Paper Mario: The Sticker Comet

Paper Mario: The Sticker Comet is a reimagining of Paper Mario: Sticker Star in a style closer to the original two Paper Mario games.
== Major Changes ==
=== Gameplay ===
* The game world is now fully interconnected rather than being split into distinct levels. As such, many locations from the original game are either removed or merged with other locations. For example, Warm Fuzzy Plains now includes the waterfall from Water's Edge Way and the windmill from Hither Thither Hill, the latter having been moved to the new sub-location of Timberton.
* The battle system is heavily revamped, being significantly closer to Thousand-Year Door's battle system.
* Enemies now give out Star Points, incentivizing players to battle enemies. Upon collecting 100 Star Points, Mario will level up, allowing him to improve his HP, FP, or AP (Album Points, explained below).
* Stickers now function similar to badges in the first two Paper Mario games. However, instead of Mario having a limited number of BP with each badge/sticker costing a certain amount to equip, the player must place the stickers in Mario's sticker album. Stickers come in many different shapes and sizes, and leveling up Mario's AP adds room to Mario's album to fit more or larger stickers.
* Things no longer serve a gameplay function and are exclusively collectibles to be added to the Museum. As such, the Sling-a-Thing Toad had been removed, and Things (as well as Stickers in general) are now automatically added to the Museum rather than having to be manually placed.
* Kersti now has an additional function in battle, providing Tattles on the various enemies. Mario and his partners can use Tattle from the Tactics menu.
=== Story ===
* The story has been greatly expanded compared to the original game, with each chapter (the original game's worlds) having its own unique conflict caused by one of Bowser's minions obtaining a Royal Sticker.
* Kersti is given a more expansive character arc, starting the game with her more abrasive and selfish personality before developing into a much kinder character.
* While still present, especially in the early game, paper jokes have been heavily downplayed, with new jokes being added to replace them.
* NPCs come in a greater variety of species than just Toads, with several areas having their own distinctive NPC species. For example, Piantas are now the primary species to appear in Surfshine Harbor.
* Princess Peach and Luigi are given their own interludes in between chapters. Peach's interludes have her sneaking around Bowser's Sky Castle to obtain information on what Bowser is planning. Luigi's interludes feature a variety of gameplay styles and are more comedic in nature, typically having some misfortune befall him wherever he could be found in the previous chapter.
== Story ==
=== Prologue: A Royal Disaster ===
The story begins on the night of the annual Sticker Fest, with the citizens of Decalburg coming together to observe the Sticker Comet. As Mario arrives, the celebrations are in full swing, and Princess Peach is about to make a ceremonial wish on the Sticker Comet. Suddenly, Bowser and Kammy Koopa arrive, crashing the Sticker Fest so that Bowser can make his own wish to rule the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario leaps into action to stop Bowser, but despite his efforts, Bowser manages to touch the comet. It flies up into the air and shatters into six crown-shaped stickers, with one of them landing on Bowser's head. This sticker apparently grants Bowser immense power, which he uses to knock Mario out.
When Mario wakes up, the Sticker Fest is in ruins, and he hears a soft voice calling for him from a nearby sign. He peels a silver crown-shaped sticker off of the sign, only for the sticker to start yelling at him, accusing him of touching the Sticker Comet. Mario explains that it was Bowser who touched the comet, and the sticker is somewhat mollified, but still insists that Mario help her recover the Royal Stickers. She introduces herself as Kersti, guardian of the Sticker Comet, and explains that the Royal Stickers are magical items that grant the Sticker Comet its wish-granting power. With Kersti in tow, Mario rescues the citizens of Decalburg, as well as Luigi (who had arrived late, just as Bowser obtained the Royal Sticker) and Toadsworth (who was in charge of the celebration). Decalburg's citizens are able to work together to put the town back to normal, albeit with Toadsworth ending up trapped under the fountain, and Mario sets off on his next adventure.
=== Chapter 1: Attack on Goomba Fortress ===
Mario makes his way through Warm Fuzzy Plains and encounters a gang of Goombas harassing a Chain Chomp pup. Mario wants to help the Chain Chomp, but Kersti insists on recovering the Royal Sticker as quickly as possible, viewing the Chain Chomp as a petty distraction. Begrudgingly moving on, Mario arrives at a bridge and runs into Bowser Jr., who has been sent by his father to stop Mario from advancing. Upon being defeated in battle, Bowser Jr. crumples up the bridge and tosses it across the river, out of Mario's reach. While Kersti is angry at being stopped so early in their journey, Mario returns to fight off the Goombas and rescue the Chain Chomp, who introduces himself as Chompy. Chompy explains that the Goombas have been harassing everyone in town lately, and that he wants to join Mario's team to stop the Goombas. With Chompy's aid, Mario is able to retrieve the bridge scrap from across the river, and Kersti teaches Mario the Paperization technique to allow him to cross. Meanwhile, Kammy spies on the trio from a hidden alcove nearby.
