Why Paper Mario Sticker Star ISN'T Bad [Discussion Video]
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- čas přidán 22. 05. 2024
- It's my birthday! Let's talk about my favorite Paper Mario game!
#papermariostickerstar #discussion #funnymoments
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You gotta respect someone having the balls to defend Sticker Star on the internet
I will defend this game for as long as I breathe
@@nintenbroalexwell at least you will have me by your side
This game is amazing and extremely underrated I wouldn’t quite say it’s my favorite 3ds game though…
Sticker star is my second favourite game in the paper Mario franchise. I haven’t played 1000 year door yet
Well, I haven’t played it yet and from what I’ve heard everyone hates it do you guys know why
@@RandyDuffield battle system
Edit: oh and the puzzles, most of them aren’t really “well designed”
"no XP/levels" and "every attack requires a sticker" are both interesting design limitations on their own, but having them both is unsalvagable.
That feeling of having to use a resource to deal with even the most basic of enemies, knowing that you would get nothing in return for it sucked. If you gained XP, you would at least feel like you gained something for giving up a sticker. This is the main gameplay loop.
Thats exactly the issue: "Why fight if I get nothing for doing so". If battling had at least an extrinsic reward it would have helped, but the then we have the other problem of the battles not being intrinsically rewarding ether. The battles fail in both aspects. The battels are not fun because you ether feel way to powerful against the enemy or the enemy is way too strong which wastes your health and stickers trying to fight it.
The battles feel like one big waste of time, along with the game itself.
As someone who’s first paper Mario was also sticker Star, I really appreciate a more level headed take like this. It’s certainly more refreshing than…”STICKER STAR=BAD Because XY and z”
I had a decent time enough time playing it back in the day and had a lot of fun collecting the stickers(funnily enough my favourite sticker was also the infinite jump one lol) so I think it’s important to remind people that we all have different tastes and that said tastes can change at any point.
EVERY GAME has at least 1 fan and I consider that it’s vital to respect that, no matter how garbage a game might seem to you.
Also I have traveled 7 months from the future to this particular date of the 3rd of October 2023 to wish you a happy birthday 😏 may your future years be Joyful…human🛸👽👾
It doesn’t matter the game, I always try to see enjoyment to the end because I want my time playing to be worthwhile, I’m sure many people who say XYZ about sticker star just don’t see the game we do and that’s fine, I’m just happy that I’ve been able to find a group of people here that see the game the same way I do and that’s what games are all about which is bringing people together - and thank you for the belated birthday wishes haha
I'm always interested in hearing why people like this game. I'd like to have a serious, deep discussion, so I'm gonna comment on each of your points individually
1. Lack of EXP: What do you mean "It is very apparent if you try to skip levels in this game, you will get your ass handed to you"? You mention the game having a "natural difficulty progression" but don't elaborate on it at all. What progression system are you talking about? You also just outright cannot skip levels. At best you get multiple routes to take, at worst you're stuck looking for a secret ending.
2. Partners: I don't think you described Kersti quite properly. She is way worse than "a tutorial character". In a game as HORRIBLY vague as this one about where to go and what you need, it falls on her to be the hint system to guide you and she fails miserably in that regard, on top of just being an awful person and horribly rude to Mario and everyone around her. It's not funny or endearing, it's kind of gross. Otherwise, I think it says a lot you describe the character who gets as much screen time as Mario as someone that has little going for her. Like, she is Protagonist Number 2 but feels like an NPC.
Also, I am curious, what is this "unnecessary hate" you mentioned she gets?
3. Equipment: You neglected to mention that Stronger Hammers and Boots in Paper Mario also grants new attacks and ways of interacting with the overworld. In Sticker Star, you get Stickerization and picking up Stickers, that it's. It keeps the gameplay outside of battles repetitive and uninteresting. I'm also not entirely sure why you describe equipment as if it's from Mario and Luigi. Paper Mario has never had that sort of generic RPG Gear you described.
4. Item Play: I'm not quite sure what you're referring to here. Items? You mean Things, right? Assuming that's the case, I'm willing to bet people are actually referring to how Things just trivialize bosses, but are nearly impossible without them. Against normal enemies, they're screen nukes for the most part, yes, but we also had Up And Away and Showstopper in earlier titles. Things being too powerful isn't the problem, it's how much you NEED them throughout the game and how frustrating not having them is.
5. Stickers: Stickers being one use is not the main issue people have with them. It's the fact that you can RUN OUT MID FIGHT and just lose because **you literally cannot attack**. There is no shortage of stickers, they're everywhere, but the LIMITED sticker inventory combined with the awful sorting system means you can realistically go into a fight without enough stickers. That scenario is at least somewhat niche. Stickers admittedly aren't super flawed, but "they're one use" is a gross simplification.
Since you mention it though, why do you like Stickers over the normal formula? You never explained why, so I'm curious.
6. Battle Spinner: This is one of the few things in this game I don't find poorly executed, and I'm actually baffled that you took an opposite stance on. You basically already had 2 actions per turn in the older games thanks to partners, so the battle spinner just gives you that again. Extra equipment isn't necessary in practice because you can always guarantee 2 actions. If anything, only having one action would make fights either a huge, annoying slog, or just compel you to ignore most stickers and only go for AOE attacks, rendering a majority of the stickers pointless. Try doing a No Battle Spinner Run of this game and I think you'll get what I mean.
7. Length: A game being on weak hardware doesn't excuse it from lacking content. You know what other Action / Adventure game on 3DS does have tons of content? The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. You didn't provide a solid reason for the length, you just made an excuse.
8. Replayability: I think you opened up a very good question here. You agree that the game has little replay value, and cite gameplay things like filling up the sticker museum, but I would argue it goes further than that. When I think about replaying TTYD, I imagine two things. A) The restrictions will I impose to make the game harder And B) Seeing all of my favorite moments again. I yearn for battling Lord Crump as two pirate ships circle each other. I foam at the mouth to take down a giant monster atop a running train. I get giddy whenever I blast off into orbit using a giant cannon, or see the Thousand Year Door pulsing like a heartbeat. Despite knowing the story, I love seeing all of these cool moments again.
I know this is subjective, but what cool moments does Sticker Star have that you look forward to seeing on another playthrough?
9. Lack of Open World: I'm going to mention Link Between Worlds again. You can visit any of the game's 7 dungeons right away. What was the reason for blocking off World 2 only after beating World 1?
10. Abilities: So your justification is "I feel they shouldn't have them because the game is short." Yeah, Super Metroid, another Action / Adventure game, should've just been you running around with a peashooter. They are different games released at different times, but you're basically saying "games should be drawn out and made longer, even if it makes them less engaging." Look at basically any Metroid Game and you'll see length isn't a be all, end all. That said, 4-8 hours for a Paper Mario game definitely would've been way too short, but you get what I'm saying, right?
11. Softlocking: This is ironically something that would not be an issue if this game had abilities. Clearly outlined obstacles you need a specific overworld ability to break does wonders for Metroid, and even old Paper Mario.
12. Sticker Doors: Nothing to add, I share your thoughts on this.
13. Too much paper: Also agree with you. I'd like to point out though that you don't really provide a defense on this point. You sort of just agree with it. This point is admittedly more of an opinion than everything else on this list, but it is an, I'd say fairly important point, and it just goes undefended. Same with Sticker Doors.
14. No Original NPCs: Largely undefended, but yes, agree.
15. Kersti: Discussed her already, but yes, agree with what you say here (aside from her pointing you in the right direction. That so rarely, RARELY happens).
16. Bowser: Everything about Bowser in this game is disappointing. Tedious, annoying fight, he was already the main threat in 64 and this take feels worse, and most offensively, NO DIALOGUE. Bowser is such a funny, likable character, so gutting him of his personality was a crime against him. He deserved better.
Could you go into some more detail about his fight being unique? What exactly about it? The multiple phases? Him being giant?
17. Making Sticker Star Good: ..... Nothing? You have nothing to say? Not one moment in the game you'd want to see improved, changed, or altered in any way? Like, even I have things I'd want changed about TTYD, I'd love a fast travel system, more to do in the post game, and some sort of hard mode, but you have absolutely zero changes you'd pitch to make Sticker Star better?
