My thoughts on "SLY COOPER 4"

If you ask Me, the ending of "SLY 3" was pretty anticlimactic & was a horrid way to end such a great series. But don't worry, Sucker Punch productions have announced that they will eventually release "SLY 4".

How do I think they should handle it though? Well first, I think the environments should be larger & darker (kind of like "SLY 2"). Second, I think the way the graphics should be done is having the levels cell shaded, but the characters are not. Third, I don't think the new playable characters from "SLY 3" should return (except Penelope, because she's Bentley's girlfriend), because the third game was way to overblown with playable characters, that it overpowered the playability of Sly. Fourth, Alesia Glidwwell should play Carmelita Fox again. Fifth, the gang of villains that Sly has to fight is one large evil corporation with a complicated plot for world domination (what made "SLY 2" so interesting was the villains' evil plot). And sixth, the story should be somewhat darker. There could be emotional conflict when Carmelita finds out Sly was faking the amnesia. Maybe Sly & Carmelita will have to choose what side to be on, with the law or the with the outlaws. So yes, it will come out, but when will it come out? Only I know that, and I'll tell you when that is. While the sun hangs in the sky and the desert has sand....while the waves crash in the sea and meet the land....while there's a wind & the stars & the rainbow....until the mountains crumble into the plain! Okay, maybe I don't know when it'll come out, but I couldn't help but make a Queen reference. So yeah, that's what I think "SLY 4" should be.

But lets talk about the spin-off games. One game that would be interesting that I have an idea for is "The Adventures of Sly Cooper". This game would be everything from Sly's first heist, to what happens right before "SLY 4". How would the story go? well, first it's Sly's first heist leading up to the beginning of "SLY 1", then it's everything between "SLY 1" & "Sly 2", then everything between "SLY 2" & "SLY 3" & Sly's carrier as an interpol officer between "SLY 3" & "SLY 4". "Carmelita Fox" could also be interesting as well. She is an important part of the "Sly Cooper" universe, so it would be interesting to put more depth into the character. It would start with Carmelita's first job as a police officer, all the stuff that she did when the player wouldn't see her in trilogy, and ends with a cliff hanger for "SLY 4". They could also re-release "SLY 2" because there's a Monaco level that never made it into the game. But those are just suggestions, I'm not desperate for Sucker Punch to make the spin-offs as much as the fourth game.

Well, I hope you like My suggestions, and I hope someone from Sucker Punch is reading this and getting concepts for the fourth game. This is "the G-MAN" signing out!

"inFAMOUS" is NOT a "Prototype" rip off!!

I have had it with all these whiny XBOX 360 fan boys making wild claims that "inFAMOUS" is a "Prototype" copycat! The reason why I'm saying this is because after all the stuff people are saying about "inFAMOUS" & "Prototype", "Invisible Walls" (Game Trailers.com) said that "inFAMOUS" is a rip off of "Prototype" (which isn't much of surprise from Game Trailers, sense they're bias on XBOX 360). But before ANYONE starts flaming Me, read the article ALL THE WAY THROUGH, pay close attention to the argument I make, and THINK before You type, other wise You'll look like an idiot for browsing blogs just to leave obnoxious comments!
(inFAMOUS game play)
Okay, both of them do have similarities. First, they're both about a super powered character in a post apocalyptic environment & have to figure out why all of this is happening. They both have super agility (what super hero games DON'T have that?). Both games have a post cognition ability, but unless "Prototype" has several alternate endings, those are all the similarities I know of.
( Prototype game play)
How are they different? "inFAMOUS" is an electrical powered super hero, while "Prototype" has a shape shifter (if you ask Me, electrical is WAY more bad ass). "inFAMOUS" has many alternate endings, while as far as I know of "Prototype", "Prototype" doesn't. So, "inFAMOUS" is MUCH more complicated. The biggest problem I have with "Prototype" is that I've played it before, and it's called "Incredible Hulk : Ultimate Destruction"! I've watched game play footage of "Prototype" & noticed that the movement is similar to the Hulk's movements in "Incredible Hulk : Ultimate Destruction" (which isn't a surprise, sense it's made by the same people). If I want to play "Prototype", I could just play "Incredible Hulk : Ultimate Destruction".
( Prototype game play)

