Ape Academy 2 is a mix between mini-game collection and trading card game. The latter was introduced by the series' antagonist Specter in order to gain world domination. The player participates in one of the contests in order to win a special trading card and a big banana supply.
The campaign takes place on several islands, with the goal of defeating enemies and progressing to the boss battle. Each opponent has a card stack (with around 300 cards available) featuring different symbols and modifiers. The played cards determine which participant wins the round, in a rock-paper-scissors style depending on the cards' symbol, followed by one of 107 mini-games.
The outcome of each round depends on the timing of button presses required for some mini-games, adding an element of challenge to win without losing energy. Winning both rounds can result in the loser's energy being reduced and the winner receiving bananas from the opponent.
Players can compete with friends using the game's physical cover as a local multiplayer option on the PSP. Game sharing also allows for demo mini-games to be sent between two PSPs without needing the full game.
Ape Academy 2 was released on September 29, 2006, for the PlayStation Portable.