245. Saru! Get You! (Sony, Playstation, 1998)

While the vibrating Dualshock controller was released for the Playstation in 1997, it wasn't until Saru! Get You! (known as Ape Escape internationally ("saru" means monkey in Japanese)) released in 1999 that a game required the dual analog stick controller. But Saru! Get You! also manages to do what few controller-specific games can: be a well thought out, fun, deep experience. I've previously played through Ape Escape 2 and loved it, so I was a little wary going back to its predecessor, but it's amazing how similar this PS1 game is to its PS2 successor. 

Saru! Get You! consists of a series of small separately themed environments where you are tasked with capturing a certain number of rogue monkeys before you can move to the next location. Snagging a monkey in your net is one of the great video game feelings: the payoff of the hunt, the laser zap sound effect, and the rumble all combine to make you feel electric. And I swear, it's way easier in this game to successfully catch a monkey than it was in Ape Escape 2, which I appreciate, because the analog control of the net always felt a little finicky in the sequel.

While the stages are on the diminutive side, they pack in a lot of character and variety (you're taking on a T-Rex about 15 minutes into the game (sorry Mario Odyssey, Saru! Get You! did it first)). You also gain access to lots of gadgets with interesting gameplay. It's clear the developers were having a good time figuring out different ways to make the 2 sticks fun. I don't want to say without Ape Escape, we would never have had Katamari...but I have to wonder.

I'm just sad that in the chaos of moving, I still can't find my PS1 memory card, so I never got to save my game. I definitely would not mind returning to the Saru! Get You! franchise in the future, and there were a ton of games released only in Japan, so there's no dearth of content for this series.

5/5, an action game that really showcases the variety possible with 2 analog sticks