While a step away from the typical RPG flair of Square it is still a fun game none-the-less.
Mario Hoops 3 on 3 is a basketball game based around the ever lovable cast of the Mario series and some Square characters pop in as well. While this isn’t the first time the Mario gang has appeared in a basketball game; they first appeared in the NBA Street series; this is the first time the gang has had a basketball game specially made for them.
Mario Hoops is controlled via the touch screen and d-pad. You use the d-pad to move your character while the touch screen is used for everything else. To dribble the ball you tap the screen, you shoot by making a slash upward, you pass by slashing toward the teammate you want, and more. While the controls do take some getting use to, they work great. Dribbling is especially well done. Where you character dribbles is corresponding to where you tap on the screen giving you full control of the character’s movement. This is something you will rejoice for as you try to defend yourself against the opponent who will actively try to steal the ball.
On the defensive side of things the controls are equally well done. All the techniques such as stealing, guarding, and ground pounding are easy to pull of and work well. There is only one thing I don’t like about the controls, super shots. Each character has their own super shot that can be done at any time. To activate a super shot you must tap on the touch screen in a certain order, for example for Mario you tap in the pattern of an M twice. I don’t really mind this control and the time it takes to pull off helps make it harder to abuse, you are defenseless while trying to attempt this. The thing I don’t like about this is that it’s easier to do for some characters over others making an unbalance in the game. For example Luigi only has to tap the pattern of an L twice, that’s four taps less then Mario’s.
Besides the unique touch screen controls Mario Hoops is far from you average game of 3 on 3. The first time you’ll notice is the odd courts you play on. Each court is based upon something in the Mario franchise of games, and very well done I might add. Each game adds its own twist to this already wacky game. In the Luigi Mansion court you have ghost flying all over the place that might steal the ball. Or you could go on the DK Cruiser and have to avoid bananas all over the ground. Each court has its own unique twist and theme and helps to keep the game from getting to repetitive. But the biggest difference in Mario Hoops in how you score. Instead of getting points when you score you get coins, lots of coins. To get coins you must dribble on question mark boxes found all over the court. As you dribble as fast as possible over the question mark box you get coins, and when you score a basket the coins you collected are added to your score. But of course you can lose coins before you make a basket. If your opponent steals, ground pound, or uses one of the many destructive and wacky items found in the game, you’ll lose coins. This creates a fine line of should I shoot and get the points or risk it and try to get some more points? And ultimately it adds to the fun and very wacky nature of the game.
The one thing that outshines the gameplay in Mario Hoops is its graphics. To date it still has some of the best character models in any DS game. For the limited power of the DS the character models and courts look amazing! All of the characters are very colorful and compare to their console counterparts. The game also features some nice affects, especially for super shots, that create a nice atmosphere.
The sound is not bad as well. The sound affects aren’t the greatest but they fit the theme. And each character sounds like you’ve come to know them; which is good. The music selection has its ups and downs though. The music at times is very catchy; at others it seems a bit boring. So overall the sound isn’t bad.
Mario Hoops has a lot going for it with its great gameplay and graphics. But there is one nagging flaw in the game you just can’t overlook and that is it just doesn’t have that much replay value. The game doesn’t keep you enticed to play it. Once you’ve unlocked most of the courts and characters, which doesn’t take long, there isn’t much to keep you coming back. And another big blow to the game was the lack of online. The game was originally going to have online, but it was taken out. Because of this people were disappointed and the game has lived under an impression it would have been so much more if it still had online.
Overall Mario Hoops 3 on 3 is a good game. It has some great gameplay and excellent graphics. But it untimely is hurt by the lack of replay value. If you are looking for a good fun game for a quick diversion then Mario Hoops might be your game.