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.

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 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

The puzzles are quite hard to figure out but don't worry you will figure them out. When I get to the bosses it is frustrating because I use up most of my stickers. It is a really good adventure game and you need to think about your strategy.

This was the worst showing for Paper Mario since release. Nintendo has removed all of the RPG, all the humour and all of the more interesting settings. Besides that, progression in the game itself is slow, with countless save/load screens and arbitrary nonsense and busywork designed to lengthen game-play in an otherwise unremarkable game.

This is by far my least enjoyable Paper Mario game. The premise behind using a battle system that revolves around no leveling up or learning new abilities is a travesty for an awesome RPG series like Paper Mario. For the first couple hours, I liked using the stickers and thought it was a cool idea. Then I ran out of them and I literally couldn't attack or do anything. Talk about a buzzkill.....As my frustration mounted from this stupid sticker system, I would run away from enemy encounters to stave my stickers. That is pathetic, and a painful flaw in the game design.

The story is funny, but I had to use a game guide to get through it. I do not know how this game is intended for kids based off how many times I got stuck. The lack of side quests too and the linearity really bothered me. Kristi is your only party member which is incredibly disappointing. Doesn't help too Kristi is kinda of a debbie-downer throughout the whole game.

The graphics and sound are superb tho. I loved how vivid each environment looked and it really had the Paper Mario charm in the looks department. This game definitely disappointed me, but I still managed to have fun with it… Expand

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.

It was unfortunate that the formula was really screwed up on for this Paper Mario Game...as my favorite series of all time, I wasn't happy about this game. Fortunately, the ok battle system and good dialogue+places can secure this game a solid 7. I will say that I am disappointed with this game though...especially the lack of rpg elements and a world map

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 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

If you're a Paper Mario fan, you're either going to love it or hate. Of course just by looking at my score i loved it. The sticker system, while out of tradition, is fun to use, and great use of resource management. The puzzles are more engaging than in any other title. Not to mention the backtracking is not as dreadful as the previous titles, THANK GOD. My only gripe is the boss battles can be really annoying, forcing you to run away in order for you to find the 'right sticker'. Although I miss the old Paper Mario mechanics, this is certainly worth checking out.… Expand

Yep, I'm really enjoying sticking stickers for this Paper Mario sequel. And not just that, this Paper Mario sequel features a new RPG-looking that much like a paper.

I am a big Paper Mario fan and I have kept up with the series since it ever came out. In my opinion I think this is one of the best Paper Mario games in the franchise. I have to admit that some of the RPG elements are gone but to me this game was fantastic with it's game play and fun ways in using different stickers. This game also was also harder than the other game, giving me a challenge on what stickers I need to defeat each enemy. I think this also had great 3D visuals and I loved how this Paper Mario game made the world more paper like than any of the other games in the series. This game is fun and well made and is a great game for the Nintendo 3DS. Long live Paper Mario!… Expand

The game had little to no character development, had a generic story, was not very interesting, had a broken battle system, and was sort of tedious. I will say that it was better than "Super Paper Mario," in that at times I did not even feel like I was playing a Mario game when playing "Super Paper Mario," but ultimately I did not feel that I was really immersed into the Mario world very deeply with Sticker Star either. I didn't really "get to know" characters very well. Some of the new Mario characters are sort of annoying. Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door is still by far my favorite. I wonder if Nintendo is still capable of making genuinely memorable games?… Expand

