhere, or mounting a UFO or turret). 2. Chips: Sometimes the route which seems shorter may not give you the best clear time, because another longer route gives you more energy chips on the way. Experiment with various routes to find the best one. You should especially pay attention to large chips, for they are worth 5 seconds each. Also, it is often worth defeating enemies for chips if you can do that conveniently. During time attack, enemies don't drop anything but chips. Some enemies give you 4 or more chips, and it is usually better to punch them than to just run past them. Remember that you can use the magic punch or the time net to quickly gather the chips. 3. Swimming: Once you get into the water, hold down either R button to swim fast. It's okay to surface once you have held down the R button. 4. Entrance: When you move into a new area, you can actually start moving while the screen is still dark, before it brightens up. Don't let loose on the analog key when the screen is dark. 5. Practicing: I've found that it pays to play calmly and steadily when initially playing time attack in a stage, or when experimenting with a new route. Do each step one by one, solidly, and don't rush. After one has become familiar with what he is supposed to do, now that's time to do it for real and rush. Time Attack Routes ------------------ Here I'm describing only those routes which differ significantly from the ones you can find in Stephen J. Rhee's time attack guide and other FAQs. Some of these routes are much faster than Stephen's, I believe. ^_^ You can find Stephen's guide at GameFAQs. My times have been achieved with the Japanese import version; I believe that there are no significant differences between the import version and the English version. The English stage names and the "need ??? for gold" times have been quoted from Stephen's guide (with the exception of the name for stage 7-2, which is my own translation). I have not verified all the required times in the import version, though I have noticed that the time needed for gold in stage 1-1 is 30 seconds in the import version, instead of 32 seconds as stated in Stephen's guide (for the English release apparently). The "ultra time" of each stage has been quoted from the Japanese import version. (This seems to be the best time by the developing team or playtesters.) If you beat the ultra time using a different route from mine (if one is listed), or if you beat my best time by a lot (when I haven't listed my route), I would like to hear about how you do it, and will consider adding your contribution to this guide. Stage 1-1 Fossil Field --------- My time: 0'24"25 Need 0'32"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'22"18 Stage 1-2 Primordial Ooze --------- My time: 0'29"79 Need 0'35"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'21"50 Stage 1-3 Molten Lava --------- My time: 0'57"53 Need 1'15"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'43"45 Stage 2-1 Thick Jungle --------- My time: 0'41"67 Need 1'30"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'49"80 Monkeys: 5 Gadgets: dash hoop, magic punch, sky flyer, time net Start by catching the two monkeys hiding inside the insect-eating plants, killing enemies and getting chips while doing so. Then dash towards the guard tower and capture the monkey there. Jump into the river and swim into the next area. Grab the two large chips in front of you, then try to fly over the electric fish with the sky flyer. Swim along the river and get all the chips. Jump onto the land on the left to get more chips. Use the sky flyer to cross over to the platform in front of the flashing wall beside the gate, and break that wall. Catch the monkey behind the gate and move on to the next area. Finally, swim towards the monkey enjoying a hot bath and get it. Stage 2-2 Dark Ruins --------- My time: 0'55"10 Need 1'20"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'42"08 Monkeys: 5 Gadgets: slingshot, magic punch, sky flyer, time net At the start, equip explosive shots and hit the enemy and then the monkey in front of you. Then rush to the monkey and nab him. (Try to pick up some chips from the defeated enemy on the way.) Turn around and use the sky flyer to get the monkey above you. Cross to the next island and get both large chips before moving on. Use the sky flyer to fly inside the cage, and catch the monkey. Then enter the entrance (right there). Inside, use homing shots to quickly kill the enemy near you, pick up some chips, then get the monkey inside the room up there in the wall. Turn around and run up the stairs. Shoot the monkey at the fan with an explosive shot and quickly nab him. Stage 2-3 Cryptic Relics --------- My time: 0'41"74 Need 1'05"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'39"62 Stage 4-1 Crabby Beach --------- My time: 0'55"55 Need 1'10"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'48"37 Stage 4-2 Coral Cave --------- My time: 0'56"15 Need 1'25"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'44"75 Monkeys: 4 While it is possible to get a good time by following Stephen's route and taking the short cut mentioned above, I prefer to use the route described here, with which I achieved the above listed time. Gadgets: slingshot, magic punch, sky flyer, time net At the start, jump into the water and get the monkey riding the shark. Then swim on towards the water cave, being sure to pick up the large chip on the way. Inside the cave, punch the stone-spitting head and get the chips, then jump onto the platform. Fire a homing shot at the monkey in the cave in front of you, then cross over to the cave with a double jump and