Paper Mario: Sticker Star

 3DS
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 613 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 221 out of 613
  2. Mixed: 161 out of 613
  3. Negative: 231 out of 613
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  1. Resetto
    Jan 23, 2023
    3
    Imagine ruining your franchise that much. Like how do you make a game that much worse than the first 3 Paper Mario games?
  2. Persona_Q
    Aug 27, 2021
    3
    Recuerdo que cuando se anuncio este juego estaba re feliz porque los 3 anteriores habian sido re buenos, pero cuando lo jugue me quise morir, entiendo que miyamoto le dijo a intelligent sistems que no hicieran muchos OCs pero dime tu que tiene que ver eso con que no puedas ganar experiencia, que no hayan otros personajes casi que no sean toads, que ni siquieran tienes gorros o algo paraRecuerdo que cuando se anuncio este juego estaba re feliz porque los 3 anteriores habian sido re buenos, pero cuando lo jugue me quise morir, entiendo que miyamoto le dijo a intelligent sistems que no hicieran muchos OCs pero dime tu que tiene que ver eso con que no puedas ganar experiencia, que no hayan otros personajes casi que no sean toads, que ni siquieran tienes gorros o algo para diferenciarlos, literal es el mismo sprite puesto una y otra vez, que no hayan compañeros, y que hayan hecho un sistema de combate tan primitivo, el juego tiene cosas buenas como la musica o los graficos que para ser la 3ds estan bastante bien, y esto no tiene nada que ver con el gameplay, pero fijate si es malo el juego que puse el juego en la 3ds, y murio, osea, la musica del menu esta sonando, pero no puedo hacer nada, mientras estoy escribiendo esto, la 3ds sigue trabada, y esa es la unica razon por la que estoy escribiendo esto… Expand
  3. DoktarioMyst
    Oct 14, 2022
    0
    - de "puzzels" zijn zo abstract dat ik nergens geraak.

    - de combat is pointless

    - de bazen hebben "dingen" nodig om verslaan te worden die in andere levels/ werelden zijn

    conclusie:
    als je het concept van deze game toch leuk vindt dan kun je beter Color Splash spelen
  4. Noctilum
    Mar 7, 2023
    4
    most of the game is boring and inoffensive, plus theres some parts of this game that are outright frustrating. combat sucks too, you get rewarded more from running away from fights than actually doing them, coins are plentiful and have basically no purpose. There is some good here though: I REALLY like the OST and visual style of it, plus the animations for things are really nice andmost of the game is boring and inoffensive, plus theres some parts of this game that are outright frustrating. combat sucks too, you get rewarded more from running away from fights than actually doing them, coins are plentiful and have basically no purpose. There is some good here though: I REALLY like the OST and visual style of it, plus the animations for things are really nice and filled with personality. the writing is good too, when it happens (as in just individual characters and not the actual story, the story sucks). overall: dont play it, listen to the ost on youtube or something, maybe watch an LP of it. a lot of this game are ideas that sound good on paper but are horrible in execution though. i think its completely wrong to call this game soulless though.

    as a paper mario game however, this is completely awful and much much worse than games 2, 3 and 6 (i havent played 1 and 5). just dont play it    … Expand
  5. Incarta
    Feb 16, 2014
    4
    I was very disappointed by the gameplay concept. It was far too simple and that's not what I play paper Mario for. This is the weakest game I've played in what has always been a charming series. Hope they put more effort in the future
  6. PostmortemEP
    May 6, 2013
    4
    I just don't get it... The first two paper mario games were absolute masterpieces. The third was very much a good idea, which I don't think was executed very well. Here's the thing... Paper Mario games had a way of getting me hooked and never wanting to stop. I almost had that with this game, but just couldn't simply because the design of it is horrible. Cutting up the world intoI just don't get it... The first two paper mario games were absolute masterpieces. The third was very much a good idea, which I don't think was executed very well. Here's the thing... Paper Mario games had a way of getting me hooked and never wanting to stop. I almost had that with this game, but just couldn't simply because the design of it is horrible. Cutting up the world into stages wouldn't be such a bad idea if it was just a simple sidescroller, but it isnt. It's got all of the frustration of an RPG overworld that forces you to backtrack and do things you've already done and are TIRED of doing again, and to no avail, you are forced to repeat and repeat. You can get to the second and third world of this game and realize that this is going to be a continuous thing. That's where I'd recommend stopping if you picked this game up, but don't. It's not worth it. Do yourself a favor and use your money on one of the other fantastic 3DS titles.… Expand
  7. ND-Bringer
    Mar 31, 2021
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game depicts the fall of Paper Mario. Compared to the previous titles, Sticker Star is just uniquely bland. I originally had high hopes for this game, I mean it was the first Paper Mario game I ever laid eyes on. The moment I saw that E3 trailer I thought it was going to be an excellent game. It's an excellent disappointment, that's for sure. I really thought that this was what Paper Mario was meant to be.

    The description claims that it also has exciting combat mechanics, but instead of having a fun turn-based battle system or digital pixies...were using item attacks during the whole freaking game. Oh, didn’t you know that Mario can’t jump unless he has a jump sticker?

