Mario Hoops 3-on-3

Reviewed by Leland Bonaparte
November 19, 2006

Developer: Square Enix Publisher: Nintendo Consoles Available: Nintendo DS Numbers of Players: 1 to 4 ESRB Rating: Everyone Website: Click Here

Screenshot from Mario Hoops 3-on-3.

Having played many DS games, I am very pleased to see the direction in which the DS is going. Gamers get so caught up in graphics that they sometimes forget about game play. Mario Hoops 3-on-3 shows that game play is still important.

3-on-3 is one of the funniest games I've played yet. The use of the stylus is a key element in the game as you will use it to do everything from dribbling to stealing the ball. It is very important that you go through the practice mode. Properly learning all of the moves will enable you to become a better player.

There are a lot of characters and most of them you will have to unlock. By competing in tourney mode and winning each division, you will start to unlock players. There are Final Fantasy characters in the game (Sorry, Aeris is not one of them). Also, each player has special shots that you can master. When you perform a special shot from behind the three point line, your teammate will grab the ball and alley-oop it. And the visual on the special shot is surprisingly awesome.

The one thing that this game lacks is Wi-Fi capabilities. No online play was really a big disappointment. I wanted to smash someone online. There are a couple of mini-games that let you take a break from the action. The mini-games are fun and really test your gaming skills.

Keeping in with the whole Mario tradition, items will play an important part of the game. There are a lot of power-ups and power-downs. Turtle shells, mushrooms, and coins will play major roles in the game as well. Use these items wisely, or they will come back to haunt you.

At first I had second thoughts about Square Enix doing a basketball game. I'm glad that Square decided to do it. The only thing that disappointed me was no online play. If this game had online capabilities, it would be a winner.  It's like a perfect marriage. Mario fans young and old will enjoy this game.

Screenshots (click image to enlarge) :