Ape Escape Released 20 Years Ago Today

20 years ago today, Ape Escape released. That's right, 20 years ago, back on May 31, 1999, party platform game Ape Escape was released by SIE Japan Studio and Sony Interactive Entertainment. Well, in North America. The game didn't hit Japan until June. We haven't gotten a new mainline Ape Escape since 2005, and not even one of its many spin-offs since 2010. In other words, the series has faded from relevance and likely won't ever return. That said, the original and some of its follow-ups are still remembered to this day for the classics they were.

Ape Escape released to a 90 on Metacritic. And a 90 back then is more impressive than a 90 now because reviewers have gradually become less and less tougher on games. It's widely considered one of the best games on the original PlayStation and one of the best 3D platform games of all-time. Like most games from that period, it doesn't hold up especially well, but its universally accepted as a classic for how good it was at the time of its release.

"The 3D platformer has been established for some time now, but only recently has it begun to come of age," reads GameSpot's review of the game. "Like any game in a popular genre, it has been cloned many times with few successes. Ape Escape excels in precisely what so many 3D platformers lack: innovation and solid design. Don't let Ape Escape's title and story fool you - behind the lame rhyme and kiddy story lies an addictive, innovative action game that fans of the genre would be advised not to miss."

For those that don't know: the game tells the story of an ape named Specter who is gifted enhanced intelligence and a malevolent streak via an experimental helmet. With the helmet, Specter creates an army of apes, which he then sends through time in attempt to rewrite history. And that's where the player comes into the fold. You play as Spike, who is tasked with thwarting and capturing all the apes via different gadgets.

Anyway, as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think or hit me up on Twitter @Tyler_Fischer_ and let me know over there. Do you remember Ape Escape? If not, do you remember Superman 64 (one of the worst games of all-time)? Because it also turned 20 today.