If you loved paper mario:the thousand year door and think its an amazing game, and you're like "this game is its sequel I'm expecting so much", a friendly advice: forget it, this game is average at best unfortunately. No new characters other than Kersti,. Bowser the awsome villain doesn't say anything, and the changes in this game are too great. Don't get me wrong, changes aren't bad, but taking everything that was good in paper mario(partners, leveling, badges, playable characters etc) and replacing them with just stickers is like paying 10 bucks just to receive 2. I mean, just go to Wiki once and see differences between this game and its previous titles, and you'll get a WHOLE lot of "this is the first game in the series NOT to have (that)".The areas are too simple- snow area, desert, forest, unlike the usually unique places of previous paper mario games. One thing that i'd love to say is good but unfortunately didn't turn out that well is that this game is based on puzzles a lot more than other mario rpg's which would be a good thing, but it is very likely that you'll miss whatever you need to solve the puzzle and you'll have to backtrack to get it., and there are tons of stages. Sometimes the solutions don't make sense either. It is very likely that you'll be frustrated/stuck here and there:p The battle system is done entirely by stickers. No stickers=can't attack. At all. The battles feel and are pretty much unrewarding as you have no experience points/level. When you win you get coins, which you use to get stickers, but in order to win you have to use stickers, which is kinda..you know. But in the end they did revert back to turn based battle system-the only good change to the game imo. Although I did list tons of negative aspects compared to positive ones, this is by no means a bad game, but is far inferior to other mario rpg's.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really don't know what to say about this game. This game can hardly even be called an RPG. The only "RPG" about it is that you meet enemies and engage combat with them in a turn-based battle. You get no experience points and when you run away from battle, the enemy disappears on the map like you actually defeated it. There is also no real point to combat other than getting coins, but those are pretty much only spent on the overpowered Things that you need to get in order to make Thing Stickers that you sometimes have to apply to the real world using your annoying sticker fairy partner's "paperize" ability. Sure, maybe you will need to buy a few mushrooms here and there but you can actually get all of these things EVERYWHERE in every level. The battles against a wave of enemies can get extremely annoying because you can't actually choose which enemy you are attacking: you will always attack the first one in the row. You need to use the Battle Spinner in order to attack enemies in the second row too, and it's extremely annoying. Bosses are unbalanced and can pretty much only be defeated by Thing Stickers. Some of them have certain weaknesses but these are never stated unless you've died about three times for not knowing something that was never hinted to. At a certain point I started to avoid combat altogether because I didn't want to waste the stickers I actually needed and either traverse previous levels to get some stickers again or return to Decalburg a billion of times in order restock on stickers(This may seem like it condradicts my previous statement but please keep in mind that this is still not a good thing no matter how you look at it.) Puzzles in the real world never have any real hints either: at a certain point in the game you have to freeze lava by pasting a certain Thing in the background. This could be a handful of Things: Shaved Ice, AIr Conditioner, Fan, etc. So yeah, it turned out to be the Air Conditioner but I only discovered that after failing numerous times with the other things it could possibly have been. There's too much trial and error like this throughout the whole game. But even with all these horrifying flaws, the game can still be fun. I had fun with the game and blasted through it quickly, but only because I had(with GameXplain's advice) watched some playthroughs a few weeks before it was released in Europe. I also have to praise the graphics: they look amazing. It's like the entire game was handcrafted and handdrawn by some sort of amazing artist: I had a lot of fun just watching the environment alone, ESPECIALLY World 4 and 5. But even then the environment is nothing that you won't find in the countless New Super Mario Bros. games: it's exactly those kind of worlds. Anyways, short summary: they could have done WAY better on pretty much everything in this game, but regardless of that it's still pretty fun and I reccommend it if you liked the previous Paper Mario games.… Expand

This game was my least favorite in the paper mario series, it is extremely hard to finish without a game guide, it doesn't communicate with the player enough, the boss battles require specific hidden thing stickers that if the player doesn't find or use in battle, they will not be able to finish the boss fight, the availability of stickers is good though, and the levels (most of them) are nicely done and sometimes pretty fun, but i dont see a use to the run away button if its a 50/50 chance to actually run away from a battle, it should be 100% if you tap A repeatedly.
Final Score: 7.5, but there's no halfway scoring option T.T… Expand

Oh this game. This cute little broken game. I really tried to like it, I really did, but there is so many game breaking issues in it (from cheap bosses, confusing levels and 3D perspective gone wrong) that as soon as I tried warming up to it, i'd have to put it aside in frustration. It's really cute, charming and beautiful and I replayed from levels just to look at how amazing it really was. But the average gameplay and serious issues make it seem like it was never play tested.… Expand

