Paper Mario: Sticker Star

- Reviewed on 3DS -

Paper Mario: Sticker Star released on November 11th, 2012. 

This was my first true Paper Mario experience and surprisingly I had a blast playing this game.

Were there things I didn't like, yes, but those negatives don't outweigh the positives. 

Very charming and funny at times, Paper Mario: Sticker Star uses all the 3DS has to offer and even though there are some very hard puzzles / areas I doubt anyone could find without researching (like I had to do), I believe the majority of players would definitely enjoy their first playthrough of this title, just like I did.   

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

The overall story involves Mario helping Kersti collect all six royal stickers from various areas in the game and from various bosses such as a Megasparkle Goomba, Tower Power Pokey, Gooper Blooper, and more. 

Understandably other players I have read online about, dislike this Paper Mario title because the RPG element of the game's series is lacking in Sticker Star. 

Unfortunately (as of writing this blog post) Paper Mario: Sticker Star is the only game in the series I have played beginning to end so I can't truly tell how they feel because I haven't experienced the other game's RPG mechanics. 

In my honest opinion though, Sticker Star does have a fun and interesting story although it is very basic and follows a very well known Mario formula (in terms of story telling). 

Paper Mario: Sticker Star includes a lot of fan favorites in the series including Birdo, Bowser, Peach, lots of Toads, Bowser Jr., Wiggler, and even secret Luigi's that I enjoyed finding. 

The locations in Sticker Star that you go to are very fun, however they all do feel kind of uninspired because they are all very similar to previous Mario titles. 

My biggest gripe with Paper Mario: Sticker Star is the repetitiveness of the battling. 

Yes, I know the whole point is turn based combat, but at the end of the day it just feels boring after a while when you are simply pushing one button (in rhythm based battle). 

The battles were fun at first but by the second boss battle I just felt like I wanted something different from the battle mechanics. 

Music is charming and upbeat throughout the game and all music truly represents the level(s) you are currently in / battling in. 

Actually, exploring each individual level was very smooth due to great controls by the 3DS however secret areas for hidden items / power ups were unbelievably hard to find and required me, at times, to use a walkthrough for the game. 

Using a walkthrough while playing kind of took the enjoyment out of my playthrough but not all the time. 

There are plenty of items (stickers) to use in battle and to progress in levels. 

These vary between Jumping Shoes, POW Blocks, Shells, Fire / Ice Flowers, Hammers, etc. 

You collect these in levels by peeling them off the levels' surfaces. 

There are also real life / realistic items like Ovens, Scissors, Bats, etc. called simply "Things" that you can turn into stickers (items) and use in battles. 

There is a sorting option that sorts all your stickers in your sticker book (located on the 3DS's bottom screen constantly) that really helped me out a lot. 

Pros: 

    - Smooth Controls
    - Original Mario Characters 
    - Sorting Option for Sticker Book
    - Great Music

Cons:

    - Very Repetitive
    - Basic Story

My Rating for Paper Mario: Sticker Star (on 3DS):

3 / 5


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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.



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