    Sticker Star...while it may have nice graphics and music, looks aren’t everything. Most of the time you’ll be forced to backtrack over and over again just to get a missed “Thing”. And these are really important “Things”, so important that they make up most of the game. You can grab a pair of scissors for instance and turn it into a sticker to use in battles and to solve some blockade puzzles.

    While these attacks may be cool they get old real fast. And if your prime gimmick is this new battle system, what am I supposed to learn from it? I’m not gaining any experience from these battles, they're just annoying. I might as well just run away from these foes because they disappear anyway, even if I retreat. And these levels, some of them are passable and yet they're all so generic. You might as well call it “New Super Paper Mario Bros” because we don’t really have any original characters round these parts. Were you hoping to play as good guy versions of Bowser’s minions? Well too bad, this world mainly consists of poetic Toads for some reason.

    The short story is, a big celebration is held every whatever amount of years to honor the great Sticker Comet(Not to be confused with the Star Festival from Super Mario Galaxy)which has the power to make wishes come true. But then Bowser crashes the party and steals one of the comet’s fragments, a Royal Sticker, and gains the ultimate, shiny power!
    We don’t really see what happens after that, but I guess after Mario jumps on Bowser I assume Bowser knocks him out in battle and if that’s a reference to the first game it doesn’t deserve it. Or the Paper Mario Parade! It doesn’t even feel like this game is in the same universe. Everything is a little too colorful, not only is there a lack of dark elements that helped the series stand, but this is just a repeat of the original story when you really think about it.

    So Mario and the Sticker Fairy Kersti are on a quest to recover the Royal Stickers. First off, my biggest complaint in this game is that the tutorial level where you have to search for Toads, drags on way too long. Fifteen minutes in and I was still searching! These morons are hidden too well, you may not even get to try out the new battle system because this level just drags on way too long.

    And it gets worse with the Paperization puzzles. Every once in a while, you have to stop time and pull off a piece of the world and stick it in its rightful place in order to continue through the level. While it may be a creative feature it's hard to know when to use it, some of these objects blend into the background and you find yourself circling around the area for an hour unsure of what to do. A good puzzle helps sharpen the mind, but these levels are just tedious. As for positives, World 3 probably has the best levels. No generic Goomba gangs, we’re instead recovering lost inventory in the spider tunnels, traversing through poisonous rivers, competing in a toxic Snifit game show? That’s the Paper Mario I know and love.

    As for the boss fights, most of them are just big enemy battles. Sure these battles are fun to watch, but the gameplay is just a bunch of button mashing that doesn’t get better with the “Thing Attacks”. In order to power your attacks up, timing is key. Just wait till the yellow signal appears next to Mario if you wish to know when to press the A button. Though it doesn’t appear in a few Thing attacks for some reason, so have fun randomly mashing your controls hoping to get the move to work.

    As for the final showdown with Bowser, you first have to go through a painful magic carpet ride. And the battle has a few fun moments but it feels like Bowser’s minions are doing all the work. And after it looks like Bowser is defeated he transforms into his giant form...where have I seen this before...I think I had more fun beating Kamek with flip flops, then dealing with yet another giant Bowser battle. I just blasted my boom box and then sent out a flurry of Thing attacks, the 2nd stage of the battle was a lot easier than the first. This game isn’t even worth replaying. Everything on display is just a sad reminder for the rise and fall of the Paper Mario series.    … Expand
  8. JJ24-7
    May 22, 2013
    4
    Interesting new "sticker" mechanic. However they took out many core things that Paper Mario fans loved. Level progression, partner system, and even the badges. All the things that made Thousand Year Door such an amazing jump from the first Paper Mario were removed. Sure you had a few jokes here and there, but it was targeted to a much younger audience that the older fans just would findInteresting new "sticker" mechanic. However they took out many core things that Paper Mario fans loved. Level progression, partner system, and even the badges. All the things that made Thousand Year Door such an amazing jump from the first Paper Mario were removed. Sure you had a few jokes here and there, but it was targeted to a much younger audience that the older fans just would find dull. Your "partner" Kersti can get dull and tiring very similarly to the well known "Navi" from Legend of Zelda. Kersti will crack the same jokes, make the same boring faces, and get angry in the same way. Action commands are all the same (once you get to know them), but it's almost 100% based on timing your A button. Since there is no longer a partner system, you are given what is called the "Battle Spinner", which forces you to pay coins to take extra turns. This is either extremely good, or just plain dumb as you are relying heavily on luck most of the time. Gameplay is repetitive and the entire game has almost no replay value whatsoever. There are a few tedious "100%" completion tasks you can take part in, but for the most part there are little to no easter eggs. No hidden bosses, no challenging arenas, just hidden doors and more stickers. Not to mention the final boss is easily beaten once you figure it out. But after that there is literally nothing to do except go back and replay the entire game again (which is surprisingly short) trying to grind your coins back up to find your hidden doors. As I mentioned earlier, the game is extremely short in comparison to other Paper Mario games. Granted those were for a console, but to be able to complete the game in a few days is just sad. I believe my first playthrough took only 20-30 hours of gameplay. A few things to note that have been removed/changed from previous Paper Mario games (Excluding Super Paper Mario which was horrible):
    -No partner system. That means (no partner storyline, no hidden partners (miss mouze), no sidestories, no witty change of lines from your partners, nobody to help you take damage)
    -Kersti is the new Goomba partner, but with no tattle system. meaning no description of any of the enemies.
    -All your items are now stickers (good&bad. Good that you can more easily obtain items, Bad that the items are no longer unique and are only upgrades of the previous version. EVEN the "Thing" stickers!)
    -Unable to play as anyone other than Mario

