Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus

UPC: 711719719823

Platform: PlayStation 2

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc.

Developer: Sucker Punch Productions

Category: Action

Style(s): 3D Platform

Synopsis: There's a new raccoon in town and his name is Sly Cooper: Professional Pilferer. Utilizing the training passed down through the generations, Sly is off to steal back his family's most prized heirloom -- the <i>Thievius Raccoonus</i>, a book of thieving knowledge. The quest begins when Sly comes of age and must track down pieces of the torn tome, which has been been divided among the five villian robbers who stole it. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus features cartoon-like graphics and an emphasis on stealth. Sly can only take one direct hit before becoming road kill, so players must be very cautious about how they handle every situation. Avoiding searchlights, laser-fenced doorways, and angry security guards is just part of the job! Luckily, Sly has a few tricks of his own, like high-tech binoculars and a special cane that allows him to smash objects and reach high places. ~ Jeremy Lee, All Game Guide

Package Contents: 40-page Instruction Manual

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

The documentation is beautiful -- as it not only assists gamers, but also captures the feel of the game perfectly. ~ Matt Grandstaff, All Game Guide

The game features some of the most cartoon-esque graphics ever seen on a home console. ~ Matt Grandstaff, All Game Guide

Do you remember the excitement of waking up on a Saturday morning as a kid? With parents still sleeping off their woes from the weekly grind, you could watch cartoons for hours without being nagged. Back then, getting up at the crack of dawn to watch cartoons such as The "Real" Ghostbusters and Captain N: The Game Master was a perfect substitute for caffeine -- providing lovable characters and tons of action. Sadly, between becoming too obsessed with video games, partying, and growing up a little bit, the days you spent watching cartoons on a Saturday morning suddenly seemed to be stolen from under your nose. For this reason, it is ironic that a game about a master thief raccoon, Sony's Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, returns the passion of Saturday morning cartoons to gamers. Without a doubt, the most striking aspect of Sly Cooper is the game's slick, cartoon-style presentation. Apparently inspired by the innovative game designs from cel-shaded titles such as Jet Set Radio Future and Cel Damage, Seattle-based developer Sucker Punch has done a marvelous job giving Sly Cooper a true cartoon feel. From the beautiful graphics to the game's comic strip-style cut-scenes, players will fall in love with the refreshingly unique story of Sly Cooper. The game's story revolves around Sly, the last in a long line of master thieves, trying to steal back from The Fiendish Five his family's heirloom -- a book of tricks called The Thievius Raccoonus. To aid Sly on his adventure, he receives help from the brainy, yet cowardly turtle Bentley and a hard working, but sometimes foolish hippo named Murray. Always working together, this animal mod squad is sure to bring a smile to any gamer that plays Sly Cooper. Spicing things up a bit, Sly also has been given a love interest by way of Police Inspector Carmelita Fox, whose love-hate relationship with Cooper was inspired by Jennifer Lopez's character in the 1998 film Out of Sight. Finally, the game's villains, The Fiendish Five, each are very different in personality and must be seen to be appreciated. To complement the game's great look and story, Sucker Punch has also come through big in the gameplay department. A mix of Mario, Metal Gear, and even the NES classic DuckTales, Sly Cooper is easily one of the best platform games on the PlayStation 2. As a platform game, Sucker Punch has done a brilliant job in making the game fun to play. While featuring a slew of sneaky moves and attacks (of which many are only unlocked after getting back pages of The Thievius Raccoonus), all are very easy to perform. Whether Sly needs to jump from light fixture to light fixture or climb a jagged pipe, the game is very forgiving. As a result, gamers can spend more time figuring out what they need to do next rather than worrying about missing jumps or performing tedious special moves. And with Sly having various uses for his cane in the game's animated atmosphere, experienced gamers are sure to have flashbacks from playing Capcom's adaptation of the Disney cartoon classic DuckTales. As good as Sly Cooper is as a platform title, it is the game's Metal Gear Solid-inspired gameplay that makes it a classic. Similar to Solid Snake, Sly must sneak around spotlights, climb rooftops, and more to keep out of harm's way. But where Metal Gear Solid allows gamers to usually sneak away after being caught, when Sly makes a mistake, gamers usually will lose a life as enemies and security lights unleash attacks that are generally unavoidable. Also taking a page from the Metal Gear Solid series is the game's highly entertaining sniper mini-game, which will remind gamers of when Snake and Raiden had to protect Emma's butt in Sons of Liberty. In several areas in the game, Sly must act as a sniper to help assist Murray in finding one of the game's keys. This mini-game, along with several others, keeps the gameplay in Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus fresh and exciting from start to finish. While Sly Cooper is an exciting game, it does have its shortcomings -- most notably the game being very short. Gamers should have no problem completing Sly Cooper in a few nights, as each of the game's five levels takes about two hours to conquer. The only other noticeable flaw is that many levels (especially in Mz. Ruby's level) suffer slowdown and choppiness. Regardless, gamers will appreciate Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus for its fantastic gameplay that is sure to bring back many fond Saturday morning childhood memories. ~ Matt Grandstaff, All Game Guide

The game's time attack mode will keep gamers playing after they receive all the pages of The Thievius Raccoonus. ~ Matt Grandstaff, All Game Guide

Great voice acting and sneaking music really adds to the game's atmosphere. ~ Matt Grandstaff, All Game Guide

Although the game is on the short side, players will no doubt have a smile on their face the whole time. ~ Matt Grandstaff, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.