For a video discussing why this game isn't bad, I don't feel like you made a very good case for this game. This felt more like an opinion piece, which is fine, but I'm walking away from this video feeling like I learned nothing. It felt more like you were gushing about the game with rose-tinted glasses instead of having an objective look at it. The title made me believe you were going to do that, so I find myself leaving this video disappointed and feeling lied to.
That said, happy late birthday, and I'm glad the game makes you happy :)
I agree.
Most of it is just echo camber gushing with little substance.
Yeah, you took the words outta mouth. I came in here hoping for some interesting insight and how it stands up with the previous games, but all I got was something that vaguely sounded like "It was one I grew up with therefore it's not that bad guys" without any elaboration on why it's not that bad...
This was a perfectly worded and objective response. The video was attempted to be presented in an objective manner when all reasons that were given were heavily opinionated and sometimes even plain incorrect of fact. It's okay to like this game, one's trash is another's treasure yeah, but keep things real too.
This is the best response to paper mario sticker star i have ever seen
@@Taurmega I grew up with Wind Waker, the original; I recognize it had flaws (the Triforce Quest, the Goron Trading Sequence, the difficulty, etc.), but it is still a fun game overall. I know I'm describing apples to dirt comparing it to Sticker Star, but I'm more so just saying that it is okay to call out a childhood game on its flaws. No game is perfect.
The idea saying “it’s a 3DS game” bugged me as I know it’s not a hardware limitation
me looking at the ocarina of time and xenoblade for 3ds on the table
Exactly
Or A Link Between Worlds. You know, an actual action adventure game ON THE 3DS.@@Proticity
@@user-ky3of8ng6t smash 4, dark moon
I'll say this about Sticker Star and Color Splash: They have some REALLY cool ideas, they just could've been executed way better.
I just wish we could see this game expanded upon to have those executions fully realized
@@nintenbroalex i still wish that partners were there and there were more unique enemies,and friends,other than that it isn't as bad as people say,but a lot of things from previous game are missing,i mean its barely an rpg anymore. And most characters are normal mario enemies and toads,so many goddamn toads...
sticker star's heart was in the right place
As Sombrero Guy yourself, you’d know best
If anyone ever defends this game, 11:05 is always, always the reason why. Never fails. It's okay, not everyone can have taste.
Valid. I’m not gonna pretend this being my first game in the series doesn’t make my opinion a little bias, but everything else I said still stands
This was my first game from paper Mario as well i genuinely think this game is great maybe when I was younger and was amazed my the graphics and sounds but I guess from a grown ups perspective I do see it’s flows but this game holders a special place in my heart
Final Fantasy XIII fans come to mind, the always defend the game and claim it was there first Final Fantasy and they don't understand the hate.
IDK i think it being their first paper mario puts them in a better position to fairly review the game. not saying it isn't the worst game in the series, i'm saying it removes bias
@@JumboDS64 But he IS bias, he's defended this horrible game design that shouldn't be defended. All these hidden Things you have to backtrack for to progress that can be in all these levels you'd have no idea where they are is horrible game design for any game. He is so bias that he doesn't even realize the battle system is simply what it would be if you stripped out everything the first two games have other than item usage.
Okay, I have an idea here... a means by which to address one of the problems people had with the sticker mechanic.
Let's start with the addition of my new menu, the Sticker Star [You see what I did there?]
You remember Brawl's Sticker Orb system for adding stats to characters? We're going to add this to the game, however, It's going to start out as a pentagon. Yes, start out. We will be adding in XP and Leveling. Leveling does not inherently boost your characters' stats directly, instead, it increases the number of stickers you're allowed to place on your Sticker Star.
The Sticker Star starts with a capacity of 5 stickers, and increases by 5 for every level. Every 5 levels, your Sticker Star gains one of it's points.
Your sticker Star will function as your Equipped items page.
Items will still be consumable, HOWEVER they are not (all) single use items. Early in the game, you are likely finding worn stickers, which give you low stat boosts, and are low durability. The game shows how many uses you have left of a sticker any time it's relevant.
For instance, the 1-up mushroom that can revive you to 25% hp if your hp reaches 0 is shown when the player is below 25% hp, and also when it is consumed. The UI will show you how many mushrooms are on your sticker star (being single use consumables)
Alternatively, when you equip a hammer, while you are looking at the attack options, the game shows you both the remaining durability of your attack sticker, as well as the expected damage of a singular hit with the attack (we're going to keep the multiattack option for players who are skilled enough to maintain a combo with a single strike)
A Worn Hammer sticker (3 damage, 10 durability) will be weaker than a standard Hammer sticker (5 damage, 10 durability) which will be weaker still than a Prismatic Hammer sticker (8 damage 10 durability).
I can tell you're wondering why I mention the durability of the 3 stickers if they are all the same durability, that's because the Hammer sticker is secretly 20 durability and the Prismatic Hammer sticker is secretly 30 durability!! That's Right! When a Prismatic sticker is worn out, it downgrades into a standard sticker, when a standard sticker is worn out, it downgrades into a Worn sticker.
You can also equip items such as the Red Mushroom, which gives +3/5/8 HP to Mario for 10/20/30 hits (durability is not reduced on a successful block or evade) or the Metal and Wing caps which widen the window to block/evade (durabilities are reduced ONLY on successful block/evade)
a character is allowed to be equipped with multiple of the same sticker. This will not enhance the statistical output of two of the same sticker, it will, however, spread out the wear and tear, as copies of the same sticker will be cycled when they use durability. One use for this mechanic is by equipping one prismatic sticker and multiple worn stickers, preserving your highest stat boost through the wear and tear of weaker stickers, thus keeping them somewhat useful even in late-game stages when you have access to many prismatic stickers.
Putting stickers onto your sticker star is very easy, this can be done in your menu from anywhere, however, removing a sticker is permanent, as you lose the sticker after it's removed. This can be avoided, however, if you go to town and ask the shopkeep to help you remove the sticker for a small fee.
Great comment, it makes me very happy when people actually give their own ideas, and explain them
Sounds like a better game then Sticker Star turned out to be lol.
Nice job using birthday plot armor to keep things civil. Happy birthday.
As someone who has 100% finished Sticker Star 3 times (because yeah...), I can honestly say that the lack of a leveling system made me more inclined to evade enemies in creative ways.
The only saving grace of the Sticker attack system was the fact that it somewhat satisfied my desire for inventory management, but not entirely.
The levels themselves were simple enough. There were a few interesting characters, but without a tangible story encapsulating them, I feel like the weight of their significance is diminished (i.e. reducing Wiggler to transportation).
The most fun I had was likely filling out the entire sticker gallery. Those that know me know why. It was interesting enough for me to do it three times, each time slightly different since I'd get rare stickers sooner than in my previous run.
Thank you haha
Yeah I’m replaying it now and I’ve been thinking the same way haha
Yeah maybe that’s why my adhd brain likes it more
Yeah I feel like they could of handled things like that better, even with wiggler where they could of had him visit the tree house if you go back to his level, but ehhh Nintendo gotta Nintendo
And yeah, it’s so fun to do that for some reason haha
I think this is why I also like and defend this game because collecting all the stickers is satisfying and gives reasons to actually battle and explore the world. If you're not into collecting, I can see how the levels and world can feel empty.
It's still easily the worst Paper Mario game since it lacks originality and is inferior in many other areas, but it is no where near as bad as people say if you look past its fatal flaws (i.e. specific thing stickers required for bosses) and look at it for what it is. Also, this battle system is still better than Origami King's; that system just lacks any purpose or strategy at all once the ring portion is done which gets extremely repetitive. Sticker Star's battle system is flawed due to lack of reasons to interact with it, but it works well in practice despite being a bit shallow in complexity.
Sticker Star will always have a special place in my heart because of the time I played it. As a kid with no access to the internet, I was never able to look up a guide to this game making the whole experience rather cryptic, but its this aspect that I adore. As a kid this game sort of became a project for me, I think it took me multiple months to finally beat it, but as a kid it was the most satisfied I had felt beating a game yet. The way it felt to play this game as a kid reminds me of how people describe playing NES games growing up like Zelda or Metroid. When you don't have a guide to work from cryptic games like these can become like a project to complete. While in the modern day guides defeat the point of this and as a college student I have no where close to the amount of free time I used to have, I find myself reminiscing when I revisit this game. It reminds me of a simpler time.