    In the end, Paper Mario Sticker Star seems like it could have had a lot of potential. If they waited a bit longer and made it far more developed. The game features a very limited number of levels and would benefit greatly if they had far more. We know you can do it Nintendo! Just look at the Superstar Saga!    … Expand
  9. PringleDringus
    Aug 19, 2013
    0
    The music and graphics may be alright, but the substanceless, repetitive gameplay that has nearly nothing to do with Paper Mario is not worth your time or money. Spend 40 dollars on iPhone games instead.

    P.S. Bowser has no lines of dialogue. NONE.
  10. theredragechamp
    Sep 26, 2013
    0
    I for one am flat out appalled by this game. I have so many things I hate about this game that I barely know where to start. The sticker system is terrible, they removed the actual storyline of the worlds and just made it another level to beat, I loved the partner systems in the previous games which they also removed, this game barely had any side quests like the others did, there wereI for one am flat out appalled by this game. I have so many things I hate about this game that I barely know where to start. The sticker system is terrible, they removed the actual storyline of the worlds and just made it another level to beat, I loved the partner systems in the previous games which they also removed, this game barely had any side quests like the others did, there were 0 cameos (which I am a HUGE fan of), they also put far too much of an emphasis on the sticker system. I have loved the Paper Mario series since I was a little kid and Thousand Year Door was the first game I ever played and I went on to play the original and then played Super Paper Mario, all of which were amazing, and I was ecstatic when I heard the news about this game coming out. I played through it and beat the game hoping that it would just miraculously get better, but it definitely didn't. I would not recommend this horrible game to even my worst enemy. Trust me, if you really like the Paper Mario series, DON'T PLAY THIS GAME!!!… Expand
  11. JackintheBox333
    Jun 16, 2016
    2
    Graphically the game looks great. The music, while not the best in the series, is still quite enjoyable for what it is. However the biggest problem with this game is the gameplay, an issue which makes this game one of the worst games I have ever played in my life. Unlike other games in the series, the only method Mario has attacking is jumping on an enemy to first strike them outside ofGraphically the game looks great. The music, while not the best in the series, is still quite enjoyable for what it is. However the biggest problem with this game is the gameplay, an issue which makes this game one of the worst games I have ever played in my life. Unlike other games in the series, the only method Mario has attacking is jumping on an enemy to first strike them outside of battle. After that, all battle actions must be taken by using stickers. What do you get for fighting these battles? More stickers.

    The RPG elements are pretty much gone and the battle system is designed in such a way that there is no incentive to fight any of the random battles. Where do this leave the game? The game turns into a collectathon in which you have to find enough stickers and hope you have enough to fight the games underwhelming bosses while doing mediocre platforming and puzzle solving. The worst part about all of this is the game drags on for way longer than it has any right to do.

    The story in nearly non-existent and is simply there is a generic framing device to say, oops gotta go do the generic Mario thing for the 15th time. Good luck! When Shaq Fu of all games has a better story than you do, as a designer, you are very clearly doing something wrong. When Shaq Fu has arguably better gameplay than your game does, then you have clearly FAILED as a game designer.

    Do not play Paper Mario: Sticker Star.    … Expand
  12. amstans
    Jul 9, 2014
    4
    This Paper Mario feels like nothing else in the series. It is hard to get into, with no real direction given. The combat is long and the combat system is clumsy. The stickers are not fun or very useful most of the time. There are so many limits placed on Mario. There is no flip world, and after playing Zelda Link Between Worlds I would say it is more loyal to the Paper Mario spirit thanThis Paper Mario feels like nothing else in the series. It is hard to get into, with no real direction given. The combat is long and the combat system is clumsy. The stickers are not fun or very useful most of the time. There are so many limits placed on Mario. There is no flip world, and after playing Zelda Link Between Worlds I would say it is more loyal to the Paper Mario spirit than Sticker Star. More than a little disappointed this game as it could have been something else without tarnishing the Mario brand.… Expand
  13. ali2005
    Nov 27, 2015
    3
    This game has got some of the worst gameplay ever!I can't even make it past the second level because this game just throws you in and expects the impossible!Although I have never played the first two games,they have got really good reviews and Super Paper Mario is a really good game,but Sticker Star is just horrible!The only good part about this game is the absolutely amazingThis game has got some of the worst gameplay ever!I can't even make it past the second level because this game just throws you in and expects the impossible!Although I have never played the first two games,they have got really good reviews and Super Paper Mario is a really good game,but Sticker Star is just horrible!The only good part about this game is the absolutely amazing soundtrack,but that is the only positive about this game.DON'T BUY THIS GAME!!!!!… Expand
  14. cndman
    Oct 6, 2014
    0
    Absolutely terrible. One of the worst Nintendo games I have ever played. They progression through the story is non-intuitive and nearly impossible to figure out by yourself without a guide. The sticker system is honestly just annoying, and the series has lost all of its narrative charm. I tried so hard to play this game but I stopped playing without even beating it. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME, IAbsolutely terrible. One of the worst Nintendo games I have ever played. They progression through the story is non-intuitive and nearly impossible to figure out by yourself without a guide. The sticker system is honestly just annoying, and the series has lost all of its narrative charm. I tried so hard to play this game but I stopped playing without even beating it. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME, I AM NOT EXAGGERATING. I truely don't understand positive reviews, probably people who played the game for an hour.… Expand
  15. Lavanio
    Jul 31, 2014
    4
    What was once considered a staple game series for Nintendo consoles has now devolved into a simplistic and uninspired rehash. The new Paper Mario game's main feature revolves around the use of consumable attacks known as "stickers" which restricts access to even the most basic of abilities if you don't have the consumable stickers to use them. This is stacked on top of a plethora ofWhat was once considered a staple game series for Nintendo consoles has now devolved into a simplistic and uninspired rehash. The new Paper Mario game's main feature revolves around the use of consumable attacks known as "stickers" which restricts access to even the most basic of abilities if you don't have the consumable stickers to use them. This is stacked on top of a plethora of removed features from the previous games such as a leveling system and the inclusion of companions to help Mario along his way. With the lack of basic RPG mechanics such as a leveling system, even the basic premise of the stickers is removed since actually engaging in battles serves no purpose but to gather more stickers for you even though enough of which to progress through the game are found scattered all over each individual level.

