Sly Cooper series

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

This series is one considered comparable to Jak and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank.

It's a cartoon crime noir, starring Sly Cooper, an anthropomorphic racoon who is among the most well known (if not the most well known) theives in the world. Accompanined by his friends Bentley and Murray, the team ventures around the world for the worldly treasures while being chased by the hot-tempered Inspector Carmelity Montoya Fox of Interpol...well that's the summary (and I know it's not very good XD)

But on to the games.

Sly Cooper 1 is where everything starts. You start off trying to sneak into a police department to get information on the main villains of the game. While trying to get to these villians, you're being chased by Carmelita who wastes no time in trying to blast you with her shock pistol. The main plot is on trying to piece back together the Thievius Racoonus, a book that contains Sly's entire family line of techniques and skills of theivery that has been ripped by the pages by the Fiendish Five, headed by the Cooper clan's eternal enemy Clockwerk.

After Sly 1 comes Sly 2. Clockwerk has been taken apart piece by piece, and the main plot here is on trying to get all those pieces and destroy them. Inspector Carmelita is still on your ass, but this time she has a partner, Neyla who's allegiance is questionable as she works with Carmelita in trying to capture Sly while working with Sly himself to capture the main villians, the Claw Gang. While in Sly 1 you played only as Sly, Sly 2 allows you to take control over his friends Murray and Bentley.

Sly 3 of course takes place after Sly 2, but this game takes some surprising turns and brings back other characters from the first two titles as well as newer ones. Some foes from Sly 1 and 2 return, but some end up becoming friends with the Cooper gang, while others stay enemies. This game is all about trying to get to the Cooper line's family fortune on Kaine Island. However, a new foe, Dr. M, has full ownership of the island and has set up a security system that Sly claims is "tighter than Fort Knox," and will need to expand the team with some new allies in order to get through. You not only play as Sly, Bentley, and Murray, but occassionally you'll play as other characters within the Cooper gang, and at times you play as Carmelita M. Fox.

As for the gameplay, it is nothing short of fun. In Sly 1, you're mainly about sneaking past enemies without getting caught until you get to the boss in the level. You can climb poles, swing from branches and flag poles, balance on very small points, and slide on rails. As you collect pages of the Thevius Racoonus, you'll gain access to other abilities such as the exploding hat and decoys. However, you'll have to be careful. If you get hit once, you're dead; but on the bright side, so are you enemies (with the exception of the bosses).

Sly 2 keeps all of Sly's old abilities, while bringing in newer ones such as the smoke bomb which allows you to get out of a fight without a hassle. In addition, you'll assume control over Bentley and Murray. Murray is pretty much all strength as all it takes is two good hits in a fight to kill a foe. At times you can even pick up objects and throw them at foes to knock them out, then pick up the foe and throw them at another foe. Bentley is a character who is weaker compared even to Sly (I'd even say he's TOO weak), so you'll have to play it really safe by tranquilizing foes and placing a bomb next to them to blow them up. I didn't really like Bentley too much, but if you don't know how to play well with him, it will come to bite you in the ass mid-way into the game as he'll eventually be the only character you'll have access to until you find a way to free the other two characters. I seriously think that Sucker Punch expected this from Bentley and did that as a way to mess with us.

Sly 3 barely has any differences when it comes to playing as the Cooper gang, it's pretty much the same as Sly 2. However, there are additional characters to play as. You'll play as Dimitri when he goes snorkeling in watery depths and uses a harpoon gun as a weapon. You eventually take control over an RC car or helicopter and have to use it to snatch up foes, drop bombs, or get past lasers in a security grid. Then there's the Panda King, who has his fire cracker cannon that can blow up multiple targets and has a firey karate chop that takes only one hit to kill an enemy. Oh, and then there's Carmelita. The way she chased you in Sly 1 and 2, I'm betting a lot of you who've played it wanted to play as her just to know what it was like to jump the way she does and shoot at her targets. You get a chance to play as her and she jumps really, really high, though it was different the way I expected it to be.

What are your thoughts on this series.

Edited December 7, 2009 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Chooch]

You made this topic because of our conversation, didn't you?

Anyway, yeah Sly Cooper series, raccoons, turtles.. gogogo.

I love the Sly Cooper series for most of the same reasons that I love all the Ratchet and Clank games. They mix traditional platforming with a different genre and blend the two in a way that makes for a unique and enjoyable experience. Where Ratchet and Clank mixes platforming and weapon-based combat, Sly Cooper mixes platforming with a less popular type of gameplay. Espionage.

