If you bought a Nintendo DS back in 2006, you probably remember the sheer chaos of the touch screen era. Developers were trying to turn everything into a stylus-driven gimmick. Some of it worked. Some of it was a disaster. Then there was Mario Hoops 3 on 3.
It’s a game that feels like a fever dream. You’ve got Mario dunking on a Moogle from Final Fantasy while a Black Mage rains fire from the three-point line. Developed by Square Enix—the RPG giants—this wasn't your standard Mario Sports title. It was aggressive, flashy, and deeply strange. Looking back, it’s honestly one of the most ambitious experiments on the DS, even if it drove some players to the brink of insanity with its control scheme.
Why Mario Hoops 3 on 3 Is a Square Enix Game in Disguise
Most people see the red Nintendo box and assume it’s a first-party joint. Nope. This was Square Enix’s playground. You can see their DNA everywhere, from the particle effects to the literal inclusion of Final Fantasy characters.
Wait, characters? Yeah. Ninja, White Mage, Black Mage, Moogle, and Cactuar are all unlockable.
It wasn't just a cameo. They brought their own moves. They brought their own court logic. It’s the kind of crossover that happened because Nintendo wanted to strengthen its bond with Square after the long-standing rift that started back in the Nintendo 64 days. Mario Hoops 3 on 3 was basically a peace offering wrapped in a basketball jersey. The art style is slightly more "edgy" than Mario Power Tennis. The music has that specific Square Enix punchiness. It’s distinct.
The Stylus Struggle is Real
Let's talk about the controls. They were polarizing.
Basically, you didn't use buttons to dribble. You tapped the touch screen. Want to shoot? You flicked upward. Want to steal? You slashed downward. It sounds intuitive on paper, but in the heat of a 3-on-3 match, your hand would start to cramp within ten minutes. It’s a very physical game. You’re constantly scrubbing the screen to build up power. Honestly, many DS screens probably died a premature death because of this game.
Despite the physical toll, the system allowed for a level of nuance that buttons couldn't replicate back then. The speed of your flick determined the arc of the ball. You could "paint" your dribbles to juke defenders. It was sophisticated. Maybe too sophisticated for a game where a turtle throws shells at a plumber.
The Coin Mechanic: Not Your Average Basketball
In most basketball games, you want the ball to go through the hoop. In Mario Hoops 3 on 3, that’s actually only half the battle.
The scoring system is tied to coins. Before you shoot, you want to dribble over item boxes and collect as many coins as possible. Each coin adds a point to your total when you finally score. If you sink a shot with 100 coins in your pocket, you get 100 points plus the value of the shot itself. This completely changes the flow of a standard sports game. You aren't just looking for the open man; you're hunting for coins while dodging a Bob-omb.
It’s chaotic. It’s frustrating when you lose a massive lead because Bowser Jr. hit you with a red shell and made you drop 40 coins right before the buzzer. But that’s the Mario Sports "charm," right? It’s unfair. It’s loud. It’s colorful.
Why the Game Never Got a Sequel
You’d think a Mario game developed by the Final Fantasy team would be a billion-dollar franchise. It wasn't. While it sold over a million copies, Mario Hoops 3 on 3 remains a bit of a cult relic.
Why?
- The Learning Curve: Most Mario sports games are "pick up and play." This one required a 20-minute tutorial just to understand how to pass.
- Hardware Limitations: The DS didn't have a second analog stick, which made movement on the D-pad while using the stylus feel awkward for anyone who wasn't a "claw-grip" enthusiast.
- The Pivot to Mario Sports Mix: Square Enix eventually made another Mario sports game for the Wii, but they bundled basketball with dodgeball, hockey, and volleyball. The purity of the 3-on-3 format was lost.
It’s a shame because the Special Moves in this game were incredible. Mario’s "Fire Dunk" or the Ninja’s "Leaf Slash" shot were visual spectacles on the tiny DS screen. They used a 3D engine that pushed the handheld to its absolute limit. If you go back and play it on a 3DS or a DSi XL today, the pixel art still holds up surprisingly well. The colors pop. The animations are fluid. It doesn't feel like a cheap cash-in.
Deep Secrets and Unlockables
If you’re planning on dusting off your cartridge, be prepared for a grind. Getting the Final Fantasy characters isn't easy. You have to win specific tournaments on the highest difficulty settings or meet certain coin requirements.
- Ninja and White Mage: You usually find them by winning the Rainbow Cup.
- Cactuar: Look for the "Glint" in the sand on the desert stage.
- The Courts: There are 15 courts, and some of them—like the Ghost Ship—have environmental hazards that make the game feel more like a platformer than a sports title.
The AI is notoriously "rubber-bandy." If you’re winning by a lot, the computer will suddenly become a god-tier defender. They will intercept every pass. They will hit every shot. It’s designed to keep the tension high, but it can feel like the game is cheating. Because it is.
Is It Still Worth Playing?
Absolutely. But with a caveat.
If you have carpal tunnel, stay away. If you want a relaxing experience, look elsewhere. But if you want to see a weird piece of gaming history where two legendary companies mashed their universes together in a way that hasn't happened since—outside of Super Smash Bros.—then Mario Hoops 3 on 3 is a must-play. It’s an artifact of a time when Nintendo was willing to let other people play with their toys in radical ways.
📖 Related: Finding World of Warcraft Wallpapers That Actually Look Good on Your Desktop
The game is a reminder that sports games don't have to be simulations. They can be messy. They can be weird. They can involve a Moogle doing a 360-degree windmill dunk.
Actionable Tips for New Players
If you're picking this up for the first time or returning after a decade, keep these things in mind to save your sanity.
- Calibrate your touch screen. Seriously. If your DS calibration is off by even a millimeter, you’ll miss every shot.
- Prioritize coins over fast breaks. A 20-coin layup is worth more than three "fast" dunks with zero coins.
- Use the D-pad for movement and the Stylus for everything else. Don't try to use the face buttons; the game wasn't balanced for it.
- Watch the floor. Traps like banana peels and shells stay on the court longer than you think.
- Master the "Combo" shots. Every character has a specific tap-pattern (like an 'M' for Mario) that triggers an unblockable special shot. Memorize these early.
Mario Hoops 3 on 3 might not be the "best" Mario sports game, but it is undeniably the most unique. It’s a bold, stylus-driven experiment that proved Mario could look cool on a basketball court, especially when he’s playing alongside the cast of a JRPG. It’s a weird, beautiful, hand-cramping mess of a game. And that's why we still talk about it.