Daily Save for 6/2/25

Sly Cooper (PS2)
https://retroachievements.org/game/3151

I can finally say in 2025 that I have beaten Sly Cooper! The Kung Fu Panda world had a few pitfalls with Shmup stages but overall was a breeze. I was pretty let down by the final world just being this showcase of minigames and a final boss that was out of a Shmup followed by one of the most bizarre 'climb' sections.

Overall the game is very good but its held back by some bad choices. The final world just doesn't feel epic because the game throws at you four mini games, a shmup boss and two bad climbing sections as the finale. The climbing sections when done right look cool but the issue is always the same, Sly latches onto things whenever he wants and only when he wants.

Normal stages were a lot of fun, and I enjoyed hunting for hint clues to be rewarded with power ups. That was a cool reward for extra thieving. The presentation from a graphics and cutscene point of view was great. The story hit and for a light hearted tale was a lot of fun. A solid experience with a few downswings.

Oshinui Tune (GB)
https://retroachievements.org/game/33660

The creator of Inventory Full is back with another short game centered around a simple mechanic. In this one you play as a doll maker who daydreams for ideas. You must shoot the incorrect letters so only the correct japanese lettering remains to inspire her to make the perfect doll. Otherwise she will make a squid that eats brains as a doll or something.

It's a cute way to do a shmup without being difficult or too demanding of the player. The ability of this dev to take very simple game mechanics and craft a unique experience around it is quite something.