I really tried to give this game a chance. I really did. However, it rivals "Sonic: The Dark Brotherhood" in sheer crap factor. Sticker Star is just barely better in that you aren't forced to use the touchscreen to control the whole game. Sadly, where such touchscreen support would have been nice, it is glaringly absent, seemingly almost ignored. The plot is a bit too standard to a mario game, lacking any major twist to the plot that the previous entries in the series had. The complete lack of a development system makes the game fall very flat, as combat becomes nothing more than tedium, lacking real reason to exist. The sidekick you get is the most annoying since Navi herself and is even more useless than she is. All it needed to surpass her in raw annoyance was a sound effect telling you to listen like she does. For some reason, I found the constant use of the word 'sticker' to be very rapidly aggravating, and given it's said by almost every character in the game world, it was intolerable in less than 15 minutes or so. Once I hit a road block that had no obvious and immediate solution, I found myself feeling that I didn't like the game enough to bother looking at a game guide. I just shut it down, and went on to the next game I wanted to play. This game is an insult to the series, and the entire genre of JRPGs as a whole. Do yourself a huge favor: don't buy it. You aren't missing anything but compounding irritation.… Expand

The game was fun, beautifully designed and the RPG element is a kicker. I've never played the previous paper mario series so really I've got no complaint about "changes" and "improvement". I bought the game expecting a great Mario experience and I definitely got my money's worth. Two little things I wish were better: it could use more playable characters to enhance the RPG feel, and it probably could use a difficulty slider--the game was a tad too easy, despites the abundance of secrets and mysteries in it.… Expand

Paper Mario: Sticker Star is a hard game to review. As a Paper Mario game, it's very unexpected and different than the past console games in the series. However, it does a superb job as a handheld take of the series, and I feel that is the most important part. The visuals are done with love and care, and look great. The dialogue is great, as the series is reputed for having. The removal of some of the RPG elements of the game will no doubt disappoint many, but to be honest, they wouldn't really even be necessary in a game like this. It's a good game that all 3DS owners, fans and non alike, should at least try.… Expand

I don't understand why this game is getting such good reviews. It's terrible. The combat system is completely broken, requiring you to waste valuable time and materials (stickers) for absolutely no gain. With no leveling up, the turn based combat is pointless and time-consuming, serving no purpose but to collect money, which can be obtained far more quickly and easily by collecting "Things", turning them into stickers, and selling them. Worse yet, if you run out of stickers in combat, you are forced to run away, making the whole ordeal even more pointless. The boss battles are atrocious, requiring you to use specific stickers at specific times or else waste far too many of your stickers. To make matters worse, the specific stickers you have to use are always "Thing" stickers, which you can only ever have one of at any given time. Therefor, if you use the sticker at the wrong time, you're screwed. Worse still, if you fail to beat the boss the easy way, your partner will ridicule you for using too many stickers. The puzzles in the game can also be challenging, but too much so for my taste. Admittedly, the game looks very nice, and the music isn't terrible. But that doesn't excuse the horrid gameplay. (As I always say, gameplay before graphics.) Overall, this is a terrible game and I am sorry for buying it.… Expand

Im a huge fan of Mario and even more the original Mario RPG on Snes, this game is awesome in a single word, spectacular. I love this game in all aspects.

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 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

Paper Mario: Sticker Star is the first Paper Mario RPG game to appear on a portable game console. Compared to its prequels "Paper Mario" for the Nintendo 64 and "Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door" on the Nintendo Gamecube, this game is much smaller in scope and highly stripped down. Although the Paper Mario series is notably known for having a big emphasis on its story, in Sticker Star, this is not the case. King Bowser Koopa causes chaos and captures the princess Peach Toadstool, its up to the famous "Jumpman" himself Mario to solve the problems caused by Bowser and save the princess, that pretty much about it, no major plot twists and a lack of character development for most of the characters, friends and enemies alike (Especially Bowser, who although is the main villain, doesn't utter a single line of dialogue in the whole game). The RPG game mechanics are incredibly stripped down from the other RPG enteries in the series, since you can't gain experience or level up through battling at all, the only real point in battling is to get more money, gather unique "enemy attack" stickers if you don't like the more traditional ones available to you and some specific mandatory ones that are required to progress the plot such as cutscene battles, mini-bosses and main bosses. Instead of Badges, Items and Regular Attacks (Hammer & Jump) from the prequels, almost all of your possible actions (attacking, healing, countering, special abilities, ect.) are determined by the stickers you currently have in your inventory, if you don't have a specific kind of sticker, you can't do that action, the only actions that don't require utilizing stickers is attempting to run from battles, attempting a First Strike (hitting an enemy on the overworld before battle begins) and blocking attacks. There are many puzzles and situations throughout the game and although some can be ridiculously easy to figure out, there are a select few in which the solutions are extremely vague. These disrupt the game's flow since your helper Kersti usually doesn't give useful advice thus leading to trial and error to find a solution. The only ways to upgrade your character is to gather Maximum HP upgrades by finding secret rooms, completing levels in a specific way or by doing side-quests. The Music is quite the joy to listen to and the writing in the game, although as rather limited as it is, is still rather humorous and amusing. The game is still fun overall, although it is pretty short and has some questionable design choices, its a pretty good game.… Expand

