June 2013 Nintendo 3DS Playtime Results

One of my favorite pre-installed features of the Nintendo 3DS is the Activity Log, a place where owners can see how much time they have invested in each game they have played. I am honestly addicted to this little feature, and I am always happy share which games I've been playing the most. It's that time again with our look at my Nintendo 3DS Playtime Results for the month of June 2013.

10) Mario Kart 7 (25:55)

The seventh installment of the Mario Kart series drove onto my Nintendo 3DS with style, offering thirty-two tracks total to rev my engines on. My brother and I actually tag-teamed getting that much-heralded triple star rating on each cup-- new and retro. I spent a lot of time online, grinding for coins in order to unlock all of the kart bodies. I really hope Mario Kart 8 for Wii U has a shop to spend coins in instead of randomly unlocking kart pieces, many of which I ignored and disliked. That way I could get the kart parts I want when I want.

9) Mario Tennis Open (28:31)

I went to the Best Buy Experience, where a Nintendo rep was demonstrating the four E3 2013 demos that the company had in Los Angeles. While I didn't get to play any of the demos, I did get to have a lot of StreetPass action with folks there. Now, I have a full line of opponents that I'm ready to take on in Mario Tennis Open, among other games. While Mario Tennis Open is one of the weaker entries in the Mario Tennis series, I still found plenty of enjoyment out of the game.

8) Super Mario 3D Land (32:25)

You wouldn't believe how excited my brother and I were when we saw the announcement and accompanying first footage of Super Mario 3D World. Both of us loved Super Mario 3D Land, and we find it to be one of the best 3D Marios, flawlessly blending 2D and 3D Mario gameplay together in heavenly harmony. I started yet another new data in the game. That's how I know the game is special. I constantly am eager to replay it over and over again. I'm certain that with multiplayer in Super Mario 3D World on Wii U, my brother and I will be replaying that game repeatedly come December.

7) Fire Emblem: Awakening (32:45)

I joined Chrom and his merry men and women on a quest to save the planet from doom. Fire Emblem: Awakening delivered tactical RPG action that made me want to keep playing just one more battle. Of course, since I was a total newbie entering the franchise, I was total (as the kids say) "weaksauce" and played Casual mode on the easiest difficulty. The way I played the game, I'd only have four characters at the final battle! Not so much a strategic master am I... Regardless, I really enjoyed Fire Emblem: Awakening, and now I am pestering my brother to finally play through the game on his own.

6) Swapnote (34:17)

A lot of people have stopped swapping notes with the free Swapnote app on the Nintendo 3DS. Compared to Miiverse, Swapnote looks a high school student production. That notwithstanding, I continue to use Swapnote on a daily basis, as if my playtime didn't indicate that already. I am addicted to drawing pictures in 3D, sharing photos and accumulating as many new stationery as possible. There are plenty of limitations with Swapnote, which is why many have quit using the program. However, despite these limitations, I am still finding some fun out of the program.

5) New Super Mario Bros. 2 (37:38)

My brother and I spent an abnormal amount of time grinding coins to reach that one million mark. We're totally not going for 10 million, if that's what you're wondering. We are not that bad of masochists or gluttons for punishment. That said, New Super Mario Bros. 2 surprised me greatly. It offered a chance for the new guys to develop a 2D Mario, and I actually found the level design more creative and innovative than the veterans' effort on the Wii U. Yes, the game was easy, but I really enjoyed what I played. My brother can vouch for me, too.

4) Paper Mario: Sticker Star (47:35)

While Paper Mario: Sticker Star is on the low end of greatest Mario RPG titles, my brother and I still enjoyed what we played of this Nintendo 3DS exclusive. The removal of experience points turned a lot of players off, and Shigeru Miyamoto's insistence that no new characters should be introduced also ticked some people off, as well. Another problem with the game was the obtuse nature of some puzzles and bosses. As you can see, Paper Mario: Sticker Star had a lot wrong with it, but it was still a fun and engaging adventure from beginning to end.

3) Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (63:52)

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is the lead up game to Kingdom Hearts III, so it is recommended playing. That's not the only reason I recommend it-- it's also just a fantastic action RPG. While the Final Fantasy characters were replaced with folks from The World Ends With You, the Disney part of the Kingdom Hearts equation brought with it extravagant new worlds, like those from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Fantasia. Darn it-- now I want to play through the game again!

2) Kid Icarus: Uprising (66:35)

One of my favorite Nintendo 3DS games is one that my brother and I spent time essentially equally on, though we used separate save files, is Kid Icarus: Uprising. The return of Pit, Palutena, Medusa and many others was quite grand, and the epic flight sections, ground combat (that does take getting used to), and boss battles made for a game that I would love a sequel to. Kid Icarus: Uprising delivered one of the best soundtracks in a long time, beautiful 3D visuals and tons of replay value. Although our combined time total was 66:35, we didn't even scratch the surface of all that was possible in the game.

1) Animal Crossing: New Leaf (81:56)

To say the game at the number one spot is addicting would be an understatement. We've only had the game for less than two weeks, and Animal Crossing: New Leaf has already reached the top spot and over 80 hours of combined playtime. That is absolutely crazy. If you want to be submerged into a seemingly innocent world that will suck away your hours like they were seconds, then Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the game for you. Expect a full review of New Leaf at the end of this week.

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You might be wanting to compare play times from this month to our last look at which 3DS games got the most play. If you're one of those people, feel free to look at past lists here:

October 2011

January 2012

April 2012

September 2012 

The History of the Paper Mario Series

Nintendo of Europe has provided SuperPhillip Central with this infographic detailing all of the games in the popular Paper Mario line of games. From the original Nintendo 64 title to the latest Nintendo 3DS installment, this infographic will give you everything you wanted to know about the Paper Mario series in as brief a way as possible.

This Infographic comes courtesy of Nintendo UK. Paper Mario: Sticker Star is available on Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL

SPC's Favorite VGMs - Double Dose of Sorrow Edition

Nothing like SPC's Favorite VGMs to dabble in a double dose of sorrow for a lovely March day, no? Today we have two tracks with the word "sorrow" in them. They bookend the other three VGMs for this edition. We have music from Golden Sun, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, and Paper Mario: Sticker Star.

v336. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS) - Sorrow's Distortion (Spell of Sorrow)

The final entry in the Castlevania trilogy on the Nintendo DS was also the hardest of the three games. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia fused the old-school difficulty of older games and the more modern Metroid-style gameplay of more recent games to create one fantastic experience. Whether you know this song as Sorrow's Distortion or Spell of Sorrow, I think we can all agree that this theme gets one in the mood for vampire-slaying action.

v337. Golden Sun (GBA) - An Adapt's Home ~ Vale Theme

The primary hero of Golden Sun, Isaac, calls Vale his happy home, but when tragedy strikes, he must venture outside Vale's boundaries with friend Garet on an epic journey. The theme of Vale is very homely and suitably so. The pan flute gives an earthen vibe to this satisfying theme.

v338. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam (PS3, 360) - Breakthrough in Your Fate

Dynasty Warriors as a series, and games of its ilk, are given a lot of grief for their repetitive nature. Some folks like myself just enjoy them as pure comfort gaming. We don't mind the endless hacking and slashing. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam combined two great things: Dynasty Warriors and the manga/anime Gundam franchise. It was a marriage that spanned three games across the HD twins.

v339. Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS) - Snow Rise

There is no doubt in my mind that the greatest soundtrack from the Paper Mario series is this one, Sticker Star. The melodies are memorable, the themes are catchy, and even though the game did not live to the series's normal standards, it was still great fun. Snow Rise is one of the better songs in the game with its jaunty melody and piano accompaniment. Winter might soon be disappearing, but we can still enjoy what's left of it with this song.

v340. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Wii) - Sorrow

We cap off this doubly sorrowful edition of SPC's Favorite VGMs with Sorrow, a boss battle theme from Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. The game featured a wholly new scenario, content from Resident Evil 2, and content from Code Veronica (where this remixed song comes from). The strings and choir make for a truly sensational sounding and dramatic tune!