Most NES games were cryptic so the answers could be published in gaming magazines and the company's hint line would get more calls, so if anything what you experienced was MORE intense than what most kids who grew up with the NES did, since they essentially had "walkthroughs" very readily available to them back then.
There were actually battle items in the previous paper Mario games that also were consumable (would be depleted upon use), so stickers weren’t the first introduction of this idea. In addition, in the adjacent “bros” series, such as partners in time, also had consumable battle items that were a main component, taking the place of skills, just like stickers do in Sticker Star. The problem is in the implementation of this battle mechanic in Sticker Star is the lack of diversity in attacks, the game really only derives diversity based on the “Thing” stickers, which had to be turned into stickers (costs a lot and takes time) and they also took up more space in the sticker inventory. All in all, making it into a cumbersome lackluster mechanic that paled in comparison to what was previously established in the series/mario rpgs.
I know he acts like the idea of a consumable is some new novel idea lol. RPGs have had them for decades.
The thing about sticker star’s consumable items is.. you don’t get numbers on how much of something you have. (chuggaaconroy does a good job explaining in his videos but I’ll try)
With Partners in time as comparison, that game doesn’t hide all your bros attacks or “stickers” in random order across 8 pages.. it gives you a clear number. If I have 8 Ice flowers, it tells me I have 8 ice flowers. I don’t have to search through a whole book and potentally miss it
.. but I played sticker star when I was a kid and I loved the game and loved that gimmick so.. that’s proof enough that doesn’t ruin the game.
@@X-Cite69
Actually I would argue that it makes the game worse. Theres a reason why every other RPG choses the simpler stacking system over the convoluted single slot page system that Sticker Star uses. It over complicates things and gives more options then what is necessary. It also causes inventory problems resulting in you having to stop and throw away stickers constantly just have the strongest ones.
Partners in Time did a stacking system for this reason, every other RPG did a stacking system for this reason so I feel Sticker Star should have done so as well.
Also I don't like a game that treats you like a baby and hides important stats or information from you by not telling you that information (except for your health which is one thing it dose right). The game acts like having numbers is "ScArY" so it choses to not show them to you even if it could impact your choices in battle. If you compare this to any of the Mario and Luigi game or any other RPG they have entire menus dedicated to just displaying your stats. Why dose Sticker Star not have this? Why is it so... bare bones?
If Sticker Star was a person, I would imagine them to be some entitled brat kid who thinks that the way THEY do things is the best way and that everyone else is stupid for not doing it that way. This results in creative-less uninspired game because it wants to take as little inspiration from any RPG as possible and implement very little if not any of the established mechanics. Even if there is a reason for those mechanics existing in the first place.
Being different dose not make you good is basically what Im trying to say.
@@user-md7er6xe2z partners in time debatably did it BETTER than the BP system of other Mario rpgs. You get an Exact number of how many times you can use your attacks, instead of either having to Calculate how many times you can use a bro’s attack by taking your bp and dividing the cost of the attack, OR just using them carelessly until you run out.
But while partners in time is the most efficient, paper mario definitely did it more creatively. And again, the Bp system sits in the middle. More creative than partners in time, but not as creative as sticker star.
Creativity should not be prioritized over effectiveness. That’s why the last 3 paper mario games are terrible. (Among other reasons)
@@X-Cite69
Yes I agree that Partners in Time did an item attack system well despite that game flaws. Its not my favorite Mario and Luigi game but I still can respect it for what it did. I agree that Sticker Star was terrible and that its problems stem from it trying to be different because it seems to act like it knows how to play better then any other RPGs. It acts like a spoiled brat when it comes to accepting its wrong and dose not accept that other RPGs did it better as Ive said. I think if it was more traditional it would have been a better game. I don't mind RPGs trying new ideas but Sticker Star just dose not work.
The funny thing though is Sticker Star was my first paper Mario game and I grew up with it AND I STILL HATE IT. Unlike other games I have played as a kid Its somehow aged WORSE as Ive grown older. Even my 12 year old sister dose not like it after I allowed her to play it. To be fair I did tell her it was not a good game before she played but I don't think even she knew how much she would dislike it. She claimed she was board out of her mind and frustrated by the un-intuitiveness of the game itself. This game effectively turned me off completely from the Paper Mario series and it still continues to be the only game I have ever played from that series. However that might change due to the announcement of Thousand Year Door coming to Switch. I have considered giving the series a second chance as I have heard that game is really good.
First off, absolutely respect your opinion here.
Second, what you say at the end is something I wanna touch on while I offer rebuttals to your points. The game isn’t bad because it’s different, and some of the complaints you bring up about the game feel kinda surface level for what the actual problems are for people
Like, let’s continue talking backwards and start with Bowser being the villain. Bowser being the villain in and of itself isn’t bad. The problem is Bowser DOESN’T SPEAK! Bowser in the first three Paper Mario games was a fun goofy meathead who is still legitimately threatening. Bowser in Sticker Star could be some new character named Count Sticker von Stuckenstuf and nothing about the plot would change due to the lack of dialogue.
Next, the Sticker system and how you say you wish that it started earlier in the franchise. I could be snarky and say “that’s just battle items in the older games” and call it there. But instead, I want to highlight why the Sticker mechanic doesn’t work for me and I assume many others. It’s not solely because of “too awesome to use”, it’s “if you don’t have stickers, you do NOT have attacks.” Origami King had a good take on the idea- having limited use equips, but you always have a base Hammer and Jump to use.
And tying in to that, the lack of EXP/Level ups. Yeah, I’m just gonna say how the lack of that is bad, add how you can just run from battles and the regular enemies just disappear, and how that and the sticker system all make the battle system kinda pointless to interact with. But that’s just me sharing my opinion, rather than my intention of explaining peoples’ issues with the game.
Also, I don’t have anywhere else to work this in, but a reason I (and others more than me, but I agree with the sentiment) don’t like the battle system as a whole is how every action command is done with A. In older games, there was more variety in the action commands and that made them more fun. But this is another just my opinion thing to explain myself, the battle system in the game is overall still fine if you like it.
And the last thing I want to address- the open world and game length. This is one point I will actively say you’re wrong over, at least in terms of your defenses. Paper Mario 64 and TTYD were both able to do “Open World” much like Pokémon games have always done- where everything is segmented but connected. And XY and Sun and Moon both still managed to do that.
And speaking of the 3DS Pokémon games, since you use the 3DS being a handheld as a reason the game is smaller is scope and all that- the game length. I will freely admit, there’s no way to definitively measure game length because of how people play, but going off How Long To Beat, the first two Paper Mario games are around 30-33 hours. And Pokémon Sun and Moon and XY are in an equivalent length, so those defenses are weaker on your end. Again, just wanted to say your defense was wrong, you’re totally valid in thinking the game length and world map/level select are fine as is.
I want to end this off by restating that my intent is not to say you’re wrong for liking Sticker Star. I know I slipped into just sharing some negative opinions, but I didn’t want to share those and use them to explain why “you’re wrong” when you’re not. I wanted to explain why I and many others are so harsh on the game in better detail, since I felt like your views on the games’ criticisms missed context. I agree I think Sticker Star gets too harsh a rep, though. While the game’s battle system is incredibly flawed, the Thing system is just kinda obnoxious, and it misses the mark heavily on story and characters, aspects I think are highly important to Paper Mario, the game is not broken or glitchy. Everything works as intended, and for me, that matters way more than a bad game that is super glitchy or broken.
I hope I gave the right impression.
Also, happy belated birthday! Or pretty early birthday, depending how you wanna read this.
counterpoint: i have fun when i play the game, therefore the game is fun
@@SuperM789 …Okay? Bad games can be fun. So bad, it’s good is a thing for a reason.
And you are perfectly valid if you think the game is a good game.
But if you’re trying to shut down my opinion with a statement like this, you can’t. Because it’s my opinion, and neither one of us can have an objectively correct opinion.
@@SuperM789 Thats a circular argument. You cant just say its fun without explaining HOW its fun.
Good points. I wish the person who made this video would have took them into consideration when making it rather then making a video that sounded like a massive cope.