    If you're looking for the next Thousand Year Door, or even the next Super Paper Mario in terms of writing and overall quality and design, cast your eyes elsewhere because Sticker Star will not provide.    … Expand
  16. Galacta1310
    Mar 29, 2014
    0
    This was by far one of the worst games I've ever played, I'm not exaggerating. I don't understand why everyone was giving it 8, 9, and 10s this game was not just the worst in the series but it was just horrible in general. And to all the people who say that Super Paper Mario was bad, no it wasn't, sure it was different but it was still an RPG it had leveling up, and creative worldsThis was by far one of the worst games I've ever played, I'm not exaggerating. I don't understand why everyone was giving it 8, 9, and 10s this game was not just the worst in the series but it was just horrible in general. And to all the people who say that Super Paper Mario was bad, no it wasn't, sure it was different but it was still an RPG it had leveling up, and creative worlds (chapters). But as for Sticker Star, Nintendo and Intelligent Systems took away everything good about Paper Mario 64 and PMTTYD and published this "new addition" to the series. But it was downright terrible, all I can say was that it had nice graphics and a couple good sound tracks, but that was it. Sticker Star had no leveling up, which made battling pointless for the game. You could probably fight no enemies and just make money from the stickers you find in blocks to get better ones and just fight bosses and beat the game, and now that I'm talking about it, the Sticker idea for fighting was flawed in all ways possible, it required no skill, you could only use one sticker once, and then get no xp for fighting and just money from fighting to buy more pointless stickers. The worlds (Chapters) were linear and bland PM64, PMTTYD and Super Paper Mario, they all had creative chapter designs and plots, most chapters in the the original 3 were creative and had more story to them then just collecting the Star Spirit, Crystal Star, or Pure Heart you needed to get. Sticker Star had bland chapter designs and bland plots to them, all it was was "beat some levels, backtrack into other levels after solving a puzzle, fight the boss, get the Sticker Crown." That was it, and the bosses were creative too! they were just souped up normal enemies from the game. Even worse, you needed seome one of a kind sticker to easily beat them, which is ridiculous The game had too many challenging moments like World 3, i had to go on IGN for walkthroughs far too many times then i should have. There were no partners either, Partners i the Paper Mario games made it what it was. Goombario, Bow, Watt, Lakilester, Yosi, Vivian, Bomberry were amazing and had personality, not like Kersti who probably sounded like she was reading directly from a script. Even Super Paper Mario kind of had partners, the Pixls, still better then not having any at all. What was more annoying was that Bowser was the final boss, I loved how PMTTYD and Super Paper Mario didn't make Bowser the final boss like in other Mario games, and even in Paper Mario 64 Bowser was the main enemy, but the went in depth to his character and his plot, Bowser had NO LINES in Sticker Star. I honestly don't understand how some of you like this game, I won't attack you for liking it but you cant focus on the games nice graphics, because that's the only good thing about it. Overall this game was a train wreck, I hope Nintendo and Intelligent Systems redeem them selves and make a game more styled like PM64 or PMTTYD.… Expand
  17. Juni221
    Mar 19, 2016
    0
    If you haven't play a Paper Mario game yet, DO NOT start with this one. In fact, go start with the first game, and stop at the third, because this game is a mockery of the series. It takes everything fans loved about the first 3 games and just **** all over it, and expect you too like it.
  18. SFX64X
    Mar 14, 2013
    2
    The reason this game is poor is because there is simply no 'reward' for playing this game... The story is non existent, so there's no reason to play it for that. The characters are forgettable, so they don't keep your attention. The battle system is basic and hardly challenging or interesting. The boss battles are either impossible, or annoyingly easy, since they each have a very specificThe reason this game is poor is because there is simply no 'reward' for playing this game... The story is non existent, so there's no reason to play it for that. The characters are forgettable, so they don't keep your attention. The battle system is basic and hardly challenging or interesting. The boss battles are either impossible, or annoyingly easy, since they each have a very specific weakness that renders them dead in a matter of seconds. Then there's the platforming and puzzles. neither are interesting or engaging... Basic and tedious...