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The conclusion of another edition of SPC's Favorite VGMs has been reached. No worries if you grow sad that they won't be back until next Monday, as you can listen to every VGM ever spotlighted in the VGM Database.

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - Nintendo 3DS Edition

We are returning to the normal routine of my favorite VGMs where we listen to songs from five different games rather than just one. This week is a special Nintendo 3DS-themed edition. Three of the games on this list might just make it on the Best Soundtrack category for my end of the year award show. From Mario to Pit from Kid Icarus, the 3DS is represented well this week.

v251. Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) - Special World 8 Crown

A play-through of Super Mario 3D Land might make you think the game is short and easy. That might be true for the initial eight worlds, but then you unlock an additional eight, much more challenging worlds full of remixed and entirely new levels to try out. By getting all star coins, beating the game as both Mario and Luigi, and reaching the top of every flagpole, you unlock a final difficult level.

v252. Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS) - The Chaos Vortex

If someone were to tell my Game Boy-playing younger self that future handhelds would possess the power to have their games contain fully orchestrated music, I would probably not have believed it. But here we are with Kid Icarus: Uprising among other titles. The Chaos Vortex is a chapter near the end of Uprising. If I had to tell you might favorite part of this terrifically tense track, it would come right here when the bold brass blares with a recurring melodic phrase from the game.

v253. Mario Tennis Open (3DS) - Penguin Iceberg

There was much in the way of diverse opinions for Mario Tennis Open. I happened to enjoy the game, but others did not. That's just fine. However, I think we can all agree that Motoi Sakuraba's soundtrack for the game was sensational, as evident by this example for the Penguin Iceberg court. It's a perfect theme for the upcoming winter season.

v254. Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy (3DS) - Shining Glory

Continuing with the orchestrated goodness, Shining Glory from the under-appreciated Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy wastes no time engaging the listener with its brass, strings, and choir. Imagine taking it to the skies and participating in intense dogfights as you battle for your life.

v255. Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS) - Warm Fuzzy Plains

The final VGM volume of this special Nintendo 3DS edition is from the most recently released game, Paper Mario: Sticker Star. The soundtrack for the game might just be my favorite from a Paper Mario. Warm Fuzzy Plains features guitar, brass, piano, and hints of the Super Mario Bros. theme.

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Another edition of SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs is in the books. Next week I will showcase five more themes from video games you may or may not know. Until then and as always, scope out my VGM database for every VGM ever spotlighted.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS) Review

We are nearing the end of November already. Before we do close out the month, however, I have a new review to share-- Paper Mario: Sticker Star. Does the game follow the series's tradition of clever humor and gameplay? Let's find out together.

I am happy to be stuck with you.

There was much trepidation from fans when the project formerly known as Super Mario RPG 2 was turned into Paper Mario. How would the new paper aesthetic affect the game? How would the elimination of having three party members in battle change the gameplay? It turned out that many of these hesitant fans entered Paper Mario, and it wound up being a game that satisfied them more than the Mario's first RPG outing, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Nintendo has once again attempted to change the formula for the better by implementing a sticker-based ability system and eliminating experience points and levels from their newest installment in the Paper Mario series, Paper Mario: Sticker Star for the Nintendo 3DS. Is this game one you'll become attached to, or is it stuck in mediocrity?