No way this game can be bad. It has my favorite final boss track of the entire series :D
good soundtrack ≠ good game
I’m glad you found something to enjoy here, because I suffered through all of that stupid poison forest, slammed my head into the wall of gooper blooper until I finally googled how to beat it, then quit halfway through chapter 4 because I realized I wasn’t having fun. I’ve never played another game that had less respect for the player’s time, and I will never touch that game again. Playing a game should never feel like a chore. I kept waiting for it to get good, and the snifit game show gave me a glimmer of hope, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Good for you, couldn’t be me
Level 4-3 is what a lot of people look at for the “good” in this game and I agree if this game was focused as a puzzle/platform/adventure rpg rather than something it isn’t, then it could’ve seen more success globally
The game's biggest problem is the lack of a proper progression system for the combat. Whether you choose to fight every enemy or literally none of the enemies, your standing will be exactly the same by the final boss. Your only rewards for combat are the same stickers that you've been using or coins to buy said stickers.
I also didn't like how the bosses were relegated to "use an exact thing sticker on an exact turn in order to win." To me that's just frustrating compared to bosses in the first three games.
Yeah the bosses in this game are shit. Thats the biggest thing I don't get that people defend. How could anyone enjoy the bland single solution bosses in this game?
Paper Mario should have have "Just the idea of item's where you use it and it's gone"? WHAT? Not only did it always have items but it also had this cool mechanic of equippable badges where you can build Mario with abilities that fit your playstyle.
Changing the play style vs. changing the gameplay entirely. I’m not gonna say the sticker star gameplay loop is a perfect one, but what I will say is that it is unique from every other paper Mario before it and from other RPG‘s, therefore giving the player a brand new experience.
@@nintenbroalex All they did was strip out abilities and normal attacks and made so you only attack with items which Paper Mario and lots of JRPG's already had and you failed to realize it. Nothing unique about stripping out traditional RPG mechanics and have items as the only means of attacks. Any of those jump and hammer stickers could have been attacks for equippable badges.
@@ChrisMS0815 I agree they did it a bit clunky for sticker star, but I feel like if they would’ve spent a little bit more time working on it, it would’ve been a lot more polished in a way where consumable attacks would’ve worked better
Sticker star is a rpg that you fundamentally get nothing from
I get enjoyment out of it, and that’s all that should really matter
@@nintenbroalex the game is getting more on your nerves than it gives you enjoyment thats the problem
This statement is true on every level lol.
Even tho it's 7 months after the upload and thus your birthday still wanna say happy birthday
Thank you!
MY MAN! Always great to see someone defending sticker star, game rocks
I do also like Sticker Star (because it was my first paper mario game) and I kinda agree with your video. But today, I’ve played every single Paper Mario game except TTYD and I think that Sticker Star is truly one of the worst Paper Mario games, that most of its levels are quite empty and that the only thing that is perfect in this game is the music.
I’ve played Color Splash recently and I think that you should play it too because its like a better version of sticker star, while it is still pretty similar (almost the same combat system, things, good music, and the best thing about it is the levels because in Sticker Star, half levels are forgettable or just bad, but in Color Splash, almost every level has its own unique atmosphere, and all of its Things Cards are useful at least once (puzzle or bossfight).
But I still enjoy Sticker Star a lot so that’s cool to see someone who likes the game like me and doesn’t only say "Omg It’s bad cuz not a 1:1 replica of TTYD and has no story" (because of course everyone cares about the story in Mario games). By the way how would you rank the chapters? My ranking is: 4,3,5,1,6,2
I by no means think sticker star is perfect at all, but I just want prime to see what things it did right and what things were unique and COULD have really worked for the series, and I have played color splash and oftentimes dub it as “sticker star 2” due to similarities, but I do agree they did a lot more with other games
And my favorite chapter order is 4, 3, 1, 6, 2, 5
I feel like Paper Mario simplified the RPG formula to the point of tangibility. Whereas Sticker Star further simplifies things to the point of abstraction. Every point of damage is no longer carefully managed, every attack no longer has any control to it. All attacks have been simplified to consumables(instead of regular attacks, resource using attacks and consumables), and every action command has been simplified to pressing the A button with certain timings, such that no explanation is even given for them anymore, and the few unique ones like the cake are now unreadable. The story, which was previously simplified such that individual chapter stories could shine, is now further simplified such that it mostly feels pointless. There is little to no character left in the NPCs. The progression is simplified simply to the acquisition of the hearts and pages from bosses. The bosses are simplified to having only one correct method to beat them. Everything is simplified from an already simplified game, and it feels like it's to its detriment.
Sticker star was my childhood and I for once enjoyed the sticker battle mechanic
Before I state what Im about to say, I will say I have played this game from beginning to end when the game originally came out. I feel the argument of the game being on a handheld being the reason for the length being shorter isn’t a good arguement due to the mario and luigi series. The Mario and Luigi series are RPGs that have been on handheld consoles from the start and have a good consistency regarding their length. Sticker star could’ve possibly taken notes from those games and tried to innervate their ideas in other areas of the game.
As for kirsti, kirsty isn’t really a helpful partner due to her not being able to provide proper hints to help the player progress, there were times I got stuck in the game and had to search up guides to help be get to some areas. On top of that she is just constantly mean for no reason besides the time you loose her.
I appreciate your review but there are some problems that can be very prevalent.
I realize now that the length argument was a weak one, but I still believe having those “checkpoints” with everything being a level is convenient for the player, but I agree story is not as strong as I remember, but at least is consistent from beginning to end
As far as Kersti, I understand why people don’t like her, especially given even the first time you meet her, but for me I never had any negative feelings towards her, just never really bothered with her, not even for hints on my first playthrough, so I never experienced those “unhelpful hints” that everyone referenced.
I understand the game isn’t perfect, far from it, I just want people to see what I see as positive things
@@nintenbroalex there are some strong positives for the game, specifically the music in the game is very nice, and I appreciate that you are willing to give your opinion on this game
Weird that you didn't talk about atmosphere/music as that is clearly the best part about sticker star. I love the vibes the levels give me.
I don't like the battle system from sticker star because:
>Fill stickerbook with good stickers and things
>Don't want to use these on weak enemies
>Stickerbook full
>No room for the weak stickers in my sticker book
>Avoids combat because I dont want to use the good ones
While I LOVE the boss battles because I get to unleash everything, which is sooo fun. I feel like I am being punished for fighting regular enemies, so I don't, which kind of defeats the purpose.
But I too LOVED backtracking through all the levels for things and stuff because the atmosphere and music is just that good. I understand that, yeah there isn't anything to do really when you come back. But I just kinda liked being there, taking everything in and occasionally pulling Luigi out of the background.
Also how dare you not put the shyguy talkshow into your favorite things! I havent played the game for like 10 years or so, but as a kid that was by far my favorite level!
I didn’t talk about the music Simply because it doesn’t affect the video directly with the points I had to talk about, but I made sure to use some of my favorites throughout the video
Yeah, it does get annoying having to decide which stickers to keep and which ones to go, but it’s the same time, it gives you satisfaction, knowing that you have a whole bunch of good ones ready to go at any moment
And the talkshow was very funny, Definitely a great runner up imo
gotta admit, i cant see for the life of me how anyone can like this game even after listening to your points, but that being said im glad you like it, the world is already on fire so if anyone can take joy from anything i consider that a win, and tbf i love super paper mario, and that games flawed up the wazu
Sticker star is definitely not the best game, not gonna pretend it is, but it’s better than what a lot say in my opinion, but it all comes down to the player and what they’re looking for in a game, and THATS what matter, regardless of how flawed our favorite games are
I absolutely LOVE Sticker Star.
Thank you so much for this video.
Before watching this I want to say something.
It's nice to know I am not the only person who liked Sticker Star on the face of the earth.
When I played Sticker Star, I completed it. Including the entire museum. I found it to be an OK game. Despite the aesthetic though, it didn't really feel like a paper mario game in spirit. I honestly feel like it would be a better game if it weren't for the paper mario branding bringing it to places and expectations where it wasn't prepared to meet.
Great to see people sticking up for it. It was my least favorite, but people need to chill out, it wasn't that bad. I mean, I enjoyed playing it. Some game mechanics and battles were needlessly gimmicky, but without it Color Splash, one of my favorite WiiU games wouldn't exist, so I respect ss. (Would like to clarify, I got sticker star AFTER Color, so I didn't realize how much of a copy cat color really was lol)
As a completionist, this was my game. It was also my introduction to paper mario as a whole. I can see why people would be disappointed, as it would feel like going from OG Simpson's to mainstream Simpson's
Basically, people who grew up with the original trilogy see this as the 3rd Shrek film, whilst people who first played this game before the others would see it as the Puss in Boots Prequel (which people see as either bad or mediocre).
