Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Paper Mario: Sticker Star (known as Paper Mario: Super Seal in Japan) is an upcoming RPG for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Intelligent Systems. It was released in North America on November 11, and set to be released in Japan on December 6, Europe on December 7, and Australia on December 8, 2012. As the fourth installment in the Paper Mario series, it is the first Paper Mario title to be released for a handheld console. It is named after the artifact of the same name.

Storyline
The story starts during the night of the annual holiday, the Sticker Fest, where the citizens come to witness the Sticker Comet fly by in the sky. It is said that the Sticker Comet will actually make wishes come true. Princess Peach, on stage, shows the audience (which consists of Mario and a myriad of Toads) the comet as it floats down to the scene. Suddenly, Bowser and his troops appear and crash the festivities. Out of want for the comet, Bowser decides to take it as his own, while Goombas and Koopa Troopas applaud. Three Toads attempt to pull Bowser away but inadvertently have him crash into the Sticker Comet, breaking it into six pieces and sprawling them across the Mushroom Kingdom. One of them happens to fall on Bowser’s head making him more powerful, and unleashes a tornado which scares away the Toads. A furious Mario tries to attack him, but is overpowered and later wakes up with the Sticker Fest in a disaster, Toads stuck to Bowser stickers, and Princess Peach missing. After regaining conciousness, Mario meets Kersti, a sticker fairy and the caretaker of the Royal Stickers. At first, she blames Mario for touching the Sticker Comet and causing the destruction of the Sticker Fest, as she tells him that a Sticker Comet must never, ever be touched. Mario tries to explain that it was Bowser for touching the comet, but Kersti takes this as a cowardly excuse of him at first. Mario then suggests that he'll help Kersti get the Royal Stickers back, with Kersti finally agreeing with him.

Mario starts by freeing the Toads affixed in tape placed by Bowser in the damaged festival. Once free, one of the Toads gives him a hammer. Mario then heads to the main town, Decalburg. After liberating the Toads, Mario heads towards the plaza east of town and discovers the area rolled up. The Toads together push to unroll the Plaza and bring it back to normal. As Mario leaves the town, he gets ambushed by a group of Goombas but defeats them.

Mario eventually gets to Bowser, who has become giant-sized and cardboard, corrupted by the Sticker Comet's power. Like all Paper Mario games, he is invincible. Kersti sacrifices herself to make him vincible, apologizing for causing trouble on Mario's adventure. After a climatic final battle, Mario defeats him, releasing him of the Royal Sticker's control and incapacitating him. Mario frees Peach and she says the stickers are meant to be used for good and not evil. Together, the two wish for the return of Kersti and peace in the Mushroom Kingdom. After Peach congratulates Mario and the rest of the kingdom for their success, the Koopa king attempts to steal the Royal Stickers again, only for a revived Kersti to intervene. She jokes she wants to change her career, and Mario, Peach, and Bowser laugh.

Nintendo eShop Description
Launching this holiday, this classic action role-playing franchise gets a fresh 3D look in its hand-held debut as Mario uses stickers found in the game to win battles and solve puzzles.

Gameplay
After forgoing the classic battle system in favor of a sidescrolling platformer-style system in Super Paper Mario, Paper Mario: Sticker Star returns to the turn-based system from the first two installments. However, players will have to gather stickers, which are necessary both for solving puzzles and gaining battle commands. Stickers are a major part of the gameplay and storyline. Some objects appear in the form of stickers, and they will also have the ability to give power ups to Mario, such as the Frog Suit. They can also be used to overcome obstacles. Various real-world objects also appear and after being turned to stickers in Decalburg, they can be used in battle or in the overworld (e.g, a Fan sticker can be used in World 1-2 to gain entrance to a windmill). Instead levelling up from experience points as in the previous installments, Mario must solve problems and will be rewarded with an HP Up Heart. Stickers also appears to replace Badges from the first two installments of the series. A new feature is a "Battle Spinner" slot machine, which is similar to Bingo! in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door; it allows Mario to get a set of extra stickers or coins.

Protagonists

 * Mario

Supporters

 * Toads
 * Princess Peach
 * Luigi

Enemies

 * Goomba
 * Shiny Goomba
 * Paper-Cone Goomba
 * 2-Fold Goomba
 * Pokey
 * Paragoomba
 * 5-Fold Paragoomba
 * Koopa Troopa
 * Koopa Paratroopa
 * Shiny Koopa Paratroopa
 * Dry Bones
 * Piranha Plant
 * Hammer Bro.
 * Boomerang Bro.
 * Fire Bro.
 * Ice Bro.
 * Magikoopa
 * Buzzy Beetle
 * Spiny
 * Swooper
 * Bob-omb
 * Para-bomb
 * Spike
 * Snow Spike
 * Whomp
 * Shy Guy
 * Snifit
 * Spear Guy
 * Clip Guy
 * Mariachi Guys
 * Accordion Guy
 * Sombrero Guy
 * Maraca Guy
 * Fuzzy
 * Boo
 * Ninji
 * Scuttlebug
 * Blooper
 * Cheep-Cheep
 * Mural Goomba
 * Mural Koopa

