The Paper Mario: Sticker Star Thread

[Cat333Pokémon]

Hey, I figured we'd need a thread to discuss this upcoming awesome-looking game.



There's a 3D video of it on the eShop now, which shows off a lot of the sticker features, such as using them in battle and turning items into stickers.

[Soulradio]

Soul Approves

[teamplasma]

I would give them my wallet now, but the Walmart lady I am holding hostage says that this game isn't for sale yet.

But seriously, it feels like it has been forever since the last one came out, and that was pretty easy to beat. So I am hoping this will bring new challenge and fun.

From the E3 look at it it didn't seem to have your friend/pet following you, or helping you in battle, which always help, but I don't think I would like that change. It was always part of the fun, and it just deprives from the game to do that.

Also now that I think of it, when they made the new Kirby game, it was aimed towards small children. So maybe that is what they are trying to do, make it so the kids will want to play the up coming games. I hope that it isn't so. If you guys know what I am talking about then you will know that if they make it like the new Kirby game, it will be pitiful.
(I am not sure, and too lazy to walk across the house and check, but I think it was Kirby and The Epic Yarn.)

[Yoshi648]

Two words: DO WANT!

This looks like an excellent addition to the Paper Mario line. The "no earning exp and leveling up during battles" bit is a bit weird, but everything else looks great. I must have played through Thousand Year Door like 4 times, and I eagerly look forward to dumping all my time into this one as well. Just wish it came out sooner (sorry Nintendo, but I don't consider half a year the "near future").

[Quadcentruo]

I did like the battle system in this game, although it does seem like a drastic change back to the original Paper Mario mixed in with stickers as attack commands rather than badges. I don't mind anything about it except the "level up" system which isn't a tradition style of leveling up anymore. Now you have to go out of your way to solve peoples' problems to grow stronger.

Wouldn't that make random fights with non-boss enemies pointless (excluding collecting coins)?

[TurtwigX]

This might be the dumbest name I've ever heard, but I'm loving this, I totally want it RIGHT NOW! I need a new Paper Mario RPG for my collection. And I only have 1...

[Cat333Pokémon]

Originally Posted by Quadcentruo

I don't mind anything about it except the "level up" system which isn't a tradition style of leveling up anymore. Now you have to go out of your way to solve peoples' problems to grow stronger.

Wouldn't that make random fights with non-boss enemies pointless (excluding collecting coins)?

And getting stickers. Perhaps there is something we don't know about it?

[Blazedaze]

After seeing all the trailers for the game and the presentation of it at e3 2012, I think I'm really doing to enjoy this game when it gets released. ^^

[Quadcentruo]

Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon

And getting stickers. Perhaps there is something we don't know about it?

Maybe Intelligent Systems made a mechanic called "Reputation Level" or something similar to that. What I think it could be is the more enemies you defeat, the more people look up to you and more people would allow you to help them out for their needs. That's what I think it could be though.

[Cat333Pokémon]

Originally Posted by Quadcentruo

Maybe Intelligent Systems made a mechanic called "Reputation Level" or something similar to that. What I think it could be is the more enemies you defeat, the more people look up to you and more people would allow you to help them out for their needs. That's what I think it could be though.

Hm, that could be pretty interesting. I'd assume important effects could be special sidequests, lower store prices, and free gifts.

[Velociraptor78]

Alright, here's my predictions for Sticker Star:

• The Chain Chomp partner will be in the final product, and his name will be a pun on biting, e.g. Chompers or Nibblet
• A story gimmick involving Mario turning into a paper airplane/boat
• A gimmick involving re-usable stickers
• A very long and arduous fetch-quest sidequest for an exceedingly-rare item: Character A wants Item B from Character C, but C let Character D borrow it, and D wants you to give Item E to Character F, and so on.
• The story will involve Bowser kidnapping Peach a dark force that is controlled by Bowser turning characters into stickers. There will be between 6 and 8 Plot Coupons, and one of them will be a Free Sample Plot Coupon.
• Leveling up enough will make the stage Mario battles on more extravagant with extra in-battle effects (e.g. spitting fire jets at enemies)
• There will be a store where you can get stickers.
• There will be an unlockable partner you can get via a help-the-NPC sidequest who will be able to steal stickers and held items from enemies.
  No, I'm totally not referencing Ms. Mowz from TTYD with this.
• 3D gimmick involving paper either being crumpled up and thrown at the player's point-of-view or a flying enemy going towards the player.
• A Character Gallery showcasing every type of NPC, the enemies, the bosses, maybe the items, and other special things.