And finally, My proof of how "inFAMOUS" is NOT the copy cat. "inFAMOUS" was announced at E3 of 2007 (that's in either June or July) . While "Prototype", as far as My research goes, was officially announced in August of 2007. Who's the copy cat now, huh? Duh- "Prototype"!!!!!!!!

But why is "inFAMOUS" better? Well, while people say "Prototype" is superior because of being "omni-powerful", that's actually why "Prototype" is inferior. Being "omni-powerful" is not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not at all challenging, it's VERY repetitive, and it makes the game fun for a very short amount of time, then You start thinking: "Why didn't I just rent this over the weekend for $20, instead of buying this for $60?" "inFAMOUS" is better because of being more limited, because it forces You to use more strategy. Lets look at "HALO" for example, I can remember when people first heard that You could only carry two guns at the same time, people thought it would suck. But that ended up being one of the many reasons why that game was awesome, because You had to use more strategy, making the game a lot more interesting. In the end, less is more. Having more powers has less effect, because where's the challenge when You're omni-powerful? But having less powers has more effect, because the odds are higher, making it much more compelling.

Also, even if the game play sucks (which is slim), it'll still be better because of the story. You can have the WORSE game play in the world, and it'll still be awesome because of the story. Don't believe Me? Well, look at the "Final Fantasy" series has some BORING & TERRIBLE game play, but people have been playing the games for more than twenty years, just because of the story. The main character of "inFAMOUS" is more of an "every man", while the character in "Prototype" looks & acts more like some high school out cast who listens to TOO MUCH emo music. How stock is could "Prototype" get?

Also, Sucker Punch has a better critical track record than Radical. Sucker Punch has had a million times more critical acclaim, but as far as I know of, the ONLY critically acclaimed game Radical has made is "Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction".

Besides, the only reason why people are picking on "inFAMOUS" is because it's not for XBOX 360. 360 fan boys are SO pathetic. If a game is a PS3 exclusive, they'll bash just because it's not for 360. People keep telling Me that that's a sign of being a fan boy ( You know, males that have a crush on Master Chief), but I call it a sign of "childish jealousy". They're sad that they wont be able to play the PS3 exclusives, because they can't play them. That just shows that PS3 games are better.

In closing: "inFAMOUS" will rock, but "Prototype" will probably suck in comparison.
(inFAMOUS game play)
This is "The G-MAN" signing out!!

- G-MAN

"Sly 3 : Honor Among Thieves" review

After having two instant classics in the series, can "Sly 3" live up to the Cooper name?

STORY

"Sly 3" picks up after the previous comic book adventure, where Sly is trying to get into the Cooper Vault (I explained the Cooper Vault's history in My last review). When Sly gets there, the island has already been taken over by "Dr. M" , a baboon mad scientist. The rest of the game, leading up to the Cooper Vault, is Sly trying to recruit new team members.

My first problem is the plot, it's totally incomprehensible! What lobotomized monkey came up with this "Cooper Vault" or "Dr. M" crap?!? I also don't like how you have to recruit the new team members. The characters are poorly written & annoying. Another big problem with the story is that NONE of the villains are linked to each other, so there's no complex evil plot like in the second game. The game stops having any interesting narrative once they star to explain the "Cooper Vault" stuff.


GAME PLAY

Even though the "Sly Cooper" series is known for the stealth game play, this game is less stealth, more beat 'em up / compilation of mini games. Unfortunately, when the stealth does come into the game, it's hard to the point to where it's nearly unplayable! Most notably "Operation : wedding crasher", in that one, you have to use AN RC CAR to sneak past security beams! Why can't Sly just sneak past the security like he always does?