    So if the story isn't interesting, The gameplay is dull, and the platforming is tedious,... Why play this game? There is no reason... There is no story to grab your interest and keep you going, it is bare bones 'Bowser kidnapped the princess and stole some power'. You may say 'well isnt that EVERY mario game?" Well, more or less, yes... but every Super Mario platformer has amazing platforming and fun levels to hop around and explore. This game does not have that redeeming quality.

    "Well, isnt the turn based RPG elements still here?" Not really... it doesnt seem to be a Roleplaying game... It's just a turned based card game... but instead of elegant and amazingly designed characters with awe inspiring attacks... you have a variety of shoes, hammers, and miscellaneous items... you dont level these attacks up over time, you simply find more powerful stickers in the more higher leveled areas... rendering the dozens of basic attacks you stocked up on in previous levels useless. When you're playing you dont ask yourself "Okay, which attack would be best to use against this enemy?" You ask "Where the heck did i put that shiny sticker i just found under a rock?" and occasionally you consider the fact of whether the enemy is flying or has a spike on his head...

    This is a very basic game... maybe something a young kid would enjoy and flourish in. the pretty colors and enviroments would catch their attention and the light story element might keep them entertained so they dont lose interest in the walls of text. but anyone who appreciates a good story, deep and enriching gameplay, or just having fun probably should skip this game... It doesnt technically do anything that doesn't work, it just doesnt do anything that makes this game entertaining... which is why you would play a game in the first place, right?    … Expand
  19. Midnalink
    Mar 29, 2013
    0
    For me it's a big disillusion. Except for some musics, there is no reason to play this game. No story, no companions, wasted combat system, no badges, no interesting npc, nothing.
  20. MrSonicFan
    Feb 4, 2014
    2
    This is one of the most boring, uninteresting, and disappointing "video game" I have ever played in my life.

    The games first downfall is it's story and writing. it's the typical Mario story. "Bowser is evil, go stop him". No other Paper Mario before has such a lazy story. And the writing is not even funny. Unlike the previous games. The graphics are the only good part about this    This is one of the most boring, uninteresting, and disappointing "video game" I have ever played in my life.

    The games first downfall is it's story and writing. it's the typical Mario story. "Bowser is evil, go stop him". No other Paper Mario before has such a lazy story. And the writing is not even funny. Unlike the previous games.

    The graphics are the only good part about this game. the paper world looks fantastic and the 3D effect does a great job of making the world pop out.

    The game-play is boring and has zero strategy. there is no point in fighting enemy's as you cannot level up. All the bosses can be defeated in one hit with the right stickers. And the game is overall just a chore to play.

    OVERALL-
    2/10    … Expand
  21. hopesfall21
    Aug 21, 2013
    0
    I was so excited when I learned this game was coming out for the 3DS.......until I played the game. This game disgraces the Paper Mario franchise. Their is no open world like the 64 version, or the best one in the series for the GameCube, "The Thousand-Year Door." This game feels like I'm playing Super Mario Brothers 3 with the way they set up the game into levels. The game provided noI was so excited when I learned this game was coming out for the 3DS.......until I played the game. This game disgraces the Paper Mario franchise. Their is no open world like the 64 version, or the best one in the series for the GameCube, "The Thousand-Year Door." This game feels like I'm playing Super Mario Brothers 3 with the way they set up the game into levels. The game provided no emotion, no substance, nothing. If you enjoyed the game then I'm not going to knock you, but this is not a Paper Mario game. It was so bad to me that I don't even own it anymore.… Expand
  22. Tobann
    Mar 12, 2016
    3
    I just cannot recommend this game to anyone except die hard Mario fans and even then maybe not even them. Yes the turn based combat came back witch was good but it really lost something. The loss of gaining experience and gaining something from battles is so great that it makes battle something to avoid rather than take on and overcome. The worst thing that I have heard from people is thatI just cannot recommend this game to anyone except die hard Mario fans and even then maybe not even them. Yes the turn based combat came back witch was good but it really lost something. The loss of gaining experience and gaining something from battles is so great that it makes battle something to avoid rather than take on and overcome. The worst thing that I have heard from people is that you can run out of attack stickers. Like how on earth do you make a game where you can leave your player defenseless just because they have fought too many things. There are also so many generic toads,and I know that Nintendo can do better, they have in the past, they've created amazing worlds and people in those worlds but now they're just missing. They have taken out what made this a great game series, stripped it of all rpg elements that made it great. I have to be honest, I have not finished the game, I was just so put off that I got fed up with it and I think that I will be very hesitant in getting the next game in the series.… Expand
  23. LegendaryQ
    Nov 14, 2014
    3
    I like the Paper Mario games because of their light-hearted, but still validly present story, and always interesting game mechanics. Unfortunately, while Sticker Star makes a valid attempt at both, it is flawed on both counts.

