Mario Hoops 3-on-3
The only Mario sports game developed by Square Enix — a 3-on-3 basketball title for Nintendo DS that uses the touch screen for all moves. Known as Mario Slam Basketball in Europe. Features Mario characters alongside Final Fantasy guests including Moogle, Cactuar, White Mage and Black Mage.
Overview
Mario Hoops 3-on-3 is a 3-on-3 basketball game for Nintendo DS, developed by Square Enix in collaboration with Nintendo SPD Group No. 4. It’s notable as the only Mario sports game not developed by Nintendo itself — and Square Enix’s fingerprints are visible in the guest character roster, which includes Final Fantasy characters Moogle, Cactuar, White Mage, Black Mage and Ninja alongside the usual Mario cast.
The game released in Japan on July 27, 2006, North America on September 11, 2006, Australia on October 26, 2006, and Europe on February 16, 2007 under the name Mario Slam Basketball. It was later re-released on the Wii U Virtual Console in May 2016.
All gameplay is controlled via the DS touch screen — drawing shapes with the stylus executes different moves. The top screen shows the full 3D court from a standard basketball perspective, while the bottom touch screen serves as a map view showing the positions of all players and the location of ? Panels on the court.
Gameplay
Matches are 3-on-3, with each team trying to outscore the other by shooting the ball into the raised net. The touch screen handles everything — tapping passes, swiping shoots, drawing shapes triggers special moves. Because the controls are gesture-based, you’ll often discover new moves by accident as you play.
Courts are full of ? Panels — marked tiles on the floor that award coins when a player with the ball runs over them. Regular coins add 1 point to your next score; red coins add 10 points each. The more coins you bank before scoring, the higher the point total for that basket. Hanging on the rim after a Charge Dunk is a high-risk, high-reward way to rack up coins fast — unless an opponent knocks you off first.
Each character has a Special Shot that’s triggered by drawing a specific shape on the touch screen. Special Shots inside the 3-point line are unstoppable; outside it, a teammate must catch the ball first, giving the defence a chance to intervene. Characters can’t move while performing a Special Shot and are vulnerable to being hit.
Modes include Tourney (single-player tournament progression through four cups), Exhibition (customisable single matches), and multiplayer via DS Wireless Play.
Scoring System
Scoring works differently to real basketball — all values are multiplied by 10, then further boosted by coins collected from ? Panels:
| Shot Type | Base Points | Coin Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Regular shot (inside line) | 20 pts | +1 per regular coin, +10 per red coin |
| Outside the line (3-pointer) | 30 pts | +1 per regular coin, +10 per red coin |
| Special Shot (any position) | 40 pts | +1 per regular coin, +10 per red coin |
Every coin held at the moment of scoring adds to the total — so a 20-point regular shot with 50 coins banked becomes a 70-point score. This makes coin collection a central strategic element, rewarding teams who control the ? Panels and punishing those who give up possession before cashing in.
Characters
There are 5 character types: All-Around (balanced), Technical (large sweet spot, slower), Powerful (strong shots, slow movement), Speedy (fast, small sweet spot), and Tricky (unpredictable, awkward to defend). The Final Fantasy guest characters are all unlockable.
Starting Characters
Unlockable Characters
Courts & Tournaments
The game is structured around four tournaments — Mushroom, Flower, Star and Rainbow — each with four courts. Every court has its own visual identity, hazards and gimmicks that change how the match plays out. The fourth court in each tourney (except Rainbow) is unlockable and playable only in Exhibition mode.
Mushroom Tourney
The introductory court — a straightforward outdoor basketball arena with no hazards. Clean court, no gimmicks, just basketball. Good for learning the ropes.
A sandy court on a beach. A pirate ship lurks offshore and periodically fires cannonballs onto the court — dodge or get knocked down. The shoreline area slows movement, so controlling the centre becomes even more important.
A grassy court perched on rocky pillars above the ocean. A Lakitu holds the only hoop and moves it to the attacking team’s end whenever possession changes — meaning the net is always at the opposite end from where you start. Cheep Cheeps also periodically bounce across the field as obstacles.