[TurtwigX]

Originally Posted by Velociraptor78

Alright, here's my predictions for Sticker Star:

• The Chain Chomp partner will be in the final product, and his name will be a pun on biting, e.g. Chompers or Nibblet
• A story gimmick involving Mario turning into a paper airplane/boat
• A gimmick involving re-usable stickers
• A very long and arduous fetch-quest sidequest for an exceedingly-rare item: Character A wants Item B from Character C, but C let Character D borrow it, and D wants you to give Item E to Character F, and so on.
• The story will involve Bowser kidnapping Peach a dark force that is controlled by Bowser turning characters into stickers. There will be between 6 and 8 Plot Coupons, and one of them will be a Free Sample Plot Coupon.
• Leveling up enough will make the stage Mario battles on more extravagant with extra in-battle effects (e.g. spitting fire jets at enemies)
• There will be a store where you can get stickers.
• There will be an unlockable partner you can get via a help-the-NPC sidequest who will be able to steal stickers and held items from enemies.
  No, I'm totally not referencing Ms. Mowz from TTYD with this.
• 3D gimmick involving paper either being crumpled up and thrown at the player's point-of-view or a flying enemy going towards the player.
• A Character Gallery showcasing every type of NPC, the enemies, the bosses, maybe the items, and other special things.

Don't forget: Tattle tale Goomba, shell kickin' Koopa, and a flirty sidekick.
I'd actually like to see the return of something like the Glitz Pit in the story. Both aspects of it: The battle arena and the spooky mystery. They don't have to be in the same place, but seeing them both would be nice.

[Cat333Pokémon]

Originally Posted by Velociraptor78

[*]A very long and arduous fetch-quest sidequest for an exceedingly-rare item: Character A wants Item B from Character C, but C let Character D borrow it, and D wants you to give Item E to Character F, and so on.

Koopa Koot! Oh, and one of the letters that turned into chain mail.

All-in-all, I agree with your list. You just know there are going to be a lot of sticker puns, gimmicks, references, and jokes, not to mention the same with the paper concept.

[Blood Swampert]

I really hope the new mechanics don't make the game unenjoyable like Super Paper Mario was for me. Why call it a Paper Mario game if it's not a turn-based RPG? I mean, I know game series are supposed to evolve and gain new gimmicks over time, but they're never supposed to completely abandon the original gameplay unless it's tired and stale.

I want a new TTYD, dangit.

[TurtwigX]

Originally Posted by Blood Swampert

I really hope the new mechanics don't make the game unenjoyable like Super Paper Mario was for me. Why call it a Paper Mario game if it's not a turn-based RPG? I mean, I know game series are supposed to evolve and gain new gimmicks over time, but they're never supposed to completely abandon the original gameplay unless it's tired and stale.

I want a new TTYD, dangit.

And that's what I really didn't like about Super Paper Mario. The gameplay was weak, every enemy that didn't teleport could be easily stopped just by jumping on them and staying there. Leveling up was pointless, Peach was invincible for some reason, it just got way too strange once you figured the game out. The hardest part of it is Sammer Guy's Kingdom. Sitting through all those battles was torture.
But I hope Sticker Star will have some of Super Paper Mario's better aspects, mainly the story and the music. I could listen to every song on Super Paper Mario's soundtrack for hours, even the 10 second jingles. And the story almost brought a tear to my eye.

[Yoshi648]

Alright, finally got a release date for this: November 11th

Source

[Cat333Pokémon]

I am totally not going to camp outside GameStop on the 10th.

[TurtwigX]

I think this is it, you guys... either the 2nd game I preorder or the 4th I get on launch day. I LOVE Paper Mario. It's my favorite Mario RPG gameplay-wise. (While I love M&LRPG for its music)

[teamplasma]

Originally Posted by TurtwigX

I think this is it, you guys... either the 2nd game I preorder or the 4th I get on launch day. I LOVE Paper Mario. It's my favorite Mario RPG gameplay-wise. (While I love M&LRPG for its music)

It is mine too. I have beat the regular one many times. I still cant get enough >.<

But I am preordering it, for sure!

[Yoshi648]

Boxart get!



Seems a little cluttered, but reminds me a little of the N64 boxart. Also Bowser Jr. makes an appearance.

[Cat333Pokémon]

Mmm, definitely paper in appearance. Not bad.