Its a good introduction to the series, like a pilot episode: there will be things that wont work, but it still opens the door to a brilliant world
That’s a great way to look at it, especially considering how DIFFERENT it is to the original trilogy
I've had this idea for how to make Sticker Star better.
1) Remove Things in general...
2) Set Stickers to act as Badges to buff up Mario and Enemies (which can also hold stickers) Not using a sticker would make the game harder for you.
3) add 1 more Royal Sticker and give it to Bowser Junior.
4) The true Villain is the Royal Stickers itself, and that each Royal Sticker corrupts it's individual with each one having one of the 7 deadly sins causing them to act in ways that is unnatural to them.
Bowser Junior - Pride, Petey Piranha - Gluttony, Bowser- Wrath, Mega-Sparkle Goomba - Lust, Mizzter Blizzard - Envy, etc... Kertsi would be the 8th Royal Sticker and be the Royal Sticker of Hope, and she doesn't realize her true potential until the final boss.
Bowser would be a regular right giving us the same first phase but second phase doesn't happen. World 6 would be a series of Airships where Junior commands a fleet. World 7 would be Bowser's Castle but it would ACTUALLY be a level. or a series of levels where Mario has to conquer each area of Bowser's Castle to reach him. Once Bowser is defeated, a new level would pop up on the world map and that would be the true final boss. The Royal Sticker Comet. Each of the major bosses would regain their sanity and wonder what is going on, thank Mario for saving them, and then you'd be able to go to the next world. Kamek would battle you at least 3 times and same goes with Bowser Junior, but you'd see him with the crown and try and get that crown back only for the final clash with him where you do get a chance to beat him, and he powers up his Clown Car in the idea of something similar to Mario Party 9 Bowser Junior Fight OR Megahammer from Galaxy 2. Defeating Junior would cause Kamek to appear and he would reveal that Bowser has not been himself and that he needs help. Kertsi would still want to blame Bowser but after he is defeated, he'd revealed that the Sticker Comet spoke to him and told him to do what he did.
All paper Mario games are unique. In which I'm going to enjoy playing them either way. what ever Nintendo decides to bring to the table for the next games for paper Mario.
Sticker Star would have worked if there were absolutely no RPG elements and it was just a cute 3D platformer. The RPG elements, which are instead the central gameplay loop, are tedious wastes of time that give no rewards for the resources spent. This makes avoiding the main gameplay loop the best thing to do. Also, all the bosses are just "do you have the right sticker" checks, especially bowser, who is a "did you buyback all the special stickers" check. Why even be an RPG?
Honestly sticker star IMO is the weakest of all the Mario RPGs, but it's not the spawn of Satan like how the Paper Mario fandom treats it. I just think it's okay.
I disliked (and still do) Sticker Star because it was a badly designed game.
Basic attacks costing resources causes scenarios where the player would have to play an RPG as if they're speedrunning it and desperately avoid enemies at all costs which is way too stressful for most casual players. Having to constantly go back to a shop and stock up on better attacks (which take up more space in your inventory which defeats the whole point) makes the game have more artificial backtracking than TTYD. If there were just other stickers that acted more like equipment, that would've fixed such an impactful part of why I hate Sticker Star.
Also the puzzles were way too cryptic and were not easy to figure out.
This is one of the games I wish I never replayed. I played it as a kid and had about 90 hours in the game. I loved it to death. Then I replayed it in 2020 and had no fun whatsoever. It sucks man.
I played it in like 2017 and it was ass. I tried to enjoy it, I really did, but I hated every part except the enigmansion and most of the jungle world (the music in the jungle world fucking slapped).
The ass battle system was somewhat redeemed by Color Splash, but man this game was definitely a failed experiment
Yeah the game somehow ages WORSE the older you get. Its actually shocking.
It is bad, but yes it's not entirely bad, it has SO MUCH missed potential to be good :(
Like every game, this has its ups and downs, I just wish people saw this for the ups more than the downs
@@nintenbroalex Sticker Star has many more downs then ups thats for sure. People do see the ups but its not enough for them to outweigh the downs.
@@user-md7er6xe2z exactly, sadly
Even if I don't agree with you at almost any point, im glad to see a video about why you loved the game! Personally, I really wanted and still want to love this game as it was a special gift from my mom way back when it released, but this game is objectively the least fun I've had playing a Nintendo game. It falls flat at almost everything except the music, and I can't imagine encouraging anyone to spend actual money on it. Regardless, though, Im glad you liked it and hope you continue to!
Also, hapy birthday but late! (Or am I early?)
Well, I personally gonna give my opinion about this topic.
[LONG COMMENT]
1. *Lack of XP System* : For me, the lack of a XP system does not to have to be bad. Is a design choice that RPG often use to give the players a real sense of progresions. What I believe that players meant is that the progresion isn´t really tied to the battle system, rather is tied to the lack of correlation between progresion and the battle system itself, making it pointless, and due to Sticker Star consumable nature, it can be even pejurdicial. A solution would had been that the money you would get is used to buy upgrades, and that the exploration to be less generous to the coins they gave.
2. *Consumables* : There were a lot of games that uses consumables as a way to attack, yet there is a issue with this kind of games that makes some consumables almost unusable.
When a item is limited, and there is no easy way to replenish it (such a rare one) player tends more to not use it, as there is no apparent way for them to tell when is gonna be handy, and when they gonna search for later. Sticker Star also adds another big mechanics that gives even more tension. Limited storage system. This leads to the player to play extremely cautiously with a ton of stickers that they dont know when they are gonna use, adding that some of them doesn´t have to be used as "keys", this is an issue that got multiplied.
Adding of course, that there is no basic attacks, meaning that you are gonna have to unwillingly use resources. This might had worked if you have a "deck" of stickers and were added to your basic attacks, straight up removing the personalization problem. I like the idea, but I dont really enjoy the implementation, at all. Hell, even battle spinner would had a bigger role with this focus!
3. *Limitations of the 3DS* : This may come as a shocker, but the limitations of the 3DS are not as high as someone might expect. Depending of how the game is made, it can be larger or shorter, regardless of the limitations of the console. This is because of how storage works. Graphics and soundtrack are the most heavier, while stuff such as maps and code does not weight
that much. So, yes with an appropiate use of asset, the game could had perfectly been 3 or even 4 times longer! Although I feel that the duration of the game is fine for what it is, although I feel that it could had less filler.
4. *Sinergy* ; I feel that this game suffer for a big lack of focus on all it sides. For one part, it tries to have RPG elements, such as dialogue and turn based elements. It also does try to have a platforming nature, using the design of NSMB or having diferent levels and challenges, each one using a set of enemies seen before. It also tries to have puzzle elements all around the world, when you need to use the appropiate "key" for each obstacle.
The problem is how they interact of each other is not a sinergy, rather an annoyance we had to deal with; the game would had been better with only platforming and RPG mechanics, or only RPG mechanics and puzzle elements, or Plarforming and puzzle elements. Which tells me that this have a really lack of focus of making those three things a part of a game, rather ideas trown to the wall, and expect puzzle pieces that dont connect to glue together.
This... is a shame. I personally enjoy a game for its own nature, and advance their own ideas to see what it can differ from a formula, having their own take to the game. But with this game, I feel that this was a very deficient work. For me is not that is not like the older trilogy, but because it doesn´t use their own elements appropiedly to make it shine by its own.
Yeah you pretty much summarized why this game sucks. Good job.
I think my biggest problem with the game isn't the battle system but the story (or lack thereof).
Yeah the story is definitely a “Mario bros” type of story, yaknow? Nothing crazy
@@nintenbroalex As someone who's not a Paper Mario fan nor an RPG fan the story aspect of this game never really bothered me because I grew up with the Mario games with a simpler story and I would play those the most but since I never really touched the RPG games since that genre is not really my cup of tea my viewpoint on Mario has always been a happy uplifting series.
the only RPGs I really enjoy are Persona 4, Fire Emblem series, Valkyria Chronicles, Kingdom Hearts series and I guess you could count the Yakuza series because Yakuza 1-6 are 3D Beat 'em up with mild RPG elements.