Now paper mario had rough road it had to really good games then super paper mario which was a platformer but not a very good one. Now we are at paper mrio sticker star came out on portable system. So before I begin the review I have to say people sure like to compare this to quest 64. So it start out with the genric plot of bowser stealing peach and the the game begins and your collecting toads and sticker with the navi of this game kersti who from sticker place where they grant wishes and if this sounds familar it is because it is really simalr to super mario rpg except no geno and then after you save town you are sent out into the world where you collect comet pieces and with little to no story. So in the end it a good game but lacks paper mario normal orignality and exploring mario universe maybe it should stay on consles but still a very solid rpg on the 3ds… Expand

The things sticker puzzles are annoying, there's too little movement in the field, the story is boring and why are there only toads and old Mario enemies? Miyamoto, I like the sticker battle system and the paperising is a great idea (music and graphics are awesome too), but next time let Intelligent Systems just do their job alone. It's also far too short. However, I still liked it. Sticker Star still has some charm and there are a lot of secrets and awesome boss fights. The battle system isn't perfect (were's my EXP and why can't I choose which enemiy I want to attack?) but it's actually a lot of fun. I give it a 7; good, but it could have been much better!… Expand

"Waaaaa, they took out all the RPG elements, waaaaaaaa, no XP or levelling-up, waaaa"

Shut up, and enjoy a fantastic game. The humour and the use of stickers is great, the 3D looks awesome, and the environment was cleverly thought out. I love how the shiny stickers use the systems gyroscope to make them shimmer!

I was moved to actually sign up and review a game here from the mixed reviews. It's clear this is a game that divides Paper Mario fans, but I have to say this is probably one of the best games for the 3DS. This is an turn-based battling adventure without XP or levels, instead relying on your gradual mastery over the efficient use of the limited resources which the stickers represent in battle.

There is a little bit of backtracking, but it's nowhere near the time-wasting and stalling which put me off Super Paper Mario on the Wii. I disagree that the puzzles are random. They are occasionally obscure and could use a little signposting (hence the 9 instead of a 10) but they are always logical, given a little thought.

This is also one of the best-looking games on the 3DS and the mix of fun platforming and turn-based combat has had me hooked from the start. I've barely even looked at another game, despite some real crackers waiting the in the queue!… Expand

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 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

I was disappointed with the newest entry to this series. Most of the good parts an RPG are not present. You don't level up, so when you complete a battle, it is only for coins (if you are perfect in the battle). You don't have a partner, or partners, like in all other RPGs. At least the stickers somewhat compensate this though. One part of RPG that should have definitely been kept out was the world map system, which was quite out of tune to the other paper Mario games. The score is relatively high because the humour is still present in the game. Overall 7.1/10… Expand

There are so many things wrong with this game, first of all the plot is too linear you play as Mario throughout the whole game you don't get to play as peach or bowser, there are no new characters other than kersti, all the characters in the game are from the Mario platformers, there are no exp so you can't level up and if you run out of stickers you have no choice but to run away, peach only has about five lines, bowser is the main antagonist and he has no dialogue, in the previous installments the main antagonist always had dialogue, and one of this game's worst problems is that luigi went from being a playable character to a glorified cameo, I have no idea what nintendo was thinking when they made this game.… Expand

It's sad how oblivious and uncaring Nintendo was with this game. This is by far the worst in the series and definitely the worst Mario game for 3DS. Almost everything that made the previous installments great and special was removed. The biggest change in this game is the pointless sticker system. If you don't know what it is, Google it because I ain't got the time to explain it. Basically it makes each battle feel like a waste of time. Since their is no leveling in this game, you don't get XP from winning battles, all you get is money, which is used to buy stickers, which are used to battle (you see what I'm getting at here). This is one of the most disappointing games in a long time, save your money and get something else.… Expand

