Paper Mario: Sticker Star

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Paper Mario: Sticker Star <sup>(JPJapanese: ペーパーマリオスーパーシール

Romaji: Pēpā Mario Sūpā Shīru

Meaning: Paper Mario: Super Seal)</sup> (also known as Paper Mario 4 and Paper Mario: Super Sticker in China) for the Nintendo 3DS is a game for the handheld announced at Nintendo's E3 2010 showing. It is a return to the series' traditional role-playing game setting, however, it made many changes to the role-playing game system. It is preceded by Super Paper Mario from 2007, and was succeeded by Paper Mario: Color Splash in 2016.

Plot[]

Paper Mario: Sticker Star has a notably small story, as Shigeru Miyamoto requested that here be less story element in the game to help let the gameplay have more of an effect.^[1]

Chapter 1[]

The story starts out as a narrator reads you a book that has the events of the game.

It is the annual Sticker Fest in the Mushroom Kingdom. Many Toads gather around along with Princess Peach and Mario to watch the Sticker Comet fly by. As the comet flies by it descends onto a stage. Then Bowser comes along with some Goombas and Koopas to crash the festival. Bowser decides to steal the comet because of its power. Several Toads try to stop Bowser, however he manages to get past them. Though he accidentally crashes into the comet, and scattering several royal stickers across the kingdom. Then a gold crown-like sticker fall onto Bowser's head, and appears to give him much power. Then Mario steps in to try and defeat Bowser by jumping on him, then the screen turns white.

Mario wakes up to find himself laying in the middle of the Sticker Fest grounds and soon finds Kersti. She at first blames him for destroying the comet, however Mario insists that it was Bowser who destroyed the comet. Kersti first criticizes Mario for putting the blame on someone else, but eventually believes Mario after Mario agrees to help her gather up the scattered royal stickers so that Kersti can return to the Sticker Comet. Kersti then suggests Mario to find a way out of town so that they can start searching for the royal stickers.

Mario then is free to walk around the town and save Toads that became stuck or hidden during Bowser's attack, many of them being stuck because of a tape like substance that appears to be a kind of Bowser Sticker. He can also peel stickers off of objects and when he does so Kersti gives him a sticker album to store them in. From one of the Toads that Mario saves he receives a hammer that he can use. The Toad informs him that the hammer had an important role in the history of the Mushroom Kingdom.

As Mario precedes through the town he comes up to an area where the town is so badly damaged that the section of town is rolled up into a sideways cylinder, so Mario has to save all of the Toads so that they can unroll that section of town.

When Mario find all of the Toads and returns to the rolled section of town, the Toads prepare to unroll the section of town. The green Toad jumps on top of the rolled up section of town and the Toads give a strong push, then it un-rolls, trapping the green Toad underneath it. Oddly none of the Toads notice that the green Toad was trapped underneath the section of town. Then all of the Toads wander through the town.

When Mario tries to leave the town he is stopped by three Goombas, who attack him. So Kersti gives Mario a few jump and hammer stickers and teaches him how to use stickers in battle. After Mario defeats the Goombas they flee, and Mario advances to Warm Fuzzy Plains.

While wandering through Warm Fuzzy Plains, Mario is run into by a Toad, who then precedes to drop a large, rare, gold scissor sticker. He then tells Mario that Bowser Jr. was going after him because he wanted the rare sticker that he found, and then he runs away.

Mario then picks up the rare sticker, and Bowser Jr. shows up and tells Mario that he is trying to collect all of the rare stickers, and after Mario refuses to give him the sticker he challenges Mario to a battle. In the battle Bowser Jr. uses an ability given to him by Bowser, which allows him to heal himself fully on his turn. Mario cannot defeat Bowser Jr. until he uses the rare sticker, which does 20 damage to Bowser Jr., thus defeating him.

After Bowser Jr. is defeated, he gets annoyed at Mario so he uses an ability to remove the nearby bridge, so that Mario cannot continue advancing through the area. He then crumples up the bridge and throws it onto a high ledge.

