Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Paper Mario: Sticker Star takes a sharp turn from its predecessors. This time, Mario’s adventure is all about stickers, and the game kicks off with Peach inviting Mario to a festival, but Bowser being Bowser, crashes the party and scatters the six Royal Stickers, which hold the power of the Sticker Comet. With the help of Kersti, a sassy sticker fairy (yes, that’s a thing ) Mario sets out to recover the stickers, defeat Bowser and save Peach, again. The world is divided into levels like a traditional 2D platformer, and battles revolve around collecting and using stickers as attacks. It’s quirky, colorful, and undeniably charming, but whether that charm holds up is debatable.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the sticker system. Battles are turn based, but instead of leveling up or having permanent moves, you use one time stickers to attack. Run out of stickers mid fight? Tough luck. The game encourages hoarding stickers, which you’ll find plastered all over the world or in shops. Some stickers are context sensitive, meaning you’ll need the exact right one to solve puzzles or defeat certain enemies. Sounds creative? Sure, but in practice, kinda frustrating. Miss a hidden thing sticker? Good luck progressing without backtracking. The lack of EXP means battles feel pointless unless you’re desperate for coins, used to buy more stickers. It’s a weird mix of RPG and puzzle mechanics that doesn’t always click.  

The game’s paper aesthetic is gorgeous, everything looks like a diorama, and the 3D effect on the original 3DS hardware is a neat touch. Levels are bite sized and linear, with hidden secrets and alternate paths, but they lack the interconnected charm of past Paper Mario games. The game’s insistence on thing stickers for progression means you’ll often hit a wall if you didn’t grab the right object earlier. Exploration is rewarded, but the trial and error gameplay kills the pacing.  

If you’re coming from The Thousand Year Door, prepare for disappointment. There's no deep lore or memorable partners, just Mario and Kersti bickering occasionally. The writing has some cute jokes, but the NPCs are forgettable. Even Kersti, who could’ve been a fun sidekick, mostly just nags you.  

Okay, credit where credit is due. The soundtrack is full of personality. The paper visuals are delightful, with clever animations like Mario folding into a paper airplane or crumpling when hurt. It’s a joy to look at, even if the gameplay doesn’t always match the creativity on display. So, Sticker Star ain’t a bad game, it’s just a disappointing Paper Mario game.

Download

The sticker-covered stage is set, and the spotlight’s on you! Scan that QR code below to slap this adventure straight onto your HOME Menu. Consider it your backstage pass to a world where paper foldw and stickers attack! Final warning! Download now before the sticker album closes.