'The Invisible Monkey,' a secret monkey from Ape Escape 2
Secret Monkeys are monkeys that aren't usually catchable until the game has been beaten for the first time and the player comes back to a level with a different Gadget or Morph that they didn't have before. The secret monkeys are fairly-well hidden and usually require a decent amount of searching to find them.
Secret Monkeys in Ape Escape 2[]
In Ape Escape 2, Jimmy must beat the Moon Base level once to unlock the Magic Punch gadget. Once he obtains the Magic Punch it is possible for him to break open certain objects to find secret monkeys. There exists usually one secret monkey per level. There are 26 secret Monkeys in total. Each level has at least one Secret Monkey obtainable through use of the magic punch. In addition, Castle Frightmare, Panic Pyramid, and Skyscraper City all have two Secret Monkeys obtainable using the magic punch, instead of the usual one per level. Then on top of this, there are three 'Very Rare' secret monkeys as well.
In Ape Escape 2, secret monkeys always have the word 'secret' or 'rare' as part of their trait when viewed in the Monkepedia or when scanned with the monkey radar, however, this doesn't mean that all monkeys with these words in their trait are a secret monkey, for example, the monkey 'Sphinx' has the trait 'Rare type' but can in fact be caught in the first run-through of the level it appears in just by using the Stun Club to uncover it.
Secret Monkeys in Ape Escape 3[]
In Ape Escape 3, Specter must be defeated for the first time to unlock the Super Monkey morph. When Kei or Yumi transforms into Super Monkey, they will be able to sniff out hidden rooms filled with secret monkeys by following the scent of aroma from the bananas in their room. Knocking on the wall will reveal the hidden door which will open and allow for the catching of the monkeys.
Password Monkeys[]
On Ape Escape 3's main menu, if the player holds down L1, L2, R1, and R2 and presses start, a secret password menu appears which allows players to input passwords for rewards. Among other unlockables, there are many secret monkeys which can be unlocked by putting in the password which is associated with them. Once unlocked, a password monkey will appear in a specific location inside a level.
| Password
(US) |
Password
(PAL) |
Password
(JP) |
Password
(Chinese) |
Password
(Korean) |
Reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| grobyc | grobyc | るさぐーぼいさ
(Rusaguboisa) |
00798001 | urasgrobyc | SAL-1000 (in Saru-mon's Castle) |
| blackout | blackout | くろいほうもんしゃ
(Kuroihoumonsha) |
33483264 | bkvisitor | Dark Master (in Kung-Fu Alley) |
| redmon | redman | なぞのあかいあいつ
(Nazonoakaiaitsu) |
83005415 | redenigma | Pipotron Red (in Toytown) |
| coolblue | coolblue | あおいくーるがい
(Aoikūrugai) |
23509391 | bluecool | Pipotron Blue (in Airplane Squadron) |
| yellowy | yellowy | ひみつのきいろいやつ
(Himitsunokīroiyatsu) |
11228368 | secrety | Pipotron Yellow (in Winterville) |
| 2nd man | 2nd man | ふたりめのおとこ
(Futarimenōtoko) |
34076466 | 2ndman | Shimmy (in Winterville) |
| krops | urekak | るさるけか
(Rusarukeka) |
37459551 | urasekips | Spork (in Hide-n-Seek Forest) |
| SAL3000 | RATCH | ぎんがのらいほうしゃ
(Ginganoraihōsha) |
50462522 | galaxyman | SAL-3000 / Ape Ratchet
(in Space-TV Fortress) |
In the Japanese version, all passwords must be input in Hiragana, even if the words they spell are meant to be written with Katakana or Kanji.
Very Rare Monkeys[]
'Tommy,' a Very Rare Ape Escape 2 secret monkey that doesn't require the Magic Punch
Different from regular Secret Monkeys, Very Rare Monkeys can also only be found after initially beating Specter. They differ because the Magic Punch and Super Monkey are not required to catch them, instead they appear on their own out in the open. They are also stronger than normal Secret Monkeys and have unique abilities exclusive to them alone. In Ape Escape 2, they have the 'Very rare' title in the Monkepedia. The Japanese version of Ape Escape 2 doesn't have them in the game by default and requires a special disk called the Sarugetchu Ukki Ukki Disc. The Very Rare Monkeys which appear in the series are:
- Goku/Songokou - Found riding a cloud above the emperor's seat of Enter the Monkey in Ape Escape 2. Its unique weapon the Extendable Pole allows it to perform a quick dash attack towards the player.
- Tommy - Found in the final area of Simian Citadel in Ape Escape 2. Besides having the ability to teleport, it can also use its Staff to summon a pair of either Wax Queens, Mohawk Porkys or Lousy Rats.
- Yoshi/Megamonkey - Found in the arena where the player previously fought Kai on the Moon Base in Ape Escape 2. Its strong armour can take up to five hits, and with each hit a piece of the suit is destroyed.
- Ukki Nader/Monkinator/ウギネッダー - Found in the basketball courts of The Big City in Ape Escape 3. This monkey has a special attack in which it uses a single punch to significantly knock the player back.