What's up with the lack of impressions? The thread is moving so slow. Where's Amirox? I hope this game does not bomb
What? There's 1500 posts. Read some of them.
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Paper Mario: Sticker Star |OT| Delicious Flat Characters
- Thread starter Chet Rippo
- Start date
What? There's 1500 posts. Read some of them.
What's up with the lack of impressions? The thread is moving so slow. Where's Amirox? I hope this game does not bomb
i just was in rehab all weekend and have been working extra time these past few days, so not as much time to really get a grasp of the game as I would like yet.
I've played it now a little bit but... I have to try to get over my disappointment at how much is missing from this product before I articulate my complete thoughts.
I really don't think this is the case. If anything I find the battle system to be more interesting than in the previous Paper Marios. A finite sticker economy has more natural design wrinkles than drawing from a finite uniform pool of flower power.
KirbYuuYuu
Member
Not to mention each combat system is simple in its nature, but has something to give it that extra nudge.
In any case, I believe Sticker Star has the highest potential for replays considering how everything is structured. Sort of like SMG where the levels are linear but you can do whatever in order basically. More interesting persay than any of the other ones, where the the maxiumum amount is cutting down on backtracking and badge setups. Backtracking cutdowns greatly benefitting Paper Mario where it does absolutely nothing for TTYD since it's more railroaded than 64.
In any case, I believe Sticker Star has the highest potential for replays considering how everything is structured. Sort of like SMG where the levels are linear but you can do whatever in order basically. More interesting persay than any of the other ones, where the the maxiumum amount is cutting down on backtracking and badge setups. Backtracking cutdowns greatly benefitting Paper Mario where it does absolutely nothing for TTYD since it's more railroaded than 64.
Sammy Samusu
Member
Paper Mario: GC > 64 > 3DS >>>>>> Shit > Wii
Sticker Star and Super Paper Mario are spin-off games, but this one is pretty great. I just beat the first boss! *-*
I do wish for a proper Paper Mario sequel though.
Sticker Star and Super Paper Mario are spin-off games, but this one is pretty great. I just beat the first boss! *-*
I do wish for a proper Paper Mario sequel though.
Colonel Nasty
Member
Wheres the toad out back?
nckillthegrimace
Member
What's up with the lack of impressions? The thread is moving so slow. Where's Amirox? I hope this game does not bomb
I want to finish the game before I post anything super detailed, but it's a pretty cool game. It does some things better and some things worse than the other PM games, but I'd say, on the whole, that it's good stuff.
Saint Gregory
Member
It already sounds like our opinions are going to be polar opposites... ah, the balance of the universe has been restored.
Seriously though I hope whatever happened that required you to be in rehab is going OK.
Green Mamba
Member
Yup. The series has been reduced to nothing more than an artstyle. Any hope there was of a return to form has been squashed pretty thoroughly.
After one experimental title a couple years after the last traditional one? Yeah, there's hope.
Eight years on and we have only gotten another experimental title? It's done, it's over.
Intelligent Systems has pretty clearly shown they don't want to make another game that plays like the first two, which is especially confusing considering it's from the same studio that just put out the thirteenth or so Fire Emblem.
KirbYuuYuu
Member
Paper Mario is more than just an artstyle, and IS has pretty much displayed that Paper Mario is not exactly about the battle system, but more about its character, since every Paper Mario game retains that fact. Besides, I feel the battle system for TTYD was practically perfected with no room to really move up, so the only thing left for it would've been that battle system without shoddily paced chapters, which sounds neat, but not that exciting.
In any case, I sort of rushed this as I have somewhere to go, but I just wrote a review for this game.
KG's review on Paper
Green Mamba
Member
"Because the last one was just too good" seems like a silly reason to completely abandon the familiar gameplay from a series in favor of retaining nothing but the abstract and indefinable. Super Metroid was pretty much the Metroid formula perfected, but no way in hell would I trade the GBA and Prime games for Metroid games that retained nothing but its character. Some people have that itch for the new familiar. Others have the itch for brand new ideas unhindered by past titles--but is that not what new IPs are for?
I think I've made it pretty clear before, but I hate it when an established IP has a complete directional change and abandons the old ways. What is an old fan who wants a new game in the old vein supposed to do? Buy the game and give them the message that their unwanted change is what they want? Or not buy the game and give them the message that the series should to be killed?
