Game:

Counter-Strike: Source (2004)

Duration: 0:00

2 views

0

Originally recorded: July 13, 2025
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Well, I did manage to get exactly where I wanted to with this session. I was also right about the final world: it did end up being just one really long level, like the last stage of Medieval Madness, only even bigger. That being said, I also ended up getting my first game over on that very last level. Fortunately, it wasn't really a punishment in any sense of the word. All I got was a fresh slate of lives. I didn't even have to recapture the one Ape I managed to catch before I lost my last life. Something about that feels way more forward-thinking than I would've expected.

That being said, the final stretch of the level was quite the doozy. Considering the fact that the game literally started spawning an extra life at each checkpoint, it seems clear that the developers realized just how far they were pushing the game's engine and controls with regards to the level design. I defintely appreciate the mercy that the developers showed at that point in the game. But it kind of feels like they were fixing a problem that they created on purpose in the first place.

Also, is it just me or was this game pretty backloaded when it comes to boss fights? I honestly almost thought the game wasn't going to have any.

Since I still had some additional time left over, I decided to start revisiting levels in order to collect the remaining Apes. I managed to finish the first world and knocked out two levels in the second world. From the looks of things, I think I've got roughly 49 Apes left to collect before I can unlock the true final boss. I'm hoping that I'll be able to finish all of that up next time... but I suppose only time will tell. Either way, I've definitely already made some major progress in some of the longer stages. Here's hoping that ends up being a big help next time.

I also managed to collect enough Specter Coins to unlock the third and final mini-game in this one. Galaxy Monkey is easily my favorite of the bunch. It's basically an early shmup in the vein of Galaga... except it's also a twin-stick shooter. Now, obviously, the concept definitely predates Galaxy Monkey by several years -- Smash TV and Ikari Warriors, anyone? -- but I have to wonder if this is one of the earliest examples of a home console using two analog sticks to recreate this control method. The Dual Shock seems to be the first controller that included two of them in an official capacity, though apparently there are certain N64 games that allow a single player to use two controllers simultaneously to achieve the same effect. I wonder if that means that Robotron 64 or some other game beat Ape Escape to the punch.

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