Crossing the bridge, Mario arrives in the small village of Timberton, home of several Toads as well as friendly Goombas and Koopa Troopas. Speaking with the locals, he discovers that the town has been under attack by a local band of hooligan Goombas who have built a base for themselves in nearby Goomba Fortress, and the exit towards the fortress has been blocked off. After negotiating with the town mayor, a rather absent-minded Koopa Troopa named Koopurt, Mario is granted use of the exit in exchange for wiping out a Buzzy Beetle infestation beneath the town's windmill, to the chagrin of Kersti. Mario clears out the pests and climbs up Whammino Mountain, where the Goomba gang besets him at every turn. Despite the gang's efforts, however, Mario ultimately reaches Goomba Fortress and confronts their leader, Duke Goomford. Mario defeats Duke Goomford and his armies in battle, and the Royal Sticker flies off of his head, revealing him to be an ordinary Goomba. Goomford laments his loss of the sticker, claiming that the rush of power it gave him was invigorating and that he finally felt like a strong leader who wouldn't be stepped on anymore. Mario is somewhat intrigued by this statement, but Kersti brushes it off, and the gang collects their first Royal Sticker.
Meanwhile, Princess Peach is revealed to have been imprisoned in Bowser's Sky Castle, where Bowser gloats about his success and boasts that Mario has no chance of stopping him this time. He is interrupted by Bowser Jr., who bursts in and whines that Mario beat him up and got ahold of Duke Goomford's Royal Sticker. Bowser, enraged, leaves to talk with Kammy, and Peach sneaks out of her room to eavesdrop. There, she overhears that the second Royal Sticker is buried beneath the sands of Drybake Desert, which she writes in a paper airplane and throws out the castle window, hoping the information will reach Mario. Elsewhere, Luigi is worried about Mario's success and decides to help him on his adventure. He sets off to Goomba Fortress, leading into a Super Mario Bros.-inspired gameplay segment as he heads through the plains and up the mountain. However, he ends up getting lost in the fortress and cries out to Mario for help.
=== Chapter 2: Secret of the Sacred Tower ===
Mario sets out into Drybake Desert and meets a team of explorers known as the Drybake Investigators' Guild, or D.I.G. for short. The team consists of cowardly leader Geronimo the Squeek, cheerful second-in-command Montimer the Monty Mole, narcoleptic bookworm Shylie the Shy Guy (or Shy Gal in her case), and dimwitted muscle Bubba the Clubba. The explorers have set out to uncover the mystery of the famous Drybake Stadium, an ancient tower where a pharaoh once held battles between the fiercest fighters in the land. The tower disappeared into the sands long ago, and D.I.G. is embarking on an expedition to the nearby Yoshi Sphinx, which they believe holds clues to the mysterious monument. Kersti suspects that the Royal Sticker may be hidden near the tower, and so Mario joins up with the guild.
== Partners ==
Partner 	Description 	Moves
Kersti 	The guardian of the Sticker Comet, whose job it is to recover the Royal Stickers. When she first meets Mario, Kersti is quite rude and even callous, single-mindedly focusing on her mission and admonishing Mario for taking any detours to help others. However, as Mario shows her the value of compassion, she grows out of her prior selfishness. Unlike the other partners, her abilities are always available, but she does not participate in battle directly. In the overworld, she can give Mario advice on where to go next and tell him about various locations and characters.	Tattle: Reveals an enemy's stats and abilities. Accessible from the Tactics menu.
Kersti 	The guardian of the Sticker Comet, whose job it is to recover the Royal Stickers. When she first meets Mario, Kersti is quite rude and even callous, single-mindedly focusing on her mission and admonishing Mario for taking any detours to help others. However, as Mario shows her the value of compassion, she grows out of her prior selfishness. Unlike the other partners, her abilities are always available, but she does not participate in battle directly. In the overworld, she can give Mario advice on where to go next and tell him about various locations and characters.	Special Moves:
* Guardian's Blessing: Restores Mario and his partner's HP and FP. Available from the start of the game. 1 SP.
* Duke's Assault: Attacks all enemies with a rain of cannonballs. Granted by the red Royal Sticker. 2 SP.
* More to be revealed!