Mario then goes back the other may to find a way to get the bridge. He eventually meets a few Toads and after talking to one hiding in a nearby bush, they decide to help him to get the bridge. When they return to the high ledge, the Toads form a stair case, that enables Mario to get the bridge. Kersti then helps Mario to place the bridge using paperization, and tells him that she can help him paperize things when he presses the Y Button.

As Mario keeps wandering through the area he is ambushed by the group of Goombas again. However this time they have been given more power by Bowser. They now can fold into spikes and fly sideways through the air. When Mario battles them they fold into Paper-Cone Goombas, gaining a different attack that causes 3 damage instead of 2 and if Mario jumps on them, then Mario will take damage due to their spiked shape. After Mario defeats the Goombas, he finds a Comet Piece, and Kersti tells Mario that Comet Pieces will lead them to the royal stickers.

Characters[]

Enemies[]

• Goomba
• Koopa Troopa
• Koopa Paratroopa
• Pokey
• Lakitu
• Whomp
• Dry Bones
• Hammer Bro.
• Boomerang Bro.
• Ice Bros.
• Fire Bro.
• Bomb-ombs
• Para-bombs
• Swooper
• Buzzy Beetle
• Spike Top
• Scuttle Bug
• Spiny
• Spiny Egg
• Ninji
• Spike
• Poison Blooper
• Mural Goomba
• Mural Koopa
• Shy Guy
• Snifit
• Cheep-Cheep
• Shiny Goomba
• Boo
• Scardey Rat
• Spear Guy
• Paragoomba
• Piranha Plant
• Broozer
• Podoboo

Mini-Bosses[]

Image	Name	Health	Location
	Bowser Jr.	20	Warm Fuzzy Plains
	Kamek	20	Water's Edge Way
	Big Buzzy Beetle *	40	Hither Thither Hill
	Kamek (second time)	20	Yoshi Sphinx
	Wiggler Segment (3 battles)	15	Loop Loop River Tree Branch Trail Whitecap Beach
	Big Scuttlebug	16	Rustle Burrow
File:-------	Big Cheep Cheep	88	Surfshine Harbor
File:-------	Big Boo	100	The Enigmansion
	Bowser Jr. (second time)	100	Surfshine Harbor
File:-------	Big Chain Chomp	99	Chomp Ruins
	Bowser Jr. (third time)	300	Bowser Jr.'s Flotilla
	Kamek (third time)	20	Bowser's Sky Castle

 * - optional

Bosses[]

Image	Name	World
	Megasparkle Goomba	World 1
	Tower Power Pokey	World 2
	Gooper Blooper	World 3
	Mizzter Blizzard	World 4
	Petey Piranha	World 5
	Bowser	World 6

Partners[]

Partners work differently in this game, and are only with Mario for a set portion of the game. These partners can not attack, but they will help Mario with puzzles in the overworld, such as a group of Toads forming into a staircase for Mario. Only Kersti stays with Mario for the duration of the game.

Locations[]

Main Locations[]

• Decalburg
• Surfshine Harbor

Levels[]

Abilities[]

In Paper Mario: Sticker Star Mario can use Jump (A Button), Hammer (B Button), and Paperize (Y Button).

However in battle Mario can only use stickers, which take the place of items and serve as an item-likes system for action commands. Though when using an attack sticker Mario can alter who the attack works out by using the A Button at specific points, like in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

Paperize[]

Paperizing is an ability that Kersti can use to help Mario, where Kersti lifts Mario off of the screen and flattens it into a piece of paper. Mario can then place objects or stickers on certain places, which can make blocks appear or solve puzzles, allowing Mario to advance (ex. placing a bridge over a river).

Stickers[]

Stickers are objects that Mario can use in battle. They are only good for one use and they cannot be reused. Stickers can be found in boxes, on the walls of areas, and can be purchased in shops.

