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. nintendoguy
    Jun 16, 2016
    6
    There are mnay things wrong, so I can not name them all.
    1. Dumbed down battle system
    2. No story
    3. Bowser is final boss
    4. Confusing puzzles
    5. You need a certain sticker to beat a boss so you need to back track finding it, and once you beat it you feel no acomplishment
    And so on...
  2. ShulkStrife15
    Jul 21, 2016
    6
    This is not a bad game but is very disappointing ggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg I added a bunch of gas to make the review 150 characters long
  3. Aki_1108
    Jan 30, 2018
    6
    This game was good at capturing ones attention for a while and getting people hooked at the very beginning, which was why I enjoyed playing the game. However, I had trouble with having the motivation to play the game, as I got stuck on tasks many times. I do think that it was enjoyable for the first few times that I played, and I loved all the stickers that I collected so I am notThis game was good at capturing ones attention for a while and getting people hooked at the very beginning, which was why I enjoyed playing the game. However, I had trouble with having the motivation to play the game, as I got stuck on tasks many times. I do think that it was enjoyable for the first few times that I played, and I loved all the stickers that I collected so I am not completely mad about it.… Expand
  4. RatedRForReview
    Feb 25, 2018
    6
    This Was.....Decent? I Guess You Could Say That. A lot Of Things Were Dropped, It Was Also Kinda Bland....Uhm...It Just Wasn't Too Good....But Not Bad Either..There's Really Nothing Else To Say Since That's It. Still. It Was A Solid Game, Nintendo Just Could Of Done WAAAAYYYYY Better. My Final Rating Is...
    X Best
    X Buy
    > Bad
    X Barter
  5. Julian0505
    Nov 10, 2019
    6
    Great exploration and tough puzzles are hampered by pointless battles and annoying characters. Not that bad but probably one of the worst games Nintendo has made.
  6. OmegaEvolution1
    Feb 2, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm not saying this is a bad game, far from it. I just think once you beat the game, there isn't much content afterwards. Yes there is achievements and the sticker museum but after that it pretty much lacks a post-game. But besides that, this is quite satisfying and fun to play. It's mechanics is what brings me back even to this day. It's just the lack of post-game is what kills it for me.… Expand
  7. LuigiHelpsOut
    Jul 16, 2020
    6
    Okay, this game isn't great, but it's not as horrendously bad as it's often made out to be. Yes the battle system isn't great, yes the new characters are non existent, yes the story is bland, but besides that the rest of the game is pretty decent. However, the issue is that it has some critical flaws that hold it back from achieving greatness.
  8. BlatantInnuendo
    May 28, 2013
    5
    This game is average in a series renowned for being some of the best ever created. The story is intriguing but nothing inspired and the rpg elements are abused to put it lightly. I never thought i would live to see the day where your most basic attack can become unavailable in a paper Mario game. if stickers had more than one use than the game might be better but in the end it feels likeThis game is average in a series renowned for being some of the best ever created. The story is intriguing but nothing inspired and the rpg elements are abused to put it lightly. I never thought i would live to see the day where your most basic attack can become unavailable in a paper Mario game. if stickers had more than one use than the game might be better but in the end it feels like you are wasting more uses than gaining by entering into the lackluster combat. in the end the game is not terrible but is not what the paper Mario series deserves… Expand
  9. maddymarie
    Dec 28, 2012
    5
    Paper Mario; The series that has had a firm grip over the past years as to what an engaging, and humorous Nintendo RPG should be like. Until now. It would be an overstatement to say that this game was just 'okay'. To be honest, I didn't enjoy this game much at all. Every now and again I find myself going back to it, when I feel as though there is nothing else to play. The sticker idea wasPaper Mario; The series that has had a firm grip over the past years as to what an engaging, and humorous Nintendo RPG should be like. Until now. It would be an overstatement to say that this game was just 'okay'. To be honest, I didn't enjoy this game much at all. Every now and again I find myself going back to it, when I feel as though there is nothing else to play. The sticker idea was unique, I'll give it that, but the fact that I couldn't level Mario up, was absolutely atrocious. It took away from the point of even jumping on enemies, which in most Mario games, is one of the best things to do. There was no partners either. Having to go back and forth between levels that I've already played was tedious. The 'puzzles' were tedious. Basically everything about this game, was tedious. I enjoy the graphics that Paper Mario has to offer, but after playing Paper Mario 64, or playing Paper Mario : The Thousand Year Door, this one does not live up to its predecessors. Too much change, is not always a good thing. For those who are new to the series, I recommend only picking this up if you absolutely are desperate for a Mario game on the 3DS and have played - and beaten - the others.… Expand
  10. maxsonnage
    May 16, 2013
    5
    It should be a good game however, it has caused me to look at guides too much.
    It's baffling as what to do in places. A game should challenge you right? This one has puzzles that you can't logically figure out, you just wander about for an hour then give up and google the guide. Very poor. It's the first Paper Mario game I'm not going to bother completing due to the annoyance.
  11. jmc600
    Aug 12, 2013
    5
    This game is bad, especially for a paper Mario title. This a bare bones RPG title, no level up system which makes battles annoying, the only use of coins is to buy stickers to waste on enemys that you don't really need to kill anyways hence the NEED of a level up system, a bad story, the fact I cant go through the game without going online consistenty, and pointless combat, deteriorateThis game is bad, especially for a paper Mario title. This a bare bones RPG title, no level up system which makes battles annoying, the only use of coins is to buy stickers to waste on enemys that you don't really need to kill anyways hence the NEED of a level up system, a bad story, the fact I cant go through the game without going online consistenty, and pointless combat, deteriorate what is great combat and exploration… Expand
