Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →In the original Ape Escape, the right analog stick does not mainly steer a camera: it operates the gadget you have selected. The left stick moves the character, while the right stick turns the chase’s tools into direct, physical actions. That made both sticks central to catching monkeys—and made the controller part of the game’s design.
How Ape Escape divided the two sticks
The left stick controls character movement. The right stick controls gadgets, with its behavior changing according to the tool in use. Rather than treating the second stick as a general-purpose camera control, the game made it an action surface: the player’s movement of the stick directly shaped what the gadget did.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This distinction matters because Ape Escape is built around pursuing and catching monkeys. The controls connect the player’s hands to the tasks at the center of the game, instead of separating movement from a camera that follows the action.
Recommended Free Tools
What the right stick did with different gadgets
Turn a direction into a swing
With the Stun Club or Time Net, a directional stick movement could make the character face and swing in that direction. A Time Extension interview with Kanetaka describes the team’s difficulty in deciding how gadgets should work, and how a programmer’s Slingback Shooter idea helped inspire the Stun Club’s directional action: Time Extension’s development interview.
#1 Best Overall
- The feel, shape, and sensitivity of the dual analog sticks and trigger buttons have been improved to provide a greater sense of control, no matter what you play.Motion sensors - Rock and roll as a highly sensitive built-in accelerometer and gyroscope detect the motion, tilt and rotation of your DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controllerDualShock 4 Wireless Controller PS4 and PC compatible. Item PS5 compatible only when playing PS4 games.
- The new multi touch and clickable touch pad on the face of the DualShock 4 Wireless Controller opens up worlds of new gameplay possibilities for both newcomers and veteran gamers
- The DualShock 4 Wireless Controller features a built in speaker and stereo headset jack, putting several new audio options in the player's hands
- The Dualshock 4 wireless controller can be easily recharged by plugging it into your PlayStation 4 system, even when in rest mode, or with any standard charger using a USB cable (type A to micro B sold separately)
Give other tools their own gestures
The Monkey Radar, Slingback Shooter, Dash Hoop, Sky Flyer, R.C. Car, and Magic Punch were among the other gadgets controlled through the right stick. The exact action varied by tool: the player was learning how to operate a set of distinct devices, not just repeating one universal aiming motion. A PSX Data Center entry for the NTSC-U PlayStation release lists the game’s stick assignments and gadgets.
The Dash Hoop illustrates how control and ability were designed together. Kanetaka’s account says the team nearly dropped it because they had not found a useful ability; the proposed solution was a burst of speed at the cost of control. The gadget’s value came from a specific trade-off, not simply from adding another item to the inventory.
Rank #2
- Precision Control: The feel, shape, and sensitivity of the DualShock 4’s analog sticks and trigger buttons have been enhanced to offer players absolute control for all games on PlayStation 4.
- Sharing at your Fingertips: The addition of the Share button makes sharing your greatest gaming moments as easy as a push of a button. Upload gameplay videos and screenshots directly from your system or live-stream your gameplay, all without disturbing the game in progress.
- New ways to Play: Revolutionary features like the touch pad, integrated light bar, and built-in speaker offer exciting new ways to experience and interact with your games and its 3.5mm audio jack offers a practical personal audio solution for gamers who want to listen to their games in private.
- Charge Efficiently: The DualShock 4 Wireless Controller can easily be recharged by plugging it into your PlayStation 4 system, even when on standby, or with any standard charger with a micro-USB port.
Why this felt unlike the familiar camera-stick setup
Many later games made the right stick responsible for looking or aiming. Ape Escape used it more broadly: the tool selected determined the action, and the player’s stick movement supplied the gesture. A stick motion could swing a net or club, while another gadget called for another kind of input. That made the scheme less like moving a cursor and more like operating a small collection of tools.
PlayStation’s retrospective says Ape Escape helped popularize the pattern of using the left stick for movement and the right stick for aiming. But that shorthand does not capture the whole design. In this game, the right stick was not only for aiming; it performed a wider range of gadget actions. See the PlayStation Blog retrospective.
Rank #3
- Bring gaming worlds to life - Feel physically responsive feedback to your in-game actions with dual actuators which replace traditional rumble motors. In your hands, these dynamic vibrations can simulate the feeling of everything from environments to the recoil of different weapons.
- Find your voice, share your passion - Chat online through the built-in microphone. Connect a headset directly via the 3.5mm jack. Record and broadcast your epic gaming moments with the create button.
- A gaming icon in your hands - Take control with an evolved, two-tone design that combines an iconic, intuitive layout with enhanced sticks and a reimagined light bar. The DualSense wireless controller retains many DUALSHOCK 4 features, returning for a new generation of play.
- Bluetooth pairing - The controller pairs directly with your compatible iPad, iPhone, Mac or Apple TV5 via Bluetooth, bringing signature PlayStation comfort and next-gen precision to your gaming experience. You can even enjoy the controllers touch pad, motion sensor and experience its adaptive trigger effects in compatible games.
- Multi-device connectivity - Connect using a USB Type-C cable or Bluetooth technology and easily play on more devices including Windows PC and Mac computers.
The two-stick idea changed the game’s design
Shuhei Yoshida, identified as an executive producer on the game, recalled that the team initially wanted a 3D game set in open fields, where players would capture monkeys. During development, Sony’s hardware team showed them a new controller with two analog sticks. The team reconsidered its original, more conventional control scheme and built gameplay around the new input. GamesRadar+’s feature drawing on interviews with Yoshida and Kenji Kaido recounts that development history.
Yoshida recalled pitching the game as playable only with two analog sticks, despite concern that this would exclude people using a regular controller. His point was that the two-stick control was not an optional enhancement: it was what the game was being designed to do. The right stick’s varied gadget actions show why the team treated the hardware as a foundation rather than an add-on.
Rank #4
- Wireless Connectivity: The DualShock 4 controller uses Bluetooth technology for wireless gameplay.
- PlayStation Compatibility: This controller is specifically designed for use with the PlayStation 4 console.
- Vibration Feedback: The controller's built-in rumble feature provides tactile feedback during gameplay.
- Adjustable Controls: The controller has customizable button layouts and analog sticks to suit your preferences.
- Long Battery Life: The controller is battery-powered and can provide up to 10 hours of gameplay on a single charge.
Dual Analog and DualShock are related, but not the same milestone
It is common to describe Ape Escape as a landmark DualShock game, but the controller timeline is more precise. PlayStation dates the Dual Analog controller to April 1997; its two sticks were intended to provide more movement in 3D worlds. The company dates the DualShock to November 1997, describing it as adding two vibration motors and analog sticks with rubber grips and longer stems. The milestones should not be collapsed into one date or controller name. PlayStation’s controller history timeline provides those dates and distinctions.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →So the most accurate way to describe the game’s innovation is that it depended on the dual-stick controller idea, while DualShock became the name most closely associated with that control legacy. The specific distinction between those controller milestones does not change what made the game feel unusual: each stick had a different job, and the second one operated the tools that defined play.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- The feel, shape, and sensitivity of the dual analog sticks and trigger buttons have been improved to provide a greater sense of control, no matter what you play
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