    The story is even more shallow than is to be expected: while the humor is still present, the underlying story is weak and in tatters. The gameplay is flawed in    I like the Paper Mario games because of their light-hearted, but still validly present story, and always interesting game mechanics. Unfortunately, while Sticker Star makes a valid attempt at both, it is flawed on both counts.

    The story is even more shallow than is to be expected: while the humor is still present, the underlying story is weak and in tatters.

    The gameplay is flawed in that your inventory of various attacks and abilities are useless against bosses -- forcing you to use "things" to attack them effectively. If you haven't found the right "thing" or haven't paid enough in-game currency, you're out of luck.

    The idea of an inventory of attacks is interesting, but is often undercut by issues like the above.

    Overall, the game is an attempt at a good Paper Mario game that just completely fails in its execution.    … Expand
  24. SirWalrus
    Oct 28, 2015
    1
    This game was probably one of the most disappointing games I've experienced in a long while.
    Let's start off with the one positive: the dialogue is funny. Sometimes.
    The main problem is that the sticker system is completely flawed. I had to restart the final boss several times simply because I didn't have enough of the right kind of sticker, when I had no way of knowing what I had to    This game was probably one of the most disappointing games I've experienced in a long while.
    Let's start off with the one positive: the dialogue is funny. Sometimes.
    The main problem is that the sticker system is completely flawed. I had to restart the final boss several times simply because I didn't have enough of the right kind of sticker, when I had no way of knowing what I had to get.
    The challenge is almost nonexistent, as there is no experience to be gained. The amount of damage you do is based on two things: Firstly, the type of sticker you use. The way you get new, better stickers is by buying them or by replaying old levels, so there's almost no challenge in getting them. Secondly, how well you use the sticker. The basic stickers can be mastered easily, and the more advanced stickers attack automatically, so there's no challenge to be found. In fact, the sticker system itself makes battles completely pointless. Enemies are fought to get coins. Coins are used to buy stickers. Stickers are used to fight enemies.
    The game is extremely linear, not allowing for much exploration, unlike the other Paper Mario games.
    The worlds are boring and stale, with the regular Grass world, Desert world, Forest world, Water world, Ice world, Fire/Jungle world. Compare that to the previous Paper Mario games, where you were in a toy box, or fighting in an arena, or in a parodied Underworld.
    The partner system and the badge system were removed, eliminating all variety in the game.
    The generic NPC helper has no memorable personality whatsoever, so really the game has none of the charm of the previous ones. The small witty interactions between the characters was one of the best things of the Paper Mario series.
    The plot is a complete copy of the first Paper Mario game: Bowser gets ultimate shiny object and captures princess, defeat Bowser and rescue princess.
    Overall, the game is an unoriginal, unchallenging, and unenjoyable mess.    … Expand
  25. SuperMarioBro
    May 15, 2016
    1
    Terrible, terrible and one more terrible! This is worst game of all Nintendo games. By this game - Nintendo RIP Paper Mario series... terrible storyline, terrible gameplay, terrible world.
  26. GaryFaulkDoesIt
    Jul 31, 2016
    0
    Extremely weak and disappointing. When thinking of this game, whether as a Paper Mario installment or as its own entity, I honestly can't think of a single level on which this game isn't a total failure.

    One can compare this game to the Paper Mario titles all day long, but the simple fact is that this game has absolutely nothing going for it. There is virtually nothing about this game    Extremely weak and disappointing. When thinking of this game, whether as a Paper Mario installment or as its own entity, I honestly can't think of a single level on which this game isn't a total failure.

    One can compare this game to the Paper Mario titles all day long, but the simple fact is that this game has absolutely nothing going for it. There is virtually nothing about this game that makes it a Paper Mario title aside from the blunt and childish paper gimmick, which the previous entries used for stylistic and presentation purposes (the first as a pop-up book, the second as a stage production). It felt as if they had made the basics of a Paper Mario game and then stripped out all of the things that made the series unique or enjoyable.

    In terms of story, well, there really is no story. The stories of the previous three entries could all take up at least a full paragraph to describe, but this one's plot can't really be explained in any more detail than "Bowser's turning people into stickers, go stop him."

    In terms of character, there is only one newcomer in this game, a completely unlikable and unhelpful exposition fairy named Kersti. Mario, Peach, Bowser, and Luigi are all as interesting as the paper they're made out of, a far cry from the previous games where they were all given their own personalities and subplots. Even Mario, who didn't talk outside of scripted dialogue choices, had some sort of bare characterization in the previous games. In fact, Sticker Star gives Bowser and Luigi a combined 0 lines of dialogue.

    In terms of gameplay, this game is a complete failure. The new battle system is so poorly designed that the player is all but encouraged to simply skip every fight except those they're forced into. There is no experience system and winning these pointless battles only gives you the means to win more pointless battles.

    In a way, one can consider this the exact opposite of Super Paper Mario. Super Paper Mario combines the gameplay of a platformer with the rewards system of an RPG. This game does the opposite, meaning instead of getting items and experience for simply jumping on enemies, in this game you have long, drawn-out fights with enemies and essentially get nothing in return.