  12. MisterShmi
    Feb 18, 2014
    5
    Sticker system makes battling totally pointless. I was able to stay and complete the game though out of pure love of the paper mario series. Its too bad they removed the RPG elements and dumbed the game down to making battling such a chore.
  13. WheelzFourReelz
    Dec 30, 2014
    5
    The game is full of charm and the visuals are absolutely beautiful, but the "use stickers to attack" gameplay lacks any kind of depth, making this game feel very stale and not as fun as it could be if it had the RPG elements of the previous games.
  14. smeargle05
    Mar 24, 2016
    5
    Paper Mario Sticker Star is quite the mixed bag. It holds itself as a Paper Mario game, but in fact, it diverges from its roots a far bit. When you hear about what the game could have been, you can't help but be disappointed. It might be unfair to compare it to its predecessors, but there are many flaws in this game ignoring the fact that it deviates from the Paper Mario formula.
    I can't    Paper Mario Sticker Star is quite the mixed bag. It holds itself as a Paper Mario game, but in fact, it diverges from its roots a far bit. When you hear about what the game could have been, you can't help but be disappointed. It might be unfair to compare it to its predecessors, but there are many flaws in this game ignoring the fact that it deviates from the Paper Mario formula.
    I can't deny that the game doesn't look gorgeous. One thing the game got right was its visuals; the game finally has its paper aesthetic realized to a great potential. However, there isn't much variety in the visuals and characters themselves. The environments mostly adhere to the world formula of the sidescrolling platformers: grasslands, dessert, etc, etc. It even uses a world map in the same vain as Super Mario World or Super Mario Bros 3. There are no unique characters or enemies. In fact, all the Toads are the same. The story is barebones and really just acts as bookends for the unfocused adventure. What's frustrating is that this art direction is to be blamed by Miyamoto who was so adamant for the developers to stick with the existing Mario characters without altering them.
    On that note, Miyamoto is also to blame for the change in gameplay. There are no companions, and the battle system uses stickers for attacks rather than a menu. Now, it's great that the game is trying something different, but in this case, it was not executed well at all. Battles in almost every case aside from boss battles are unnecessary. Unnecessary in the fact that stickers - which substitute for actions in previous games such as hammer attacks, jump attacks and healing items - are completely expendable. A sticker album is used to 'organise' these stickers on the touch screen, and I put these in air quotes as there really isn't any order in it. Additionally, regular battles provide no real reward besides coins (which you can use to buy stickers, but why would you when you can just find aplenty them in the overworld). The experience points model is completely scrapped in this. There is no incentive to battle.
    As an action platformer, the game design mostly focuses on puzzle solving with this new gimmick of finding real world things aptly called "things". You use these "things" to clear a path or stop the flow of water, for example by deducing with logic (or common sense) which thing to use. For example, there are cardboard bowling pins blocking the way, a bowling ball is needed. However, it's not quite intuitive in how we find or retrieve these said "things" which can drag the pacing of progression by quite a bit from back tracking and searching to no end for these "things". It's also worth mentioning that all this platforming will have the ocassional ecounter with an enemy.
    It is a shame that this is what became of Paper Mario for the 3DS. It could have been great fun, even with its new ideas. But these new gameplay mechanics were poorly implemented and many gameplay elements from previous entries were sacrificed.    … Expand
  15. SuperMatt777
    Dec 12, 2015
    5
    As a long time fan of Paper Mario, I was truly excited for a handheld installment. Unfortunately, I don't feel this game lives up to the reputation of the past three in the series. While it has a few charms here and there, they are mostly overshadowed by its flaws. Battles are fun when you first start, but the lack of reward you get for battling makes them more pointless as you go along.As a long time fan of Paper Mario, I was truly excited for a handheld installment. Unfortunately, I don't feel this game lives up to the reputation of the past three in the series. While it has a few charms here and there, they are mostly overshadowed by its flaws. Battles are fun when you first start, but the lack of reward you get for battling makes them more pointless as you go along. The sticker concept is an interesting idea, but the stickers themselves had many flaws, such as many being over powered and unnecessary to use against almost any enemy. The boss battles were either tough as nails or complete pushovers depending on if you had the right stickers to use. I can say that many of the puzzles the game had to offer were fairly clever and really did get you thinking on which sticker you needed to solve it, Lastly, the lack of a story and creative Paper Mario staples made it feel like I was playing a main game rather than a Paper Mario game. All in all, I'd highly recommend playing the first three games before going to this one.… Expand
  16. EpicLadySponge
    Nov 10, 2016
    5
    [Re-edited on November 11th, 2016] People, hate on Sticker Star all you want, but don't hate on it being a normal game, hate on it being a Paper Mario game. If you take Sticker Star as its own self, you can make a great game out of it. Unfortunately, this game screwed many things with the franchise itself yet if they're all taken to different media like a movie or another video game, they[Re-edited on November 11th, 2016] People, hate on Sticker Star all you want, but don't hate on it being a normal game, hate on it being a Paper Mario game. If you take Sticker Star as its own self, you can make a great game out of it. Unfortunately, this game screwed many things with the franchise itself yet if they're all taken to different media like a movie or another video game, they can be great things. This game behaves a lot and builds a relationship with the main series. This caused a few things wrong.