Mini-Bosses

 * Big Buzzy Beetle
 * Big Scuttlebug
 * Mega Cheep-Cheep
 * Bowser Jr.
 * Kamek

Main Bosses

 * Megasparkle Goomba (World 1 Boss)
 * Tower Power Pokey (World 2 Boss)
 * Gooper Blooper (World 3 Boss)
 * Unamed crowned Snowman (World 4 Boss)
 * Petey Piranha (World 5 Boss)
 * Bowser

Partners
Partners work differently in Sticker Star, only being used one time to solve certain puzzles and not in battle. The only true partner is Kersti, and partner attacks have been removed entirely in favor of stickers; i.e. Shell Toss has been replaced by a Koopa Shell sticker.
 * Kersti

Traveling Partners

 * A Chain Chomp

Fighting Partners

 * Green Koopa
 * Red Koopa
 * A Bob-omb

Other

 * Wiggler
 * Cheep Chomp
 * Whomp
 * Snifit
 * Boo
 * Blooper
 * Lakitu
 * Birdo

Items

 * Question Block
 * Brick Blocks
 * Coin Blocks
 * Coins
 * Large Coins
 * 10 Gold Coins
 * Recovery Block
 * Save Block
 * Warp Pipe
 * Sticker Album
 * HP-Up Heart

Obstacles

 * Podoboo
 * Stickers which must be pulled off by pressing . "Bowser" is written on it and it has Bowser's emblem. Pull it off to find hidden Stickers/Areas. It should be noted that it is similar to the paper that can be blown off by Flurrie in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

Locations
Unlike previous installments, the game has a level progression system, similar to the platformer games. Each level course is unlocked after collecting a Comet Piece in the area. Along with that is a world map, similar to the main series, as well as a throwback to Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars' overworld map.


 * Decalburg
 * World 1:
 * W1-1: Warm Fuzzy Plains
 * W1-2: Bouquet Gardens
 * W1-3: Water's Edge Way
 * W1-4: Hither Thither Hill
 * W1-5: Whammino Mountain
 * W1-6: Goomba's Fortress
 * World 2:
 * W2-1: Drybake Desert
 * W2-2: Yoshi Sphinx
 * W2-3: Sandshifter Ruins
 * W2-4: Damp Oasis
 * W2-5: Sandbake Stadium
 * World 3:
 * W3-1: Leaflitter Path
 * W3-2: The Bafflewood
 * W3-3: Wiggler's Tree House
 * W3-4: Strike Lake
 * W3-5: Loop Loop River
 * W3-6: Outlook Point
 * W3-7: Scuttlebug Burrow
 * W3-8: Tree Branch Trail
 * W3-9: Gauntlet Pond
 * W3-10: Stump Glade
 * W3-11: Holey Thicket
 * W3-12: Whitecap Beach
 * Surfshine Harbor:
 * World 4:
 * W4-1: Snow Rise
 * W4-2: Ice Flow
 * W4-3: The Enigmansion
 * W4-4: Shaved-Ice Cave
 * W4-5: Whiteout Valley
 * W4-6: Bowser's Snow Fort
 * World 5:
 * W5-1: Shy Guy Jungle
 * W5-2: Jungle Rapids
 * W5-3: Long Fall Falls
 * W5-4: Chomp Ruins
 * W5-5: Rugged Road
 * W5-6: Rumble Volcano
 * World 6:
 * W6-1: Gate Cliff
 * W6-2: Bowser Jr.'s Flotilla
 * W6-3: Bowser's Sky Castle

Critical Reception
The game has recieved mainly positive reviews but with a few mixed reviews as well. 1UP gave the game an A- grade, Gamesradar gave the game 4.5/5, Game Informer gave the game 8.75/5, IGN gave the game 8.3/10, Modojo gave the game 4/5, Nintendo Life gave the game 8/10, Digital Chumps gave the game 7.6/10 and Venture Beat gave the game 68/100 (68%). However, GameXplain gave the game 2 stars out of 5.

Nintendo Life gave the game 8/10.

Most criticised the game for straying too far from the rest of the series, but praised its graphic style.

Trivia

 * This is the first Paper Mario title to not start at Mario's House.
 * 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.
 * Whenever a new character is introduced, the game pauses to show the player their name, not unlike Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
 * From its release for download onto the Nintendo eShop until January 13, 2013, Club Nintendo members in North America who download Paper Mario: Sticker Star and register it on Club Nintendo will also receive Donkey Kong: Original Edition for free.