Mario Hoops 3-on-3

Mario Hoops 3-on-3 (also known as Mario Basketball 3-on-3 in Japan and as Mario Slam Basketball in Europe) is a Mario sports game developed by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS. This time around, Mario and his friends are playing basketball.

In the beginning, it was meant to be an original intellectual property, but Square Enix felt that it would work well if it were a part of the Mario franchise, and so Square Enix contacted Nintendo, who then allowed them to use the Mario label. This game is the first in which Mario and Final Fantasy characters appear together as playable characters.

Gameplay
Almost all of the gameplay in the game is controlled by the Touch Screen. The only exceptions are moving a character, which is controlled by the D-pad, and a special form of passing, which uses the L button. This can be switched around with the buttons controlling movement and the R button for passing for left-handed players.

Offense
Whenver a character has the ball, he or she is on offense. While on offense if the Touch Screen is tapped, the character will dribble the ball in that direction. Shooting requires an up stroke on the Touch Screen. To pass, the player should swipe the screen in the direction of the player they wish to pass to. Players can also use a higher pass by holding the L button down while passing.

Defense
Whenever the opposing team has the ball, controls switch to defense. If the player strokes down, the active character will attempt to steal the ball. If he or she makes contact with the ball, the offensive player will be knocked down. By stroking up, players can jump to block. Up and then down will result in the character creating a small shockwave that acts the same as stealing. Also, by holding the stylus on the screen, players can form a forcefield, which blocks shots and passes. Pressing the L button on defense will switch control to another player on the team closest to the ball.

Scoring
Scoring is a bit different in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 than in a real world basketball game. Each shot made is worth 20 points. Shots made outside of what is normally the 3-point line are worth 30 points. Special shots, regardless of position are worth 40 points. To compound the points, coins also come into play. Players can collect coins by dribbling over the ? panels scattered about the court. Regular coins add 1 point each to the score, and red coins add ten points to the score. Every time a team makes a basket, their coins are reset to zero. Getting hit, either from items or other players, will result in some of the player's coins scattering on the field, which can be picked up by anyone, including the character who lost them.

Mario Characters

 * Mario – All-around.
 * Luigi – All-around.
 * Peach – Technical
 * Daisy – Technical
 * Yoshi – All-around
 * Wario – Powerful
 * Waluigi – Technical
 * Donkey Kong – Powerful
 * Diddy Kong – Speedy
 * Bowser Jr. – Speedy


 * Dixie Kong – Speedy
 * Bowser – Powerful
 * Birdo – All-around
 * Paratroopa – Tricky
 * Fly Guy – Tricky
 * Boo – Tricky

Final Fantasy Characters

 * Ninja – All-around
 * Black Mage – Tricky
 * White Mage – Technical
 * Moogle – Tricky
 * Cactuar – Speedy

Non-Playable Characters

 * Petey Piranha
 * Malboro
 * Gooper Blooper

Courts

 * Mushroom tournament
 * Mario Stadium
 * Koopa Beach
 * Peach Field
 * Sunset Beach-Unlockable


 * Flower tournament
 * DK Cruiser
 * Luigi Mansion
 * Daisy Garden
 * Malboro Garden-Unlockable


 * Star tournament
 * Wario Factory
 * Jr. Street
 * Bowser Castle
 * Glare Desert-Unlockable


 * Rainbow Tournament
 * Sherbet Land
 * Bloocheep Sea
 * Pirate Ship
 * Rainbow Ship