    The entire Paper Mario franchise builds up in eight different chapters of progressing. Sticker Star took it down to six and worse, it's not even chapters, it's worlds. What is this? A Super Mario game or something? It says Paper Mario on it, not Super Mario. Please get it right. Bowser does not say a single word. Literally, not even a single letter. Not even a dialog box. Alright, we get that you're trying to make it like a platformer more than a RPG, but come on, this is a RPG. You must respect its genre and it's a must. No denies and counters. In the Paper Mario franchise, Mario is the silent one. Make it that way.

    Sticker Star does have a story, but it's clichéd and predictable from the start. Mentions of previous Paper Mario characters are featured in this game, but there are no new Paper Mario characters in this game or even returning ones, except for Kersti, which ironically doesn't sound original whatsoever. And whatever you do, get at least some fighting stickers or you're already prepared for a game over. No, you cannot level up either. It's impossible to determine what level Mario is in this game.

    The music (I'm looking at you, Supreme Sparkling King; Bowser Battle) is great which is quite ironic to say, but most of them doesn't even fit their respective scenarios. How am I going to fight Bowser for the final battle with some cheesy running music and not some menacing feeling like in the first three games? At least Shadow Queen and Super Dimentio had better final battle themes. Bowser even had one of the most menacing one in the series and ironically, he also have the least menacing one in the series. I can make most of the music fit onto YouTube videos and you could just pretend they didn't even come from this game. If you have read my Ghostbusters (2016) review, I have compared this game to that movie with a note of a reason. They both screwed their beloved franchises loved by many people, except Sticker Star is better at just being a good game than the reboot I would not love to call Ghostbusters.

    Onward, character design is very generic. It just rehashes previous Mario characters from already-existing Mario games. I've heard of this phrase before and it describes what this game needs. "Get it right and make it that way. Leave it alone."

