Paper Mario: Sticker Star 3DS

Released on 07/12/2012

• 3DS dominates the opening of the Tokyo Games Show

  It seems like only a few weeks since we were slurping up news from Gamescom in Cologne (probably because it was only a few weeks ago) but now all eyes are on Japan, as the Tokyo Games Show bursts into life.

  Predictably, Nintendo has dominated the first day of the show, with a slew of announcements that should make 3DS owners very happy.

  First up is the news that the 3DS port of Monster Hunter Tri - with its second stick add-on - will be followed by official sequel Monster Hunter 4, which will be a Nintendo exclusive. Given that the series has driven the PSP to incredible success in Japan, that's quite a coup for Team Mario.

  Also confirmed are pre-Christmas European release dates for Super Mario 3D Land (November 18th) and Mario Kart 7 (December 2nd). The lack of Mario on the 3DS has been a sore point since its Easter launch, so fans will surely be pleased with that. December 2nd will also see the European launch of Pokemon Rumble Blast, the first 3DS title for another classic Nintendo series.

  Looking ahead to 2012, Mario Tennis and Animal Crossing will debut on the handheld, while Luigi's Mansion, Kid Icarus and Paper Mario are also on the way.

• Mario Tennis named among 2012 Nintendo 3DS releases

  Nintendo has revealed that a new version of Mario Tennis will be among the bulging roster of big-name releases planned for Nintendo 3DS in 2012.

  The previously unannounced sports game was revealed as being in development for the handheld console at a special event in Japan this week, with the title being the first in the series since Mario Power Tennis appeared on Wii in 2009.

  Mario fans can also expect to see a new instalment of the charming Paper Mario role-playing series on the console next year, alongside ghostbusting adventure Luigi's Mansion 2.

  Other 2012 releases will include a 3DS edition of popular lifestyle simulation Animal Crossing, which will include new features such as the ability to become the head of a village and personalise it with upgrades and additions.

  The long-awaited Kid Icarus: Uprising will also debut next year, with the launch to be marked by a series of 3D Kid Icarus animations on the Nintendo Video service.

  Nintendo 3DS has sold one million units in Europe since its March 2011 launch and will soon launch in a new metallic red colour.

  Published: 14/09/2011

• What has Mario got planned in 2012?

  2011 has been a fantastic year for gaming most recognisable face, Nintendo Mario, and 2012 looks set to be another. From platforming to kart racing, tennis, Olympic sports, role playing and party games, the portly yet agile plumber is clearly a highly versatile character who can do it all. Here, GAME takes a look back at a couple of the best Mario games from this year, in case you missed them, and looks ahead to some of 2012 undoubted highlights.

  3DS hasn exactly been lacking in quality games in its first year on the market, but the arrival of Super Mario Land 3D (3DS) in November and the launch of Mario Kart 7 earlier this month have really made the portable console a must own system. Mixing the best elements of older Mario games with new ideas and technology, the former is perhaps best described as a blend of the more straightforward, accessible 2D Super Mario Bros. games for Wii and DS and Wii more challenging 3D Super Mario Galaxy titles. Its magical worlds are essentially made up of left to right dashes through obstacle courses, which see players running, jumping, hovering and gliding to master the environments with the aim of reaching a flagpole at the end of each level. With simple, intuitive controls, it instantly accessible and there always a clear path to completing each stage, usually littered with coins to collect, question blocks to bump and enemies to stomp. But Mario can also wander around a little in the game 3D environments, and only explorers and the most skilled players will locate all of the secret areas, items and unlockables ingeniously hidden away in the expertly designed levels.

  Mario Kart 7 is another must-play title for newcomers and series veterans alike, mixing old and new to great effect too. It offers 16 new courses and 16 classic ones from older MK games for players to compete on, all based on environments and characters from Nintendo Mushroom Kingdom. The best showcase of the console's 3D screen yet, theye absolutely gorgeous to look at and just as well designed, featuring exciting new airborne and underwater sections to compliment the on-track action. With basic accelerate, brake, fire and jump buttons, the game easy enough that anyone can pick it up and play instantly, but itl take months of practice to master the multi-route tracks, learn all of the shortcuts and become an online karting king.

