Well, I guess a good score from IGN is a lock :)
haha, calling Kamek a hipster, nice one Kersti!
http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/10/15/paper-mario-sticker-star-fighting-hipsters
Paper Mario: Sticker Star – Fighting Hipsters
San Francisco just became Mario's worst nightmare.
by Richard George
October 15, 2012
On its surface, Paper Mario: Sticker Star shakes up its franchise’s formula – so much so that it’s a bit jarring at first. Being forced to attack creatures in sequential order, losing the partner mechanic, and not being able to work with menu-based commands, would seem to strip away some of the series’ most defining characteristics. But the deeper you get into the game, the more its charms reveal themselves, both through the game’s localization quirkiness and its larger design choices.
We’ve already discussed Sticker Star’s battle system, and how alterations that would seem restrictive actually add significant depth. The Battle Spinner, which for a price gives you a chance at gaining more options for attacking, adds a great risk and reward system to the tried-and-true timed-command combat. Likewise, the entire concept of stickers, both in terms of their collectability and offensive complexity, proves a most suitable replacement for menus. Maintaining the proper mix of abilities is more challenging than you’d expect, particularly given the fact that you have a limited amount of storage for your stickers – and that only gradually increases as you progress through the game. Regardless of how much space you have, you’ll constantly be watching for stickers – both obvious and hidden – to make sure you’re prepared for any encounter.
Sticker Star’s fundamental world design builds upon the notion of discovery. The game breaks itself into levels and sub-levels (i.e. 1-1, 1-2, 2-1, etc.) much in the way a classic 2D Mario game would, with bosses spread liberally throughout. Each level contains its own secrets and puzzles, some of which will remain open-ended long after you’ve found the comet piece necessary for completing the level. Securing a giant fan in one world might not pay off until you find the necessary use for it later in the game. Much like 3D Mario adventures and their stars and shines, some levels contain more than one comet, urging you to be vigilant. Acquiring comet fragments will unlock more sub-levels and paths on the world map, just like secret exits in classic Mario games.
Paper Mario, and its sister series Mario & Luigi, is well-known amongst Nintendo fans not only for the quality of its localization, but the tone. Whereas many Nintendo games tend to treat storylines and characters with the utmost reverence, Paper Mario tends to be willing to incorporate sarcasm, puns and more humor in general. Packed with quirky, self-aware comedy, Sticker Star is no different.
Characters are very much cognizant of the fact that they’re made of paper. They refer to being folded, stepped on and crumpled up. Kersti, your companion and requisite advice dispensary, is a constant source of this banter, going so far as to call flying turtle mage Kamek a “hipster” just before your boss battle. These small touches, alongside unique enemies like sombrero-touting Shy Guys, or Goombas that fold themselves into paper airplanes to attack, give Sticker Star a unique vibe, one that easily distinguishes itself from Nintendo’s recent wave of more traditional Mario games. There is no mistaking this Paper Mario game for anything else on the Nintendo 3DS, yet it retains the level of excellence its platforming counterparts are known for. It does all this while still preserving its core, something Super Paper Mario on Wii didn’t exactly manage. Quite the accomplishment.
Stay tuned for more Sticker Star updates in the coming weeks. We’ll be playing more and more of the game as we head towards its November 11 release date here in North America. Will the game continue to impress us as much as it has in these early hours?
