I think it's a really fun and clever game with an incredible OST. I'm glad you're enjoying it. I got dozens of hours of enjoyment from it. I think it has a very fun and clean aesthetic with a no-frills kind of design to it, in a good way. It's a great translation of the Paper Mario concept to a handheld game. I hope you continue to enjoy it immensely. I still listen to the OST regularly as it's really a superb soundtrack.
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LTTP: Paper Mario Sticker Star... am I crazy?
- Thread starter leroidys
- Start date
This is the one that always gets me, they really weren't. Each of the bosses has a tell in action, animation or arena that gives you a clear hint about how to beat them. Sparkle Goomba flops around in the breeze when it divides so you use a fan, Sparkle Pokey is in a giant baseball stadium so swing the bat, the giant snow Bowser is made of snow so no points for guessing its weakness.
Choppasmith
Member
Count me among the few fans of Sticker Star. Yeah it's missing the big epic story of its predecessors, but it's still a lot of fun. And I would argue what it lacks in story, It makes up for in music. That OST is amazing. That Kersti's Power theme...
That's all fine and good, but with the exception of the snow Bowser and Pokey, how are you supposed to know what you;re supposed to use before fighting the boss at least once?
You don't. One of the many reasons why this game isn't very good. If you happen to have the thing you need and you happen to figure out that you need to use it (without accidentally wasting it) then maybe you can beat the boss first try. But most bosses will end up needing multiple tries to get through, not because of your lack of skill, but due to the game's horrible structure.
Spieler Eins
Member
It's might not be an RPG, but unlike Super Paper Mario, it's actually great for what it is. It's a hardcore adventure requiring lots of focus and out of the box thinking. So of course it would overhelm a certain 3DS demographic, being used to the lowbrow missfires you listed (NSMB2, Yoshis New Island,...). This title eventually also is much more rewarding than certain other Nintendo titles currently, once you actually figure out how to progress on your own, by figuring out the (often subtle) hints yourself. Not to mention, it looks and sounds great until the end, it might be the only title giving the awful NSMB template somewhat of an identity. Really good game, nothing crazy about that.
I've loved every Mario RPG prior to Sticker Star, and I found it so bad as to not even be completable. The "It's just not Paper Mario, but it's still good!" argument held water for SPM but the systems in Sticker Star are just not thought out. Combat is always punitive in this game, so the actual best way to play is to avoid every single encounter so that you amass strong stickers for boss fights. And once you realize that, there's just not much game there. The boss fights are absurdly easy if you figure out the gimmick item to use, and even if you don't, they are highly doable.
A game with no exp could have worked in a Small Numbers system like Sticker Star, but it would have necessitated a Chrono Trigger-esque balancing act with encounter frequency and design, and I just don't think Sticker Star has that.
A game with no exp could have worked in a Small Numbers system like Sticker Star, but it would have necessitated a Chrono Trigger-esque balancing act with encounter frequency and design, and I just don't think Sticker Star has that.
Eh, yeah I'll see how I feel when I get to those parts, but I think that I'll be alright. It's kind of NES game design, but I never minded that. I even enjoyed Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland
(with a guide)
Interesting question- I think the main reason is because the only nintendo console (I had all the handhelds) I had owned before that was a breif stint with the N64. My parents never let me have a console growing up. So I bought the Wii around launch just for Twilight Princess, and quickly played through that. At the time, gamecube games were amazingly cheap, so I just kept going to gamestop or ebay and buying (soon to be) classic after classic for almost nothing. I'm pretty sure I paid less than $10 for Path of Radiance.
Then there was the Virtual Console, where I beat games that had been taunting me since childhood. This was the first time I ever beat The Legend of Zelda, SMB1, SMB2, SMB2 JP, Kid Icarus, and lots of others.
I was in college with roommates at the time as well, so a lot of my gaming time would be spent playing Wii Sports, WarioWare, or Mario Kart with other people.
Yeah, maybe I should have put "relative disappointments" instead of "huge misses". I played through both YNI and FE all the way and enjoyed aspects of them, but they weren't that great, let alone the revelation/return to form for the series that the first list of games were. Then there's NSMB2, Dream Team, and BD which can die in a fire.
This is my biggest complaint with the battle system, admittedly. There's save points abound and that's all well and good but the fact that you can't just run from boss enemies when you realize you're ill equipped is a problem.
Green Mamba
Member
The cruelest joke Nintendo has ever pulled and I'd be glad to see its existence wiped from the face of the earth.
Except for the music, that was pretty good.
But seriously, fuck this game.
Except for the music, that was pretty good.
But seriously, fuck this game.
thecouncil
Banned
I kinda loved that game.
...
but I also really loved Other M, so...
...
but I also really loved Other M, so...
Weltall Zero
Member
Jesus, people read and believe what they want. Yeah, I'm sure that without Miyamoto's involvement, SS would have become the wonderful sequel to TYD that never was. I mean, Super Paper Mario, with zero Miyamoto involvement and lots of story, turned out so well, right? I'd rather have no story than having to brave the dullness of SPM again.
