This article has a talk page!This page details pre-release information and/or media for Ape Escape.
Ape Escape was conceived around 1996-97 with two primary intentions; to be an open-field 3D game akin to Super Mario 64 and to take advantage of the PlayStation's revised DualShock controller, being the first game on the platform to require its usage.
Project KIDZ#
At its earliest conceived stage, the project that would become Ape Escape initially went under the name "Project KIDZ". Though it already resembled the final game in many ways, there are several differences between it and the final game.
Differences#
- The game seemed to have a stronger focus on fantasy elements than sci-fi, with designs for wizards and witches present that are never seen in the final game.
- Instead of being based around travelling to different points in time, the game seemed to be set in a single, primitive world known as "Animal World" which the monkeys rule over. This early premise may have inspired the Prehistoric and Dark Age levels in the final game.
- While the left analog stick would still handle controlling the player character, the right stick would control an animal companion who would aid the player. This concept may have been repurposed into the R.C. Car gadget in the final game.
- Though much of the game's cast is present already, albeit with slightly earlier designs, some art also seems to depict Haruka/Helga, a character who is not present in the final game but would later be introduced in Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed.
Artwork#
Concepts for the game's cover art.
Concept designs for Kakeru/Spike. One design for him looks remarkably more like a Fantasy RPG protagonist complete with sword, compared to both his other concept designs and the final game.
Concept designs for Specter. They pretty much all have the final design's traits in some form, but differ heavily in terms of details.
Designs for two characters, a Monk and a Mage, that aren't present in the final game.
Concept art for the whole cast. Some designs can be seen here that aren't present elsewhere, including for the Professor, Natsumi/Natalie, and the aforementioned cut character Haruka/Helga.
Concepts for potential stage elements in the game.
Artwork depicting the general world the game would take place in.
US Manual#
Gameplay screenshots are present in the game's US manual that differ from the actual game, indicating that they reflect an earlier build.
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The title screen in the manual screenshot has the "New Game" and "Load Game" graphics swapped in position compared to the final game. The arrow is also pointing to the "New Game" graphic, yet the "Load Game" graphic is highlighted.
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The level briefing in the manual does not show the number of monkeys and Specter Tokens in the given level unlike the final game. The font and layout highly resemble the ones from the demos.
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The Stun Club and Net are mapped to different buttons in the manual (Square and Triangle respectively instead of Triangle and Cross). This may indicate that the default button layout was changed for the final build. It is possible that the player had changed the button layout themselves beforehand, however.
PAL Back Case#
The back case in most PAL regions shows a Dimension X level that doesn't resemble one in the final game and involves the Stun Club. In addition, the gadget button HUD is more colorful, depicting the entirety of each button colored to match the PlayStation button it corresponds to.