    While it probably does make me sound lucky to say it, meaning I've never been stuck with any real shovelware, I genuinely consider this the worst video game I've ever personally played. I was hoping not to get onto this subject, but I really think Miyamoto needs to step away from this series, since the only thing he's done with Paper Mario is remove everything that made it Paper Mario.    … Expand
  27. BringerOfRuin
    Sep 19, 2016
    0
    Paper mario sticker star, in short. Its the worst game i ever played. I want every last copy of this game hunted down and destroyed in a huge bonfire. Why do i hate sticker star? I don't even know where to begin.
    The first paper mario is one of my alltime favs. And i also enjoyed its sequel. Even super paper mario was a soild game, even if not a true staple in the series. But this    Paper mario sticker star, in short. Its the worst game i ever played. I want every last copy of this game hunted down and destroyed in a huge bonfire. Why do i hate sticker star? I don't even know where to begin.
    The first paper mario is one of my alltime favs. And i also enjoyed its sequel. Even super paper mario was a soild game, even if not a true staple in the series. But this abomination of a game, sticker star. This is not paper mario! For me, this game is so bad its actually insulting. They murdered one of my favorite series in cold blood. But what makes sticker star as horrible as i claim it is? I will get into the details of its many flaws.

    Flaw 1. The story, the first paper mario's story was nothing special, mario tries to save princess peach from bowser. But no one plays mario games for the story, as for sticker star. They take the same old cliche mario story and dumb it down to the maximum. Not to mention its basically just a crappier version of the exact same story as the original, Bowser gets some magical item that makes him invincable and kidnaps princess peach. Paper mario the thousand year door had a surprisingly dark, deep story, and sticker star has my favorite story in the entire mario universe, If the creators had the capacity to write such excellent stories, why did they revert to this lame boring story line?

    Flaw 2. Remember all those awesome party members you get in the first two games? And all the fascinating enemies and bosses never before seen in the mario universe? That creativity was what i loved about the first two games. Then in sticker star, the only new character i saw was that stupid, annoying talking crown sticker. A crappy character. Besides this lame side kick, the only other characters are the same boring characters you can see in any of the mario platform games.
    I Knew this game had killed the series as soon as i saw the first boss, just a giant goomba with a crown. Nothimg unique at all. Even king goomba in the first paper mario at least looked different then your common variety goomba! The enemies are lame, the bosses are bland and completely uninspired, and all the npc you meet are just plain red spotted toads. There is no variety of character in this game. None.

    Flaw 3. Bad writing. This game is full of puns about paper. Which are not funny in the least and just plain annoying! Sure everyone in the series are flat paper versions of themselves, but it didnt' constantly throw it in your face that you are playing paper mario by incessantly referring to paper.

    Flaw 4. Mario's stupid sticker side kick. I mentioned before that she sucks. Gut i wanted to get more into why exactly she is a horrible character. Your first impression of her is her being a total jerk. Plus her accusations against mario claiming that he destroyed the sticker star, while she was'nt even there to witness it are just hypocritical. She blames it all on him but then claims that protecting the sticker star is her duty. If its your duty where the hell was she when bowser showed up!?
    Moreover her hints are not helpful in the least. Most useless and most unlikable side kick ever.

    Flaw 5. Really this is the biggest flaw of all. The battle sytem. Battles are a pointless waste of time. There is no experience or level up system. Every time you get into a battle its just an annoyance. I ended up just running from every battle. Also in battle mario has no basic attacks! None! You are completely dependant on using stickers to fight!! Which have one use each only! This whole game is running around peeling stickers to use them againsnt enemies in pointless, stupid battles with no other purpose then to waste your time! Imagine if in final fantasy you could only use items in battle, sound stupid? It is. And thats how you fight in sticker star.

    Flaw 6. Atrocious music. The first 3 games all had amazing sound tracks. The music in this game was total garbage. It sounds more like porno music then music from an rpg.

    Flaw 7. Its not fun. Its not fun at all. The battles are dull, stupid, and pointless, the puzzles are annoying, the sticker collecting gets old in two minutes, and all the characters are bland. I honestly cannot think of a single plus to this game!

    Overall verdict: worst game I ever played. It was actually painful for me to play, it just felt like a series of slaps in the face. Want my advice? Don't buy this game. This game should be illegal. It should stand trial for murdering the formerly wonderful paper mario series.    … Expand
  28. thatnintendoguy
    Jan 21, 2016
    1
    This game sucks. The stickers suck the gameplay suck the story suck EVERYTHING SUCKS IN THIS GAME! NINTENDO SHAME ON YOU THIS GAME IS A MISTAKE! Dont bús this one!
  29. Darkychao
    Feb 29, 2016
    0
    This was definitely the most disappointing Nintendo game of all time, it's existence bothers me to the core. But what can I say about this game that hasn't already been said? Well, probably not much, but I'm still going to keep talking anyway.

    Let's start at the obvious question "Is it a good Mario game?" No, no it's not. It's weird, confusing and difficult, and not difficult as in    This was definitely the most disappointing Nintendo game of all time, it's existence bothers me to the core. But what can I say about this game that hasn't already been said? Well, probably not much, but I'm still going to keep talking anyway.