If you want a random scapegoat for your disappointment that's fine and all, but don't try to pass it as the truth, especially every time Miyamoto's name is mentioned in threads completely unrelated to Paper Mario, like many here do.
dead souls
Member
The pointless battles are what got me. After a few hours of playing I just avoided every single one and was none the worse for it.
What terrible design.
Thought I would give an update, as several people said I should wait until I get a bit farther. Late in world 4 now, the game continues to be engaging, and fun. Just got to the
, and it's really well done. The pacing in this game is fantastic. People complained about backtracking, but this game has the least bad backtracking of any paper mario title, full stop. The second time through, levels can be traversed in 1 or 2 minutes max, and the game rarely requires you to do it.
As far as the stickers being obtuse, I did get rocked by the
the first time, and then Kersti (just realized as I typed this it's an anagram for stiker) gave me a hint. The handholding is balanced really well in this so far. Kersti almost never buts in, and never gives things away. If you are really stuck, you can press L to talk to her, and then you actually have to confirm to get a hint. Seems IS took the Fi criticisms to heart.
ghost house
As far as the stickers being obtuse, I did get rocked by the
giant blooper
TheSpaceBetween
Member
It's the third best game on the 3DS behind Kid Icarus and Luigi's Mansion. People criticized it for what it wasn't. They wanted a sequel to TTYD and they wanted there to be an in depth story. What we got though was a VERY unique game with by far the best level design in the series.
I would kill for a TTYD sequel on Wii U though.
Wreck-It Ralph
Member
I loved it too. Like many have said in this thread, it wasn't really an RPG like the previous games, but more of an adventure game with a turn-based battle system, and I liked that.
TheRedSnifit
Member
I made a thread saying Sticker Star was better than the original. I was getting death threats for weeks.
SuperAngelo64
Banned
I'm actually interested in playing the game after hearing more about it.
The hugest turn off for me in the Paper Mario games were all the shitty 'kinda Mario-like' characters like Kooper, and Goombella, and that green Boo girl or whatever and all of the trying to be 'quirky' with cringey little references.
Apparently there is none of that bullshit in this game.
The hugest turn off for me in the Paper Mario games were all the shitty 'kinda Mario-like' characters like Kooper, and Goombella, and that green Boo girl or whatever and all of the trying to be 'quirky' with cringey little references.
Apparently there is none of that bullshit in this game.
PassiveObserver
Member
Some would say people didn't like Sticker Star because it wasn't an RPG. But it isn't a good adventure game neither. I couldn't enjoy it at all.
KirbYuuYuu
Member
I'm glad there are people who actually enjoy Sticker Star for what it is.
RaySpencer
Member
Its a cool game in pretty much every way.
Oh except that the combat is pretty much 100% useless, and is more often than not actually a bad thing to do, since you lose stickers and dont gain anything like XP or something.
So basically the game is terrible.
Oh except that the combat is pretty much 100% useless, and is more often than not actually a bad thing to do, since you lose stickers and dont gain anything like XP or something.
So basically the game is terrible.
Enigmatic Rainbow
Member
Just like how you can call Fire Emblem Awakening a "huge miss," Sticker Star is also a "huge miss" to me.
It's just as bad as Super Paper Mario, maybe even worse.
It's just as bad as Super Paper Mario, maybe even worse.
Allan Holdsworth
Member
Loved it. Got flak by RPG fans for not being Paper Mario 3, which is understandable, but it's a really well made Adventure game.
KirbYuuYuu
Member
It's like people have different opinions! Shocking!
Enigmatic Rainbow
Member
Yes, thank you for confirming that.
Starfish Hero
Member
Maybe it was because I only played a little of TTYD by comparison, but Sticker Star was pretty funny from what I could tell.
Some enemies drop REALLY good stickers though, like boomerang bros or the snow spikes. You get a lot of coins from battling also, which are handy for replenishing your stickers. Also, you often have to fight enemies to progress the game. So actually it isn't pointless at all. And its fun.
I really liked it. A collectors edition with a ton of stickers and papercraft would've been too perfect.
Would've grabbed it digitally as a Club Nintendo reward since I no longer have it, but went with New Super Mario Bros. 2 as I was short 100 points.
Lovely game. Receives too much hate. I understand expectations, but some make it sound as it's Superman 64 Part 2, followed by longass rant of what the game is not, and how it is not like The Thousand Year Door...even when this was supposed to be a new entry in the Paper Mario games.
Then again, I also liked Super Paper Mario.
Would've grabbed it digitally as a Club Nintendo reward since I no longer have it, but went with New Super Mario Bros. 2 as I was short 100 points.
Lovely game. Receives too much hate. I understand expectations, but some make it sound as it's Superman 64 Part 2, followed by longass rant of what the game is not, and how it is not like The Thousand Year Door...even when this was supposed to be a new entry in the Paper Mario games.
Then again, I also liked Super Paper Mario.