Once every century the fabled Sticker Star arrives in the Mushroom Kingdom. To celebrate, the denizens commemorate the occasion with the Sticker Fest. All goes well with the festivities at first until Bowser rears his ugly head into things. He touches the Sticker Star, resulting in him generating a plethora of power, once again capturing Princess Peach, and sending the six Royal Stickers flying across the land. Mario must join up with a helpful crown-shaped sticker named Kersti to venture into six lands to retrieve the Royal Stickers to right all of Bowser's wrongdoings. Players ought to get accustomed to Kersti as that is Mario's only fellow traveler in the game, unlike past Paper Mario entries. While the many different personalities brought by the various partners from Paper Mario and The Thousand-Year Door are missed, Kersti serves as a suitable companion. Make no mistake that the typical high-tier humor of the Mario RPGs is still present and accounted for.

Rather than visit lands that are interconnected in one way or another, Paper Mario: Sticker Star's formula is much like traditional 2D Mario games. There are levels to explore such as 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, and so on, each with their own goals (some with hidden exits to secret levels). After Mario and Kersti exit from the central town of the game, Decalburg, you can choose to visit one of four locales, though it is recommended that you go in numerical order as enemies in world 2 and 3 have much higher attack strength and health. As Mario gains more powerful stickers and nabs some special items that increases his HP, he can tackle the mightier foes in his path.

A walk through the Warm Fuzzy Plains.

Stickers are paramount for accessing new areas in the game's various levels and for battle. They are placed all over levels, ready to be peeled from walls. Apart from stickers, Mario will come across rare objects like soda cans, vacuums, bowling balls, baseball bats, batteries, among others that the game simply calls "Things." Along the way, Mario will uncover obstacles in his way or puzzles that must be solved. This is where Things come in. A place on the western side of Decalburg allows Mario to take collected Things and throw them against a wall to transform them into stickers. Then Mario can use the Paperization move (done with the Y button) to paste a Thing sticker into a square depicted by a dotted line. For instance, the oasis level in the desert world has a fierce twister that is causing all sorts of problems. If you paste the vacuum Thing sticker at the appropriate point, it will suck up the twister and allow Mario safe passage to where he previously couldn't reach.

"Mario's biggest fan."

A problem with this process, however, is just how obtuse some of these puzzles can be. Knowing which Thing sticker to use or even where you can even find the required Thing is nebulous at best. A player can tear their hair out trying to double back through levels as they search every nook and cranny for that missing Thing. When you get a Thing that you think may work, it might not even solve the puzzle. This can be immensely frustrating.

Place stickers onto the environment 
with the Paperize ability.

Then there are the battles, more prominently the midboss and regular boss battles. If you don't possess the right Thing sticker for the battle, you are pretty much up a creek without a paddle. Each boss has at least one Thing sticker that they are severely weak to, which will make a seemingly impossibly difficult battle much less taxing. Not only do you need the right sticker, but you also need to use it at the right time. This can be hard to determine. There is a lot of trial and error involved in Sticker Star, and some of it is not welcomed. There are not many feelings while playing the game worse than not having the right set of stickers. Talk about a sticky situation! We complain about Nintendo doing a lot of hand-holding in games such as The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Well, this is a case of not holding the player's hand enough. There has to be some kind of middle ground to be reached, and Nintendo has not been able to reach it recently.

Not even a boot to the face will
wake this Wiggler up.

Battles themselves do not reward experience like they have in previous Paper Mario games. You might think that there is no good reason to do battle then. Well, perish that folly of a thought right now. Battles give Mario much needed coins, which can be used to purchase stronger stickers at shops for his adhesive arsenal. Once a sticker has been used, it is removed from Mario's inventory. Depending on the sticker's size, it takes up a certain amount of space in Mario's sticker book. As the paperized plumber beats bosses and retrieves Royal Stickers, pages get added to his book, so he can hold more stickers.

Spear Guys call the jungle their home.

If you are a veteran of Mario RPGs, then you know what to expect. Paper Mario: Sticker Star has the same turn-based battles where timing is crucial for swift success. For example, tapping the action button right before Mario lands a jump will deal more damage, and will allow him to jump again. Conversely, pressing the action button as an enemy's attack connects (or just before) will have Mario hold up his defenses, taking less damage. It is a proactive battle system that involves the player in each battle instead of being "some passive hit the attack button ten times and plod through the fight affair."

Mario fights for the shell of it.

In battles Mario can spend coins to activate the Battle Spinner. This is like a slot machine where you try to match all three slots with the same picture. Depending on how many slots you match, Mario gets to use that many stickers that turn (e.g. you match two slots, you get two turns in a row), and depending on what pictures you match, a different effect happens. Such an example is matching three coin pictures, causing coins to rain down from the sky, making Mario's wallet a bit fatter. Being allowed to use more stickers can make arduous encounters all of the more manageable.

There's a myriad of sticker types available in Sticker Star-- nearly 100 battle stickers like jumps, hammer attacks, shell shots, flower attacks, mushrooms, and much more. As stated before, Thing stickers can be used in battle with numerous different effects. The boombox grants Mario an attack boost for a handful of turns while the scissors cut up the battlefield, inflicting heavy damage on enemies.

To say there is plenty to accomplish in Paper Mario: Sticker Star would be underestimating the game. My save data took me around twenty hours to practically complete. Side quests include saving all of the bullied Toads, locating Luigi's five hiding spots, finding all HP Up Hearts, collecting every sticker in the game and donating it to the museum, and meeting the requirements of eight flags (think of them as achievements for Sticker Star). There is no shortage of stuff to do long after Bowser has been beaten.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star nails the presentation superbly. This goes from its paper aesthetic to its sensational sound. The colors of the game are crisp and colorful, levels look like interactive and engaging panoramas, and the stereoscopic 3D effect-- while not required-- is some of the best the Nintendo 3DS has seen yet. A great example of this is when Mario uses the Slaphammer sticker. He slaps a foe across the screen and sends it flying towards the player. This really pops out at the player if the 3D effect is on. Meanwhile, the music is without a doubt Paper Mario's most impressive, including tunes from past Mario titles as well as countless lovely new compositions. Sticker Star earns a gold star in this category.

When it's up to saving Peach, 
there's snow time like the present.

While not the most perfect installment to the Paper Mario series, Paper Mario: Sticker Star manages to try something different and pretty much succeed. Some less vague puzzles and means to proceed in the game would have been very much appreciated, especially to those who don't have access to a guide or walkthrough like I did. It might become frustrating, but "stick" with Paper Mario: Sticker Star, and you will discover that there is a lot to like about this game.

[SuperPhillip Says: 8.0/10]

Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS) North American Commercial

Paper Mario: Sticker Star releases in less than two weeks, and Nintendo has a television advertisement to share. I, too, will share. Some are worried that the mechanics will make this Paper Mario a weak installment. That is to be seen, but no worries. We'll find that answer out in two short weeks!

Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS) New Trailer

A new trailer was shown during Europe's Nintendo Direct for Paper Mario: Sticker Star. The game is due out on December 7th there while North America gets it nearly a month earlier on November 7th. In this game that mixes up the Paper Mario formula quite a bit, Mario collects stickers to use in battle to gain coins. Just how this new formula will benefit the series is not known, but if anyone can make a competent game, it's Intelligent Systems. Enjoy this two minute long trailer.

See the trailer here.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS) New Trailer

Now, this is a title that I don't know what to make of yet. I'm not sold on the new changes made to the Paper Mario formula, such as forgoing experience points. Regardless, I am love with the art style as I generally love cartoony graphics. Who knows -- Nintendo could surprise me with a game that I didn't even know I wanted. Change is good after all.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS) E3 Trailer

For the first time in series history a Paper Mario game hits a handheld, and it is doing so in a big way. Collect stickers from anywhere and everywhere and use them in battle or on the various maps of the game. Complete tasks for NPCs to gather new helpful boosts to Mario. The apparent lack of partners might be disappointing, but Paper Mario: Sticker Star is shaping up to a be welcomed installment to the franchise.