112 replies to this topic

[PlayerOneCJ]

Announcement: This Game Club was originally scheduled for episode #136, but we have pushed it back until episode #138. We rambled a little long when we recorded #136, and we didn’t want to do a half-hearted Game Club discussion by cramming our Sly Cooper discussion in afterward. So what does this mean for you? Well, if you’ve not done so already, there’s still time to get some playtime in and leave us your comments!



With the recent release of Sucker Punch’s Infamous, we wanted to turn back the clock and revisit one of the developer’s earlier titles, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus for PS2. This was the company’s second game, and its first one developed for a Sony system (its first was Rocket: Robot on Wheels for N64).

Can this (slightly) older game stand up to today’s best platformers? Give it a try and let us know! You should be able to find used copies of the game at just about any GameStop for the low, low price of $5.



Be sure to leave us your comments here, in our Game Club forum, via e-mail, or on our voicemail line (713-893-8069).

Tutorial



Tides of Terror - Part 1

[pvx22]

Awesome, someone had just shipped it to me via Goozex before you guys announced the gameclub game. What great timing! i wonder how the graphics hold up...its been a long time since I've last played it.

[JDUB X]

I remember Sly being one of the first standout games for me on the system. The graphics, the gameplay, and the voice acting is all top notch.
Suckerpunch is a fantastic developer.

I think I am definitely going to play this again for Gameclub.

[gamer812]

Picked up all three today from Amazon. I know I could have been cheap, but eh, I like my games new.

[StinkingBishop]

Crap, I bought Jak and Daxter. I will try again tomorrow.

[Wenny]

I'm about halfway through now - this is my second time and I consider myself a fanboy of the series. After my kids were born and I was playing very little, I always made time to play the Sly games as they were released.

I love the character movement in this game - how easy it is to climb, hide, sneak, etc. I also like the you're rewarded in-game for having "100%" a level (collecting all the bottles) but you're not really punished for not having done so. It's a very tangible reward for replaying levels and serves as a great motivator to hunt down each bottle (as opposed to pushing through the levels.)

The level design is very well done. One aspect that sticks out for me is how they design "insta-kill" sections (like fan blades). The area that the fan cuts through is so starkly visually delineated that it makes getting through these sections much easier regardless of camera angle (behind Sly or to the side of the jump.)

Nice use of dynamic music when you attack or are discovered. Very well done and probably my favorite usage in the early PS2 days after SSX.

I miss playing as Bentley and Murray.

More later.

[drunkmessiah]

just picked up the first two games, about a quarter of the way the way through the first .
perhaps this game is too nice and innocent for this horrible, cruel post-furry world, but something about sly's inscrutable, dispassionate voice as he communicates with the turtle will forever haunt me.
He is like some hideous love child between Klonoa and James Spader.
Highly sexualized fox/cop lady also feels odd.
Mechanics seem sound enough though, despite any true stealth gameplay
This game really is further proof that cel shading ages particularly well, its hard to believe this is a 6 year old game.
I'l write more as i progress, a fact which i'm sure will have you all on the edge of your seats.

Edited by drunkmessiah, 13 May 2009 - 07:08 AM.

[mrplaid]

I played Sly Cooper during the mini-platforming renaissance along with Ratchet and Jak. I don't remember that much about it other than the fact that it had furries and that I liked Jak and Daxter more. It probably deserves another shake since I was pretty sick of platforming by the time I got around to it.

[levitynyc]

Never even HEARD of this game.

I just bought it on Amazon so I'll have it tomorrow.

Impressions soon

[gamer812]

What an awesome way to intro the game. Almost Half-Life-ish. The only thing that irks me at the moment is the horizontal camera controls. I need that to be inverted which I can't change in the options. I'll get used to that though. It's amazing that the game's looks still hold up after so long.

[levitynyc]

Almost Half-Life-ish.

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wenny]

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He just means the opening cinematic to gameplay transition (I'm assuming). Not the actual gameplay.

[redrock963]

I remember renting this in college a very long time ago. I beat it in a weekend and it was an enjoyable weekend.

I just picked it up again today. I completely forgot about the Saturday morning style cartoon cut scenes and the fact that every level is introduced like a cartoon.

My complaint so far, is that the controls seem.... janky. When it told me to double jump I had a HELL of a time getting up that wall. When it said to use the O button to hook on to rings, It took like 5 tries before it hooked. I don't know if my controller is being stupid or if the controls are really like that though.

Just a little aside: I was still hanging around Furry message boards when this game came out, and none of them ever really gave the game a second look. I think Starfox Adventures had come out at about the same time, and more of the more perverted furrys seemed to be more nuts over Crystal than the fox chick in this game.

[Wenny]

I remember renting this in college a very long time ago. I beat it in a weekend and it was an enjoyable weekend.

I just picked it up again today. I completely forgot about the Saturday morning style cartoon cut scenes and the fact that every level is introduced like a cartoon.

My complaint so far, is that the controls seem.... janky. When it told me to double jump I had a HELL of a time getting up that wall. When it said to use the O button to hook on to rings, It took like 5 tries before it hooked. I don't know if my controller is being stupid or if the controls are really like that though.

Just a little aside: I was still hanging around Furry message boards when this game came out, and none of them ever really gave the game a second look. I think Starfox Adventures had come out at about the same time, and more of the more perverted furrys seemed to be more nuts over Crystal than the fox chick in this game.

1) Probably your controller.
2) You should probably never admit to the last thing you said. Ever.

[redrock963]

1) Probably your controller.
2) You should probably never admit to the last thing you said. Ever.