Battle Stickers[]

• 1. Worn-Out Jump
• 2. Jump
• 3. Shiny Jump
• 4. Flashy Jump
• 5. Big Shiny Jump
• 6. Megaflash Jump
• 7. Iron Jump
• 8. Shiny Iron Jump
• 9. Flashy Iron Jump
• 10. Big Shiny Iron Jump
• 11. Megaflash Iron Jump
• 12. Hopslipper
• 13. Shiny Hopslipper
• 14. Flashy Hopslipper
• 15. Big Shiny Hopslipper
• 16. Megaflash Hopslipper
• 17. Line Jump
• 18. Shiny Line Jump
• 19. Flashy Line Jump
• 20. Big Shiny Line Jump
• 21. Megaflash Line Jump
• 22. Flashy Clone Jump
• 23. Big Shiny Clone Jump
• 24. Megaflash Clone Jump
• 25. Flashy Infinijump
• 26. Big Shiny Infinijump
• 27. Megaflash Infinijump
• 28. Worn-Out Hammer
• 29. Hammer
• 30. Shiny Hammer
• 31. Flashy Hammer
• 32. Big Shiny Hammer
• 33. Megaflash Hammer
• 34. Slaphammer
• 35. Shiny Slaphammer
• 36. Flashy Slaphammer
• 37. Big Shiny Slaphammer
• 38. Megaflash Slaphammer
• 39. Eekhammer
• 40. Shiny Eekhammer
• 41. Flashy Eekhammer
• 42. Big Shiny Eekhammer
• 43. Megaflash Eekhammer
• 44. Hurlhammer
• 45. Shiny Hurlhammer
• 46. Flashy Hurlhammer
• 47. Big Shiny Hurlhammer
• 48. Megaflash Hurlhammer
• 49. Baahammer
• 50. Big Shiny Baahammer
• 51. Megaflash Baahammer
• 52. Burnhammer
• 53. Big Shiny Burnhammer
• 54. Megaflash Burnhammer
• 55. Chillhammer
• 56. Big Shiny Chillhammer
• 57. Megaflash Chillhammer
• 58. Super Boot
• 59. Shiny Super Boot
• 60. Tail
• 61. Shiny Tail
• 62. Frog Suit
• 63. Shiny Frog Suit
• 64. Spike Helmet
• 65. Shiny Spike Helmet
• 66. Flashy Spike Helmet
• 67. Fire Flower
• 68. Shiny Fire Flower
• 69. Flashy Fire Flower
• 70. Ice Flower
• 71. Shiny Ice Flower
• 72. Flashy Ice Flower
• 73. POW Block
• 74. Shiny POW Block
• 75. Flashy POW Block
• 76. Shell
• 77. Shiny Shell
• 78. Flashy Shell
• 79. Mushroom
• 80. Shiny Mushroom
• 81. Flashy Mushroom
• 82. Big 1UP
• 83. Big Shiny 1UP
• 84. Poison Mushroom
• 85. Leaf
• 86. Shiny Leaf
• 87. Secret Door
• 88. Snowball
• 89. Spike Ball
• 90. Barrel
• 91. Wrench
• 92. Bone
• 93. Boomerang
• 94. Bomb
• 95. Sombrero
• 96. Throwing Star

Thing Stickers[]

Nintendo eShop description[]

When an accident scatters stickers across the land, Mario sets off on an adventure to repair a torn world. Searching Forests, Deserts and Mountains, Mario collects stickers to solve puzzles and battle monsters. In a first for the series, there are no experience points, so finding power-ups to improve Mario's abilities is more important than ever. Mixing sticker-based gameplay elements with the traditional action-battle system of the Paper Mario series delivers a new twist on a classic franchise. Flatten-out characters, roll out towns, and walk through living, breathing dioramas in a brand-new Paper Mario adventure on the Nintendo 3DS system!

