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Back on the PlayStation 1, Ape Escape was one of the first games to really put dual analog sticks to good use. The franchise is one of my favorites featuring gadget-enabled platforming, cartoony sci-fi, and charming monkeys with a variety of personalities. Like most 3D platformers -- back when 3D meant polygonal environments instead of expensive TV's and glasses stuff -- your left stick walked you around the world, but in a switch that worked pretty well your right stick was for using items, while the face buttons chose the item from your inventory. You can already see where this summer's planned release of PlayStation Move Ape Escape might be going with that kind of analog control in the franchise's past.

The single-player pet simulator EyePet offers a kid-focused virtual pet experience on the PS3 using a single Move controller. While my 8-year-old daughter got dibs on playing the game, both she and her 5-year-old brother found the monkey-like creature that purrs like a cat quite cute and fun to play with after they got over some minor difficulties with a few of the tutorial tasks.

While I'd hoped to get my hands on Move ahead of today's launch date, my shipment is expected to arrive tomorrow. I do see it as now available at retailers near me (at least their websites say so) so you should find it locally as well if you're in the US.

While I hope to have my hands on PlayStation Move at least a couple of days before launch and will post my own impressions here, previews and reviews are starting to show up on the web. With something like this video previews are vital, especially when they mention the minor quirks and give you a good look at how it seems to work in an environment that isn't a marketing demo.