Storytelling in video games (for me at least) really depends on what kind of game it is.
If a game is going for a more cinematic tone like the Yakuza series or the Uncharted series, then I think storytelling is absolutely necessary for games like these. But simple games like Mario (or basically any other platformer) because I personally don't think the Platform genre needs a deep story since platformers are more gameplay first and story last, but I don't mind a very simple story for platformers.
But I can understand why some people would not like for an RPG series to have a more simplistic story where the last 3 games had a much darker story (at least from what I've heard).
@@maxtubb8560 yeah the first 3 paper Mario games had a darker and richer story, whereas the last 3 are more simple and quipey so I definitely understand that audience that wants a rich story since this was the first game to change it up but I personally enjoy ALL the stories despite how different they are, I just wish the sticker star haters saw it the way I did
@@nintenbroalex You do know I don't play Paper Mario at all right.
@@maxtubb8560 yep I read that, just talking about the differences in stories as you’ve played very story-rich rpgs in your history
Even as a like 10 year old I still did not like this game. I have never been fond of this game besides from the music.
As much as i hate Emile/Chuggaaconroy for what he did to every fuckin girl on the TRG team his video essay is pretty spot on and i completely agree with it. I do not understand how anyone could like this game from a purely design standpoint. This was my first Paper Mario and almost made me hate the entire series all together.
I don’t really Agree, I still think it’s a bad game, but I have to admit…
You put really great detail into this video! I respect your opinion, and yes, there are positives like: Music, Graphics, Stickers, Easy to collect coins! Although the sticker system isn’t better than the other systems that games have like Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Collecting stickers and trying to get them all feels like earning Pokémon cards, and it feels so good! I think Paper Mario sticker Star is a bad game, but gets WAY too much hate. Sure, it’s the least greatest game in the Paper Mario Franchise, but I have that guilty feeling that people barely gave this a chance.
I gave it a chance and I hate it. The hate is 100% deserved. Felt like a massive waste of time.
Hecc Snek is a bit confused, you agree that fighting regular enemies is pointless but then bring up enemies getting stronger as a difficulty curve
6:13 the 3ds is much more capable than the 64 yet the original paper Mario is almost as lengthy as ttyd
I think responding to complaints about length or scope with “its a 3DS/handheld game, you can only do so much”, when there are far larger/longer games on the system from around the same year of release, but also on the original DS. I don’t think the console itself has much to do with it as a result.
I agree I don't think he has played many 3DS games if he thinks the 3DS could not process or compute more then Sticker Star. Ocarina of Time can run on the dam thing for crying out loud.
I liked paper Mario thousand year door and now after seeing this I want to play this one too 😊
You can always borrow my copy lol
There was Chuggaa and then there is this guy
I think the main complaint of the "Single Use Stickers" issue is the complete lack of basic always available variants. The issue lies in the fact that if you run out of attack stickers, you can't do anything at all to win.
Having a Jump and Hammer option being at Worn-Out level, at all times, would've made a lot of issues people had go away, especially when a lot of fights would leave you even or negative on sticker count afterwards.
Completely agreed. I see that they were going for a collectathon type incentive to make battles more interesting, but it does NOT work when you're constantly afraid of using up all of the shoddy stickers and then having to use a shiny one on a goddamn goomba
Yeah its a stupid battle system. If I ever make an RPG I will make sure that the battle system is NOT like Sticker Stars.
Yeah, and that's why TOK is much better than SS despite also having a consumable battle system.
I don't know man, it's pretty bad lmao
To your 3DS limitations arguments... Allow me to introduce to you: Bravely Default, Bravely Second, Pokemon X/Y/Sun/Moon/Ultra. All these games give a fairly lengthy and engaging experience, provide a lot of replay value or just have excellent gameplay, and are quite open world. The 3DS is *very* capable of doing long, open world games, but Sticker Star failed to deliver.
Yet 3ds Pokémon gets so much hate on the internet that it frustrates me, because I enjoyed the heck out of gen 7
Yeah he was coping with that point he made about the 3DS. Its actually sad.🤦♂
Sorry to say this, but I sadly can’t agree with your opinion. It felt like you downplayed the problems that others had with sticker star. I also played sticker star as my first paper Mario game, but personally it isn’t the game for me.
It’s not that I “downplayed” the “problems” but I personally find enjoyment it what those “problems” were. I was clear with things that were questionable, but the goal of this video is to shine light on what was seen as a “problem”
He did not down play them... he ignored them entirely.
I checked the date and it wasnt april 1 😮
Go send a drone strike to his home
Accept the facts
@@nintenbroalex 🤓 as a paper Mario fan I say sticker star sucks and color splash better🤓
@@simguyYT color splash is just sticker star 2, haters wanna hate
@@nintenbroalexColor splash is slightly better than sticker star tho
@@rikustorm13 it has more improvements than sticker star, I admit, but it’s the same game with a new coat of paint (pun intended.) Stickers = cards, things are in both games, story is still meh in both, paint capacity = page limit. I will admit the bosses are more “unique” in color splash compared to sticker star (with the whole weakness to one thing sticker bs) BUT it’s generic Mario enemies (like the koopalings) and I’ll admit there’s a bit more to do in color splash and more side quests. I will say, it’s a step in the right direction and can be “better” than sticker star, but it is “sticker star 2” in my eyes
I respect your opinion and am glad to hear that you enjoy the game.
Are you interested in playing the TTYD remake when it comes out?
Yes, I do play to play TTYD remake
There are two big issues I have with the game, as other than those I do find the game enjoyable for what it is.
First: no basic attack. Everything needs a sticker, and if you run out, you're SoL. I shouldn't need a sticker to jump or use my hammer outside of a first-strike. If I want to do more damage with my attacks, then the stickers are fine for powerful attack management given how the game is structured more simplistically. But if I happen to run into an enemy I didn't intend to, I either have to drop coins to run or hope I have enough stickers without burning my higher tier ones just to beat them, and then have to run around to recoup my sticker spending.
Second: it's a Mario game. If this had been its own IP, or even some kind of unique spin-off to a different franchise, then I could've been more behind the game. But coming off of the already established series of Paper Mario games, and then have this lackluster-by-comparison game dropped in our laps felt like more of a cash-grab than any actual effort put in to a good game. At least if it wasn't a game coming off of an established series, I could give more leniency to a more shallow story and the level-selection progression, because that's the devs trying something almost completely new and seeing how it goes. There was just no reason to drop this game, as "Paper Mario", out of nowhere like they did.
My guy, we already *had* consumable items in the first two Paper Mario games. And they were incorporated infintely better there than they are in SS. Why? because they COMPLIMENTED an already good battle system, not replace it. And that's exactly how items SHOULD work, being an aspect of a great system. Not being THE system.
Dont give SS credit for things the first games already did, but devolved LOL
Happy late birthday at the time I see this.
Sitting back as someone who grew up with the original set of Paper Mario games.
I think the best way to sum it up is:
Paper Mario Sticker Star is an amazing game, BUT it's not a good Paper Mario game. It's mid at best.
But the main point for me is:. I had fun playing it. Went in blind, wasn't aware it was hated for years.
In terms of favorite levels:
The Snifit or Wiffit level. The jokes about the unpaid Snifit Interns just kill me.
And when it came to the levels, the puzzle solving in Sticker Star was amazing. I kinda wish they kept that aspect moving forward, especially since we are keeping the Paper gimmick front and center now. Keeping the Stickers for environmental puzzle solving and in place of old items would have been a good idea.
I agree, Sticker Star is indeed a great game.
I sadly cannot recommend it to anyone because how much of a horrible reputation it has online.
Btw, this was also my very first Mario game ever period.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star is one of my top tier favorite games of all time, period!
I even enjoy the many multiple references this game has to older games.
Is there a single Sticker Stars fan that didn't have it as their first Mario/Paper Mario game?
It's basically a stereotype at this point....
@@anonanonymous9670sticker star is my third pm game and i still love it so yeah
@@priceycelery911 What do you like about it so much?
The combat?
Everything else is just too bland
@@anonanonymous9670 the game has its flaws but overall i just enjoy the game for what it is. Its just color splash but slightly worse.