While fans of the Paper Mario series may be disappointed if they were hoping for a return to the classic RPG gameplay, if you stick it out and play the game anyways, you'll be rewarded with a unique, if slightly flawed, experience.
. The Sticker system used by the game feels gimmicky at first, but as you play you'll realise the system actually forces you fight more strategically than Flower Points of past games ever did. You used to be able to play an extremely flashy move and just restore your Flower Points to do it again, in Sticker Star, use your most powerful sticker, and it'll be the last time you do until you can get another of those stickers. Large stickers do more damage, but they take up more room. Then there's thing stickers. These unique stickers represent 3D objects you've flattened into sticker form, you'll need them to solve puzzles and move forward within the game. This includes the puzzle of finding each boss's weakness and making them much more manageable to defeat. Keep in mind as you play that nontraditional thinking is the way of Paper Mario, and each puzzle may not be fixed by the most logical method. The system will keep you planning ahead for what you'll need later in the game.


The battle system itself works similar to the original Paper Mario, pick the right attack, and time it right to do extra damage. Then block wheny our enemy attacks. The only real difference is that instead of an unlimited number of attacks, your moves are now represented by stickers. While definitely a fun system, the problem isn't with the mechanics of fighting, rather than your motivation to fight itself. With no exp or levels gained from fighting, only coins, you'll find yourself avoiding fights the entire game. The plot is lacking, just a standard Bowser snatches up Princess Peach story, I must admit I was expecting more from a Paper Mario game. Overall, risks were taken, and while Nintendo found a fun new gameplay, it needs to be refined before they use it again, which I honestly hope they do. Keep the classic Paper Mario formula for the consoles, this sticker based formula works great for the ds.… Expand

Sempre é difícil quando um game muda seu gênero completamente, mostrando uma outra proposta e uma outra dinâmica aos gamers pelo mundo. Com esse Paper Mario não foi diferente. Sticker Star nos mostra algo realmente novo, mas não tão encantador como fora as outras séries de Mario de papel. Os outros Paper Marios (principalmente do N64) foram clássicos e marcaram toda uma geração. ST, para quem é novo nesses mares, pode ser algo frustrante ou algo realmente bom. Mas para quem é velho de guerra pode se decepcionar muito com o game, fato esse os próprios Stickers ou selos. Mas quando se joga a fundo o jogo, vê-se que a Nintendo mais uma vez cala a boca dos haters dando aos jogadores algo novo e muito prático de ser usado. O sistema de leveis não existe mais, isso é bem verdade, todavia as batalhas ficaram muito mais rápidas e muito mais dinâmicas. Não há aquela necessidade monótona de enfrentar todo os inimigos do mapa a fim de evoluir no game. Apesar de ser taxado como RPG, acredito que ST esteja mais para um game mix de ação com plataforma com pitadas temperadas de RPG. Os selos são super variados, simples de se usar, caros nas lojas (mas chove dinheiro nesse game) e com efeitos muito legais. Os gráficos são bons, mas poderiam ser infinitamente melhores, contudo houve uma grande preocupação da Nintendo em mostrar os efeitos físicos do papel. Exemplo: quando se usa um ataque de água, o inimigo morre literalmente morre encharcado assim como fica um papel quando jogado em um balde d'agua; quando se usa a Fire Flower, os inimigos carbonizam e viram pó. Essas e mais coisas são legais de se ver e é gratificante ver o esforço feito nessa parte. Mas os gráficos poderiam ter sido mais caprichados e polidos. O game não é tão grande assim. Acredito que tenha horas suficientes e não chega a cansar o jogador. Se você ainda não jogou, jogue,… Expand

Paper Mario: Sticker Star is a game that I wanted to love, and my 3ds was desperately waiting for a great RPG. This, however, is not that game. The humor, visuals, and music are all wonderful.. the only problem, is the main concept. There is very little RPG elements left in this game. Stickers do a defined damage, there are no stats, no leveling up.. no experience points. You are collecting stickers, getting some money for beating baddies... so that you can buy a few more stickers. Hopefully being able to buy more than you used in the battle. It's sad how pointless battles are in this game. Strategy is limited, skill is almost a non-factor.. Those things that made the GC title (The Thousand Year Door) shine are gone. WIll the ever return? Is this the direction of the portable title alone? Will this style infect console Paper Mario titles? I can only hope this doesn't do well sales-wise.. which is sad because I'm a huge fan of Nintendo, and Paper Mario... this game was a let down for me.

