Saru! Get You! 2 (Ape Escape 2) continues the monkey hunt with finesse. Stylish characters, abundant gadgets and inventive levels. A Japan Studio platformer brimming with charm.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player7+
Description
A Sony and Japan Studio platformer released in 2002, the original Japanese edition of Ape Escape 2. Hikaru chases ape genius Specter and his ape army through time with an arsenal of capture gadgets (net, taser, slingshot). A direct sequel to the first Ape Escape, more graphically polished and with reinforced offbeat humor.
Saru! Get You! 2 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Ape Escape 2 sets its action in everyday places overrun by Pipo monkeys, small towns, beaches, parks, as colorful as toys and readable at a glance. Each monkey sports a diode helmet and loud trousers that betray its mood, a cartoon detail that makes the hunt amusing and the capture almost a little comedy.
Ape Escape 2's music runs on chipper electronic pop, sparkling melodies, danceable beats and little repeated motifs that stick in the head long after playing. Each level gets a jaunty tune rather than an ambience, matching the zany energy of the monkey hunt and its resolutely light tone.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Hunting down prankster monkeys with lunatic gadgets, from net to radar: the concept is as original as it is irresistible, and the dual-stick handling delivers a unique sensation. Every successful capture triggers a little burst of joy, and the ever-present humour enchants. Colourful, clever and endearing, a gleeful platformer-adventure of overflowing inventiveness.
The Japanese edition of Saru! Get You! 2, a Sony platformer about netting monkeys, whose local run sold through quickly and stayed little reprinted for a mascot less popular than the house's big stars. Its appeal lies in this tight Japanese distribution of an endearing sequel, harder to find complete than expected. A target for fans of Japanese platforming and PlayStation mascots.
Is Saru! Get You! 2 still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2002 on PS2 and known in the West as Ape Escape 2, Sony's project fully exploits the dual analogue stick to capture prankster monkeys with ingenious gadgets. The net, the radar and the motorised devices turn every hunt into an approach puzzle, and the variety of levels keeps the curiosity alive. The colourful art direction, the good natured humour and the handling specific to the DualShock pad forge a strong playful identity. The pace proves uneven and the difficulty stays gentle. An original and endearing platformer, recommended for fans of the genre and for those curious about a clever use of the controller.
