Test your plunger launching skills in Ace Banana - Hands-On Impressions

By Mike de Leon Posted on September 26, 2016

Using two PlayStation Move controllers, I proceeded to shoot colorful and stylized monkeys with plungers in Ace Banana. Due out in time for the launch of the PlayStation VR (PSVR), I took on the role of a Banana Archer shooting plungers in the middle of a forest infested with monkeys. It took a few minutes to perfect my aiming, using one arm to aim the bow, and the other to pull arrows back to power up my shots.

Armed with a bow and an assortment of projectiles, your goal is to protect a stash of bananas from the horde of monkeys wishing to steal and most likely eat your valuable resource. You're a banana, so you wouldn't want some animal to eat your own species, would you? Along the way, you can find power-ups to help clear oncoming enemies. There are different platforms within the levels that allow you to gain a different angle of the engagement. I shifted my placement from the ground to the treetop village area frequently. Using a perfect shot, I activated a power-up that cleared all incoming monkey’s from the area. Speaking of which, these aren’t your basic type of monkeys you’ll likely see in a zoo either. These monkeys have style, dressing up as clowns, boxers, and even wearing tacky Hawaiian shirts. The majority of these characterized enemies require multiple plungers, but I couldn’t help but chuckle as they continued towards the bananas with a plunger stuck to the front of their faces. If you are able to survive long enough, you’ll come across challenging bosses.

Ace Banana is slated to be released alongside the launch of the PlayStation VR on October 13, 2016. As I mentioned, it will require two PlayStation Move controllers, and developer TVR plans to add an online cooperative mode after launch.