    Sticker Star is like a near 8/10 if you just make it a game itself, a 5/10 if you make it an RPG, but when you put it onto the Paper Mario series, you disappoint many people, 2/10. I can now see where people are getting the 'Paper Mario 3D Land' title thing from. November 11th is Veterans Day, but what does Veterans Day have to do with the topic anyways? Sticker Star is released on the same day. This Veterans Day, don't think bad, think about veterans... and then you can flame Sticker Star on it being a Paper Mario installment afterwards.    … Expand
  17. Djungelorm
    Sep 27, 2016
    5
    This game is bad, but not as absolutely awful as some have suggested.
    The main bad thing about it is that it ditches some of the basic elements of an RPG, while still pretending to be one. I actually quite liked the gimmick of using stickers in battle, and having a certain amount of consumable attacks. However, the sticker interface is clunky and not user-friendly; it can take ages to    This game is bad, but not as absolutely awful as some have suggested.
    The main bad thing about it is that it ditches some of the basic elements of an RPG, while still pretending to be one. I actually quite liked the gimmick of using stickers in battle, and having a certain amount of consumable attacks. However, the sticker interface is clunky and not user-friendly; it can take ages to find the stickers you want to use and sometimes you might find you don't even have the ones you've been looking for for ages. A menu would have been better. Another concern about battles is the fact that you no longer gain EXP at the end of a battle, which means that there is absolutely no incentive to play battles at all unless they are unavoidable. The bosses are quite fun but very easy with the right stickers available and sometimes impossible without them.
    Also, the areas are more bland, and lack the original characters that made the first 2 PM games so great, in fact every character is called 'A Toad'. It really wouldn't have been hard to at least give them names or different colored spots, or have female toads. The fact that you are going through a linear level instead of looking around areas to complete quests makes it boring as well.
    I mean, it's still an entertaining game. There are small amounts of humor and a few more interesting areas, including a roller coaster queue and a quiz show. The soundtrack is average, and the graphics look good in 3D.
    You can find fun in this game. But if you want a game similar to the first 2 Paper Mario games, prepare to be extremely disappointed.

    Rating: 5.9    … Expand
  18. Chell_R
    Aug 23, 2020
    5
    ****************Garbage.************************* -COLOR SPLASH is better..
  19. Symplecort
    Nov 13, 2020
    5
    Is Paper Mario: Sticker Star really as bad as people say?

    Well in some ways, no. This game has some redeeming qualities that no one seems to talk about, like clever and funny dialogue, extremely good music, and fun boss fights, even though the battle system isn't that good. And that's the main problem with this game. The game revolves around these stickers, which you collect throughout    Is Paper Mario: Sticker Star really as bad as people say?

    Well in some ways, no. This game has some redeeming qualities that no one seems to talk about, like clever and funny dialogue, extremely good music, and fun boss fights, even though the battle system isn't that good. And that's the main problem with this game. The game revolves around these stickers, which you collect throughout your journey and use for battles. The attacks are really cool, but you can only use them one time then they're gone forever. You almost never have to worry about running out since each level is filled to the brim with them. But despite that, I always avoided fights whenever I could to save stickers for bosses. That's not a good thing.

    Like all Paper Mario games, you will have to solve puzzles to progress through the game. While some of the puzzles are brilliant, others are practically impossible without a guide, because they revolve around these "things." "Things" are 3D objects found within the game's 38 levels. Once you collect these "things", you can then go to Decalburg, which is the hub world, to paperize them which will allow you to use them. You can paperize as many "things" as you can, as long as your inventory has the space for them. They can also be used in battles, and some battles require the use of a specific one. But there's no real way to tell which of the 64 "things" you need to use without a guide.

    So is this game good? Well if you haven't played a Paper Mario game that was released prior to Paper Mario Sticker Star, you will enjoy this game. But longtime fans of the series will be disappointed that this game is not like its predecessors, with no exp or leveling up, no real reason to battle, and the lack of interesting characters. As for me, the perfect word to describe this game is "ok". It's not bad, but it's far from a magnum opus.    … Expand
  20. Xeilomatic
    Apr 29, 2021
    5
    It‘s very bad that this game has not really a story and only generic (exept Kersti). There‘s a overworld map like in the Mario Games,
    no really chapters, also no background stories of characters, no really battle system, where you don‘t choose who to attack and it also doesn‘t have experience points (XP) what makes the battles almost useless because you don‘t really have a disadvantage    It‘s very bad that this game has not really a story and only generic (exept Kersti). There‘s a overworld map like in the Mario Games,
    no really chapters, also no background stories of characters, no really battle system, where you don‘t choose who to attack and it also doesn‘t have experience points (XP) what makes the battles almost useless because you don‘t really have a disadvantage just to go around the standart battles.
    Also you don‘t have any partners.
    Also you have stickers (with are the only items with you can attack) etc.
    But it made some fun to play it the first time and it also have some little riddles.
    It‘s sad that this game was so great at the beta and it got ruined.
    But you can have fun with this game    … Expand
  21. tipp
    Dec 12, 2021
    5
    you're probably sure how mediocre and boring this game is, the characters are also boring, but its not a bad time actually. Its kinda aggravating, but still playable. 5.3/10
  22. 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
  23. fuchikoma
    Jan 9, 2013
    4
    The game shows off 3D well. The dialogue is funny. There's hardly any skill involved though. Mainly you're just walking around and hoping not to get into another tedious, pointless battle that will neither harm you nor make any significant gains. Then, after you clear the first world, the second starts by gating you based on a rare sticker. So go explore all the levels in the first worldThe game shows off 3D well. The dialogue is funny. There's hardly any skill involved though. Mainly you're just walking around and hoping not to get into another tedious, pointless battle that will neither harm you nor make any significant gains. Then, after you clear the first world, the second starts by gating you based on a rare sticker. So go explore all the levels in the first world again, turning them upside down looking for it and grinding (but not earning XP or anything) for hours just so you can take the next step! Seriously, who thought of that?

