The presentation is cute beyond believe, the music is great, the fighting system is as simple as varied – it sure sounds like a winner. But at its core there are too many weaknesses on display, most notably the absence of RPG elements, which makes the fights too monotonous in the long run.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star sure isn't like the Paper Mario games that have come before it. So much so, that's it's hard to think of Sticker Star as a role-playing game. If role-playing is defined as collecting and using stickers, then it would fit, but it doesn't.

Though Paper Mario: Sticker Star may not be a game that I return to upon completion, I definitely enjoyed it and would recommend that fans of the series and those looking to enter into the Mario universe in a unique way on the 3DS pick this title up.

The game's superfluous combat and unforgiving puzzle-solving mechanics only serve to bog the experience down; I can only assume that, without them, Sticker Star would have been infinitely crisper and more enjoyable.

For all its beauty in the presentation stakes, Paper Mario: Sticker Star is certainly not the RPG than many fans of the series in general were expecting. It does prove to be a satisfying enough adventure after becoming accustomed to the mix and match of gameplay styles included, but the back-tracking and frustrating limitations of the sticker battling system fail to impress. The whole package feels a bit 'lost and confused.'

Super Paper Mario on the Wii showed that Nintendo is unafraid of experimenting with the franchise, and although Paper Mario: Sticker Star has a few minor missteps and a few missed opportunities (where is the sticker collection StreetPass mini-game?) it is still an adventure of considerable charm and intelligence and is hugely entertaining throughout. It also does more than most to vindicate the 3DS's now much maligned 3D screen, proving that – if used correctly– it still has the ability to wow. Its hero may be flat, but Paper Mario: Sticker Star will leave you feeling anything but.

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.

Though it looks like something that might run on the GameCube or the Wii, Sticker Star plays a lot more like something from the 8- or 16-bit era than most recent Nintendo adventure titles, which is a large part of why it's one of my new favorite 3DS games.

In keeping with the Paper Mario legacy, Sticker Star once again seeks to shake up the franchise template without betraying its common foundations. The result is a game which is thoroughly creative and sporadically impressive, but which is also surprisingly devoid of some of the common sensibilities of modern game design. Forgiving that, it's still a worthwhile romp for serious fans.

Much of what made Paper Mario charming in the first place still remains with Sticker Star. However, this 3DS game can be pretty tedious to play. The sticker system is a fresh and interesting idea, but ultimately, too many problems bog the game down and what's left is a lacklustre installment.

Intelligent Systems takes great care to shape its RPG for portable play. The world is divided into Super Mario Bros-style levels that each pack a tidy little narrative. Levelling is removed in order to keep these vignettes grind-free. And it's all wrapped up in Nintendo's typically hilarious localisation.

The plot and adventure are both more than worthy of the Paper Mario name, and the game is set in a massive, beautifully designed world for gamers to explore. Still, these aspects can't hide the fact that the sticker fighting system is flawed and removes a lot of the fun from the RPG combat.

Sticker Star has two sides. One is a world that's a simple, vibrant joy to be in. The other is a set of systems so pared back that they waver between easy and tedious, matched up to a badly signposted set of puzzles. There's just enough adventure and charm to mitigate the latter, but that's the shame of it; Sticker Star squeaks a pass when it could, and should, be spectacular

Small problems notwithstanding, Paper Mario: Sticker Star is easy to recommend to any 3DS-User. Just crank up the excellently utilized and in no way distracting 3D and don't expect the role-playing experience earlier games in the series offered and you get a refreshing take on the familiar formula.

The latest Mario papercraft adventure delivers an enjoyable and easy-to-play platform RPG, with some uninspired and sometimes frustrating design elements.

In developing its first Paper Mario games, Intelligent Systems could include all predicates of the previous games and even refined some aspects, particularly the turn-based combat, facilitated by the 3DS touchscreen.

A blend of genres that can be straightforward and fun, but also anodyne and tedious.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star is a worthy successor in the Paper Mario-series that will probably satisfy both veterans and newbies. Most of us will unmercifully get stuck within a puzzle or a dead end, but do know that there's no shame in looking for answers on the Internet.

Perfect for the handheld market, this new twist in the Paper Mario Saga is funny and compelling. Still, the overall experience is not perfectly balanced, and the combat system does not work well as the one of the previous chapters.

Sticker Star is absolutely worthy of the Paper Mario name.

If you can get past the repetitive combat and possibly even enjoy the grind towards the final boss, there's a lot to love in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. It doesn't hold up against the compelling experiences Fall 2012 is rife with, but it's another worthy entry to the ever-expanding 3DS software library.

While many expected recycling, Intelligent Systems has yet managed to get all his imagination to create the first Paper Mario on a handheld console. Sticker Star is a fabulous ambassador for stereoscopic 3D, as its paper universe is the ideal material to illustrate the aesthetic qualities of this technology. The scenario and fights are excellent too.

Paper Mario is something of a missed opportunity because it could become a much better game, but ultimately is very enjoyable and offers tons of fun.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star is clever and fully committed to its paperized setting. That's not enough to excuse its biggest flaws. You'll spend time backtracking and getting stuck on puzzles that require too much guesswork.

Paper Mario's first outing on a handheld device is pretty charming, but the paper is starting to tear. The lack of RPG-elements make the fights feel pointless and some strange decisions lead to frustrating moments. Despite all the stickers, his game doesn't stick.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star's pop-up book, papercraft visuals retain the series' classic charm and allows the developers to play around with the construction and development of their game world. While using stickers in combat and puzzle solving is a neat idea, players will usually end up hoarding their stickers for fear of needing them later on. This makes overall gameplay feel a bit slow and uninspired, but Sticker Star is a fun game to play regardless.

It's far from a bad adventure, but it's also not as cozy or cohesive as the previous Paper Mario games, or the sublime Mario & Luigi series of RPGs. There's plenty to enjoy, but Mario has done better as an RPG hero before.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star is a game that can easily be recommended to all kinds of gamers, but maybe especially to you who have been growing up with Mario from the very beginning.