DESIGN

While the graphics are good, they go to waste due to the pour art design.

ENDING (SPOILERS!!!!)

When Sly is knocked out during a fight with Dr. M, Carmelita shows up & finishes Dr. M off. But, whoops! Sly lost his memory! So, Carmelita tells Sly that he's her partner, Constable Cooper. So they run off to have many adventures working for interpol. So what's the moral here? If you're a criminal, but you loose your memory, they won't press charges against you. Why? Because Sly Cooper says it's OKAY!

OVER ALL: While a fun game, it's awful is comparison to the second game & just, all out, doesn't live up to the Cooper name.

5 / 10

"The Adventures of Sly Cooper" issue #2

This comic takes place between "Sly 2" & "Sly 3", so there might be spoilers of "Sly 2".

(SPOILERS!!!! Skip to next paragraph if you don't want "Sly 2" spoiled!) At the end of "Sly 2", Bentley's legs are crushed when trying to destroy what was left of Clockwerk. Later in the issue, he uses a wheel chair because of what happened.

At the beginning of the issue, Sly sneaks into a prison to get information from one of the prisoners, McSweeny, who worked for Sly's father. McSweeny then tells Sly of the Cooper vault. A vault where the Coopers have put all of their stolen items since the Egyptians.
The rest of the issue consists of the gang trying to get the map to the Cooper vault, and get Bentley out of the hospital.

HITS

Good story
Okay art design

MISSES

Don't know

OVERALL: While not a great comic, "Sly Cooper" fans will probably buy this comic without thinking twice.

7 / 10

"Sly 2 : Band of Thieves" review

It's time for Me to review what consider to be, not only the BEST in the "Sly Cooper" series, but My favorite game of all time! Here's My review of "Sly 2 : Band of Thieves"!

STORY

"Sly 2" takes place two years after the first game. I'll give you a recap of the ending (SPOILERS!!!! If you don't want the ending of the first game spoiled, skip to the next paragraph!). It turns out that the leader of The Fiendish five, Clockwerk (yes, that's how they spell it in the game) the robotic owl, used to be a real owl. Although, his hatred for the Cooper family made him replace his ENTIRE BODY with machinery. It worked, and Clockwerk lived on for thousands of years, trying to kill the Coopers. He later found Sly's parents, but it was reveled
that he left Sly, instead of killing him, to show the world that the Coopers where nothing without the Thievius Raccoonus. Sly proved him wrong, and destroyed Clockwerk....or did he?



Two years later (it is assumed that the first game takes place in 1987, so this one's 1989), Sly & the gang find out that interpol found the parts of Clockwerk, and have put them in a museum in Cairo, Egypt. Although, when Sly finds out that the parts have been stolen by the Klaw gang (yes, that's how they spell it), and that each member of the klaw gang are using a part (or a few parts) of Clockerk to commit evil deeds. Sly & the gang then set out on the quest to stop the klaw gang, find the Clockwerk parts, and destroy Clockwerk's parts once and for all.

The game is filled with well written characters & plot twists here & there. It's, without a doubt, the darkest of the series (figuratively & literally).

GAME PLAY

This time around, you'll get to play as every member of the Cooper gang, Sly, Bentley & Murray.

Sly is the stealth guy, Bentley handles computers & explosives, and Murray is the brawler.

So, yeah, the teamwork aspect is strong, and is pulled off nicely, for two reasons. First, the characters are different enough that one character will feel different from the other characters. Second, even though the game is one player only, the heists somehow feel like it's a multi player game.

DESIGN

The art design is AMAZING! JAW DROPPING! I won't show off the game though. I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

HITS

Great story
Well written characters
AMAZING art design
The teamwork aspect works phenomenally

MISSES

None at all!