[blueumbreon]

Aww, looks like I might not be able to get this on launch day, since it's my dad's birthday

[Quadcentruo]

The boxart looks a bit cloth-like to me. I also see they were aiming to get the idea of stickers somewhere in the boxart (see: Goomba).

[primalgiratina]

So am I the only one that's noticing the cat in the bottom-left corner?

[Velociraptor78]

Originally Posted by primalgiratina

So am I the only one that's noticing the cat in the bottom-left corner?

That would be the Maneki-neko (招き猫) cat. It's a symbol of good luck in Japan. I'd assume it's like the fan seen in the trailers, in that it can be used in-game for something; probably for finding hidden or rare items.

[Blazedaze]

The box art of this game strikes me as very similar to the box art of Kirby: Epic Yarn. The concept of using stickers also looks like an interesting element to the game. I also like how they're returning to the traditional RPG-style of Paper Mario. ^^

[Eagles]

Well, I don't think I'll have enough for this along with the other stuff in November. Oh well, I'll just have to wait one more month. No biggie. Lol, I remember seeing the previews in E3 2010 for this game and I decided then that I had to get it. xD And it looks even better today, thankfully.

[Cat333Pokémon]

Oh man, it's almost here. Has anyone heard anything new yet?

[Yoshi648]

Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon

Oh man, it's almost here. Has anyone heard anything new yet?

I've seen a bunch of videos going up from trailers and whatnot, but I've been avoiding them like the plague as I don't want to spoil anything.

[Cat333Pokémon]

Oh good, I'm not the only anti-spoiler person regarding this game.

[Yoshi648]

For anyone planning on picking up the game, NewEgg has it for only $29.99 with free shipping. If you don't mind waiting a day or two for it to arrive in the mail, you get 1/4th of the price off (actually more when you factor in tax). You need to use the promo code EMCYTZT2452 at checkout in order to get it. I don't know how long the code is good for so use it ASAP.

[Cat333Pokémon]

Hmm, it's certainly a fun game and similar to the classic games. However, there are several things I've noticed:

• You cannot target during battle; you always aim at the closest enemy to the front.
• Getting crumpled is the worst possible single status in a battle to happen to you: halved defense and immobility.
• The font from the last two games, Hey Gorgeous, returns. (I don't know if the raster font in the original, available as PM Dialog, is the same.)
• The graphics, especially the stickers, are fairly pixelated, similar to the first Paper Mario.
• It takes a little getting used to, but it's quite fun.
• Like before, dying results in game over and a loss of all progress since your last save.

And for some general tips:

• The Battle Spin is an integral part of battling and should be used as often as possible if you're doing every battle. Three coins (or even the 18 total coins if you really need to use two stickers) is nothing.
• If you return to an area, most of the same stickers return in the same fashion, as well as most enemies. This can help to accrue many rare stickers, especially before a difficult boss.
• Pick up every sticker you find until your album is full. Only then should you worry about what to get rid of and skip. Those Worn Out items come in handy when someone only has a couple HP. Stock up at the shops before each level. Don't waste overpowered stickers.
• Don't forget to save stuff for the museum if you're a completionist.
• Keep a Scissors sticker on hand if possible. It ends pretty much any non-boss battle.
• Keep a mushroom on-hand and remember the path to the Heart Blocks.
• Save often and use the Heart Block each time you pass by.
• Use paperification if you're confused or stuck.

One question: do you ever get Life Shrooms or an equivalent?

[Quadcentruo]

You can't target specific enemies during battle? I don't think I would like that. When I played TTYD, I would always target the most threatening enemy on screen first and that enemy wasn't always closest to me. I'm still contemplating on getting it. Christmas is coming up, so I could always ask for that.

[Cat333Pokémon]

...You can't use Mushrooms in the overworld, only in battle.

[Cat333Pokémon]

Ooh, you guys gotta try this! Go to World 1-1 and find the wooden panel in the second area. Enter paperification mode and place a sticker there. Odds are, you'll get it upgraded or swapped for a similar sticker of the same tier, and sometimes you'll get a downgrade, replacement, and upgrade all in the same block. Afterwards, press Start and return to the map, then do it again. Seems pretty economical to me, but you occasionally do get a bust. Be careful using any Mushroom, as you're likely to get worthless hearts out (note what's directly to the right of the panel ).