I think I've made it pretty clear before, but I hate it when an established IP has a complete directional change and abandons the old ways. What is an old fan who wants a new game in the old vein supposed to do? Buy the game and give them the message that their unwanted change is what they want? Or not buy the game and give them the message that the series should to be killed?
Saint Gregory
Member
To be fair, most of us only felt that way because we didn't enjoy their last diversion from the established series. We were all hyped as hell when SPM was announced, starved for 2D platforming (at the time) and the concept sounded incredible.
The fact that (IMO) they missed the mark so badly with that game made me very wary of PM:SS, I'm glad that it turned out great though (again IMO).
Green Mamba
Member
I don't know. It's one thing to release a new Call of Duty year in and year out, to release NSMB2 and NSMBU months apart from one another, or to release a new FPS in a saturated market. It would have been quite a different scenario to release what would have essentially been a third game in a unique series eight years after the previous with a completely experimental title released in between.
I've never really had another game frustrate me so much just for existing. The first two Paper Marios are among my favorite games of all time, and was very much so looking forward to a proper sequel after Super Paper Mario's experimentation. The fact that eight years on and we have only now gotten yet another complete alteration of the formula has pretty much killed any enthusiasm I had for a proper sequel ever happening. It's like learning Santa Claus isn't real. Just a complete downer.
I'm not saying this game is bad. But to paraphrase from Seinfeld, it's like going to Idaho and eating a carrot. A carrot's fine, but I'm in Idaho--I want a potato.
I think I just need to move on.
El Pescado
Member
Paper Mario 64 is one of my favorite games of all time and I am having an absolutely fantastic time with Sticker Star. I think I'm in love~
So I finally caved and bought the game earlier today, played it through 1-6 and stopped there just in time to avoid my 3DS' battery dying on me (although I missed 1-5...tried scouring around for a secret exit to get there and never found one). I'm already finding out how different of a mindset it takes to play through this game compared to the likes of Thousand Year Door. (For the sake of background, TYD is currently my favorite Paper Mario, but as Mario RPGs in general go, I still prefer Superstar Saga above all others).
It strikes me as being pretty clear already that this is the most "thought-oriented" game in the Paper Mario series so far. It's almost more like one of the old-school Adventure games in the way you're expected to traverse the world and really apply logic along with the clues you're given to proceed through each level. This extends into combat too. I agree it felt weird at first to have no real stats aside from HP, but the way the sticker mechanic works really makes you think about how you want to manage your stock. Normal-enemy battles definitely do feel marginalized, but for a handheld game where the idea is to be able to make progress quickly, I can understand why they wouldn't want to make players feel bogged down with a bunch of really repetitive fights before encountering something new. In a way, those battles almost just feel like "practice fights" to help prepare yourself for boss encounters, which also stick to the puzzle thematic of thinking about which items to use at what time.
Take, for example, 1-4. One of the few times where circumstances force you to fight through some of the normal enemies. It felt like pointless backtracking to me at first, until I reflected after the level was over and realized that by going through those battles, the game is actually subtly training your strategy for how to deal with the boss later on. You learn which attacks are and aren't effective by going through it on a lesser scale first. I'm betting that most if not all boss fights will function in this way.
Incidentally...regarding 1-6, I wound up just brute-forcing my way through the
there because it turns out I didn't have the effective sticker to use. What is his actual weakness? The
? I'd brought along what I thought might do it, to no avail.
It strikes me as being pretty clear already that this is the most "thought-oriented" game in the Paper Mario series so far. It's almost more like one of the old-school Adventure games in the way you're expected to traverse the world and really apply logic along with the clues you're given to proceed through each level. This extends into combat too. I agree it felt weird at first to have no real stats aside from HP, but the way the sticker mechanic works really makes you think about how you want to manage your stock. Normal-enemy battles definitely do feel marginalized, but for a handheld game where the idea is to be able to make progress quickly, I can understand why they wouldn't want to make players feel bogged down with a bunch of really repetitive fights before encountering something new. In a way, those battles almost just feel like "practice fights" to help prepare yourself for boss encounters, which also stick to the puzzle thematic of thinking about which items to use at what time.
Take, for example, 1-4. One of the few times where circumstances force you to fight through some of the normal enemies. It felt like pointless backtracking to me at first, until I reflected after the level was over and realized that by going through those battles, the game is actually subtly training your strategy for how to deal with the boss later on. You learn which attacks are and aren't effective by going through it on a lesser scale first. I'm betting that most if not all boss fights will function in this way.