OVERALL: If you're looking for a well done platformer, or just a great game overall, BUY THIS GAME NOW!

10 / 10

"The Adventures of Sly Cooper" issue #1

Yes, there was a "Sly Cooper" comic book. The comic was released before "SLY 2", so the comic takes place in between "SLY 1" & "SLY 2", so that's why I'm reviewing this comic before "SLY 2".

The issue's plot involves Sly and the gang trying to steal a large statue from the anthropomorphic lizard, Dimitri (who later became the first boss in "SLY 2").

One thing I like a lot about the comic is that it fits three stories in one issue. That's right, three stories in an issue! The three stories are: "Heart of a Thief"- The main plot line about Sly trying to steal the statue. "The Cookie Connection"- Sly has a flashback of him at the orphanage when he & his friends pulled off their first "heist", by stealing cookies from the cookie jar. And finally, "A Trip Down Memory Lane"- Sly runs into Carmelita and distracts her by talking to her about the first time they meat.

Like the games in the series, the art design is AMAZING. It's hard to take your eyes off of it. They never said who was the artist in this book (or at least I don't recall them mentioning the artist). That's to bad, because this book is VERY well drawn.

My only problem with the comic is that it's just not perfect. I don't know why, it's just not perfect.

HITS

Great writing
Great art

MISSES

Just not perfect

OVERALL: This is a must-have for all "Sly Cooper" fans. If you want to know where to buy it, check out the shop on "Sucker Punch".

9 / 10

"Sly Cooper & The Thievius Raccoonus" review

Made in 2002 by Sucker Punch Productions, "Sly Cooper" was set loose into the world of gaming. Unfortunately, the game went by mostly unnoticed, and sold poorly. Despite highly positive reviews, it didn't seem to appeal to the general public. It may have been because it was a kid's game with a thief as the main character, it may have been because of a lack of good promotion, with the exception of a few TV spots, or maybe it's because the general public were playing "Jak & Daxter" and "Ratchet & Clank", even though game critics liked "Sly Cooper" more than the other PS2 games. The game gained a cult following, and managed to get enough money to make a series. Was this game worth the public rejection?


"Sly Cooper" is about an anthropomorphic raccoon who was born into a family of thieves, dating back to the Egyptians. The Coopers kept all their biographies & secrets to stealing in an ancient book.... The Thievius Raccoonus! It was guide on how to steal from master criminals. The Coopers would never steal from ordinary people, because they saw no challenge in that. When Sly turned eight years old, he was supposed to get the book, but his birthday was interrupted when a gang known as "The Fiendish Five" killed Sly's parents & stole the Thievius Raccoonus. They broke it into five parts, and went to other parts of the world. Sly was then sent to an orphanage, where he meat his soon-to-be life long friends, Bentley the turtle & Murray the hippo. Ten years later, Sly and his two friends are now eighteen, and have started their quest to get the Thievius Raccoonus back & avenge Sly's parents' death, while trying to avoid being busted by Inspector Carmelita Fox.

GAME PLAY

The game is a simple platformer like Mario 64. The goal of each level is to get through the level & find a key, once you've found all the keys, you can then advance to the next boss. Also like Mario 64, each world is a hub where you can choose which order to do the missions.

For a platformer, the game is fairly difficult, because you die with one hit, unless you have a lucky horse shoe, witch you can get by collecting 100 coins, or just find a horse shoe on the ground. If you get two horse shoes, than it'll take three hits before you die. I would recommend that when you unlock the next boss level, to collect two horse shoes before going in.

DESIGN

The game's graphics may look like crap by today's standards, but back in 2002, they where phenomenal. The art design is still pretty good though. The srt design in this game looks like a Saturday morning cartoon.
HITS

Great game play
Good story
Great art design

MISSES

Gets a little repetitive
The one-hit kill can VERY annoying in a boss battle

OVERALL: This game is VERY underrated. You should check it out some time soon.


8 / 10