By combining these two very distinct gameplay styles, you create an experience not found in another other platform game before it. Sneaking around as Sly (along with Bentley and Murray in the later games) you can do all of the basic things that master thieves do. Ducking past spotlights, avoiding contact with guards (or knocking them unconscious if that's your thing), stealing various items, and of course, making the getaway. All these and more, with a little bit of platforming thrown in for that extra awesomeness.

Although I prefer the Ratchet and Clank series over Sly, there are few things I'd like to touch on that I feel the team over at Sucker Punch does better than the guys at Insomniac. And that's the characters and story that goes along with the Sly games. Every single character, whether hero, villain (Dimitri is the greatest), or anti-hero has great depth and personality and seeing each of them interact with each other is very entertaining. That doesn't mean Ratchet doesn't have good characters too though. I just don't think they're as fleshed out.

Edited December 7, 2009 by Chooch

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

You made this topic because of our conversation, didn't you?

Maybe...

I was actually planning to make a Sly Cooper topic a while back, but I just didn't have the motivation to do so.

Although I prefer the Ratchet and Clank series over Sly, there are few things I'd like to touch on that I feel the team over at Sucker Punch does better than the guys at Insomniac. And that's the characters and story that goes along with the Sly games. Every single character, whether hero, villain (Dimitri is the greatest), or anti-hero has great depth and personality and seeing each of them interact with each other is very entertaining. That doesn't mean Ratchet doesn't have good characters too though. I just don't think they're as fleshed out.

That's one of the best things about this series, the character depth. (and Dimitri's a hero now )

The characters talk to each other in a way that is insightful, believable, and best of all funny.

You get to know about the villians and why they became the way they are, which kinda makes you feel some sympathy for them. After all, if they had done well before they became criminals they wouldn't have become criminals at all, would they?

Then there are some really goofy moments with the gang that have you bust out laughing. My favorite being in "Two to Tango" in Sly 1's Mesa City, where Sly makes some teases with Carmelita:

Carmelita: Well, well, well...look who just walked in my crosshairs...Sly Cooper.

Sly: 'bout time you showed up Miss Fox. Was getting worried about you. Thought you may have took a wrong turn in Paris.

Carmelita: The only one making wrong turns is you, Sly. I suggest you surrender before I paralyze you with my good friend, the Shock Pistol.

Sly: Now see, a girl who has a firearm as her friend's got issues. A little dinner, a little dancing, I think I can help you out.

Carmelita: Hmm. Sounds romantic, as long as you don't mind dining in jail.

Sly: Nah, I hear the service is lousy.

The Sly Cooper series definitely has it's work cut out, and there should definitely be a fourth title for this one. There might be if

Bentley's mention of making a time machine

says anything.

Edited December 7, 2009 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Crystal Kingfisher]

I love Sly 1 and 2, they are two of my favorite PS2 games, they might not be on my top 10, but they're still great games. I love the mix between stealth and platforming, and the characters are great. However, Sly 3 wasn't that good IMO.

[edge.]

Only God knows how awesome and underrated this series is. I loved all three of the Sly games. I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope there is a new installment of the series for the PS2 this year.

[Crystal Kingfisher]

Only God knows how awesome and underrated this series is. I loved all three of the Sly games. I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope there is a new installment of the series for the PS2 this year.

I doubt the next Sly game will be on PS2 since the console will end this year, if anything, the next game in the series will have to be on PS3 or PSP.

[turbojet]

Alot of the platforming mechanics in Sly Cooper were in Infamous, right?

[Chooch]

Alot of the platforming mechanics in Sly Cooper were in Infamous, right?

The climbing and jumping mechanics in inFAMOUS feel very Sly Cooper esque, yes.

Anyway, I came into this topic to talk about something that has been bugging me. Where do so many people get off saying that the first two Sly games are better than the third? To me it is easily the best one.

The first one was fantastic on its own and although I found minor issues with the length (it was rather short and pretty easy) I loved it for it's cast of characters, story, and implementation of stealth into the platforming genre. It was fun, but more importantly, it was fun and unique. The second game blows the first out of the water. It's bigger, it looks better, there's more gameplay variety, etc. It is vastly improved over it's predecessor which is absolutely wonderful to see. Then onto the third.

I find that for a lot Sly fans the third game is very much like the third Ratchet and Clank game. To them, it seemed like 'more of the same' which made it less engaging. But I find that if you look deeper into it you'll find a lot more to enjoy about it, especially if you've played the previous titles. Much like the third Ratchet game.