  Looking ahead to 2012, Mario will be joined by a host of Nintendo stablemates as well as characters from Square Enix popular Dragon Quest series in January release Boom Street (Wii). A Monopoly-style board game that challenges players to play the real estate and stock markets to win,here are 27 characters to choose from 13 from Mario games, 13 from Dragon Quest and your Mii and over 15 boards based on memorable areas from each series, with different shapes and layouts providing loads of replay value. Players race around the board trying to accumulate wealth and hit a target value while buying, selling and trading property to see who can be the first to cash out, and with both beginner and advanced settings, it could be the perfect game to get the family huddled round the telly on those cold winter nights.

  Mario Tennis (3DS) also looks set to be a smash hit next year. If previous games in the series are anything to go by, itl do its best to nail the balance between realism and zany, fast-paced tennis action starring all of your favourite Mushroom Kingdom characters, as well as a few surprise ones. Wee expecting a mixture of tactical tennis gameplay, special moves and plenty of mini-games that should make a great title for Mario and sports fans alike.

  Mario and friends, including Sega favourites like Sonic the Hedgehog, will keep things physical in Mario & Sonic At The London 2012 Olympics on the Nintendo 3DS, which launches in February 2012. Players will go for gold in over 50 Olympic events that make full use of the handheld different control methods, serving up a wide variety of ways to play. Competing for the top of the podium alone or in head-to-head games with friends, players will frantically slide the Circle Pad round and round to row, tilt the system to keep their balance on the beam, and blow into the microphone to keep breathing at the right time while swimming.

  Also in 2012, players will see the moustachioed, genre-hopping plumber embark on an exciting new role playing adventure in Paper Mario also on the Nintendo 3DS. It will feature frantic, turn-based battles set in a colourful and varied 3D world that takes in weapons, locations and items from Mario past and present,. It will also require clever strategic use of a range of ability-giving stickers, which can be used to carry out attacks on enemies or to fill in missing parts of the levels.
  

  Published: 21/12/2011

• More Mario incoming for 3DS

  If you gorged on the excellent double whammy of Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land over Christmas, rest assured Nintendo has more of the rotund plumber planned for 2012.

  As well as already announced titles such as Luigi's Mansion 2, Mario Tennis and Paper Mario for the 3D-enabled handheld, Nintendo big cheese Satoru Iwata revealed that another Mario game is planned for release sometime between March and early 2013. This game will be a "totally new side-scrolling action Super Mario in 2D" and is described as a "key title" in Nintendo's 3DS strategy.

  The news followed another rousing sales announcement for the 3DS, as Nintendo confirmed it is now the company's fastest selling console of all time, across the world. Over eleven million of the things have been sold in Europe, Japan and the US.

• Editor's Choice - Paper Mario: Sticker Star

  
  

  

  
  
  

  

  To curious newcomers, Paper Mario: Sticker Star for the 3DS (and the previous Paper Mario games) might seem a wee bit, well, 'random' with their premise of turning the plumber's world into one made of paper and cardboard...

  "Whatever next?" you might wonder - Cheese Mario where our plucky hero must milk cows and make chunks of cheddar to defeat a Bowser moulded from a pack of Cheese Stringsters? Or perhaps Gingham Mario where our hero must sew the Mushroom Kingdom back together again? Or even Hose Mario featuring our water-wielding hero spraying away all malingering badness from the land... oh, wait...

  But thankfully the Paper Mario series' concept has never been paper-thin in actual practise, its central premise not just some cynical attempt to recycle a series that's in need of pulping (that's enough paper analogies - Ed). Featuring RPG mechanics coupled with classic Mario exploration and delightful puzzles, the Paper Mario series offers a fresh and inspired take on a very familiar world.

  

  Fans will immediately notice that this latest entry has seen some changes; gone is the ability to flick between 2D and 3D planes and partake in realtime combat as featured in Super Paper Mario on the Wii. The former is now a rich 2D world with subtle 3D effects while the latter has been replaced with the more traditional turn-based fighting of old. Most importantly, there's that all-new arrival - the stickers themselves.

  Mario can buy or find them to fight monsters and solve puzzles with - use a scissor sticker to slice through rope, unleash a fan sticker to turn a windmill's sails or peel off a high heel sticker to launch an Essex nightclub-inspired assault on enemies; you get the idea. All this while searching for the bits and pieces of the legendary Sticker Star (that's inevitably been ripped up by an ever belligerent Bowser at the beginning of the game).

  More a paper mache of great ideas than a mere soggy mess then, Paper Mario: Sticker Star offers a novel and imaginative twist on the series; one that'll delight noobs - and reassure diehard fans that our plumber isn't about to become so exploited that he'll experience death by a thousand paper cuts...

  Published: 13/12/2012

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