Ape Escape: Pumped and Primed was developed by Japan Studio and published by Ubisoft in North America exclusively for PlayStation 2 in 2004. It is the fourth title in the Ape Escape franchise. Unlike other Ape Escape games, this game is more of a party game, similar to Mario Party and Sonic Shuffle. The game consists of a series of competitive minigames using various vehicles and gadgets from previous Ape Escape games.The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Reviewers pointed out that its high qualities lie in its visual and sound effects, and on its game mechanics, but it lacks re-playability and overall appeal.