So many flashbacks/references to previous games, reappearances by older characters like Dimitri and the Panda King, the character development the main trio went through (mainly Bentley and Murray), even more gameplay variety.. I could go on and on.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I bet it's even more sad seeing has how this topic only has 9 posts in it. Just goes to show how many people probably haven't played the game...or just don't feel like talking about it for some reason...

Alot of the platforming mechanics in Sly Cooper were in Infamous, right?

Pretty much, yeah. Cole scales lightposts in a similar manner that Sly does, except his is applied a bit more realistically.

If there's another thing Cole and Sly have a like, they both can't swim.

Anyway, I came into this topic to talk about something that has been bugging me. Where do so many people get off saying that the first two Sly games are better than the third? To me it is easily the best one.

Same here. While the RC missions were a tad average for my tastes, just about everything else seemed ace to me.

Bentley's Wheelchair gave him a strength boost that made him a lot more tolerable to play than he was in Sly 2. I actually end up wanting to play as Bentley from time to time, especially because of a lot of his gadgets. I have so much fun dicking around with the probe-camera (I forgot what it was called) while knocking foes out with the grappler. Murray has some newer moves of his own while still being able to sucker punch foes like he used to.

In addition to that you could play as the Guru, who could evade detection so easily that it makes Sly look pathetic. He can be right in front of a foe chasing him, and then he could transform into a surrounding object.

The Panda King is like Murray on steroids. He can't jump as high as Murray (that doesn't stop him from finding his way on rooftops), all he needs is one chop of his hand and he instantly kills a foe. And his Firecracker bazooka on his back really adds to his strength. I find it interesting how huge the guy was in Sly 1, and yet he shrunk 3 times his size. Of course I know that's for gameplay reasons...or is it?

Then there's the lovely Carmelita Fox. I'll tell you one thing, this bitch can JUMP! She's like Sly, Panda King, and Murray put together and on steroids. In one jump she can scale over some of the tallest structures in the game, her Shock Pistol really puts a blow in the surrounding enemies, and she has quite a devastating kick as well.

The gameplay isn't exactly like a genre roulette, as it keeps stealth as the top priority in gameplay, but it certainly does well when it comes to all out combat in gameplay as well.

Edited January 7, 2010 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[DaBatGuy]

I bet it's even more sad seeing has how this topic only has 9 posts in it. Just goes to show how many people probably haven't played the game...or just don't feel like talking about it for some reason...

Yeah I'm guilty of that. The Sly games are the only series of PS2 platforming trifecta that I have yet to have the chance to experience(the other two being Jak and Ratchet). Now I'm waiting to see if Sucker Punch might produce a Sly 4 and/or follow the GoW trend release Sly collection for the PS3 so I can play the trilogy together. However if nothing is announced sometime this year I'll just track down these awesome games now that PS2 titles are dirt cheap.

Edited January 7, 2010 by Dat Krazy Bat Guy

[T-Min]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvxa43uL8yo&feature=feedf

I'll admit that my unfathomable and undying fondness for the Sly Cooper franchise comes more from nostalgia than how good the games really were (even though they were great games), but regardless, this trailer and the amazing gameplay footage have had me fangasming so much over the past week. One of the things I love most about it so far is the art style. It looks as if they took a DreamWorks film and turned it into a game (which is, yes, a compliment). In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a cartoonish visual style done this well since Zelda Wind Waker. Also, the facial animations don't look horrible this time around. Sure, it's for PS3, so it should be expected, but after being used to the old ones for so long it kind of caught me off guard -- in a good way.

As for the gameplay, at around 2:47 you see Sly putting on a suit of armor with a giant shield to deflect an attack. I'm expecting to see other such costumes with different abilities, and it could make for an interesting gameplay mechanic. One thing I do kind of want to see, though, is a deeper combat system. It would especially make playing as Murray more enjoyable, considering that he's all about killing stuff.

So yeah, discuss Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time here.

Edited June 11, 2011 by T-Man

[LATER BUDDY]

I'm super excited, <3. I still need to finish Sly 3 on my PS3 collection disc (never had the pleasure of owning a PS2, D;), but I fell in love with the series long before the collection disc came out, =3. I'm just glad it's not forgotten and they're making more.

As for Thieves in Time, it looks stunning. I've been aching to see some gameplay, and now that I have, I might need to pick up Sly 3 again right this instant, XD! Those facial expressions make it 100x more fun to watch. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for this to come out.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

This game makes me more wanting of a PS3. It's about fucking time Sucker Punch got to work on this game.