No Sticker Star is a bad game. The final battle is garbage.
"The final fight is very unique." It's Bowser and some regular enemies that you have to use specific thing stickers to counter followed by Bowser turning big, which we have seen a million times.
I enjoyed all the other games but I will never forgive this game for being the one that kick-started the Toad hate bandwagon
#JusticeForToad
As a person who hasn’t played Paper mario sticker star and plenty of others Alpha dream mario and all paper mario game, i hope we get a remake of all of em even sticker star and also happy birthday btw i hope your birthday was wonderful 😊
If the remake completely scarps the battle system, replaces it with an actual good battle system and actually has a good story now then yes SS should be remade.
I just mainly don’t like it because the progression makes no sense with what you need to progress with certain events makes no sense a lot of the time, and as someone who really liked color splash, I feel the lack of more unique rewards for battles makes it to where battling enemies just handicaps you later, since there are no rewards that can make fighting enemies rewarding (like being able to use enemies for your advantage)
I find myself vibin' to this game everytime I play it. More than any other entry in this series. Honestly, if it weren't for it having the paper mario name, this game would be held up as a masterpiece.
If the common opinion it that it's awful how would removing the paper mario name suddenly impove the reception so drastically?
I doubt we would all suddenly agree that turning every RPG attack into a consumable was a good idea 💀
@@mrpiccionedivino5598 It has the reputation of "destroying the franchise." If it weren't a Paper Mario game, people wouldn't be bringing up what it took away from previous entries.
@@shadhog0187 Ok, but the common opinion is not that is a bad paper mario game and a good game, it's that it's a awful paper mario game and a very bad game, not even the most polished so i don't see your initial argument
@@linus6718 That's a pretty dismissive attitude. I view sticker star more like a game about investment. Being efficient with your consumables to rack more coins from battles. Buy better consumables and all those coins you saved up are used for the roulette wheel in boss fights.
I will say though it isn't my favourite my favourite mario RPG this ones still a fun one to come back to! I understand why some hate this game but i didnt mind any of the problems or sticker mechanics!
Oh I miss playing Paper Mario
The newest one on switch isn’t half bad, just different from the original two
I think the concept of stickers could have been interesting, but was generally botched as a mechanic. The idea of using it, then losing it would imply that the player should be constantly cycling through a large variety of stickers with different effects and different action commands, but I ultimately believe that most of the sticker varieties don't set themselves apart enough to be considered different. Most stickers fall into the category of "Damage one enemy" or "Damage all ememies" with the only limitation being flying or spiked foes. Very few attacks even apply status effects.
There was certainly an effort made to make the sticker system unique. The Jump Sticker, Tail Sticker, Spiked Helmet Sticker, Poison Mushroom Sticker, Leaf Sticker, and Frog Suit Sticker all provide much more unique effects that require you to engage with the game more deeply.
However, since the ability to use multiple actions in one turn is locked behind the slots mechanic, it oftentimes isn't a good idea to use them.
Ultimately, the sticker mechanic had the potential to be extremely engaging and keep gameplay very fresh, but falls short compared to the badge and partner system of TTYD. Even though TTYD has relatovely few alternate attacks from badges, they all set themselves apart in use.
I don't think Sticker Star needs all of the standard RPG elements like equipment or partners. I don't think that would solve the problem. I think they needed more things to interact with the stickers, and more stickers to interact with themselves. More important than partners would have been things like an FP system, more synergies between stickers, more unique interactions between stickers and enemies, more status effects for stickers to make use of, etc.
Hell, thing stickers that provide passive benefits, but take up space in your inventory, would be an interesting risk/reward system as well. There's so much you can do with the sticker concept, but Nintendo just missed the mark with it all.
That said, I will admit that this game has the absolute best music in the franchise. Absolutely amazing soundtrack.
Super Paper Mario was the first of the series that I played, though I was way too young to appreciate the story for what it was, so I mainly grew.up playing Sticker Star and other 3DS games. I loved this game to pieces, everything about it was just cool to me, so much so that it was one of the few games younger me decided to replay multiple times. It wasnt until last year when I found out that people hate this game and I was honestly shocked to see that. I replayed the game very recently to see if it was all childhood bias and, honestly, it wasn't, I still love this game. I feel like since the first 2 Paper Marios especially were so good, people expected every other game to live up to those ones and, in Sticker Stars case, they focus on what they didnt get right or what isnt present as opposed to seeing the good about that game. I'm not gonna say that its the best Paper Mario game, it definitely isn’t, but people give it a bad rep that it simply doesn't deserve and I too will defend this game till the day I die.
Power to you if you like what you like, but this doesn't seem to address any real criticisms of the game. An RPG where they actively disincentivize doing battles is so fundamentally broken, it's impossible to overlook from an unbiased design critique standpoint. The common theme I see with people who like Sticker Star is they played it when they were young. I think at some point you have to admit you like it because it reminds you of childhood gaming memories, from a time before you were really looking at the game critically. For everyone who played this game with a more refined understanding of how a video game should work, it just fails on practically every level.
Yeah, Sticker Star is not a bad game.
It's a shameful piece of "media" that shouldn't even exist
Its a waste of time thats what it is.
As someone who grew up with Thousand-Year Door, I love Sticker Star (I know, rare). Super was a bit of a letdown for me, removing a lot of what I liked about the series, and Sticker Star brought a lot of those things back. Didn’t know about its hate until Color Splash’s announcement. Now, Color Splash is my favorite in the series, with Thousand-Year Door and Origami King sharing second.
While I’m excited to see Nintendo revisit TTYD and ask us what we like about Mario RPGs, I’m hoping for Paper Mario 7 they try and combine the two eras of Paper Mario into one, taking what works in Sticker Star, Color Splash, and Origami King, and putting those aspects in a more traditional RPG with an interesting story and a wide cast of characters. Stuff like the witty humor, puzzle aspects, and one time moves (in addition to normal moves that you can use whenever) can work! It’s just bogged down by the flaws of newer Paper Mario, and by trying to live up to TTYD, which I’m not 100% sure it could’ve without being a derivative copy of it.
Who else’s favorite Mario character is Toad
Me 🙌
as someone who grew with the 3ds Paper Mario Sticker Star was my introduction to the series and, i never liked it. For me it was the very cryptic "puzzles" where you need stickers and things from other stages. It is also the one game that i didn't like from my childhood (i also didn't like Rayman 3D but since i replayed it, i now like that game)
Well its nice that someone sees the problem with this game unlike the person who made this video.
This feels like rage bait. It’s not.
This was my 2nd paper mario game (first being Super Paper Mario) and I absolutely loved it and never understood why people hated it, now I kinda see why but I still love the game and the sticker mechanic was kinda cool imo, not my fault some people went into battle without being prepared smh
Growing up, i definitely enjoyed it :)
I remember liking this. It’s been a long few years since I’ve played it, and I know it’s.. Very flawed, but I’m sure I’ll like it when I get the chance to play it again.
It ain’t perfect, but for those who like it, it’s great, and I think it’s great haha
I’m not gonna lie the backtracking was one of the worst parts for me, but that’s definitely just a thing in all of paper mario, not just sticker star, so I can’t hold it against it. Although I thought the sound track and comedy in this game was really good. Also I think I made the experience way more fun by just looking up what things I needed beforehand to prevent backtracking on my second playthrough. If anyone complains about having to go back and forth a lot, I really recommend that
Trying to be the different one today are we?
If that’s what you wanna believe, go for it, but I genuinely really love this game
@@nintenbroalex sure
The game is a mess, but it’s my mess and I enjoy it :D
It’s a fun mess
I respectfully disagree to several of your points.
1. Single use items were always in Paper Mario, as others have said. The issue is that EVERYTHING requires a single-use item, even Mario's regular Jump and Hammer attacks. Stickers also replaced the special move badges that allowed Mario to use different Jump and Hammer attacks in exchange for FP. This makes those special moves feel less special, because now they're just another singlue use item.
2. I don't agree with the game being short just because it's on the 3DS. There have been numerous handheld RPGs that still had moderate length and/or plenty or a lot of side content, such as Pokemon Emerald or Chrono Trigger DS.
