The early 2000s were riddled with animal mascots and teams trying to make a name for themselves on fledgling consoles like the PlayStation 2. Over a two year period from 2001 to 2002, a triumvirate of platformers released that would expand the genre and set the trends of for the coming generation of games. Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, and Sly Cooper. Jak and Daxter spawned a collection of well regarded titles before fizzling out as Naughty Dog moved on to Uncharted. Ratchet and Clank has been going strong across multiple console generations.
Sly Cooper is a different story. Perhaps the least well remembered of the triumvirate, its trademark mixture of stealth and platforming struggled to find an audience at release. Sucker Punch went ahead and created two more games anyway before moving on to the Infamous franchise, leaving the franchise dormant after its final 2005 entry. Cooper has only recently popped back into public consciousness due to a well-crafted remaster of the trilogy in 2010 and continuation with Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time by Sanzaru Games in 2013. This heartbeat of life led to the announcement of a film back in 2014 that is now slated for release in 2017.
Can Sly Cooper be counted among one of the best games period or does it fall short?
Outro music: Mega Man 3 'Blue Lightning' by Disco Dan (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00464)
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With the recent release of Dishonored 2, the gang takes a look at Arkane's first outing to the city-state of Dunwall. As the body-guard turned supernatural assassin, Corvo, players navigate the political turmoil left by an assassinated empress to save her daughter. The 2012 release of Dishonored was met with an overwhelmingly positive reception, but has it aged well since then?
Outro music: Final Fantasy IX 'Não Está Sozinho' by Tomo Club (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03441)
You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod
This week Daniel Jones flies solo in an Honorable Mention dedicated to the zen mobile game Alto's Adventure. The endless runner (endless ski-er?) utterly captivated Daniel in early 2015 and has been a game he has found difficult to put down ever since. The premier effort from studio Snowman it managed to generate some significant buzz in the mainstream press who praised its quality. Take a ride with Daniel as he takes you down the slopes of the thoroughly enchanting indie skiing odyssey.
Outro music: Chrono Trigger 'Neuga, Ziena, Zieber, Zom...' by The OC Jazz Collective and Wiesty (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03411)
You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod
This episode is pretty self-explanatory. Go vote!
Outro music: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior 'Guile's Theme (Real American Hero Mix)' by Rayza (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00964)
You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod