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1* AmericansHateTingle: The ''Paper Mario'' franchise is [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff usually far more popular overseas]], but ''Sticker Star'' is actually the best-selling ''Paper Mario'' title in Japan, whereas it was the worst-selling ''Paper Mario'' in North America since [[VideoGame/PaperMario64 the first]]. This might simply be because it was released on a handheld, because Japanese fans had similar complaints about the sudden shift in gameplay and tone, and ''VideoGame/PaperMarioColorSplash'' performed dismally in both regions -- even so, it seems to indicate that the shift in the series' tone isn't as much of a hot-button issue in Japan as it is overseas.
2* ArcFatigue: While generally considered one of the better parts of the game, World 3 contains double the levels of any other world, plus a decent amount of backtracking and repetition in retrieving Wiggler's parts, it can get a little tiring. It doesn't help that beating the boss of the world makes collectibles appear in certain levels, requiring ''even more'' backtracking if you want to collect everything.
3* AssPull: [[spoiler:Kersti's HeroicSacrifice, in which she gives herself up as a usable sticker to give Mario the power he needs to beat Bowser,]] comes out of nowhere and only serves as an attempt to add some last-minute drama to the climax of an [[MoodWhiplash otherwise lighthearted]] and [[ExcusePlot by-the-numbers "Mario saves the Princess" story.]] Some have wondered why not harness the power of the {{MacGuffin}}s you've spent the entire game gathering, as per the previous games, to vanquish Bowser instead of [[spoiler:sacrificing Kersti, who was given no prior indication that she had royal sticker power of her own.]][[note]]It becomes even funnier when you realize you don't need to actually [[spoiler:use her]] to defeat Bowser as the game doesn't force you to, and [[TakeAThirdOption it's very possible to beat him using just infinijump stickers instead with a little patience and strategy.]] For added insult, you can [[spoiler:[[TakeThatScrappy unceremoniously throw Kersti away after the battle is won this way.]]]][[/note]]
4* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: See [[AwesomeMusic/PaperMario here]]. The soundtrack is widely regarded as one of the best things about the game, with every track being a lovingly written, appropriate, and above all else jazzy track.
5* BaseBreakingCharacter: People either love Wiggler[[spoiler:/Flutter]] for being an adorable goofball and one of the handful of people in the game with proper characterization, or hate him for being the cause of ''a lot'' of tedium with rescuing his segments in a series of annoying [[EscortMission Escort Missions]] that span the entirety of World 3.
6* BestBossEver: Bowser Snow Statue, the boss of World 4. Its LogicalWeakness to fire attacks means you don't need to get carried by [[ScrappyMechanic Thing stickers]] to win, [[https://youtu.be/dfyOEmijVEk?si=zm3MM_Cx5r9aQzld the music]] for this fight is [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic really nice]] and then there's the reveal of [[spoiler:Mizzter Blizzard, the real boss inside of the statue, who wished for a body that wouldn't melt at the end of Winter]]. The fact this is the only boss with a fleshed out backstory, and said backstory makes for one of the game's most emotional moments, is what turns this fight into one of the few parts of the game most players actually loved.
7* BigLippedAlligatorMoment:
8** In a hidden area in 4-1, you can find [[spoiler:Birdo, who appears on a swing, sings a short serenade, and gives you the Goat before leaving.]] This is the only time said character appears, and the player is free to return to the level once they're gone.
9** One group of five Boos in the Enigmansion is sitting in a photo frame. When investigated, they all fly off of the wall and move in a circle. Then a ''disco ball'' comes down and Mario gives a thumbs-up, and the ensuing disco music and lights continue throughout the entire battle. After the fight concludes, the disco ball vanishes and no further comment is made by anyone. Unlike some of the other Boos in the mansion, which are thematically appropriate (such as a gold Boo in a vault, a crumpled Boo in a garbage can, and a stack of Boos emulating the tightly-packed Toads in a cabinet in the opening), the disco Boos have no relation to anything prior or following the event. It's likely there for RuleOfFunny, though--[[DiscoSucks disco is dead,]] so [[StealthPun of course ghosts would enjoy it.]]
10* BileFascination: Given its reputation as the weakest ''Paper Mario'', some have played just to see if ''Sticker Star'' is really that bad.
11* BreatherBoss: Bowser Snow Statue, the boss of World 4, is one of the easiest bosses in the whole game. Due to its LogicalWeakness to fire attacks, it's one of the few major fights in the game that doesn't force you to rely on Thing stickers to have a chance at winning, and the boss's own attacks are relatively simple to deal with, especially after it goes into ClippedWingAngel form.
12* CriticalBacklash: Has been seeing this more over time. While many would agree ''Sticker Star'' is the weakest title in the series, some people feel the hostile reception to it is overly exaggerated as the game has good ideas and qualities that are paired with notable problems and questionable design choices that overshadow them. These people often feel the game is just [[SoOkayItsAverage alright]] and wouldn't receive the amount of hate it gets if it didn't influence [[VideoGame/PaperMarioColorSplash future]] [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing titles.]]
13* CriticalDissonance: ''Sticker Star'' has gotten SoOkayItsAverage scores from most critics, which is certainly different from the [[{{Sequelitis}} outright negative]] reception from fans.
14* DisappointingLastLevel:
15** Even for those who like the game, [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Bowser's Sky Castle]] is really short and simple, simply consisting of the final bout against [[RecurringBoss Kamek]], a couple of corridors with no enemies, and [[FinalBoss Bowser]]. It doesn't help that the previous area, Bowser Jr.'s Flotilla, was far longer and more complex, and it's especially disappointing for the last stage given that all the previous games had long and involved final dungeons filled with tough enemies, puzzles and boss fights, added to the fact that Bowser is the final boss ''[[VideoGame/PaperMario64 again]]'' after the fan-favorites [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor Shadow Queen]] and [[VideoGame/SuperPaperMario Super Dimentio]]]], which isn't helped by these bosses being generally regarded as [[BestBossEver amazing final boss fights]]. Bowser, on the other hand, alongide his [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks universally]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter hated]] [[SilentAntagonist silent role,]] has a rather disappointing battle that takes [[ScrappyMechanic one of the game's biggest flaws, the Thing weakness system,]] to levels never seen before, as opposed to his boss battle in the first game which is also regarded as a BestBossEver for being challenging, but purely based on skill and strategy as opposed to having the correct items.
16** World 6 as a whole is this. It only consists of three levels, when all of the previous worlds had at least five (for the record, World 3 had ''twelve''), making it the shortest world in the entire game. On top of that, the first area, Gate Cliff, is barely passable as a level (even though the game lists it as 6-1), as it's a tiny area that only contains an interactive cutscene linking to the final areas when you have 5 Royal Stickers, as well as the aforementioned Bowser's Sky Castle, which is very short and simple and (mostly) serves as a final corridor before the FinalBoss. The only stage that's actually complicated and involved is Bowser Jr.'s Flotilla, and even then you would expect more than just that. Taking it even further, the final level was originally supposed to be a minigame gauntlet; whether or not this would have been better is up for debate.
17* EnsembleDarkHorse: The Mariachi Shy Guys and Gooper Blooper for the music theming behind them and being plain hilarious, the "Snifit or Whiffit" Host for his level being one of the highlights of the game, and [[spoiler:Mizzter Blizzard]] for being a TragicMonster and having more characterization than anyone else in the game.
18* FandomHeresy: Simply ''mentioning'' the game can cause this in some circles. Also, whatever you do, don't admit that you actually like this game.
19* FanonDiscontinuity: Most ''Paper Mario'' fans pretend that ''Sticker Star'' (and depending on who you ask, its successor ''Color Splash'') never happened, labeling ''Super Paper Mario'' (or ''The Thousand-Year Door'', depending on who you ask) as the moment where the series stopped instead. Aside from the game's [[ExiledFromContinuity controversial]] [[ExcusePlot restrictions]], it doesn't help that [[OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight Ryota Kawade, the director of the first three games, was barely involved in the production of Sticker Star (the only credit he had for the game was "Special Thanks"), and most of its crew was never involved in the series before.]] ''Paper Jam'' ended up reaffirming the discontinuity, with detractors coming up with the {{Fanon}} that ''Sticker Star'' took place in the book that all the "Paper" characters in that game came from, thereby making it a ShowWithinAShow and not a "real" Mario adventure; the ShowWithinAShow theory actually predates ''Paper Jam''.
20* FanPreferredCutContent: Little is known about what ''Sticker Star'' was like before it was {{retool}}ed into the game the public received. However, [[https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/papermario/0/1 the quote from Miyamoto]] about an early version of the game resembling a port of ''The Thousand-Year Door'' has led fans of that title, and others dissatisfied with the final ''Sticker Star'', to want more information on what they believe could've been a more interesting version of ''Sticker Star'' than what was released.
21* FranchiseOriginalSin: The "inventory items as attacks" concept that the despised Stickers use can actually be traced back to a game in the other ''Mario'' RPG series, ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime''. However, its Bros. Item system, while receiving a mixed reception itself, isn't nearly as hated because that game still allows you to use basic Jump and Hammer attacks to save items for later, they can sometimes be dropped by defeated enemies and are buyable in shops other than just finding them in blocks through the game and the inventory limit is much more generous (99 for each item).
22* GameBreaker:
23** The Super Boot applies Iron to your jumps so you can stomp enemies that normally hurt you, ''and'' it increases the damage done by jump-based stickers. It's so effective that the official Prima strategy guide recommends almost nothing but Super Boots and jump stickers for every boss.
24** The Frog Suit, on the other hand, doesn't apply Iron to your jumps, but boosts ''all'' damage done that turn -- ''even from Thing Stickers.'' Combine this with the Crumpled status, which causes affected enemies to take double damage and is easily spread through [[BoringButPractical POW Block stickers]], and the [[StatusBuff Boom Box Thing]], and let the destruction begin.
25** The Boom Box Thing [[StatusBuff doubles your damage]] for up to four turns if you get an Excellent Action Command. Combine this with any Shiny or higher stickers that are already strong, such as any Thing, Fire/Ice Flowers, Clone Jumps, Burnhammers and Chillhammers, the aforementioned Super Boot, or even just some Flashy basic jumps and hammers, and you can steamroll any boss in just a few turns.
26** POW Blocks are another way to make bosses, and most Mook fights, [[OffTheRails super easy]]. Like the other examples, its shtick -- the [[StatusEffects Crumpled status]] -- makes grounded enemies (which every boss is) into spikeless sitting ducks and causes them to take double damage. The best part is that POW Blocks are fairly common and easily bought in bulk, and it's also a bonus on the Battle Spin, meaning you always have access to one if you're good.
27** Infinijump stickers are like the Power Bounce attack from the first two games, which is already considered a GameBreaker despite being randomly capped based on a value assigned to all enemies (especially bosses), making it effectively impossible to reach the 101 jump cap on most of them. The Infinijump stickers, on the other hand, have ''no random cap,'' making it trivial to reach the maximum 100 hits and even make it possible to beat the FinalBoss without the EleventhHourSuperpower! Naturally, the stickers for it aren't easy to find, with the stronger variants only being found in [[ThatOneLevel 5-3]].
28** '''Running from battle''', of all things, turns out to be the biggest one. Its action command is simple and enemies rarely punish for you failing it, success costs nothing (unlike other Mario [=RPGs=] where you lose coins) and ''it makes the enemy vanish from the overworld as if you'd defeated them.'' Combined with battles costing you stickers and only rewarding you with coins, which are easily found outside battle and are only useful for buying more stickers, running from every random battle won't set you back. In fact, you'll even come out ''ahead'' on resources if you get a first strike, as that gives you coins!
29* GoddamnedBoss: While Tower Power Pokey isn't a particularly hard boss when equipped with the Bat Thing, two factors make it one of the most annoying bosses in the entire ''Mario'' series. One, it's a DamageSpongeBoss, so even when its HP has been sliced apart by the Bat Thing, Tower Power Pokey will still take a while before it fully goes down. Two, the fight runs on ViolationOfCommonSense, as while Pokeys are normally immune to jump attacks and have to be struck with a hammer, Tower Power Pokey is weak to jump attacks and resists hammer attacks, leading to it being one of the most [[GuideDangIt confusingly-designed bosses]] in the series.
30* HarsherInHindsight: Given how this game, ''Paper Jam'', and ''Color Splash'' made use of generic Toad [=NPCs=] instead of the more colorful casts of the previous games or any other friendly mainline species, fans of the older games and others who aren't Toad fans criticized the newer games about their overuse, if not making memes about the whole situation. In ''The Origami King'', [[spoiler:King Olly takes the dislike of Toads a step much further, seeing the "scrawlings" on his body by his Toad creator as grounds for a FinalSolution]].
31* HilariousInHindsight: Before this game was released, people were making jokes about how Mario would be the final boss, because Bowser was in the first game, a possessed Peach was in the second game, and [[spoiler:a possessed Luigi]] was in the third game, therefore making Mario the only main character of the series not to get this role. In ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'', Mario ''is'' a boss (not the real Mario, but an evil copy of him created by the antagonist) -- one of the first boss fights in the game.
32* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: Plot-wise, it gets this in comparison to the mainstream ''Mario'' series. While ''Paper Mario'' was well known for its previous two titles adding new storylines and having memorable new characters, ''Sticker Star'' only has a little bit more plot than a typical ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' game, which typically have [[ExcusePlot minimalistic plots]] on purpose. Within just the ''Paper Mario'' subseries itself, the plot is quite similar to that of ''VideoGame/PaperMario64'', but that game focused more on the personalities of the classic characters while also introducing new ones, making the plot of ''Sticker Star'' seem especially uninspired.
33* JustHereForGodzilla: Even a lot of the game's critics like the Thing Stickers for their [[RealityIsOutToLunch bizarre]] and [[RefugeInAudacity audacious]] animations.
34* LowestCommonDenominator: The game attempted to appeal to longtime ''Paper Mario'' fans by bringing back the turn based battles, but also tried to attract non-fans by making PreexistingEncounters easily skippable, significantly simplifying combat, and [[ExcusePlot heavily watering down the plot]]. Unsurprisingly, fans were ''[[TheyChangedItNowItSucks not happy]]'' about this.
35* MagnificentBastard: The [[GameShowHost Host Snifit]] is the charismatic head of ''[[SadisticGameShow Snifit or Whiffit]]'', a game show that rewards winners with crucial items and punishes losers with [[DeadlyGame death by poison gas]]. Introducing himself by holding a piece of Wiggler hostage, the Host Snifit forces Mario into four life-threatening rounds of ''Snifit or Whiffit'' to entertain the audience, before respectfully freeing the Wiggler segment when the plumber wins. [[VideoGame/PaperMarioColorSplash Returning]] for ''Snifit or Whiffit: Seabed Edition'', the Host Snifit, now guarding a Paint Star, welcomes Mario back before subjecting him to another seven, increasingly difficult rounds of his show under the threat of drowning to death. Despite his loyalty to Bowser and willingness to kill Mario, the Host Snifit nevertheless remains [[AffablyEvil friendly]] and always [[NobleDemon honors his word]].
36* MemeticMutation:
37** "NYARGLEBARGLE!"[[labelnote:Explanation]]The phrase Bowser Jr. shouts when he starts crumpling a bridge into a ball.[[/labelnote]]
38** The Goat sticker, as well as the new Mariachi Shy Guy enemies.
39** Kersti referring to and describing Kamek as a hipster.
40** Everyone is a Toad.[[labelnote:Explanation]]Probably the most infamous thing about the game is that every NPC outside of select few is [[YouAllLookFamiliar some version of]] [[OnlySixFaces a generic male Toad]] (contrast past ''Paper Mario'' games, where there were an abundance of species and even the Toads that existed all had unique designs). This is made more baffling by the fact the intro to ''Super Mario Galaxy'' showed multiple Toadettes- meaning that opportunity was available, yet ignored. Seen as the developers just being completely lazy and unwilling to experiment, it has become a point of ridicule among detractors of the game (and by extension ''Color Splash'', which also uses mostly Toads, but in multiple colors).[[/labelnote]]
41** "Sticker Star bad, upvotes to the left"[[labelnote:Explanation]]With backlash inevitably comes backlash ''to'' the backlash. Even years after its release, a large amount of people still make fun of ''Sticker Star'', to the point of becoming a DiscreditedMeme. This phrase is used as a typical response on the [[Website/{{Reddit}} r/papermario subreddit]] for memes making a criticism of ''Sticker Star'' that everyone's heard a million times before.[[/labelnote]]
42** "I don’t care if I get hate because of this opinion, but this is my favorite paper mario final boss song."[[labelnote:Explanation]]This fairly innocent comment on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmBgAa3S3vo the final boss theme]] has garnered infamy for somehow creating a massive war-zone in the reply section. With the users ''Dave Matthew'' and ''Aramaru 1837'' being particularly noteworthy (the former for his constant usage of calling the other user, ''Aramaru 1837'', a [[BigStupidDoodooHead "little maggot"]], and the latter for being a {{Troll}} who belittles the original poster for not playing more games, [[{{Hypocrite}} despite admitting to only playing one other Paper Mario game]]) as well as the argument [[ArgumentOfContradictions going absolutely nowhere]]. This entire gong show was showcased by ''[[LetsPlay/{{Critikal}} penguinz0]]'' with the video, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEEUmfW0qFQ#t=0m0s Angriest Comment Thread on Youtube]].[[/labelnote]]
43** Tower Power Pokey's Theme[[labelnote:Explanation]]The battle theme for Tower Power Pokey went memetic thanks to a rather... ''infamous'' animation by minus8 featuring [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossing Ankha]] RuleThirtyFour set to this song.[[/labelnote]]
44** For whatever reason, Tower Power Pokey himself started gaining an ironic following on the Paper Mario subreddit in October 2020.
45* MisBlamed:
46** Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto may have gotten the game's most noticeable restrictions on characters and story set into stone, saying that this game didn't need a complex story and advising to only use pre-existing characters, which is a good part of what caused people to think that he's anti-story. However, what many people may not realize is that the one responsible for generic Toads being the only recurring friendly species and the paper theme being overemphasized was actually the producer, Kensuke Tanabe, who later stated in an interview that since ''Color Splash'', his team had complete creative control, and that at this point, Miyamoto barely had a role behind the development of the games by now, only coming a couple of times to check the builds and approve them. One more thing to notice is that Miyamoto did play the later build from the spring 2011 with the stickers changing from puzzle-solving items to be the focus of the combat and wasn't impressed by it, saying that it was boring, which led to the Things, and Miyamoto focuses a lot on the gameplay, but one of the major things that people disliked about modern Paper Mario, the gameplay and combat, especially with ''Sticker Star'' and ''Color Splash'', was still kept in despite the criticism from Miyamoto. Thankfully, more and more people are becoming aware of this as of late, and now one is more likely to point the finger at Tanabe for ''Stickers Star'''s shortcomings, keeping the things that fans disliked in the games after it and not satisfying their demands than Miyamoto.
47** Likewise, beyond the whole [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks "too much like The Thousand-Year Door fiasco",]] the man responsible behind the gameplay and especially its battle system was actually Taro Kudo, one of the co-directors, according to ''Iwata Asks''.
48* MorePopularReplacement: Kammy Koopa was already a well-liked [[TheDragon Dragon]] to Bowser, but Kamek is generally even better appreciated thanks to being TheHeavy who repeatedly causes trouble throughout the Worlds, with [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments hilarious boss battles]] and a catchy, jazzy Leitmotif. His reputation only improved in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing'', where he became a partner and his character was fleshed out more.
49* OvershadowedByControversy: Even with the backlash against the game, it probably wouldn't have been seen as ''that'' bad if it wasn't for one thing: the MagnumOpusDissonance on Nintendo's behalf that is leading them to stick with the same style of game. It doesn't help that the [[SoOkayItsAverage general reception]] of ''Sticker Star'' means that ''Paper Mario'' fans aren't really interested in discussing anything about the game itself, instead preferring to talk about the impact it had on the franchise.
50* TheScrappy: Kersti is widely considered to be the worst partner character in the Paper Mario series, with some going as far as to call her the worst character overall. This is due to the fact that she's a [[{{Jerkass}} jerk most of the time,]] constantly belittling and yelling at Mario (and by extension the player) for things that aren't his fault, or for solving problems in a way she didn't like. Furthermore, despite being your ExpositionFairy, the banter with her almost never actually gives helpful hints, even in situations where [[GuideDangIt the player could really use them]]. If you manage to defeat a boss without using it's intended weakness, she'll call you out for not doing things the "correct" way, which given how rarely she actually helps, doesn't exactly make her any more endearing. Not helping matters is she's also an UngratefulBastard most of time, immediately yelling at Mario and insulting him for taking so long as soon as he rescues her from being kidnapped, and being more worried over him losing/wasting his stickers rather than his well-being, leaving a bad taste in players' mouth, even for those who tolerated her up to that point.