3. "Item hoarding", where players won't use a powerful item because they might need it later, is already a big problem in RPGs, but the Thing system makes it even worse. Because using Things is often required to progress, players are likely to never use them in battle. It turns what should be on the same level as Final Fantasy summons into something that takes up inventory space beause a new player won't know which Things will be required to progress.
4. Several bosses are nigh impossible without using one specific Thing but become effortless with it. This is worse than the usual Thing blockades because it takes away the challenge bosses are supposed to provide.
5. Bowser being the main villian or the final boss is not the problem, the problem is that he has no personality in this game. Dream Team and even Paper Jam had Bowser as the main villain(s) and nobody has an issue with that. Bowser's personality and ego are a large part of why he is so popular, but turning him into just a generic power-hungry villain is such a disservice to him.
Sticker Star was also the first Paper Mario game I played, but I have to say I don't like it. I got stuck somewhere in the desert world and I wasn't engaged enough to try and get past that roadblock or even look up the answer online. As someone who DOES like Color Splash and Origami King, I have to say that Sticker Star fumbles the execution of many of its ideas.
My Top 2 Problems are the Battle Spin and that you dont get things stickers instantly and allways have to backtrack . I still love this game , I would even call Color Splash one of my favourite Games of all time .
Respectfully, I hope you don't get selected to take one of the surveys that are going around.
Yeah I hope he dose not get selected. 😂
Look this was my first paper Mario too and I'm just baffled at this.
Did we play the same game here?
I don't really think you understand the complaint with stickers.
The issue with stickers is that they serve no purpose besides defeating enemies for coins.
And coins are just used for more stickers.
Hence there's really no point in facing enemies since you can find coins o plenty while skipping a lot of enemies.
Second is that beyond the little personality the yoshi sphinx and the ghost mansion have there is almost nothing memorable about this game.
Everything here is something you've likely seen something else.
The characters aren't memorable iether, like sure they crack a half funny joke every now and then but these aren't characters.
They're just tools to deliver some weak to okish comedy.
As for the "puzzles"
As you said yourself, this game is constantly forcing you to backtrack trough it just to find stuff you need to fight bosses and open up certain areas, not to mention the game sometimes doesn't even give you a hint to know what item to use.
And if you use the wrong item you lose it too.
Also the fact that the story isn't just flat, there is basically no story.
The story is just...
These stickers got lost, go find them.
I don't even think bowser being the villain here is an issue, as you said his fight from a mechanical standing could totally work, it's a cool idea even.
But overall this game just feels like it's constantly wasting your time dragging you trough the most generic milk toast areas to the point i felt insulted as a child when i finished it.
I also don't think stickers are an inherently bad idea,
I think they could have worked as an addition ontop of your attacks to give them special traits or change what enemies they attack, giving you an advantage against certain enemies.
The issue is just that an RPG has to reward you in some way for engaging with it's battles.
And when every battle costs resources and your only reward is more resources to battle with there is just no reason to battle enemies that aren't important.
Overall I'm surprised at this take.
No hate towards you but i just don't see anything that's strong enough to redeem this game.
Especially with how strong the first three entries are.
Happy birthday!
Thank you!
Sticker star was my first paper Mario game, and even then the game was really boring to me, I guess if it is your first overall Mario game it will be okish? But I came from Bowser's inside story, the rest of the mario and Luigi games and mario RPG. I remember being disappointed by the stale environments, enemies and gameplay. I saw the artwork for the thousand year door dragon and publicity for super paper mario when i was a child and i remember thinking to myself, men paper mario looks really cool. Then i played stiker star... XD. I think if you are a fan of this game you may also like mario tennis open, sports superstars and the 3ds mario partys XD
I will disagree on some things being done in Sticker star due to handheld limitations. Handheld limitations didn't stop Superstar saga, Partners in time, Bowser's inside story or the 3ds's own Dream team and Paper jam. And Dream Team is a lengthy game. Now a change Dream team DID have that I like for handheld accessibility is the option to save anytime you want. That's something that is good for handhelds. But sayin the game's structure is due to handheld limitations is not something I buy.
I Love This Game, It’s Presention & Music Keep Me Going. I Also Loved The Final Bowser Battle.
I can't call this a bad game since I didn't play it yet
same with the Original and TTYD
it looks pretty meh, but bad like people call it "F tier" looks a bit to harsh
It's that type of game that doesn't seem bad until you try to finish it
Happy birthday 🎉🎈🎂
Thank you!
I totally didn’t just realize that this came out like six months ago 😂
HAPPERY BIRTHDAUZ!!!!!
Thank youuuu!
Ya know i thought i also liked this game cuz i played it 2 times in the past but then i bought it like 2 years ago again and havent touched it since i got to chapter 3
The game is definitely better with your younger, and don’t realize what is considered “bad” and I agree, chapter 3 is the slowest, but has some of the most memorable levels; regardless of that, I played through it all last year, and I really enjoyed myself, you just have to be the right mindset for it I guess
@@nintenbroalex "Its better when your younger"
Well yes but only because your stupid when your a kid and your ability to see quality in games has not fully developed yet. Everyone was like this when they were kids.
"you just have to be the right mindset for it I guess"
By "have the right mindset" do you mean have a nostalgia bias? lol.
Such tragic that many 3ds Mario games are trashed by the internet after relaxalax made that bland Mario video, it stings hard because I had fond memories of 3d land, Mario kart 7, dark moon and even NSMB 2, games that I like but fans hate
Happy birthday in the comments and please don't hate me
It’s my trump card since I know this is a touchy topic hahaha
@@nintenbroalex I would say people aren't that petty. But...
lol, lmao even
This was more of “Why i didnt think sticker star was a bad game”. You didnt actually address any of the complaints. Saying “and i get why” or “and i agree that” about the complaints without providing counter points is not addressing them.
Nicely done with the video editing.
the title of the video is "why sticker star isn't bad" and not "why sticker star is good"
@@SuperM789 He still did not address any of the issues.
This was my first Paper Mario. I bought it after spending hours watching people play the first two games on CZcams. I kinda have nostalgia for it. I love the sound effects and music in this game. It's gonna be fun to hear SS style sounds in TTYD remake.
I also love the paper craft aesthetic this game added.
I remember using my imagination to pretend I had partners in this game 'cuz that was one of the coolest things to me when I saw let's players play earlier Paper Mario games.
I liked it at the time for being Paper Mario. Don't really like it now. Especially because of the legacy it left behind.
I don't think this game would be hated quite as much if the later games didn't follow suit.
Hey, glad you liked the game, me, I started with Paper Mario 64 and I don't hate Sticker Star but I don't like it either, it's just there. But I do have some points/ counter arguments for your video.
1) the reason people hate the big bad is because it's Bowser, isn't correct. It's people don't like the fact that Bowser has no personality, in the previous 3 games, which includes Paper Mario 64 where Bowser was the big bad, Bowser is always a highlight because his dialogue, which can go back to Super Mario RPG which was where Paper Mario got a lot of its DNA from, but in Sticker Star he doesn't say a single word and he isn't a threat. All he does is kidnap Peach, which isn't new, and break the Sticker Star, and everything that you have to deal with through the game, just happens. It's not "Oh no! Look at what Bowser has done to this place we have to stop him before he does any more harm!" it's "Oh! look at this mess he made. now we gotta clean it up." Also Peach's personality is also gone, which was another highlight of the older games.
2) I think you're confused or don't know the correct wording, not sure. But fans aren't sad that it isn't an open world, they don't like the fact that the world is segmented into levels. The previous games had an interconnected world. An open world would be like Legend of Zelda Tear of the Kingdom. And the dislike of the level way is more do to it breaking the immersion, it reminds the player "oh yeah this a game not world to get lost in"
3) So the problem with the combat, at least from my studying of this game and the later games (what I call the paper craft era, cause of the heavy focus on arts n crafts), is the combat is pointless. The game and the part you like about the sticker combat is it's a recourse management game like a survival horror game. However, Sticker Star fails at this because it doesn't force you to make a decision on whether to use stickers or not. Because a) unless it's a boss, you can dodge the fight or even if you do get into a fight you can run away and that encounter will be gone as if you beat it normally, so no need to use stickers b) even if you do fight and use stickers, the idea is you get money to spend money on more stickers, which doesn't work because you can pick up any sticker you need off the ground and it's always the best version of that sticker for that area, so you never need to go to a shop making money, the only reward for battle, useless.