Incidentally...regarding 1-6, I wound up just brute-forcing my way through the
shimmering goomba
fan?
Green Mamba
Member
My post had literally nothing to do with Sticker Star's quality or any perceived lack thereof.
RPGCrazied
Member
Worth a buy or not? How's the writing? If its up there with TTYD, I'll buy it, if not, I'll wait on a price drop.
The weakness is indeed the fan, but apparently you have to use it at a specific time during the fight to inflict the most damage
El Pescado
Member
You called it a complete downer. I think it's fantastic. I'm not attacking you specifically, but I've seen so many people say "This isn't exactly the same as TTYD! I hate it!" that it makes me sad.
Yeah, I figured I had the timing aspect of it figured out already, I just messed up exactly which sticker to have on hand.
I tried the faucet...it made him soggy, but no dice on clearing away the small-fry goombas like I hoped it might.
Green Mamba
Member
I meant it it's a complete downer in the sense that the game's mere existence confirms for me that there never will be a third game in the vein of the first two. It's the realization this game's existence has imparted to me that's a complete downer, not the actual game itself.
Secret Fawful
Member
I think once Miyamoto steps away to make smaller games that may change.
If you are feeling like that...then maybe you should move on.
This one is much, much more like a proper mario game with the paper environment making use of 3D. That is the takeaway. It is also portable and has been designed as such. They already made TTYD. Done.
I kinda like that after the first one, every single title in the series is quite a bit different. There is no "experimentation." Every title is very different in the franchise while using light RPG cues and always having a flat world made of paper.
I'd rank the titles like this:
Sticker Star -> TTYD -> SPM -> PM64 -> SMRPG
I add SMRPG because it is the informal start to the franchise.
There are other aspects that contribute to the vein of Paper Mario besides from just the battle system.
For instance: Mario and Bowser being kind of "goofy" or "silly". Before SMRPG, those two had never had that. They had never really had a personality at all TBH. But that's something that started in SMRPG and has continued and developed in the Paper Mario series.
However, if the battle system is what you're mostly referring to, then I don't think you should give up hope quite yet. It's still possible that IntSys may have a battle system closer to the traditional sense.
But still, does anyone remember their reaction when PM64 first came out? I know mine was,
"How come my attacks only hurt 1? How come leveling up doesn't increase any stats? Why don't you have stats? Why can't you learn skills by leveling? What's with badges? I hate having to manage BP, I just want to learn all the skills! I want SMRPG 2! "
PM64 was already a huge deviation from a successful title.
KirbYuuYuu
Member
Unfortunately, because it's not like the old ones isn't a good excuse to knock a game down.
Fusion in itself is a big departure from what made Metroid, Metroid for people and people loved that game. Not as much as Super, but it was a very well made game. Prime was practically feared because it was too different, but lo and behold we all loved it (too much now), not to mention it was bringing something into a new realm of gameplay, 3D. TTYD would not benefit much from being on a newer console like Metroid would've, and it doesn't help that people still want Metroid games like the old days, granted Other M was handled poorly so I'm not entirely surprised.
Bringing up New IPs is a terrible argument. Not only does New IP =/= New concept, but not many people buy new IPs, and instead buy established franchises instead. It is why there's a vast amount of sequelitis as it is, and it's not like you would've bought Sticker Star if it wasn't called Paper Mario anyway. NSMB is getting ragged on for not changing enough, but apparently Paper Mario changed, oh no, I want more rehashes.
Paper Mario pretty much exists in the Mario Fanbase in general, so I find it extremely hypocritical for this to even happen.
MisterLuffy
Member
I just got the game today, and I beat the first boss. The game is challenging imo.
Green Mamba
Member
No, this is wrong. TTYD was a clear and obvious continuation of the original Paper Mario concept, taking the gameplay and formula, improving it and introducing a new world and content to play in. It's absolutely a sequel in the sense that SPM and SS are not. You cannot compare them directly in that fashion. SPM and SS are not equivalent concepts to PM64 as TTYD is to PM64.
They established a series with TTYD, it was only afterwards did it become a series connected only by vague concepts. Had they not, I probably would not be here arguing.
I don't know if that's a completely fair comparison as Paper Mario feels like it was intended to be more of a spiritual successor to a game made by a team that at the time wanted nothing to do with Nintendo, but it is a fairly good point. I do commend them for not calling it Super Mario RPG 2 though, whatever the ultimate reasoning may have been.