[Twiggy]

Since this looks like a real Paper Mario, I have a feeling that I'll be getting this game... Retail, that is. Conversion rates don't favour me for digital downloads from a foreign eShop, so I guess I will have to buy it old-school.

[Reuniclus]

I just got the game today, and I'm loving it already~ Don't pay attention to the reviews this game receives, it truly is an amazing game. I only have one complaint: you can only use Mushroom stickers in battle and not in the Overworld. >_< Other than that though, this game seems more difficult than its past predecessors. I died on the first boss while it had 1 HP left and the new status conditions can be troubling. Whenever I see the special stickers such as the fan and scissors, they remind me of HMs in Pokemon. It would be helpful to know which sidequests increase my max HP. (My HP is 25/25 so far and I'm on the 2nd world)

[RotomGuy]

Oh dear, I want this game but I have to wait until Christmas ;-;

[Cat333Pokémon]

Museum completion:

52/96 battle stickers
12/62 thing stickers

Time - 11:41

[Cat333Pokémon]

Yoshi shared this with me earlier:
http://www.officialnintendomagazine....iginal-design/

Check out that SMW-esque appearance!

[Quadcentruo]

Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon

Yoshi shared this with me earlier:
http://www.officialnintendomagazine....iginal-design/

Check out that SMW-esque appearance!

Knowing that consoles would be able to render 3D images and still developing 2D characters in a 3D environment is like a slap-in-the-face to other developers who spend so much time trying to make super complex 3D characters and environments.

[Magmaster12]

Originally Posted by Yoshi648

For anyone planning on picking up the game, NewEgg has it for only $29.99 with free shipping. If you don't mind waiting a day or two for it to arrive in the mail, you get 1/4th of the price off (actually more when you factor in tax). You need to use the promo code EMCYTZT2452 at checkout in order to get it. I don't know how long the code is good for so use it ASAP.

I laugh at the people who followed Yoshi's advice.

It's now on sale at Best Buy dot com for 19.99$ now I'm glad I waited.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Paper+Ma...&skuId=5763554

[Quadcentruo]

I think if you took the Newegg deal back in early November, you would've most likely made up that $10 within three months leading up to Best Buy's deal. It's not like $10 is going to completely ruin you... unless you're really that tight on money.

[Cat333Pokémon]

Originally Posted by Quadcentruo

I think if you took the Newegg deal back in early November, you would've most likely made up that $10 within three months leading up to Best Buy's deal. It's not like $10 is going to completely ruin you... unless you're really that tight on money.

Pretty much this. Waiting a long time to save a few bucks on a product you REALLY want and know you'll use is usually not worth it in the long run...unless you wind up saving the full price because it falls out of fashion.


Anyway, I actually hopped back on and played this game for a little bit today. I think I'm seeing why it's tough to really get into like the first two. It's a good game, don't get me wrong, just it's not up to Paper Mario caliber.

Mini rant time.

My personal favorite feature from the first two games was the badges, which usually also involved the use of Flower Points on special moves. However, you also were allowed to use free moves, like the basic jump and hammer. Another thing you could do was target specific enemies. Here, your stickers only work on the first enemy, and you always have to consider battles--which get really redundant when the only reward is coins. Coins are kinda pointless. I've got nearly 3,000 of them, but I often run out of basic stickers. You can't buy inventory space, so you're stuck running away from a lot of battles just to conserve stickers. It's not that bad, but the removal of experience points just takes away from any reason to battle once you amass thousands of coins rather than making you weigh the options of using stickers for experience or running away to conserve stickers. Oh, and no partners, but they wouldn't work with the sticker concept anyway.

TL;DR: The stickers made a great concept, but a few aspects of the game really made them poorly executed.

[Magmaster12]

Well if you're like me and are an unemployed student, then yes it is a good deal.

I usually only buy video games if I either really want them or see a good deal I can't turn down if, 24.99$ is usually my cut off point.

[Eagles]

My main complaint is that the battle system feels ultimately useless when there is not only nothing to gain from it, but also feels pointless when you can't learn new things, and you have to rely on stickers. To me, in the end, I feel like they just made it obsolete, and results in the entire game feeling pointless, as it wants to be more of an adventure game, but still has the battle system for no reason. The only thing that didn't feel pointless were the puzzles, but those aren't supposed to be the main part of the game, and they didn't feel all that integrated with the game tbh. One last tidbit: WHERE ARE MY CHARACTERS?!?!
tl;dr The battle system has no point, this is an excuse of an RPG.