Rent it, but it used. Don't support this title. It's a disgrace to the other great PM games.. :(… Expand

This Paper Mario is fantastic! it feels fresh and new and exciting to play. Fans of the series might find some of the changes made to this game a hit or miss but i truly enjoy the gameplay as a whole and find it to have a large fun factor. The Paper Mario series is known for its comedy and fun bright and colorful environments which are all held in tact in this game along with great music and fun characters. This is a game that was made to be played for fun as all games should be but sadly many can't get that aspect right. If you are new to the series there isn't much of a learning curve you can learn the combat and main mechanics quite easily so you can be better equipped to face the challenges ahead. And speaking of challenge this game has a fair challenge to it not over the top like some games but enough to make you look before you leap and use more problem solving in certain situations. Overall i'd recommend this game highly to anyone looking for something fun cause thats what this game does best!… Expand

Paper Mario 64 and Paper Mario The Thousandth Year Door will always be classics games, as they have expanded the mario universe by setting grand, deep adventures revolving around interactions with its inhabitants. Super Paper Mario is more so a completely different game than a direct sequel to these two games. Despite being a sequel nominally, Super Paper Mario features a completely different gameplay style, with nearly as much depth as its prequels. However, Super Paper Mario fell short of matching the greatness of the first two Paper Mario games. Then there's Sticker Star. Sticker Star began in development as a conventional Paper Mario game in the style of the first two games, but Miyamoto insisted that the game be playable as a handheld. Although change is often good for sequels, for Paper Mario, this may not be the case. Sticker Star lacks depth of any sort. The story is.....big surprise: Bowser kidnaps peach..... and that's all there is to it. There are few interesting side characters, no party members, and little dialogue. These factors are what made the first three Paper Mario games so memorable. Rather than having story based gameplay with the inclusion of puzzles, Sticker Star consists solely of puzzles revolving around the newfound ability to "stickerize". This does make for some creative puzzles, but these puzzles alone do not justify this game being called a Paper Mario game. I am tempted to rate this game lower, because I am stubborn and disappointed that this game lacks the depth of the prequels, but I must admit that this game does succeed on some levels. The sticker battle system forces you to allocate your stickers appropriately. However, this is the only strategy involved in the whole game, and it is rather thin strategy. You will surely lose to a boss if you do not, by sheer chance, guess its weakness. There are over 60 possible "thing" stickers to choose from, and certain bosses can only be defeated with a particular one, and it is hard to guess which one it is, until you die several times and the game gives you a hint. To wrap this review up I'll conclude by summarizing the games pros and cons. A pro are that it once again attempts to keep the Paper Mario formula fresh by changing up the gameplay. A con is that is also gets rid of the characters, story, and atmosphere that made the other three entries in the series so great. Another pro is that, once you get used to the sticker system, collecting, and puzzles, the game is often pretty fun at times. A con however, is that the battle system is flawed, especially for boss battles, and there is little depth to anything in the game. However, this game's not all that bad, I just hope that the next Paper Mario game actually has a soul.… Expand

My only complains are that the game feels a little linear to me and the lack of incentives for the battles other than healing, coins and stickers.
The things I liked the most are the sticker system, it makes you manage more thoughtfully the stickers you carry and finally the humor of the game is just right, it's a light RPG for the go.