Similarities to other Paper Mario games[]

• Turn-based battles return, functioning similarly to Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
• Bowser once again becomes invincible with one of the game's key objects, much like the first game.
• The first chapter takes place in a grassland, and once again contains a boss that's fought in a castle/fortress-like setting.
• The second chapter takes place within a desert, as with the first game.
• The third chapter contains a darkened forest area, much like Forever Forest in Paper Mario.
  • Additionally, The Bafflewood contains similar maze/puzzle elements.
• A giant Blooper is fought in this game, as with the previous three installments.
• The fourth chapter contains a multitude of Shy Guys, as with the first installment.
• The fifth world takes place within a tropical locale, just like Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
  • This world also has a cave or volcanic setting, much like the previous games.
  • A plant-themed boss is fought in this world/chapter, as with the first game and Super Paper Mario.
• A parade takes place during the ending, just like the first Paper Mario.
• Similar to the original game, there is no post-game content (though a Purple Toad will appear on the festival grounds)
  • Therefore, the final boss can be fought again.
• A story epilogue occurs after each chapter is completed.
  • Adding onto the above, all four installments contain rhyming dialogue in some way, shape, or form.
• The way Petey Piranha captures Kersti is similar to how Francis kidnaps Tippi in Super Paper Mario.

Differences from other Paper Mario games[]

• This is the first and so far only Paper Mario title released for a handheld console.
• As it returned in Paper Mario: Color Splash, Paper Mario: Sticker Star is the first and so far only Paper Mario game to not start at the Mario Bros.' House, nor feature this place at all.
• Unlike the first two Paper Mario games, Paper Mario: Sticker Star does not have Flower Points, Star Points, Experience Points, Badges, or Items. Mario also has no partners to battle by his side (although Kersti gives him access to the Battle Spinner).
  • This is the first game in the Paper Mario series where Lady Bow and Parakarry does not make an appearance in any form (although Parakarry is mentioned on a paper in Shy Guy Jungle).
  • Only coins are awarded after battles.
• All the bosses in Paper Mario: Sticker Star are not unique to the Paper Mario series, as they are all more powerful versions of preexisting enemies or bosses featured in other Mario games. Similarly, the game does not feature any new enemies, only enemies from other Mario games and new variants of them.
• Kamek takes on the role filled by Kammy Koopa in the first two Paper Mario games.
• This is the only Paper Mario game where Bowser and Luigi have no lines of dialogue.
• The world map is now used to get to other locations, unlike the other installments, and like in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
• Unlike Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Super Paper Mario, the game does not feature an Audience.
• This is the first Paper Mario game that is not split into separate chapters, instead opting to use worlds, like Super Mario RPG. If it were, there would only be 6 chapters, whereas the first three installments all possessed 8 chapters.
• Paper Mario: Sticker Star only has 55 enemies, 6 bosses and 12 mini-bosses, for a total of 73 different enemies; each of the first three installments had over 100 enemies.
• Unlike Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Super Paper Mario, Mario does not have any voice clips recorded by Charles Martinet in Paper Mario: Sticker Star.
• Paper Mario: Sticker Star does not have a superboss (an optional boss with higher stats than the final boss).
• This is the first Paper Mario game not to include enemy Tattles.
  • Consequently, several aspects of it have been incorporated into regular battle. For example, an HP bar showing the collective health of all enemies on screen displays during battle. The enemies' names are also all displayed while Mario is choosing stickers, similar to the Mario & Luigi series.
• This is the first Paper Mario game without cooking/recipes.
• In comparison to the first three Paper Mario installments, this game has very few unique enemies and characters such as Clubbas, Merlon and Whacka.
• This is the first game where enemy Koopa Troopas do not wear sunglasses.
• This is the first in the series to have only one playable character.
  • Moreover, it's the only one to not feature Peach as a playable character.
• It is the first Paper Mario where Mario cannot turn into an 8-bit version of himself.
• Ninjis in Paper Mario: Sticker Star are now actual enemies. In their previous appearance in Paper Mario, they were friendly NPCs who acted as caretakers for the Star Kids.
• With a few exceptions (such as Wiggler), Toads are the only friendly NPCs in Paper Mario: Sticker Star; there are no friendly Goombas, Koopas, Bob-ombs, or other enemies (excluding the Koopa Troopa and Bob-omb that assist in certain attacks).
• Mario cannot choose which enemy to attack if there are multiple ones; he defaults to the one in front.
• Unlike the first 3 installments, Mario starts his journey with 20 HP, as opposed to 10.
• When Mario's current HP is at most 30% of its total, the in-battle music (except for the final battle with Bowser) changes to a "tired" remix of itself, replacing the alarm sound heard in the other Paper Mario games while being in critical health conditions.
• Unlike the first 3 installments, Paper Mario: Sticker Star only has 3 save files instead of 4.
  • Save files also cannot be named unlike the past installments.
• The game does not feature an opening story before the title screen as the other Paper Mario games; the opening story is instead shown when starting a new game.
• This is the first Paper Mario installment since the N64 installment to lack a fully playable epilogue; though the game does save after being beaten, it is only to add a Toad on the Sticker Fest grounds that will replay the credits.
• This is the first game in the Paper Mario series to have the maximum number of coins be 9,999 instead of 999.