51* ScrappyMechanic:
52** Stickers, due to combining TooAwesomeToUse and InventoryManagementPuzzle. Fortunately, likely due to the museum sidequest, every single type of them is renewable. Unfortunately, they're the only way to act in battles.
53** Oddly enough, basic combat has become this. Due to removing experience points and levels, most battles do not offer a real reward and as a result, feel like {{padding}}. Even ''Super Paper Mario'', which was more of a platformer and the RPG elements were greatly reduced, had EXP in some way, and in that case EXP took the form of points, as with every 10000 points, the characters level up and become stronger and with more HP. Battles in ''Sticker Star'' can offer you coins, and occasionally health and stickers, but you find the latter two in the levels themselves usually and you can find the former at the end of every level. Also, there's a limited amount of stickers that you can carry, and fleeing can fail randomly, especially when Mario has low HP, which causes him to lose his turn and punishes the player for taking part in battles. All of this results in making battles pretty much useless.
54** In combination with the two examples above, there is no option to skip your turn to prepare a strategy in case there's nothing you can do to deal damage to enemies. This gets especially annoying in battles where you can't hurt the enemy that turn, boss battles, and the battles where your stickers are all turned into Sandal stickers that deal fixed 1 damage and are useless against everyone but Kamek. This leaves you with two choices, either waste a sticker or use the closest thing to a skip button, running away and hoping it fails. And because whether the mechanic works or not depends entirely on how the RandomNumberGod is feeling, you can accidentally flee from boss fights. Running away successfully in a boss fight ends up infuriating because not only have you wasted any stickers you used, you have to do the entire battle over.
55** Hammer stickers. The action command timing window is obscenely small and the visual cue for different ratings is hard to discern, and an Excellent command window lasts for close to ''1 frame''. The closest other ''Mario'' [=RPGs=] have come to an action command timing window this small are ''SMRPG''[='s=] Super/Ultra Jumps and ''TTYD''[='s=] Power Bounces, which are extra attacks that are [[GameBreaker so broken]] that giving them tough inputs that only kick in after a few jumps or capping them is the only way to balance them, while the hammer is one of your ''main'' attacks.
56** Boss fights have a big problem: being {{Puzzle Boss}}es with too much emphasis on "puzzle". Either you don't have the appropriate type Thing sticker, making them wipe the floor with you unless you prepared heavily, or you do have it and use it, weakening them so heavily that [[CurbStompBattle victory is nigh-guaranteed]], thus making the boss battles very unbalanced: too easy with the right Things and hair-tearingly difficult without said Thing. Essentially, having skill and strategy to defeat bosses has been replaced with having the right item to win, and can make getting high-level stickers pointless. Also, with the exception of two bosses (one of which doesn't have a Thing weakness at all), there's only one type of Thing that can exploit the weaknesses, which compounds on the GuideDangIt. What makes matters worse is that even if you ''do'' go for a SelfImposedChallenge and try to beat a boss without using their weakness, [[WhatTheHellPlayer the game will basically note that you wasted a number of stickers and brings up that you should have used their weaknesses anyway]], courtesy of [[AnnoyingVideoGameHelper Kersti]]. Only the boss of World 4 [[BreatherBoss avoids the aforementioned issues]], thanks to being a snow monster with a LogicalWeakness to any and all fire attacks.
57** Along with the examples above, the Things themselves might be one of the most hated [[{{Pun}} things]] about the game, since they greatly contribute to the game's glaring design flaws such as GuideDangIt moments and boss fights becoming a joke when using the correct Thing. There's also the fact that they're [[GameBreaker incredibly overpowered]] even when it's not the effective one, as most will deal a ton of damage by default, making the point of getting high-level stickers pointless since you can easily win by just spamming Things in battle. There's also the {{Overly Long Fighting Animation}}s that come with most Things, which can get old very quickly especially when spamming them.
58* {{Sequelitis}}: ''Sticker Star'' is widely seen as the weakest of the series, due to its revamped, overly simplified ''and'' overwhelmingly obtuse battle system, ExcusePlot, {{Flat Character}}s, generic locations, unoriginal character designs,GuideDangIt puzzles, and several other reasons.
59* SlowPacedBeginning: Those who like the game generally state that it doesn't really pick up until World 3. The first two worlds are the standard grasslands and desert, both being largely plotless and lacking much variation. World 3, in spite of its [[ArcFatigue length]], has a more interesting BubblegloopSwamp environment, includes levels that deviate from the standard formula (including Rustle Burrow's BagOfSpilling mechanic and Stump Glade's game show), and it's the only world with an overarching plotline (retrieving Wiggler's parts and figuring out how to clean up the forest). Worlds 4 and 5 lose the overarching plot, but still keep adding new ideas to their themes (respectively, having an elaborate haunted house that portrays Boos as some sort of horror unleashed from a book and a minecart ride for a final dungeon; World 5 progresses from a fairly unique jungle setting with raft rides, to ruins, to a volcano).
60* SoOkayItsAverage: Many elements of the game, including the dumbed-down gameplay, the [[{{Pun}} paper-thin]] characterization, the "have the right item on you or die" mechanics behind most of the bosses, a grand total of one new character, and the handling of Bowser's characterization (or lack thereof) add up to the response from those who don't hate the game being a resounding "meh." This wouldn't otherwise be notable if it weren't an installment in the highly acclaimed ''Paper Mario'' series. Overall, those who don't hate the game consider it okay when judged on its own, but it [[ToughActToFollow does not fill the shoes of]] the first three games, escpecially the second one.
61* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: Using a Fan sticker plays a song evocative of Music/AlsoSprachZarathustra as the fan rises slowly from the horizon.
62* ThatOneAttack: Basically, any boss attack that can crumple you. As well as being generally quite strong, they leave you unable to act for as many as four turns. That includes blocking and healing. Prepare for death.
63* ThatOneBoss:
64** The Giant Cheep Cheep at Surfshine Harbor. It starts off easy, but then the Cheep Cheep dives into the water and recovers ''all'' its health and remains in the water. At this point, you ''must'' use the Fishhook Thing (which happens to be decently well-hidden) to reel it out. Then, the Cheep Cheep will start puffing up until it pops and kills itself, killing you too if you don't have armor.
65** Kamek, especially the last fight against him. He transforms all of your stickers into Sandal stickers, so you better take note about which sticker was what, lest you use up some really valuable ones here. The first fight's not too bad, since he's alone. Come the second time, where he creates two clones of himself to ensure you need to get three sticker slots from the Battle Spin, can change altitude so ''no'' attack will hit, and will make a random sticker of yours disappear.
66** The FinalBoss, Bowser, even though it's, well, the final boss, is a ''ridiculous'' leap in difficulty from the World 5 boss. 5 phases, each of which require at least one Thing Sticker to make them at least manageable, and the boss is spiked. Even after following a guide to the letter to prepare for it, it is still extremely difficult.
67* ThatOneLevel:
68** World 3-9, Gauntlet Pond. Tricky jumps, maze-like structure, poison everywhere and the escort mission can be very infuriating if you manage to make the Wiggler segment drop and having to go through the poisonous swamp and restart that part again.
69** World 5-3, Long Fall Falls. You spend approximately 99% of the level on a raft, which is hard to control as it is. Add the fact that you're chased by a Cheep Chomp for the first half of the level, [[FromBadToWorse who has the ability to]] [[OneHitKill instantly kill you when you're not careful]]! It's not too bad the first time you go through the level, but the Cheep Chomp gets a lot more aggressive and harder to dodge as you get more comet pieces from that level. So if you missed a secret or just want to farm the [[GameBreaker Big Shiny and Megaflash-variation of the Infinijump-stickers]], prepare to have a very hard time.
70* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Along with ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'', it's one of the games in which some fans aren't pleased with the gameplay changes, though this case was worse because what remained of the RPG elements, which were still present in ''Super Paper Mario'', although noticeably toned down, was completely removed, and the minimal story, the severe lack of variety in character designs, especially with [=NPCs=], the gimmicky combat system, the confusing puzzles with Kersti rarely giving suggestions and a humour with an obsession on paper puns, were also hated. Interestingly enough, one of the major motivations for the development team after Miyamoto insisted on no story (or at the very least, minimal story) was to survey Club Nintendo members to see if they liked the story in the previous games. Not even 1% responded that they liked the story or that they considered it interesting, and the response generated led the team to moving in more of the emphasis on paper. However, [[FridgeLogic many have gone on to point out]] the many problems with this survey process, with the biggest offender being that the survey was limited to members of (and who regularly check) Club Nintendo. And considering that ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' has a bit of a PeripheryDemographic to begin with, it's not very surprising that most fans of the series claim to have never heard of this survey even ''existing''. For that matter, it's reasonable to say that people who did do the survey thought it wasn't much more than a joke, considering how ridiculous the answers seem in context. The fact ''Sticker Star''[='s=] surveys [[note]]which players likely would have filled in and more carefully worded in light of the above information[[/note]] were never mentioned in the lead up to ''Color Splash'' further cast doubt on whether ''Super Paper Mario'''s surveys were really the crux of the issue.
71* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
72** Surprisingly, ''Bowser'' falls under this. Despite his role as the BigBad, [[TheVoiceless he has no dialogue]] and [[DemotedToExtra barely features throughout the game]]. Considering this is the guy who delivered the infamous [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments "It's Hag Vs Hag! Awesome!"]] line in ''TTYD'', this is a bizarre omission. He can be a truly menacing villain DependingOnTheWriter in games such as ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'', and ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' proved that his imposing side and hilarious side aren't mutually exclusive. Considering the personality Bowser displays through the rest of the ''Paper Mario'' series, this is really jarring. While ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'' [[spoiler:pulled a similar trick, it's generally agreed that the game handled it much better in comparison to ''Sticker Star'' (even by detractors) by letting Bowser keep his hammy personality and by making Bowser's BigBad status into an [[MetaTwist actual plot twist]].]]
73** Luigi, who was hit so hard with the DemotedToExtra hammer that he was left silent and mostly exists as a series of cameos to find. Considering his ''mammoth'' role in ''Super'' and how there's an [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi entire other series]] of ''Mario'' [=RPGs=] where he's the second playable lead, him not doing anything relevant here is especially bizarre.
74** Peach. Peach in the previous Paper Mario games was a far cry from her mainline self. Despite being captured in 64 and TTYD, on her playable segments she was still a formidable character, doing her best to deal with the situation and help guide Mario to his objectives. In the darkest hour in the final battle of the first Paper Mario, she and Twink the star joined forces to deal the final blow to a powered-up Bowser. And that's not getting into her playable status in Super Paper Mario. In Sticker Star, she only serves to get captured on the prologue and never shows up until the final Bowser boss.
75* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The fact that [[spoiler:Mizzter Blizzard]], unlike other bosses who were either acting selfishly or just wild creatures, was a perfectly nice character who [[spoiler:only wanted a body that wouldn't melt at the end of Winter]], but when the Royal Sticker landed on him and granted his wish, it also made him BrainwashedAndCrazy and led to him throwing the weather out of balance implies that the Royal Stickers aren't quite the benevolent artifacts the lore initially made them out to be, but the game never explores this any further due to its ExcusePlot.
76* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Kersti is often portrayed as rude and rash, but it's implied that she is acting that way because she is stressed and/or frustrated because she can't return to the Sticker Comet unless the Royal Stickers are gathered. However, it's shown in the opening cutscene that she did ''nothing'' to stop Bowser from splitting the Comet in the first place, with even some Toads trying harder than her, and after the damage is done, the [[EstablishingCharacterMoment first thing she does is blame and yell at Mario.]] The whole situation is on her almost as much as it is on [[BigBad Bowser,]] and combined with the fact that she spends most of her other scenes yelling at Mario or getting him into otherwise-avoided trouble, it's hard to find people who sympathize with her. This isn't helped by [[spoiler:her HeroicSacrifice at the end of the game, because due to coming across as an AssPull, it ends up just feeling like the game is making a desperate last-ditch attempt at getting the audience to feel ''some'' sort of sympathy for her]].
77* TheWoobie: [[spoiler:Mizzter Blizzard, who was forced to either melt or go mad with a Royal Sticker's power. After Mario knocks some sense into him, he apologizes and seemingly melts. On the bright side, it's implied Mario could build him a new body in the future.]]

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