But seriously, this title is only one of the many titles that are just building up my interest for the system. I've beaten all the Sly Cooper games up to this point, and so I look forward to conquering another Sly Cooper title.

Good to see Dimitri is still hanging around. He's starting to see the better benefits of heroics that he did in Sly 3...er, well, at least he's a good guy. Now I want to see what's up with Carmelita. Going by the title, it's without a doubt going to have time travel, especially if you paid attention to what Bentley said at the end of the 3rd game. So now that the fourth title is announce, my interest is at peace.

[T-Min]

This game makes me more wanting of a PS3. It's about fucking time Sucker Punch got to work on this game.

Actually, it's not Sucker Punch making this game. It's a different developer called Sanzaru Games. They're responsible for *another* Wii minigame collection a while back, but they also (apparently, since I only own the PS2 versions) did a great job with porting the Sly games to PS3. Besides, they're supposedly big fans of the franchise and Thieves in Time looks great judging from the gameplay footage, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Edited June 11, 2011 by T-Man

[Conando]

Yeah, Sanzaru has mostly done ports but they had to work with the original 3 titles in order to update them for the PS3. Sucker Punch apparently has faith in them too.

[Covskin]

It'd be remiss of me not to be at least a little wary that its Sanzaru making the game. Nothing against them per se, but they're an unknown quantity really (even if they did make the ports).

Still, gonna keep my eyes on this. I did love the Sly Trilogy (never got the PS2 games), so I'll keep it on my radar.

...Sly's attitude did seem slightly off tough </nitpicking>.

[Johnny Boy]

Well i'm sure lucky I got a ps3. Looking forward to this game. Now if only Jak and Daxter could return...

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Well i'm sure lucky I got a ps3. Looking forward to this game. Now if only Jak and Daxter could return...

It did with Lost Frontier, but I haven't played it to experience it.

[Viku]

It did with Lost Frontier, but I haven't played it to experience it.

Let's just say fans took it out of their contnuity for a reason....

Anyways, I'm happy. the game looks pretty much and considering it's release is next year it wil have plenty of time to get even better.

[krazystitch]

I've never had the chance to play a Sly Cooper game before, but I have heard a lot about them, especially with this new one coming out. Everything I've heard being positive. I should try getting the original three on the PS2 sometime and playing them. But I wouldn't have the PS3 to play the fourth one

[SuperStingray]

I never played the PS2 orignals but I did play the PS3 port. I'm not sure how I feel about Sanzuru because frankly the port felt a little lazily done. It was made with 3D TVs in mind yet it didn't even have a wide screen option and you could see parts of the HUD that were supposed to be off screen, which just drove me insane.

[Sami]

Personally, I think the Sly series suffers from the same fundamental issue that made me hate the Adventure games: genre roulette. This didn't exist in the first (and my favorite) game in the series, as you played as Sly for the entire game, sans a few vehicle missions. With Sly 2, however, Sucker Punch thought it would be a good idea to make Bentley and Murray playable characters. Murray is a boring beat-em up with gameplay that consists of nothing more than mashing the square button, and Bentley is a far more boring version of Sly (you try to keep out of sight and you shoot enemies with tranquilizer darts. That's it. No acrobatics, sneak attacks, or cool abilities involved). Then, with Sly 3, they introduced even more playable characters, none of which (well, with the possible exception of Carmelita, who you only play as twice) play anything like Sly. Great. Just... fantastic.

If Sly 4 lets me play the fun part of the game the whole time, I might actually buy it. As of now? ... Meh.

Edit: And... I got neg-repped. Seriously?

Edited June 14, 2011 by Dissident

[Chooch]

They already confirmed that Bentley and Murray are returning as playable characters. There's even a screenshot of Murray gameplay already released.

Sorry guy, guess we'll just have fun without you.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

They already confirmed that Bentley and Murray are returning as playable characters. There's even a screenshot of Murray gameplay already released.

Even then, that should've been obvious from the get go considering how they did 2 and 3.

I wonder if Carmelita is going to be playable again. One slight problem I had with her is her targeting system whenever you got into a firefight, it wasn't bad but I felt that the way we had to manually control it was a nuisance at times. And I hope she's more acrobatic than how we had to play as her, cuz her jumps were a bit bland although you did get MASSIVE air compared to the rest of the cast combined.

[Sami]

They already confirmed that Bentley and Murray are returning as playable characters. There's even a screenshot of Murray gameplay already released.

Sorry guy, guess we'll just have fun without you.

And I feel happy for you.

I guess this game just isn't for me.