Development[]

In a 2007 interview with Nintendo Power magazine, when asked about the future of the Paper Mario series, Super Paper Mario director Ryota Kawade stated that he was uncertain whether the next game would follow Super Paper Marios gameplay style, return to the style of the previous games, or be based around a new concept. However, he also stated that the team "always feel that we want a challenge and to take on new things."^[2] Producer Kensuke Tanabe also stated, "I don't think we'll ever go back to the exact same game style as before", and that, "I also would like to look for another new and different style".

Paper Mario: Sticker Star started development at the end of 2009^[3]. The development team thought Paper Mario was a good fit for the Nintendo 3DS and initially developed it as a RPG making use of the system's stereoscopic 3D display capabilities. After showcasing a build of the game at E3 2010, a demo of this build was previewed by Shigeru Miyamoto, who was reportedly unimpressed, dismissing it as "just a port of the GameCube version", and requested that the team "make a big change". Said development team was mostly composed of developers new to Paper Mario (planning and design staff being "about 90%" new, according to Kenji Nakajima"), with a few veterans brought in to help with the usage of old assets. Naohiko Aoyama, who conceived the original Paper Marios visual direction but had little involvement with its sequels, was brought in as the director.

Following Miyamoto's impression, the development team brainstormed ideas to make the game stand out. It was eventually decided to expand the Sticker mechanic, which had initially been designed for use in puzzles, and expand it to the rest of the game. As the sticker system expanded, the development team decided to abandon the partner system and traditional RPG elements such as an experience point system, with progression instead being outlined by the player getting progressively stronger stickers.

Early in development, Miyamoto also encouraged the developers to keep the story to a minimum^[4] and only use pre-established Mario characters. The decision to not focus on the storyline was also influenced by results gathered from Super Paper Marios Club Nintendo survey, which had less than 1% of the respondents citing its plotline as a strong point. Producer Kensuke Tanabe also asked the team to focus on the "paper" aspect of the visuals.

Reception[]

Critical response[]

Paper Mario: Sticker Star received mixed to positive reviews from critics, gaining an average of 75.97% based on forty-nine reviews on GameRankings and 75 based on sixty-nine reviews on Metacritic.^[5][6] Compared to the previous iterations of the Paper Mario series, its aggregate score is weaker, due to critics mainly complaining about what has been seen as frustrating game design and toned down story, gameplay, and characters.

Cam Shea of IGN gave the game an 8.3, praising what he opined as a fresh take on the Paper Mario series with charming design and a sense of humor, but he criticized the sticker system, as well as some design elements he found frustrating. He wrote, "In spite of all my criticisms, [Paper Mario:] Sticker Star is still compelling to play and a great deal of fun. The game's infectious spirit and sense of humour is irresistible, and it's big, too – you're not beating this one in a weekend. It's just a shame that putting stickers at the heart of the game didn't turn out to be the master-stroke it so readily could have been. Paper Mario fans will enjoy [Paper Mario:] Sticker Star, but ultimately it's just as notable for its failures as its successes."^[7] Edge Magazine UK gave the game an 8, praising Intelligent Systems's effort to shape its RPG for portable play.^[8] Destructoid gave the game an 8/10 and praised the game for what was opined as an impressive effort, but warned that the game may disappoint previous Paper Mario fans.^[9] Mike Wehner of The Escapist gave the game 4.5 stars out of 5, praising the game for its artistic style and its gameplay, while criticizing puzzles seen as frustrating. He wrote as the bottom line, "There's just no getting around it: Paper Mario: Sticker Star is yet another high-quality entry into Nintendo's cherished library of first party titles. The experience is high on satisfaction and low on frustration, making it an undeniably perfect fit for the company's mobile console. It's not entirely flawless, but as Mario games go, it's one of the best."^[10]