Chompy 	An energetic young Chain Chomp pup who hails from the Chomp Ruins, but fled south to Warm Fuzzy Plains to escape the recent earthquakes. He communicates solely with barking, but Kersti is able to loosely translate what he's saying. Despite his menacing looks, he's very playful and loyal to Mario. In the overworld, he can lunge across gaps to hit switches and retrieve items, as well as grabbing onto poles to pull Mario across. 	Go Fetch: Attacks the frontmost ground-bound or low-hovering enemy with a bite.
Chompy 	An energetic young Chain Chomp pup who hails from the Chomp Ruins, but fled south to Warm Fuzzy Plains to escape the recent earthquakes. He communicates solely with barking, but Kersti is able to loosely translate what he's saying. Despite his menacing looks, he's very playful and loyal to Mario. In the overworld, he can lunge across gaps to hit switches and retrieve items, as well as grabbing onto poles to pull Mario across. 	Rampage: Attacks all ground-bound and low-hovering enemies with bites. 3 FP.
Chompy 	An energetic young Chain Chomp pup who hails from the Chomp Ruins, but fled south to Warm Fuzzy Plains to escape the recent earthquakes. He communicates solely with barking, but Kersti is able to loosely translate what he's saying. Despite his menacing looks, he's very playful and loyal to Mario. In the overworld, he can lunge across gaps to hit switches and retrieve items, as well as grabbing onto poles to pull Mario across. 	Howl: Howls at all enemies, attempting to scare them out of battle. 4 FP. Super Rank.
Chompy 	An energetic young Chain Chomp pup who hails from the Chomp Ruins, but fled south to Warm Fuzzy Plains to escape the recent earthquakes. He communicates solely with barking, but Kersti is able to loosely translate what he's saying. Despite his menacing looks, he's very playful and loyal to Mario. In the overworld, he can lunge across gaps to hit switches and retrieve items, as well as grabbing onto poles to pull Mario across. 	Chomp Frenzy: Calls a horde of Chain Chomps who attack all ground-bound and low-hovering enemies multiple times. 6 FP. Ultra Rank.
Montimer	A curious Monty Mole explorer who serves as second in command of the Drybake Investigators' Guild, also known as D.I.G. Level-headed and optimistic even in times of crisis, he takes charge of the guild when the supposed leader's cowardice rears its head. His brave heart and inquisitive mind make him a valuable asset to the guild . . . even if his relentlessly cheery attitude is sometimes a bit uncanny. In the overworld, he can dig into dirt, sand and soft earth to unveil buried items or tunnels that lead to new areas. 	Drill Dive: Jumps on an enemy twice.
Montimer	A curious Monty Mole explorer who serves as second in command of the Drybake Investigators' Guild, also known as D.I.G. Level-headed and optimistic even in times of crisis, he takes charge of the guild when the supposed leader's cowardice rears its head. His brave heart and inquisitive mind make him a valuable asset to the guild . . . even if his relentlessly cheery attitude is sometimes a bit uncanny. In the overworld, he can dig into dirt, sand and soft earth to unveil buried items or tunnels that lead to new areas. 	Plunder: Steals an enemy's held item or badge. 2 FP.
Montimer	A curious Monty Mole explorer who serves as second in command of the Drybake Investigators' Guild, also known as D.I.G. Level-headed and optimistic even in times of crisis, he takes charge of the guild when the supposed leader's cowardice rears its head. His brave heart and inquisitive mind make him a valuable asset to the guild . . . even if his relentlessly cheery attitude is sometimes a bit uncanny. In the overworld, he can dig into dirt, sand and soft earth to unveil buried items or tunnels that lead to new areas. 	Multidrill: Jumps on an enemy until the Action Command is missed. 3 FP. Super Rank.
Montimer	A curious Monty Mole explorer who serves as second in command of the Drybake Investigators' Guild, also known as D.I.G. Level-headed and optimistic even in times of crisis, he takes charge of the guild when the supposed leader's cowardice rears its head. His brave heart and inquisitive mind make him a valuable asset to the guild . . . even if his relentlessly cheery attitude is sometimes a bit uncanny. In the overworld, he can dig into dirt, sand and soft earth to unveil buried items or tunnels that lead to new areas. 	Earthquake: Shakes the ground to attack all enemies on the ground or ceiling, flipping shelled enemies. 6 FP. Ultra Rank.
== Trivia ==
* This reimagining was inspired by:
** A video essay by The Red Guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM_OMQkuWPc&t
** A remake project by TyrorexDMZ: https://mariorpg.boards.net/thread/462/paper-mario-sticker-recut-tyrodmz
Category:Paper Mario (series)
Category:Paper Mario Games