Since I grew up with Paper Mario I have come to love the series with TTYD being my favorite, I went out and bought a 3DS XL just for this game (for now). The game immediately caught my attention when first playing it because of the unique changes they made to fit the criteria of the 3DS. I noticed right away that they discarded the "non-battle sequence" found in Super Paper Mario and put in the basic idea of RPG fighting seen in Paper Mario (1) and TTYD, which was very nice addition. The new fighting mechanics of using stickers to fight can sometimes be a bit frustrating in some cases if you don't have enough stickers. Basically, if you don't have enough stickers you are forced to look for more to do battle. And by battles, I mean boss battles, as there are almost no reasons to fight enemies unless you want coins or some other stickers. And this leads me to another minor flaw about the game... Battles offer no real reward as in the previous titles. All you get are coins, like I already said. But those minor flaws don't really interfere with the rest of the reasons why I think it's a great game and it deserves its share of praise. Paper Mario: Sticker Star might not be the best game in the series, but it isn't the worst either. That said I give the game a high 9/10.… Expand

Of all the Paper Mario games this is deffinatly the worst, but does that mean its bad? Heck no! This game pushes the whole everything is paper and cardboard art style the farthest making the graphics amazing. Also the gameplay is really creative.. here's we're the problems come in battling is next to pointless there is no exp. bar so battling is just for money. Also the game is terrible with telling you what to do (bosses are great examples) Lastly the story is really lame compared to the last two games… Expand

Change is bad. 'nuff said. I honestly don't know what to say about it besides how awful this one is compared to the originals. This shouldn't be classified as an RPG in any way because there's no incentive to fight and all attacks can only be used once before having to get more.

A wonderful and yet frustrating game. Many moments of joy quickly give way to frustration as you wander the world looking for the right sticker or clue. Combat is fun and quick, but you can also end up locked in prolonged combat if you don't have the right attacks. It's surprising to see such a polarizing game from Nintendo, especially when they are the ones who perfected the making games that appeals to everyone.… Expand

Do you want a hardcore Mario game? Paper Mario: Sticker Star is tougher than its predecessor and a surprisingly hardcore experience. Puzzles are sometimes difficult to solve; bosses battles are long and difficult (especially if you can't figure out their secrets). Many reviewers criticised its linearity and I have to agree with that. Lose a valuable sticker..BAM...you're either stuck or dead. Nevertheless, the game is so charming, funny and unique that you forgive the occasional frustration.… Collapse

A very enjoyable addition to the Paper Mario series. While the plot and gameplay never reaches the depth of Thousand Year Door, it feels perfectly suited to quicker handheld play.
Excellent production values and music throughout.

Sticker Star, like all the other games in the series, is a brilliantly-crafted game. The stickers, although they may feel gimmicky at first, turn out to be an entertaining addition to the game. The writing, as always, is consistently entertaining; there aren't many other Mario characters who repeatedly mock Kamek and his magikoopa brethren for being a hipster, and the visual presentation is brilliant, perfectly complimenting that 3DS's 3D.

The game has some hiccups, though. Puzzles frequently stray from being to difficult to being plain unfair, making you burn through valuable stickers looking for an ambiguous answer; for instance, at one point you have to melt some snow, and have a Lighter, a Heater, and a Match. I hope you picked the Heater first, because those other two won't drop back into your inventory if you chose them. It's similar with bosses: most require a specific item to beat, but that item may not even be in that level. Another weak point is the story, which, unlike the deep plots of the previous two installments, is almost exactly like the original's, where an invisible Bowser captures Peach and you have to collect Plot Coupons to beat him.

But those issues rarely detract from this otherwise engaging game. If you have a 3DS, Paper Mario: Sticker Star is a must-have.… Expand

Meh. I really don't care for the new style. There are a ton of problems I have with this game and I'm just into the second level. I'll limit it to my three biggest gripes with this game. First, the gameplay makes you conserve your stickers for more powerful enemies which isn't fun at ALL. Second, the story. It's just SO boring. Just Bowser causing trouble again. But honestly my biggest gripe comes with how the art style is just overcompensating for the title "Paper Mario". Why? This wasn't a problem, even with the first game, why now? It's a decent game and while it isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, I say it's worth a try.… Expand

I love you Nintendo but why would you ever make a game that goes against everything i've learned in my 20 years as an RPG player. Why would you switch up the combat system this ridiculously. This is worse than Paper Mario Wii.

Do not fix what is not broken Nintendo.