JC Fletcher of Joystick gave the game 3.5 out of 5 stars. He praised an opined easygoing and funny nature of the game, but criticized the game design (seen as frustrating), saying that the existence of FAQs will improve the game, due to sacrificing turn-based battles with what has been opined as awkward platforming.^[11] Carolyn Petit of GameSpot gave the game a 7.5 out of 10. She believed the game to have smart and witty writing, good puzzles, and overall charm, but criticized the frustration of getting stuck and the combat system. She ended with, "[Paper Mario:] Sticker Star falls into a rut at times and may even drive you crazy, but in the end, Paper Mario's unwaveringly cheerful attitude, and fond memories of the game's many great moments, will be what stays with you."^[12]

Ray Carsillo of EGM gave a mixed review of the game, giving it a score of 6.5 out of 10.^[13] He asserted that the game "maintains all the charm and personality of those that came before it" and praised the aesthetics, 3D effects, and alternate routes. However, he criticized the battle system due to a perceived over-reliance on sticker collection, along with the amount of backtracking involved.

The four Famitsu critics gave a very positive reception, giving it 36/40 points, calling it a "well-made RPG" and praised the sticker system as "unique".^[14]

Sales[]

As of March 31, 2014, Paper Mario: Sticker Star has sold about 2.21 million copies worldwide.^[15]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

• This is the fourth Paper Mario game of the series.
• This is the first Paper Mario game without Ryota Kawade's involvement, although he is still credited under Special Thanks.
• This is the first Paper Mario game to be on a Nintendo handheld system.
• This is the first Mario RPG since Paper Mario to have Bowser as the main villain and not an ally, a minor foe or a penultimate boss.
• This is the 8th Mario RPG game overall.
• This game goes back to the traditional rules with a turn base system.
  • However, this is the first Paper Mario game where you can only level up by doing missions and side-quests rather than from defeating enemies and earning experience.
• This is the only Mario RPG game not to include any experience points of any sort.
• The levels Hither Thither Hill, Bowser's Sky Castle, and the boat are featured as stages in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
• Whenever a new character is introduced, the game pauses to show the player their name, similar to Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
• All the bosses except for Bowser says "Shiny" at least once. Bowser doesn't speak.
• No matter how many enemies are beaten, the maximum Coin bonus Mario can get at the end of a level is 300.
• Luigi only makes cameos in certain levels in this game making Paper Mario: Sticker Star Luigi's smallest role in the Paper Mario series.
• Oddly, in this game, Bowser doesn't utter a single line of dialogue.
• This is also the first Paper Mario game since the first installment where Mario doesn't use his voice.
• Even though not explicitly stated, as Mario gains HP-Up Hearts, his power level increases. The effect is only seen in First Strikes.
• It is in fact possible to attack enemies without using stickers. The only way to do this is the First Strike, where Mario attacks the front enemy with either a hammer strike or jump. However, during battle, stickers must be used. In addition, once Mario's relative power increases to a certain point, he can defeat enemies instantly on the overworld without having to enter battle by performing a First Strike.
  • He can also do this by getting three Fire Flowers, POW Blocks, or Lightning Bolts on the Battle Spinner.
• When hitting with the hammer, Mario can now face towards the screen or away from it, unlike the first two installments, where he could only face left or right.
• Whenever a new character is introduced, the game pauses to show the player their name, similar to Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
• From its release for download onto the Nintendo eShop until January 6, 2013, Club Nintendo members in North America who downloaded Paper Mario: Sticker Star and registered it on Club Nintendo also received Donkey Kong: Original Edition for free.^[16]

References[]

External links[]

• Paper Mario: Sticker Star at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Paper Mario: Sticker Star at GameFAQs
• Paper Mario: Sticker Star at MobyGames
• Official American website
• Official Japanese website
• Official European website