"What has Nintendo done to upset you?" Laugh in the face of Paper Mario fans who wanted a return to form post Super Paper Mario. It feels like they literally could not care less about PM fans; from the trailer we got, they don't appear to have addressed any of the issues facing Sticker Star. Not even the hideously basic movement animation that we excused as 3DS limitations. And the paint thing... is overplayed. Like, hasn't some variation on this theme appeared in Super Mario Sunshine, Epic Mickey, de Blob, Splatoon? Why are we beating this dead horse?
On the one hand, if this game fails, they might decide PM isn't profitable and pull the plug on it. On the other hand, any future PM games would probably end up in this vein anyway. They're not even calling it an RPG anymore - it's "action adventure" (in other words, it could mean ~anything~). Even SPM clung to RPG conventions like experience.
I think I'll probably get this game used. The combat looks too similar Sticker Star's. Maybe the writing is good. But I'm not getting my hopes up. I was one of those people holding out for Sticker Star being good until the end, and look how that turned out. I know we'll never get a game like the first few PM games again. It's time to move on.