I honestly feel that the gameplay is too different, throwing the familiar battle system out of the window for this sticker gimmick. The story on the other hand is not different enough. Someone familiar with the Mario RPG's would know that they usually have really creative setups and villains that become instant fan favourites such as Fawful and Dimentio. None of that here. Just Bowser kidnapping Peach. Same old. Pity, but it's a perfectly functional game so my personal gripes aside, it's still a solid game, as to expect from Mario.… Expand

At first, Paper Mario will look like a smaller version of the RPG classic we've learned to love, but after the first 10 hours you'll realize that it's just as big (if not bigger), than its older brother. Paper Mario is a solid adventure with some reworked RPG elements, that have been modified to fit a handheld, and it does an excellent job in doing so. I'll give you the basics and what you need to know in deciding if this title is for you or not. The combat has been completely overhauled into a strategic battle that is turned based and executed with stickers. Instead of leveling up. Some people might not like that idea but for me it works great! Finding heart pieces to extend your life bar and stickers to make you more powerful works really well and I found myself liking it a bit more than having to level grind to get stronger. The point of battles is to acquire some rare stickers "at times", and coins to purchase and convert rare items (things), into stickers to unlock SEVERAL hidden areas. This game is HUGE and full of hidden areas that are only unlocked with rare stickers you might find in other areas. Paper Mario does a fantastic job in NOT holding your hand and making you actually think on were to go next. It is not linear and has a map that reminds me of SMW(SNES), where you are able to unlock certain areas after completing such and such objectives. Paper Mario focuses more on an adventure with some platforming but stays true to its roots. Combat is even more complex and could be easy or difficult, depending on your knowledge and album size; that's right, your able to upgrade your album as you progress to fit more stickers in. As I mentioned before, instead of leveling up, you have to find heart pieces and expand your album as you progress which actually is sort of like leveling up, without actually making your attack stronger, the stickers you find along the way make your attacks stronger. The rarer the sticker the stronger your attack so it evens itself out. I can't stress how beautiful the overall world is! This is truly a remarkable game that utilizes the 3D function to the fullest extent. I honestly was skeptical on getting this but am sure glad I did, because Paper Mario Sticker Star is one of the better titles in the series since Paper Mario 64. GET THIS GAME, but be warned that it is re-worked to be played on the go and is more like a wonderful adventure filled with puzzles and witty humor, instead of the traditional leveling up system. Either way, the combat is just as entertaining and satisfying as the previous versions. It's all up to the stickers and how you use them that will decide if your able to achieve victory... Enjoy!… Expand

Pure brilliance. This is the 4th entry in the Paper Mario series, and possible the best one yet. This game introduces an innovative sticker system that's a lot of fun to use. You collect stickers and use them to do various attacks on enemies. Very good use of 3d, and very good value. This game will keep you busy for weeks.

So far, I have beaten the first world in this game, so I haven't fully experienced, but I really enjoy what I've been experiencing so far. The game has that same charm that we have been having with the series. I wasn't a fan of SPM, but TTYD and the original are some of my favorite games, so I welcome the return to the turn based. HOWEVER I feel that the combat lacks a rewarding feeling, because the only thing you get from battle is coins. This gives me more of a "I better just avoid all the enemies I can" sort of feeling. I also wish there were more towns other than Decalburg(I could be wrong here, I've only finished world 1). This game is incredibly fun though, the combat feels as great as ever, and I have a smile on my face the whole time with that jazzy music. While this game isn't nearly as deep as it's predecessors, it's still a meaty experience on the 3DS.… Expand

While many of the core mechanics are just different enough to concern many long-time fans, fear not! This is certainly the heir to the Paper Mario lineage! Those that accept the sticker collect-a-thon will get dozens of hours of fun from this great game.

Even though it is way better than the one on Wii, it still isn't better than the ones Gamecube and N64. It still is a great game though. It still has great humor and alot of great battles and the sticker combat system is a great feature that adds alot to the game.

Wow. It's been 5 years since the last Paper Mario game. I just hope I don't have to wait that much for the next one. Anyway, Paper Mario Sticker Star it's one great game. I like the fact that is turn-based like the good old days, but I also like that it keeps the feel of a 2D game that SPM had. The idea of collecting stickers to do attacks was dumb at first, but after trying it, I loved it. The main theme it's one of the best Paper Mario has to offer in terms of music. Just search it on YT. The visual style it's nice, nothing too different from PM2 and SPM. The thing I don't like about the game it's the design of some levels can be a little confusing at times. There are no partners or badges in this game which pisses me off. In conclusion, Sticker Star it's a good game, but it kinda lacks the appeal of the other games in the series.… Expand