I'm not entirely certain what you're arguing here. Are you arguing that people don't want Paper Mario games like the old days? Because I'm pretty clear and obvious evidence that at least one person does.
Well, outside of my feelings that I find the use of old IPs to push fundamentally new IPs onto fans to be manipulative, I am not here to argue NSMB's problems. But you're fundamentally comparing a series that in a week or so will have had four very similar titles released in a span of six years (two of them just within this year) to a series that has had two similar titles released eight years ago. I tire of this comparison; it's completely disingenuous to compare the situations at all.
Spiritual successor of SMRPG. I see your point. PM wasn't meant to be a direct continuation. I guess my main point was: everyone (or at least people who cared about Mario RPGs) was clamoring for a SMRPG 2 and Nintendo took it in a different direction.
I dunno, if PM:SS isn't your cup of tea, maybe you don't have to give up on PM completely yet.
Manipulative? That's crazy. Was it "manipulative" of Nintendo to feature Mario in their party, kart racing, and sports games? That's not manipulation, it's just a good use of brands. Some people may hate seeing the same characters repeatedly in a cacophony of games, but brands sell.
Expanding existing IP into different genres is a good thing. Rather than trick people into playing games they don't want to, it introduces them to different types of games, while maintaining a certain element of familiarity.
Lord_Byron28
Member
Does anyone have any hints for
3-8 I don't know how to get to the comet sticker?
VGChampion
Member
I guess reading this I could understand why people want more of the same. Despite loving this game, I would go crazy for a new Mario RPG.
Green Mamba
Member
I would argue there is a clear difference between introducing a spinoff and what is intended as a new direction. There is no indication from anyone who made Sticker Star that it's intended to be a spinoff, and neither was Super Paper Mario. Far as we can tell, this is the new direction of Paper Mario. No one in their right mind believed something like Mario Kart or Dead Space Extraction were the new directions of their respective series.
Just like how Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts was the same thing, you just built vehicles to get the Jiggies instead of using learned moves to get them.
I should note that, again, I have not made any judgments on Sticker Star's quality. So far as I can remember, anyway. So far tonight at least. Right now I'm merely disparaging the fact that this feels like the end of any hope for a return to form.
I apologize for dragging this out, but I felt I needed to get my opinion out there.
MisterLuffy
Member
The only thing I hate about the battle system is you can't pick enemies that you want to attack. You have to attack the first one to attack the second then attack the third and so on. I know it's nothing but that's how I feel.
Secret Fawful
Member
It adds strategy and difficulty to the battles.
GiantEnemyGoomba
Member
OMG
STICKERS! My OCD can be put to rest now.
*buys as many as possible*
SECRET DOOR
*buys as many as possible*
Yeah, and also encourages using the battle spinner if you want to target more enemies.
I kind of view it like a tactics RPG game. Say, FF Tactics. To get a certain guy sometimes, you have to beat the guy in your path. Or you could try an attack that hits multiple people. So yeah, different type of strategy.
You obviously need a bowling ball.
I figured...but I've tried everything that could have passed as a bowling ball already! The drum, the billiard ball, even the turkey, lol! Man, I feel like a total numb nuts. Here I was making fun of all the terrible reviewers out there for getting stuck and now I find myself in the exact same position. The only difference I guess is that I'm quite happy the game has stumped me! =D
Meanwhile...World 5 was FUCKING INCREDIBLE. Every stage was nearly perfect. 5-4 could quite possible be my favorite level in the entire game. 5-6 was also god-tier too! The stage/level design in this game is TOO GOOD for its own good sometimes, lol! Holy shit I love this game!
You should try using a bowling ball.
If you don't have one, the bowling alley isn't the next thing you have to do.GiantEnemyGoomba
Member
Do 3-1 and 3-2 have places to
? I can't find them.
put secret doors
MisterLuffy
Member
Secret Fawful said:
Zeer0id said:
Mory Dunz said:
No arguments there. Other than that this game is fun.
Lord_Byron28
Member
you can't obtain the bowling ball until you beat 3-8. A wiggler piece will run away to 3-2 and will open up a pathway to a bowling ball. Could you help with 5-1. One of the shy guys with a spear that had the special paper I need was eaten by a flower but I can't stun with enough time to run all the way over and cross it.
KirbYuuYuu
Member
This was the part that I thought was a load of shit for me, so what I did was abuse its geometry, try jumping from the left side of it so you can jump on top of it.
Lord_Byron28
Member
Okay thanks. I'll try it out and see how it works.