the sky flyer. After landing, punch the monkey with the magic punch, then nab him. Continue onwards into the cave, punching the enemies and getting the chips. At the exit, jump and use the sky flyer to land on the ledge to your left. Follow the ledge, and punch the monkey (if needed) and nab him. Finally, blow up the submarine turret with explosive shots and capture the gunner. Stage 4-3 Dexter's Island --------- My time: 0'56"80 Need 1'10"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'47"70 Stage 5-1 Snowy Mammoth --------- My time: 0'54"55 Need 1'15"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'47"58 Monkeys: 4 Gadgets: dash hoop, sky flyer, time net, [any weapon] Get the first monkey at the four igloos. Then, turn around and dash towards the hill, and climb the hill right there using the short cut described above. At the top, immediately nab the monkey you see. Then use the sky flyer to get to the platform with the fan machine and nab the monkey. Finally, come back and slide down the slide and drop down to the cave near the mammoth to get the monkey inside; pick up the chips on the way. Alternatively, you may capture the monkey riding the mammoth instead of the monkey at the four igloos. Do it last; it takes just two explosive shots to dismount it. My time listed above has been achieved using this route. Stage 5-2 Frosty Retreat --------- My time: 0'59"72 Need 1'10"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'41"79 Stage 5-3 Hot Springs --------- My time: 0'57"38 Need 1'15"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'44"47 Monkeys: 4 Gadgets: dash hoop, magic punch, time net Start by jumping down to the valley and nabbing the monkey there. Then dash towards the cave on your right. Inside the cave, ignore the bears and punch your way through the ice bars, all the way to the control room, and nab the operator. Punch the switch and capture the other monkey. Then press the other switch and dash your way out of the cave. Don't forget the chips. Outside, jump into the water on your right and swim under the waterfall towards the last monkey. Punch him down and nab him. Stage 7-1 Sushi Temple --------- My time: 0'42"95 Need 0'55"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'35"38 Stage 7-2 Long Long Wall --------- My time: 0'40"95 Need 1'00"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'27"47 (Special note: In the import version, the stage name of stage 7-2 is "Teku Teku Banri" meaning "Long Long Wall", while that of stage 7-1 is "Wabi Sabi Temple". I cannot see any justification for calling stage 7-2 "Wabi Sabi Wall" in the English version, since the Great Wall is a Chinese monument while wasabi is a Japanese delicacy. Thus I consider the English name a mess-up, and I refuse to use it.) There is a short cut: on the first moving platform, you can climb its left rail, and from there jump directly to the step with the two chips using the sky flyer. Follow Stephen's guide for the rest. Stage 7-3 Crumbling Castle --------- My time: 0'23"65 Need 0'45"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'11"05 Monkeys: 3 Gadgets: dash hoop, magic punch, slingshot, time net At the start, immediately jump off the cliff to your left. Knock down the monkey down there with the magic punch and nab it. Then dash your way to the second monkey and nab this one too. Turn around and climb back up, getting all the chips on the way. After picking up the last chip, dash towards the castle main entrance. Once inside, punch the enemy on your left and get the chips. Then enter the left room. Shoot the monkey in front of you with an explosive shot and nab it. Stage 8-1 City Park --------- My time: 0'08"25 Need 0'35"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'09"28 Monkeys: 2 Gadgets: dash hoop, magic punch, sky flyer, time net Dash towards the metal frame and get all the chips on and around it. Then use the sky flyer to land on the top of the three logs and enter the boxing ring chamber while ignoring the bees. Nab the monkey at the boxing ring, and come down and get the chips around the base of one of the logs. Dash towards the monkey sitting on a bench on your left; kill the small enemies on the way. Ignore the large mecha and nab the monkey. Stage 8-2 Specter's Factory --------- My time: 0'41"74 Need 1'15"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'31"80 Monkeys: 3 Gadgets: dash hoop, magic punch, slingshot, time net Don't use the tank. Use the magic punch to destroy walls in your way, and hit the enemies for chips. At the start, dash up to the 2 enemies and punch them, then continue on by punching one of the walls at the far end. Punch the nearby enemies, then punch the farthest wall on your right, and charge in. If you're lucky, you should be able to knock down the monkey at the UFO port before it boards the UFO. Next, knock down the monkey at the large turret with an explosive shot and nab it before it mounts the turret. Enter the factory. Dash towards the RC car room while picking up the chips on the way. Punch the flashing wall, knock down the monkey, and nab it. Stage 8-3 TV Tower --------- My time: 0'50"45 Need 1'05"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'39"57 Stage 9-1 Specter Land --------- My time: 0'23"58 Need 1'00"00 for gold Ultra time: 0'28"03 Monkeys: 3 Gadgets: slingshot, dash hoop, magic punch, time net We are getting the required monkeys from Western Land, of course. One can save some time by catching first the monkey on the roof, if done smoothly. If in doubt, use explosive shots against the monkeys at the windows. This gives you more time to catch them before they run away. END OF DOCUMENT