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Ape Escape for Playstation and Pokemon Pinball and V-Rally:Edition '99 for Game Boy color By Chip and Jonathan Carter Tribune Media Services APE ESCAPE, FOR PLAYSTATION � Talk about monkeying around with time: A zoo escape and a freak accident combine to unleash a barrelful of apes into Earth�s past. Now, that might not seem to be such a big deal, but you have to realize � a bunch of monkeys running roughshod through the past could alter history in ways we can�t even imagine. Especially since these aren�t ordinary monkeys. The same professor who invented the time machine that launched these monkeys invented a helmet that makes them smarter. Wearing one of these, the top ape is attuned enough to realize he can monkey with time and change the roles of man and ape, a la Planet of the ... . Fortunately, the professor has a few other tricks up his sleeve. He provides you with a handful of helpful items � like a net that zings �em into the future, a RC racer, a tank, a special slingshot and a jetpack-style helicopter � and sends you back in time to track down the troublesome apes. And if you need a break from all that, you can always play the three mini-games � skiing, boxing and "Space Invaders" � assuming you�ve collected special tokens hidden in each level. Ape Escape features a unique control mode that takes full advantage of an analog controller. In fact, you have to have an analog stick to play. The left stick controls movement while you guide weapons with the right. It�s unlike anything we�ve ever seen in a video game. Of course, you could say that about anything in Ape Escape! JONATHAN SAYS : The new controls take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, they�re terrific. I love the individual stats on each ape, the fact that they all have identities � I�m not just chasing anonymous chimps for the heck of it. And the power-ups are some of the greatest ever. A+. CHIP SAYS : Given the premise, I honestly expected very little from this game. I am pleasantly shocked. They say an infinite number of monkeys typing away for and infinite number of years would eventually recreate the works of William Shakespeare. I say to heck with that � turn those monkeys loose, and let�s go chase �em. A+. OVERALL RATING: A+ � BUY IT FOR ALL AGES. POKEMON PINBALL, FOR GAME BOY COLOR � If your passion for Pokemon has petered out, here�s a surefire way to breathe new life into an old pastime. This cart features two picture-perfect pinball tables (red and blue) that�ll keep your thumbs twiddling and fingers fiddling with flippers for hours. But this one�s not just about pinball. It�s also about a whole new way to collect Pokemon. Each machine serves as the portal to various locales in the Pokemon world. Connecting on certain skill shots puts a Pokemon in your sites; making other shots after that captures it; and making even more shots lets it evolve, a la the original Pokemon. There are 150 in all (we�re betting there�s at least one hidden one, and probably two, like in the original game), and you�ll have to master both tables to catch �em. Graphically, this looks like most video pinball games � which is amazing since it�s for Game Boy. The tables are split into upper and lower halves, but the game manages to transition between the two flawlessly � not once have we ever felt we missed a ball because the view shifted too slowly. The physics are so advanced you�ll swear the ball has weight and heft. You�ll even be able to feel the bumpers, thanks in no small part to a rumble pack that�s built right into the cart. JONATHAN SAYS : Just when I�d gotten tired of Pokemon, here comes a new game to reignite my obsession. So much for getting any sleep this summer. A+. CHIP SAYS : I can�t believe this is a Game Boy title � it�s too good. I didn�t get hooked on the first go-round of Pokemon, but now, I can�t get enough. I�ve always been a pinball fan, so that part�s cool, but I�m really into collecting and evolving various Pokemon. As for the pinball action, this one�s so realistic I find myself actually tilting the Game Boy in various directions, as if I could affect the path of the ball! A+. OVERALL RATING: A+ � BUY IT FOR ALL AGES. V-RALLY: EDITION �99, FOR GAME BOY COLOR � This system�s not known for great racing games, but here�s one that is at least on the right track. You choose from four official World Rally cars: Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Lancer, Peugeot 306 Maxi and V-Rally Ford Escort (No, we don�t know how that one got in there either. Surprisingly, it�s one of the better choices for this game, since it�s the slowest of the cars but handles the best). You can take on arcade or championship modes that�ll have you racing in Indonesia, New Zealand, Corsica, Spain, England, Sweden, Paris and the Alps. The tracks don�t vary a whole lot from one area to the other � only the backgrounds change (but they do look good). Once you get into the more difficult levels, turns get sharper, terrain gets hillier, and traffic gets heavier, but the basic design remains the same. JONATHAN SAYS : This one�s fun enough, but the tracks do get a bit repetitive. And some of the bounces and rolls you take are amazing � am I really supposed to believe I could roll a car over an Indonesian hill, come upright on all four wheels and just keep on trucking? C. CHIP SAYS : V-Rally won�t make anybody forget Gran Turismo, but it�s a good way to kill a few hours on the road. I�m still wondering about that Ford Escort, though. B. OVERALL RATING: B- � RENT IT FOR AGES 8 & UP. TIPS AND TRICKS APE ESCAPE, FOR PLAYSTATION � Try out these cool moves with Ape Escape: Set the radio-controlled car near an ape, hit the car with your stun club, and the car will explode. If you fall from a cliff, press start and exit. You�ll warp to the time station with the same number of lives you had before the fall. In Level 2, Thick Jungles, push the stop sign down, and you�ll find the entrance to a secret tunnel. For more tips, tricks, reviews and news, check us out on-line at http://vgames.webpoint.com/vid/ecol/mainpage /. Or e-mail us at VidChip(at)AOL.com. Got a question? An inside tip you'd like to share? Write to Chip and Jonathan Carter in care of this newspaper. While they cannot respond individually, they will answer questions of general interest in their column. Chip & Jonathan Carter are a father/son gaming team who've been twiddling their thumbs professionally since 1990. For more tips, tricks, reviews and news, check us out on-line at http://vgames.webpoint.com/vid/ecol/mainpage . Or e-mail us at [email protected] . Got a question? An inside tip you'd like to share? Write to Chip and Jonathan Carter in care of this newspaper. While they cannot respond individually, they will answer questions of general interest in their column. (C) 1999 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC. Techno file index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA