Black Mage

Black Mage is a generic character from the Final Fantasy series of games, appearing in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, which was developed by Square Enix, who also created the Final Fantasy series of games. He is one of several characters from Final Fantasy, the others being Ninja, White Mage, Moogle, and Cactuar. He has a magical staff which he only takes out when using his Special Shot. His quick dunks are the fastest of any character in the game. His classification as a Tricky player means he makes very swift moves to dodge tackles.

He is unlocked by winning a Gold Trophy in the Rainbow Cup.

The Black Mage, along with the other Final Fantasy characters return in the Wii follow-up, Mario Sports Mix. He is unlocked by clearing the Star Road 3 times, winning the Star Cup 4 times, or by clearing a specific mission on the Mushroom Cup. His best stat is technique, while his other stats are fairly low.

The player can also unlock an alternate outfit for the Black Mage by clearing a certain mission on the Star Cup, clearing the Star Road 6 times, or by using Black Mage 20 times. The alternate outfit depicts the Black Mage wearing a red outfit and hat, with a belt being added onto the hat, along with a yellow cape. The outfit details are also different.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3 info

 * Baller Name: Abracadabra Kid
 * Type: Tricky
 * Special Shot: Meteor Shot
 * Letter to Tap: ★

Mario Sports Mix info

 * Type: Tricky
 * Power: 2/5
 * Speed: 2/5
 * Technique: 5/5

The Black Mage can use his special shot to briefly shrink his opponents. He then follows up by aiming the ball/puck at the goal, or at an opposing player.

In Basketball, the Black Mage is a very slow dunker, but his layup move is unique in that he'll cast a spell, which makes the basketball almost always enter the basketball hoop.

In Volleyball, the Black Mage's fully charged shots move quite fast, while also having an added curve. However, these shots can easily go out of bounds, which would hurt the Black Mage more than helping him. He can also summon a thunderbolt to block volleyball shots, but the range is limited. Instead of diving, the Black Mage can cast a fire spell to catch a volleyball that's out of reach.

In Dodgeball, the Black Mage can repel dodgeball attacks by summoning a thunderbolt to block the dodgeball. However, this move is rendered useless if the dodgeball is equipped with an item. Instead of diving, the Black Mage can cast a fire spell to bring the dodgeball to him.

Trivia

 * The Black Mage may be related to the Dark Mage mentioned in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Both the Black Mage and the Dark Mage originate from the Final Fantasy series.
 * In Mario Sports Mix, during the 3-on-3 Hockey introductions, the Black Mage's scepter can be seen on his right hand. This is likely an animation error, as he isn't wielding it correctly.
 * In Mario Sports Mix, the only time the Black Mage's lightning attack can be dodged is in Dodgeball. The player has to dodge right as the Black Mage fires the lightning blast. This only works for characters that have an item dodge.
 * Black Mage's lightning can be dodged in all of the sports, not just dodgeball. To dodge, the player must hit him/herself with an item (preferably a red or green shell, or a banana peel) before he/she is affected by the lightning.