Paper Mario: Sticker Star Review

Sylocat

Sci-Fi & Shakespeare
Nov 13, 2007
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The review tells me literally nothing about the writing. That's the main selling point of the Paper Mario series for me, and the review just skips it?
 

Warachia

New member
Aug 11, 2009
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I don't know, nearly everything in the review I see as a negative, mainly the one use battle items, so can you screw yourself over by using a boss weakness without knowing it? Also, if there's no level ups, and you had a good arsenal, why would you ever try to fight the enemies at all?
I'm also surprised the review never once mentioned anything about characters or story, I thought the paper mario series did things differently in that regard.
 

BehattedWanderer

Fell off the Alligator.
Jun 24, 2009
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MikeWehner said:
I see a lot of people saying they wanted another TTYD, and that's a perfect valid request, given that Sticker Star does carry the Paper Mario name, but as a portable title I just wasn't expecting that when I started playing. I feel like if the game had gone deeper (by adding leveling, a more complex story, more dialogue) there would be others complaining that it doesn't fit on the 3DS and can't be followed in small bites. Nintendo had to make a choice, and they chose to make it a simpler affair overall, and with that in mind, I think they nailed it.
I haven't played it yet, since I don't have a 3DS, but this part of your comment caught my eye. Had this thread been filled with "Yes, it's basically TTYD with 3D", I'd have gone and bought one just to play this, I loved the other Paper Marios so much. If it bears the Paper Mario name, then there's some things I expect of it. By the sound of it, almost all of those things are missing. Just because it's a mobile port shouldn't mean that we should expect less of it, if they're choosing to brand it with the same title. God of War didn't stop being God of War when it went handheld, nor did Uncharted or Super Mario Bros. Metroid and Zelda titles on the handhelds as a rule almost usually match the console versions, so to hear that it might be a great game but doesn't feel like a Paper Mario game is disheartening. I don't mind them trying something new, but I'd much prefer they didn't call it a PM game, and leave out all the Paper Mario elements except the "Paper". It worked as a cute little joke here and there in TTYD, and that it was never mentioned made it all the more enjoyable as an aesthetic choice with occasional tied-in mechanic. The title they use for the series is what we come to this series for. Paper Mario means lovable characters with helpful abilities, an interesting story that is fun to watch it play out, abusing the leveling system, a fun aesthetic, and a solid RPG. By what I'm reading here, it falls fairly flat on most accounts. If it was a standalone title, or an offshoot, then it wouldn't have the problematic second part of the quote of "...but it's not a good Paper Mario game".
 

Electrogecko

New member
Apr 15, 2010
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BehattedWanderer said:
MikeWehner said:
I see a lot of people saying they wanted another TTYD, and that's a perfect valid request, given that Sticker Star does carry the Paper Mario name, but as a portable title I just wasn't expecting that when I started playing. I feel like if the game had gone deeper (by adding leveling, a more complex story, more dialogue) there would be others complaining that it doesn't fit on the 3DS and can't be followed in small bites. Nintendo had to make a choice, and they chose to make it a simpler affair overall, and with that in mind, I think they nailed it.
I haven't played it yet, since I don't have a 3DS, but this part of your comment caught my eye. Had this thread been filled with "Yes, it's basically TTYD with 3D", I'd have gone and bought one just to play this, I loved the other Paper Marios so much. If it bears the Paper Mario name, then there's some things I expect of it. By the sound of it, almost all of those things are missing. Just because it's a mobile port shouldn't mean that we should expect less of it, if they're choosing to brand it with the same title. God of War didn't stop being God of War when it went handheld, nor did Uncharted or Super Mario Bros. Metroid and Zelda titles on the handhelds as a rule almost usually match the console versions, so to hear that it might be a great game but doesn't feel like a Paper Mario game is disheartening. I don't mind them trying something new, but I'd much prefer they didn't call it a PM game, and leave out all the Paper Mario elements except the "Paper". It worked as a cute little joke here and there in TTYD, and that it was never mentioned made it all the more enjoyable as an aesthetic choice with occasional tied-in mechanic. The title they use for the series is what we come to this series for. Paper Mario means lovable characters with helpful abilities, an interesting story that is fun to watch it play out, abusing the leveling system, a fun aesthetic, and a solid RPG. By what I'm reading here, it falls fairly flat on most accounts. If it was a standalone title, or an offshoot, then it wouldn't have the problematic second part of the quote of "...but it's not a good Paper Mario game".
It's funny, because they actually went all out with the paper motif in a way they definitely did not in previous games.

I think everybody has their own expectations of a franchise....I'm not thrilled with the lack of partners in the game, but it still feels like Paper Mario to me without them, and I've never considered that Paper Mario couldn't exist without them. (At this point, the only constants in the series are the "paper" theme, and an unorthodox leveling system.....and a boot and hammer) In fact, I'm usually more compelled to buy the more unique offshoots of a franchise considering how many entries the series is bound to get in it's lifetime. I have faith that they'll return to the more classic formula at some point, but in my mind, the more time between similar entries to a series, the better.

Just like with SPM, Sticker Star has a core mechanic that Intelligent Systems stuck with (no pun intended) through and through, for better or for worse. I think that the concept is rather brilliant, even if it does come with a few kinks, and I think the game deserves some credit for having a new and unique take on the RPG formula and not simply resting on it's establishments. I won't say that I'd take Sticker Star over TTYD or the original Paper Mario, but I think it deserves the franchise name for it's creative spirit.
 

Electrogecko

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Apr 15, 2010
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Something that I'm surprised more people haven't mentioned is that (in my experience) most the bosses that you're supposed to use a "Thing" on can be beaten without one through exceptional sticker choice and perseverance. Lots of these encounters seem to have a wide variety of solutions and I'm often left wondering after a big fight what else I could've used or done differently.
 

mechashiva77

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Jul 10, 2011
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Despite it being a good game, I think I might skip this one. Like a lot people have said, if the game is lacking the charm and the characters of the previous Paper Mario games (Yes, that means I genuinely liked Super Paper Mario. Come fucking at me bros), then I don't want to pick it up. I liked how developed Bowser and Peach were in these games, beyond the standard "Imma kidnap you Peach!" and "Oh no Mario save me!" and of course the companions as well. The villains were menacing as hell. Bowser kicks your ass flat out in the first arc of Paper Mario, you have a demon that destroyed a city possessing Peach in the second, and a guy that wants to UNMAKE THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE in the third (which humorously enough, is a result of Bowser and Peach getting married). Sure it's a rehash of the plot of the first game (Bowser finds MacGuffin, kidnaps Peach), but it was at least entertaining and had the dialogue, characters, humor, and environment to back it up. This one sounds like it doesn't.