    The game starts off with a hearty dose of charm, but the gameplay turns it into a slow, plodding chore that wears out its welcome as you retread already overly simplistic stages again and again looking for rare stickers.    … Expand
  24. Relytia
    Nov 6, 2013
    4
    I love Paper Mario. I always have. That's why it pains me to give this game a much lower score than I waited months to give it. There's no doubt the concepts in PMSS are sound, the presentation is spectacular both in audio and visually, and the charm is off the charts. The problem is there is no rewarding systems built into the game to justify some of the design choices. Turn based battlesI love Paper Mario. I always have. That's why it pains me to give this game a much lower score than I waited months to give it. There's no doubt the concepts in PMSS are sound, the presentation is spectacular both in audio and visually, and the charm is off the charts. The problem is there is no rewarding systems built into the game to justify some of the design choices. Turn based battles leave you with no sense of progress of satisfaction as there are no star points or leveling up, only coins and stickers which are all over the game world anyway. This was promised for a long time to be a return to the kind of Mario RPG masterpiece that 1,000-Year-Door was, but the game gets in the way of that promise at almost every pivotal turn. The fact this could have been a true sequel to TYD and perhaps even surpass it makes the disappointment and boredom this game offers all the more bitter. I'm sorry Paper Mario fans, I'm sorry Intelligent Systems, but I really don't like this game.… Expand
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. BrushedRed
    Oct 9, 2016
    4
    Nintendo took everything we knew about Paper Mario and flipped it on its head. All the fun worlds are now gone and replaced with a world map, endless backtracking, bland and one-dimensional characters (basically all Toads), pointless combat (uses up stickers and gives nothing in return), no humorous characters, and not much of a story. The graphics are definitely nice, but that's about theNintendo took everything we knew about Paper Mario and flipped it on its head. All the fun worlds are now gone and replaced with a world map, endless backtracking, bland and one-dimensional characters (basically all Toads), pointless combat (uses up stickers and gives nothing in return), no humorous characters, and not much of a story. The graphics are definitely nice, but that's about the only good thing I can say about it. I tried to be positive about this game but compared to the previous ones, it's bad.… Expand
  30. UltraTektite
    Mar 25, 2016
    4
    Paper Mario Sticker Star took away everything that made the first two Paper Mario games great, and was an immense disappointment.

    For starters, it reverted to the simple "Bowser kidnaps Peach" story, and thus lacks the interesting and original stories that previous Paper Mario games had. And even though this generic story could have been executed well, it wasn't. A bland story can still    Paper Mario Sticker Star took away everything that made the first two Paper Mario games great, and was an immense disappointment.

    For starters, it reverted to the simple "Bowser kidnaps Peach" story, and thus lacks the interesting and original stories that previous Paper Mario games had. And even though this generic story could have been executed well, it wasn't. A bland story can still be redeemed by interesting characters, but Sticker Star has none, with the game's cast consisting of Mario, Kersti, Peach, Bowser, and about a million Toads. Yes, that's right. Instead of the game being filled with interesting and unique characters, generic Toads make up the entire supporting cast.

    The gameplay has taken a dive as well. The battle system, albeit creative, is extremely irritating and lacks much depth. The lack of exp and leveling up takes away all sense of reward, and has essentially stripped the series of the RPG elements that made it great. In addition, the lack of a connected world has removed nearly all sense of exploration that the series once had. Also, the puzzles are unfairly cryptic, many times requiring some obscure sticker that you get halfway across the gameworld, with no clues leading to it whatsoever. The same applies to boss battles, each of which has a weakness to one thing sticker, and the outcome of the battle will usually depend solely on whether or not you have that sticker.

    I'd like to be able to say something good about this game, some way it improved over previous Paper Mario games. But it is a downgrade in every way imaginable. The fact that this game's gameplay style is the new standard for the series makes me want to cry. Paper Mario is dead.    … 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

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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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