Sony planning more Ape Escapes

TOKYO--Sony Computer Entertainment is developing a new Ape Escape installment for its PlayStation 2 console. The company announced it is currently working on Sarugecchu: Million Monkeys (Ape Escape: Million Monkeys) for a scheduled release in Japan this summer.

In Million Monkeys, players will once again take on the comical (and not so bright) Madcap Monkeys. But this time, the monkeys are heavily equipped with high-tech arsenals and mechs, and they're ready to conquer the world. The player will be fighting against an army of the monkeys in stages that are based on real locations in Japan, such as Shinjuku and Akihabara.

In related news, SCE also announced that an anime series based on Ape Escape will begin airing in Japan from April 8. The 15-minute episodes will begin airing on Saturday mornings on the TV Tokyo network.