Follow the highly successful PS2 HD treatment of the 'God of War,' Sly Cooper steps up for its own HD translation.

"Sly Cooper" is the latest gaming series that has received the HD treatment. Spawning in the early 2000s 'Sucker Punch Productions' released the three stealth inspired platforming games staring a humanoid racoon named Sly Cooper. This Saturday morning cartoon styled series easily won over the gaming community to become one of the strongest series on the Playstation 2. Now returning in 2010, SCEA has bundled the three games from the series into one collection in hopes to please the faithful supporters who have fond memories of the original games while introducing the new era of gamers to this thieving raccoon. Even without nostalgia fueling our happiness with 'The Sly Collection,' these game still hold up well. Sure, some of the gameplay mechanics are somewhat "old school," but its still one amazing ride start to finish and that is something coating of HD couldn't fix. The basics are good, so all the sugar only helps, and 'The Sly Collection' is the chocolate glazed out of the bunch.

More than a Raccoon
Sly is also joined by two characters who stay consistent throughout the series. Of course, Sly fans, I am referring to 'Bentley the Turtle' and 'Murray the Hippopotamus.' Both character are long and trusted friends of Sly's and are invaluable to the magic in the "Sly Cooper" series. For specifics, Bentley is the layout man who aids Sly with pointers throughout the game. Allergic to tomatoes and lemons, the little guy goes through allot of trepidation across the three games, and ends up with a big smile by the end of the series. Sly fans know what I'm talking about. Say hello Penelope. Equally interesting is Murray who is the muscle and getaway driver of the team. throughout the games, Murray comes into his own, again through a rocky patch and everything ends up working out. Of course there are more characters that linger in and out over the course of the three game, but these three are the foundation of the series.

Into the Collection
In the first adventure 'Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus' from 2002, Sly hunts down his family's heirloom, the 'Thievius Raccoonus,' a book that has the families secrets of thieving going back centuries. Stolen by a rival gang called the 'Fiendish Five,' 'Cooper' and his assailants are on a mission to reclaim the book. Staying one-step ahead of the Interpol Inspector 'Carmelita Fox' and the henchmen and head honchos in the 'Fiendish Five.'

Moving forward the second game in the collection is 'Sly 2: Band of Thieves,' which was released on September 14th 2004. The story in 'Sly 2' picks up two years after the first outing with the crew doing some more breaking and entering in order to destroy the Clockwerk parts, so the Russian antagonist cannot return, but as always things are never easy. It seems the parts have been stolen and Sly will have to deal with Carmelita and her new assistant as he tracks down the newest threat, the 'Klaww Gang.' 'Band of Thieves' quickly follows into step much like the first with Sly going about his normal routine of sneaking, staffing, and platforming. Although we have a few changes to the gameplay that are worth mentioning, mainly the more demanding roles from Bentley and Murray who are playable.

Next on the list we have 'Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves' from 2005 that continues on the path started in the first two games. Again we fast tracking the narrative a year ahead with the crew attempting the big crack of the Kaine Island Vault. Things gets tricky, and this tale digs deeper into the lore of the series and Sly's own family history. It's probably the most ambitious out of the three games and depending on your stance, the best one as well. The gameplay was altered to give your crew more playable options while opening up Carmelita Fox and a few others as playable characters. Secondly, several challenges and extra content beefs up the longevity of 'Sly 3' although the clue markers didn't into the cut.

Reasons to Upgrade
If you already own the games in the 'The Sly Collection,' the main reason to upgrade would be the value of all three games for the price of one, along with the fact that the visuals have been upscaled to make Sly look crystal crisp. The upscaling really holds up well even on the earlist title from 2002. Truthfully, 'The Sly Collection' looks better then some of the games that have come out and been developed exclusively for the PS3. Furthermore, the audio keeps up to this high standard to show what a remarkable job 'Sucker Punch' did in the first place.

Secondly, Trophy fans will be drawn in for Sly's Trophies support that individually spans each game. This means a bucket load of easy breezy Trophies, if you're the compulsive type. Lastly, there are few new “Move Enabled” mini-games that also have their own Trophies section. These mini-game while briefly fun, feel more like a tacked on idea to hopefully sell more Move units. I wouldn't bite, and really it seems silly to add this onto a traditional PS2 game. Oh, well, it is another option, if you own the wiggle wands by Sony.

'The Sly Collection' reminds me how special and unique the Sly series was and is compared to everything else on the market. The question if you should pick up 'The Sly Collection' can be answered with an unshakeable yes! Sly has never looked better and this trilogy is stacked with content that will please new and old fans of this platforming classic.

Great value, three excellent classics Upgraded visuals and PS3 trophies Everything you need to know about Sly Cooper "old school" game mechanics show their age Quote: "Sly has never looked better and this trilogy is stacked with content that will please new and old fans of this platforming classic" Reviewed by DowntownJimmy | 12.03.10

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