*shrug* Don't see what the big deal is. It wasn't like I was a freak wearing a fox suit. I just liked some of the tasteful artwork and some of them were my friends. I'd been drawing cartoon cats and animals LONG before I EVER got on the internet and realized there was a whole faction of freaks that wanked over that stuff.

[drunkmessiah]

I'm lost, where is this thread headed?

[redrock963]

I'm lost, where is this thread headed?

I only brought it up because I found it rather odd that this game was never a fan favorite among those communities like other games that came out that were like it at the time. It sort of surprised me because I thought Sly was a much more endearing character than the likes of Daxter and Ratchet (and Ratchet was one of my favorite games ever) , but I never really saw that much fan-art or fan characters of the universe like the other two games.

[JDUB X]

I only brought it up because I found it rather odd that this game was never a fan favorite among those communities like other games that came out that were like it at the time. It sort of surprised me because I thought Sly was a much more endearing character than the likes of Daxter and Ratchet (and Ratchet was one of my favorite games ever) , but I never really saw that much fan-art or fan characters of the universe like the other two games.

Do Not Image Search "Sly Cooper Fox" with Image filter turned off and do not look at the 3rd and 4th result when you don't

[redrock963]

Do Not Image Search "Sly Cooper Fox" with Image filter turned off and do not look at the 3rd and 4th result when you don't

Good ol' Rule 34.

Damn you. Now I gotta go look just because I'm curious.

[gamer812]

Do Not Image Search "Sly Cooper Fox" with Image filter turned off and do not look at the 3rd and 4th result when you don't sad.gif

I got curious. Wow, lol.

[redrock963]

I got curious. Wow, lol.

Meh, I've seen WAY worse. I guess I'm jaded.

[Owozifa]

Stop this.

Sly Cooper is a cool guy, he steals stuff and doesn't afraid of anything. He also doesn't have a penis.



Not there. We are done now with this line of discussion. Play the goddamn game.

Thank you.

(I hope our quota of lulz is now fulfilled by this painfully easy target. You haven't seen anything until Mr. Saturn porn.)

[redrock963]

Sly Cooper is a cool guy, he steals stuff and doesn't afraid of anything. He also doesn't have a penis.

...that you KNOW of that is....

(I hope our quota of lulz is now fulfilled by this painfully easy target. You haven't seen anything until Mr. Saturn porn.)

I am almost afraid to ask.

[PlayerOnePhil]

Eeh...none of this compares to SEXY GRUNTY!

[JDUB X]

This is my favorite fan art ever.

[GUNBLADER]

The first sly reminded me a lot of the Crash Bandicoot games (when Naughty Dog made them). Unlike the Jak and Ratchet series, I think the sly series started off with a dud. Sly 2 and 3 are so much better, not only graphically, but gameplay and story wise.

[atat23]

Eeh...none of this compares to SEXY GRUNTY!

Do Not Image Search "Sly Cooper Fox" with Image filter turned off and do not look at the 3rd and 4th result when you don't

this pretty much tops it, at least sexy Grunty was tasteful! (and kinda hot) this is just wrong!

[redrock963]

One other comment I forgot to make before the discussion went off into rule 34 land, was that I like how in the opening stage, it was like playing a heist movie. Especially when Sly was flirting with Carmelita even with a gun pointed at him.

That and the whole laser beam dodging thing. I've always wanted to do that, even in real life, even though Mythbusters said you can't do that....

[Wenny]

That and the whole laser beam dodging thing. I've always wanted to do that, even in real life, even though Mythbusters said you can't do that....

Mythbusters didn't have Sly Cooper on their staff.

[gamer812]

I'm really liking the mechanic where if you collect 100 coins or pickup the magnet object, it will save you from falling into water. Also the music when Sly creeps around is fantastic, it really feels like you are playing a cartoon.

The first boss battle was interesting. I was overthinking and thought I had to use the electric wire around the level to damage him. I kept on trying to jump to those wires and dying, but then noticed that he deflates a bit before bouncing back to the center.

Great game so far.

[Owozifa]

I'll fill this in more tonight.

?

[Ondore]

The one problem with so many Halifax listeners: I went to about four stores in the area that would sell used PS2 games and none of them had this. I can't help but suspect a theme here.

[ness08]

Crappy ass Gamestop, the 2 around me don't have it in stock. Try tomorrow near Monterey, hopefully they have a copy.

[levitynyc]

Ill be popping my copy in with the hour

[levitynyc]

I played about 20 minutes of it before retiring to bed.

Damn....Im impressed. The art style, the voice acting and music, all very good. Very charming characters.

I can't wait to play again tomorrow.

2 things that bug me so far.

1. Lack of a way to change the X Axis controls.

2. Lack of 16:9

Anyone know if the sequels have either?

[Cerulean Blue]

*shrug* Don't see what the big deal is. It wasn't like I was a freak wearing a fox suit.

[Casual PC gamer]

[drunkmessiah]

this is my first game club.
Are they all this broken?
Was there scandalous super mario 2 fan art/fic?
what is a sexy grunty?
Are my own previously considered sexual predelictions considerably asinine when faced with the tsunamic splurge of internet nerdolust?

[ness08]

I had wanted to play this game but never got around to purchasing it when it came out, for fear of adding to my backlog and I was to "grown up" for some animal platforming game. Found a copy today and started to play it and I'm liking it so far, except for:

1) No warning on some of the shit that hurts you. Those bushes hurt you, water kills you, sure I'll find more, but damn give me some warning

2) I'm also having trouble with the double jump. I can jump and flip but it doesn't add any height, so I'm having trouble getting to those high spots

All in all, at 10% in am enjoying it a lot and wish I would've played it back when it came out.

[Cerulean Blue]

what is a sexy grunty?