KirbYuuYuu
Member
To flesh out the coin bit, battling is also responsible for how much coinage you earn at the end of a stage.
Plus, if we were to place any blame for the game, you'd have more reasons to point towards Club Nintendo over Miyamoto. The people behind Sticker asked Club Nintendo whether they wanted something like TTYD or something more towards what Miyamoto was suggesting and NOT EVEN 1% WANTED A GAME LIKE TTYD. Want to blame people? Blame whoever made that survey because that's what killed your TTYD like game.
D
Deleted member 126221
Unconfirmed Member
I have to agree it's way better than people give it credit for. It was a far from being as great as TTYD and the RPG mechanics are not always great, but as an adventure game it has so really clever moment. The game is incredibly charming and the soundtrack is excellent.
If you go in expecting TTYD 2, you're gonna be disappointed. But if you can find it for cheap and are open to a different style of gameplay, it can be a very pleasant experience. Keep a walkthrough nearby however, as some puzzles can be very obtuse.
If you go in expecting TTYD 2, you're gonna be disappointed. But if you can find it for cheap and are open to a different style of gameplay, it can be a very pleasant experience. Keep a walkthrough nearby however, as some puzzles can be very obtuse.
Yep, right, ok ... One of the highest rated and best selling games on the 3DS is an awful game. Sure.
People need to learn the difference between opinion and fact. You find it to be a game you don't like, that's fair ... But, it's clearly a good game, just one you don't enjoy.
KirbYuuYuu
Member
There is so many issues with this post that I don't even know where to begin.
But one thing to note is that selling well DOES not equal being better. Some of the more well loved FE titles by the core fanbase are some of the worst selling games in the franchise. That does not make them terrible games. And I will leave it at that.
chrominance
Member
As someone who'd never played a Paper Mario game before Sticker Star, I found it to be charming but befuddling. The criticisms people have about the battle system are spot on, and there wasn't much to keep me playing beyond the occasional chuckle at the dialog.
For various reasons I have a lot of unfinished 3DS games, so Sticker Star isn't exactly alone there. But I do intend to return to, say, Rune Factory 4 or Bravely Default some day; I don't know if I'll ever come back to Sticker Star.
For various reasons I have a lot of unfinished 3DS games, so Sticker Star isn't exactly alone there. But I do intend to return to, say, Rune Factory 4 or Bravely Default some day; I don't know if I'll ever come back to Sticker Star.
Way to absolutely ignore the critical response -- when critical response and sales align, you generally have a good game. And, a game being good does not mean it appeases the core fans. Games are made for everyone, not just those that worship at a specific franchises altar. So, no, there aren't a lot of issues with the post -- again, it's just someone thinking that if they don't like a game, it's a bad game -- and, that is just BS.
KirbYuuYuu
Member
And I'm aware there are times where you not enjoying a game doesn't necessarily mean it's actually a bad game, but sales data is a worthless metric that doesn't explain why people enjoyed a particular game or not.
And without him explaining Fire Emblem, I can at least understand why he wouldn't enjoy FE: Awakening or any of the other games he didn't like (even if I liked Awakening).
Not trying to belittle anyone's opinions here, but the critical response can be attributed in large part to it being many, many peoples first experience with the franchise.
Another update: beat the game this past week, and thought it was strong all the way through. The final boss was actually difficult (reminded me of the difficulty spike in TTYD), and the last world was fun to play through.
Throughout the entire game, I never got bored of battling, and there were only 2 spots where I was actually stumped as to which stickers to use. Given that these are far and away the most oft-repeated complaints, it makes sense that I enjoyed the game more than most people.
I definitely want to go back at some point and complete my sticker museum, but my backlog is calling.
Throughout the entire game, I never got bored of battling, and there were only 2 spots where I was actually stumped as to which stickers to use. Given that these are far and away the most oft-repeated complaints, it makes sense that I enjoyed the game more than most people.
I definitely want to go back at some point and complete my sticker museum, but my backlog is calling.
ScreamingTrees
Member
I was so disappointed when I played this game, just found it so very frustrating. I got as far as World 4 before I gave up. Some of my (rant like) thoughts on the game: I got so frustrated with that game's use of "things". Playing the game and seeing that I need a fishhook, now where is the fishhook hidden in the game? No clue given. When you find the fishhook, you have to then travel to some place to stickerise it, then travel back to where you wanted to use it. You never know when you're going to need a certain item, so even if you found it already you can't just carry around sticker versions of them all since you have limited space so you have to travel back and forth a lot. The bosses; lack of clues given before bosses into what "thing" you need in sticker form. There might be a clue while you fight them but what good is that? I have to leave the battle, get the item, travel to the place to get a sticker, then travel all the way back to the battle. You also have the lack of any levelling up so battling any of the enemies is completely pointless, a waste of time and just uses stickers.
Maybe I'll go back and finish it some day, it'd be very odd for me not to finish a Mario game.
Maybe I'll go back and finish it some day, it'd be very odd for me not to finish a Mario game.
I absolutely do not buy that at all.