I've always loved this game. Ever since I played on my old PS2, I've loved it. I has everything a fun game should have:
- a cinematic feel with good dialog and an decent plot
- a good blend of action and puzzle-solving
- lots of optional mini-games to do, including: taking pictures of animals, racing, collecting extra pearls
- the bosses aren't too tough once you figure out the strategy you need to use to beat them.
My favorite "sub-quest" is taking pictures of different species of animal. It may sound simple, but some of them want to eat you while you're lining up the shot. I always laugh as I try to get a picture of a boss before I try to kill it.
The thing you need to know about this game is that it's just plain fun. It's a little cartoony sure, but what's wrong with that? One negative is that you may have problems with lip sync in the cinematics. There are solutions available that should fix it. (Check the forums. Also check the Steam forums.)
This is a game I highly recommend to everyone.