The highlight of my childhood was playing the demo of this and being mind-blown by the exciting trailer at the end, and the eagerly waiting to finally play it.
A work of 3D platforming perfection from Sucker Punch, who, at this point, were already nailing the shaded cell comic-book style they are known for: a truly colourful set of heroes and villains and fully inspired world design that pops.
The only criticism are those damn mini-game type levels, just a bit frustrating against the otherwise simple platforming antics. Games used to be HAAARD.

This series is described as "stealth platforming", and I definitely should have considered that term more carefully before starting the game. I imagined Sly Cooper as a lighthearted take on the stealth genre, when it's more of a stealth-themed take on the platforming genre. The first level only reinforced my misunderstanding, introducing the basics of movement while breaking into a police HQ to steal some documents. When the game subsequently began the standard 3D platformer cycle of hub worlds, missions, and bosses, it became disappointing how the majority of the stealth flavor was used up in the first thirty minutes. The platforming is solid and there's a good variety of challenges, but it's hard to avoid reflecting on that disappointment as you do the same old coin and trinket collection. While this all sounds pretty bleak, Sly Cooper is actually a fine platformer, it's just a shame how its very first level gave me a mental picture of a game I would have adored rather than liked.