I've decided to devote the entire month of June to a series, if only because my schedule at this time would allow something like this to happen. Most series tend to be sequels, trilogies or a single name garnering all of it into one group (think of the Final Fantasy series).
This series has been on my mind the last couple of months, if only because the characters and storyline are pretty interesting, plus being one of the few plat-former series that manages to stand out in the 21st century. Of course, I'm talking about the Sly Cooper series, starting with the first game: Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus!
(Makes sense, since raccoons are naturals when it comes to thieving)
Created by Sucker Punch Productions and released onto the Playstation 2, the Sly Cooper series has become a very popular platformer, having been redone over a year ago for the Playstation 3. A combination of platforming, stealth, puzzles, and a cast of colorful anthropomorphic characters, the success of the series was evident.
The story begins with Sly Cooper, the main character, explaining how he descends from a long line of thieves who steal from evil criminals (sorta like Robin Hood, though I doubt they give the money away in the end). Sly is the latest member, about the inherit the family's most prized possession: the Thievius Raccoonus, a book with details on past Cooper thieves, going far back as Ancient Egypt. Unfortunately, a group known as the Fiendish Five (alliteration is awesome) kills Sly Cooper's father and steals the Thievius Raccoonus. They tore up the book and took pieces with them as they split up and traveled the world. Sly ended up in an orphanage, gaining friends in Bentley, a super-intelligent turtle and Murray, a strong hippo and car racer. Once they got old enough, they formed the Cooper Gang. Along the way, they but heads with an Interpol agent named Carmelita, who seems to have developed feelings for Sly. Time will tell with these two, eh?
Now, onto the first series of missions, dealing with the Fiendish Five's Sir Raleigh.
Now, onto the first series of missions, dealing with the Fiendish Five's Sir Raleigh.
(So yeah, this guy is more a prick than most of the other members, since he only turned to criminal activities out of boredom.)
Sir Raleigh is an anthropomorphic frog with a taste of the high life, but got bored of it. So, he turned to piracy that gives him more enjoyment. His base involves thunderstorms protecting him, which of course are no match for the Cooper Gang. Once Sly manages to access the 'boss level' of this part, Sir Raliegh tries to beat him by...expanding his chest and trying to flatten him? Not too threatening of a villain now, is he? Of course, he gets beaten by Sly, who manages to recover a piece of the Thievious Raccoonus. This section details of a relative who lived in feudal Japan, stealing from corrupt feudal lords and daimyos.
Onto the next boss, a big, buff bulldog by the name of Muggshot.
(Kinda feel a bit sad for Muggshot, being picked on for being so small and had to turn to movies to cheer himself up. This is what could happen to the victim of bullies.)
Muggshot does a good job adapting the gangster motif, even if he is a few knives short of a full set. His base of operations, Mesa City, also has a fair share of gambling halls and speakeasies. Naturally, the Cooper Gang decide to free Mesa City from Muggshot's incredible strong grip. After some successful heists, Sly invades Muggshot's private room in a hotel, with Muggshot using dual tommy guns to fill the raccoon full of several holes. Sly manages to overcome the bulldog by...lighting up some crystals? Okay, it looks like the boss fights are a bit cheesy when thought through. With Muggshot stopped, Sly Cooper recovers another piece of the Thievious Raccoonus, this time dealing with a 'Billy the Kid'-style thief who robbed several stage coaches and trains.
2 down, 3 more to go, with a boss that hides out in the swamps of Louisiana.
2 down, 3 more to go, with a boss that hides out in the swamps of Louisiana.
(Some people inherit sports skills, others necromancy powers. Can't win them all, I suppose.)
The next member of the Fiendish Five is a big Southern alligator named Mz Ruby. She grew up in a family who specialize in voodoo. She inherited their powers at a young age, resulting in her inability to get any friends. So, she turned to a life a crime to get back that the world. As usual, Sly Cooper manages to maneuver through the swamplands and the undead to reach Mz Ruby's lair. This boss fight is quite different from the others in the game, as it relies on a 'Simon Sayz' formula in order to win. Of course, Sly Cooper manages to win and recover another piece of the Thievious Raccoonus. The new section deals with an ancestor from Ancient Egypt, could disappear into the shadows.
With over half of the Fiendish Five down, Sly Cooper and his gang move onto the next target, the Panda King.
(Insert 'Kung Fu Panda' joke here.)
The Panda King was inspired to be a fireworks maker after watching the fireworks displays set up by noblemen. When he tried to show off his own brand of fireworks, the Panda King was denied do to his poor status and soon vowed revenge. He now uses his fireworks to start avalanches to destroy villages that don't pay his protection money. Once Sly reaches his home in the mountains of China, the Panda King revealed his newest brand of fireworks: Flame Fu...which really doesn't make too much sense to me. I know the 'flame' can be compared to the 'fire' in 'fireworks', but it just seems odd calling it a 'fireworks technique' when it really is just some form of martial arts. Still, the Panda King puts up a strong fight with his skills, but still loses to Sly Cooper in the end. Again, Sly recovers another piece of the Thievious Raccoonus, with this one telling the tale of an ancestor who specialized in aeronautics and gadgetry.
Now onto the final boss, who is also the leader of the Fiendish Five: Clockwerk!
Now onto the final boss, who is also the leader of the Fiendish Five: Clockwerk!
(Rage against the Coopers, eh?)
Clockwerk is an interesting villain, having apparently been around since the start of the Cooper Clan. After arriving to the villain's hideout in Russia, Sly Cooper manages to take out a gas chamber trap and a death ray built just to kill him. The ending confrontation is a large battle in the skies over the heated magma of a volcano. From here, Clockwerk explains how he managed to survive hundreds of years by being consumed by jealousy and rage, slowly transforming his body into a mechanical monstrosity. When asked why he let Sly Cooper live after killing Sly's father and stealing the Thievious Raccoonus, Clockwerk did so to show the world how weak the Cooper clan is without their 'precious book'. With a handy jetpack and lasers, Sly Cooper manages to destroy Clockwerk and put an end to its' evil.
With Clockwerk destroyed, Sly Cooper manages to recover the complete Thievious Raccoonus. However, Carmelita, who has been tracking him every since the start of the game, manages to corner him. While she may've wanted to capture him, Carmelita helped Sly take down Clockwerk. In exchange, she gave him a ten second head start. After 9 seconds, Sly manages to plant a kiss on Carmelita, while also placing cuffs on her to slow her down. Definitely lives up to the name 'Sly Cooper'.
...and that is the end of Sly Cooper and the Thievious Raccoonus. A great game with a great cast of characters. Tune in next time when I take a look at the sequel to Thievious Raccoonus: Sly 2: Band of Thieves.
Until next time...
Sly Cooper and the Thievious Raccoonus is owned by Sucker Punch Productions and Sony.
Thanks to Akuago220 for the Youtube gameplay videos.
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