    Let's start at the obvious question "Is it a good Mario game?"
    No, no it's not. It's weird, confusing and difficult, and not difficult as in "challenging" but frustrating and unfun; the bosses almost require you to have a certain item to beat them.

    what about "is it a good RPG?"
    No, no it's not. There's no reason to ever engage with any enemies there's no leveling system and your moves are limited so you battling always leaves you with less than when you started; but if you do ever are unable to avoid an enemy and do get into a battle you can just run 100% guaranteed with no negatives. So there's no advantages or disadvantages to battles.

    and finally "Is it a good Mario RPG?"
    No, no it's not. It lacks everything that made Super Mario RPG and the dual Mario RPG trilogies (PM and M&L) stand out. The charm, the characters, the gameplay, the story it's all gone.

    This game alone makes me worry about not only of the Mario RPG series but the future of Nintendo in general. This game is just so wrong I genuinely don't see how the Paper Mario series can recover after what this game did with adding/replacing/destroying characters with out a literal retcon of this game.    … Expand
  30. Campanella
    Mar 12, 2016
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Paper Mario: Sticker Star is the fourth game in the Paper Mario series, and returns to the turn-based battle system of the first two games. Despite this, it couldn't be further from the earlier games in terms of quality.

    Unlike the first three games in the series, which had a heavy focus on story and characters, the plot in Sticker Star is practically nonexistent, instead on par with the main Mario games. Aside from the game's introduction and finale, almost nothing plot-relevant happens, and few levels have any sort of events at all. The main cast is minimal, only including Mario, Peach (who barely talks), Bowser (who doesn't talk), Kersti (a Navi-like companion), and Kamek and Bowser Jr. (who act as minibosses but only very rarely show up). The supporting cast consists almost entirely of Toads, all with the same base design and almost all of them using the standard red Toad design. If you liked the series for its story and characters, Sticker Star will disappoint you.

    Instead of chapters, there are now worlds with separate levels. As you explore, you solve puzzles, some of which require reorienting stickers used for the scenery. Many levels drag. Some levels introduce extra gimmicks, such as a raft you move by standing on its edges or multiple holes you can drop down, but these often only make levels more tedious, if not unnecessarily frustrating.

    While the game's graphics are great and environments have a distinct "papercraft"-like look to them, the world itself is bland and very formularic compared to the rest of the series. If you've played any of the main Mario games, you know what the worlds here are: grasslands, desert, forest, ice, jungle, lava. Combined with the lack of story, and the minimal events in general, the game ultimately feels very dull.

    Kersti, your partner character in this game, doesn't join you in battle but instead gives you hints if you press L. Most of her hints are either obvious, or outright useless, making this completely worthless.

    The battle system is turn-based again, but instead of having basic moves and gaining additional ones through equippable badges, EVERYTHING is based on stickers you've collected. Healing items? Stickers. Stat buffs? Stickers. Special attacks? Stickers. Your basic jump- and hammer attacks? Stickers. If you run out of stickers mid-fight, tough luck, because now you can't do anything. While the attacks themselves are fine, the fact you can end up UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING makes this system annoying at best and fundamentally broken at worst. Battles also no longer give EXP (as there's no leveling system), only coins (which you can get elsewhere) and maybe a sticker (which you can also get elsewhere far more reliably) if you're very lucky, making fighting anything not mandatory a waste of resources.

    Boss fights are more like puzzles than actual fights. You NEED to have a specific sticker, gotten by finding the corresponding item and turning it into a sticker, or you'll be unable to beat the bosses, as they often take little damage without using the right Thing sticker and have very high amounts of HP. Many of these stickers use more space in your sticker album than most, meaning you have less space for other stickers, meaning it's entirely possible to run out of stickers to attack with and have to start the entire boss fight over, especially early in the game.

    The only reason this game gets a 2 instead of a 0 is because of the graphics and the music - the soundtrack, unlike most of this game, is genuinely nice and has a consistent jazzy/big band style to it, though unfortunately there aren't quite as many memorable tracks as in the previous games.

    Overall, I cannot in good faith recommend this game. If you like turn-based RPGs, give the first two Paper Mario games a try instead if you haven't, or the Mario & Luigi series, and if you like action-adventures with occasional puzzles (which the overworld is closest to), you're better off playing Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, or one of the Super Mario Galaxy games.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Best 3DS Game of 2012
2
#2 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2012
5
#5 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 69 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 69
  3. Negative: 1 out of 69
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Feb 21, 2013
    78
    Brilliant humor and an interesting world won't save Mario's latest RPG offering. Even though the stickers add a lot of variety to the turn based battles, an RPG without any character development tends to turn repetitive eventually. Unfortunately for Mario such is the case with Sticker Star. [Feb 2013]
  2. Hyper Magazine
    Feb 10, 2013
    80
    A great reinterpretation of what makes Mario work. [March 2013, p.72]
  3. DarkStation
    Feb 7, 2013
    70
    Unfortunately for it, Paper Mario: Sticker Star has to deal with being a “pretty good” entry in a series that is usually considered amongst the best games on their respective consoles. While I did have fun with it, there were times when I felt like I was just going through the motions, and very little of the innovation or character of previous entries shone through.
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