An evening version of Koopa Beach — same layout but without the pirate ship cannons. Unlock by playing any match on Koopa Beach between 4 and 6 PM (real time).
Flower Tourney
A raft drifting down a jungle river. Barrels can come loose and roll across the court at any time, knocking players down if they connect. Banana peel traps also get laid across the floor. A chaotic, fun court where momentum can swing on a bad roll.
A haunted factory with a dark, spooky atmosphere. Bowser Jr.’s home turf — suits his aggressive playstyle perfectly.
A cheerful flower-themed outdoor court. Daisy’s home court, fitting her Technical playstyle with wide open space for baseline play.
A street basketball court with a special twist: purple ? Panels contain Slot Coins (up to three can be held at once). When your team scores while holding Slot Coins, the slot machine on the court activates — line up matching symbols for massive point multipliers.
Star Tourney
An icy court where Freezies appear as hazards. Like Green Shells when thrown, but with an extra twist: they temporarily freeze any player they hit in place. Staying mobile and avoiding the edges is crucial here.
Wario’s industrial home court — a factory floor with mechanical hazards. Bob-ombs roll across the court; unlike other items they cover significant area when they explode, comparable to their use in other Mario games.
An underwater court surrounded by Bloocheep fish. The aquatic setting creates a unique visual atmosphere and the fish act as court-specific hazards for players to avoid.
Set aboard a full-size pirate vessel. The rolling deck and nautical chaos make for one of the most unpredictable courts in the game.
Rainbow Tourney
The flagship court of the final tournament — a dazzling rainbow-coloured arena that serves as the ultimate test before the credits roll. Complete Rainbow Tourney here to see the staff credits.
A sun-scorched desert court — one of the Final Fantasy-themed courts that comes with the Square Enix collaboration. The harsh environment suits the game’s tougher late-tournament opponents.
A Final Fantasy-themed court featuring the iconic Malboro plant enemy. One of the most visually distinctive courts in the game — lush, overgrown and decidedly non-Mario in aesthetic.
Bowser’s imposing home castle — lava flows, stone battlements and Bowser’s looming presence make this one of the most intimidating courts to play on. Unlockable in Exhibition after completing Hard Rainbow Tourney.
Screenshots
Title screenSherbet Land — Star Tourney
Diddy Kong performing the Jet Shot (140 pts)
Winning the Mushroom TourneyTrivia & Facts
- Mario Hoops 3-on-3 is the only Mario sports game developed by Square Enix rather than Nintendo — a collaboration that came about after the two companies’ merger discussions led to closer ties.
- Known as Mario Slam Basketball in Europe.
- The Final Fantasy guest characters — Moogle, Cactuar, White Mage, Black Mage and Ninja — are all unlockable and are unique to this game in the Mario universe.
- Baller Names are humorous nicknames for each character displayed on the character select screen (e.g. Yoshi = “Piranha Playa Hater”, Daisy = “Cash Money Coin Collector”, Waluigi = “The Question”).
- All moves including passes, shots and Special Shots are performed by drawing shapes on the DS touch screen with the stylus — entirely different to button-based basketball games.
- Special Shots inside the 3-point line cannot be blocked; outside it requires a teammate catch, giving the defence a chance to intercept.
- Each court in the game has unique hazards: pirate cannons on Koopa Beach, a Lakitu who moves the hoop on Peach Field, rolling barrels on DK Cruiser, and Freezies that freeze players on Sherbet Land.
- Jr. Street has purple ? Panels containing Slot Coins — collect them and trigger a slot machine when you score, potentially multiplying your points.
- The game was re-released on the Wii U Virtual Console in May 2016 in Japan, Europe and North America.
- Donkey Kong Jr. — not regular DK — is a starting character, making this one of the few modern games to feature DK Jr. as a playable character.
- Character costume changes can be triggered at the select screen: Peach and Daisy can switch to skirts, White Mage changes from pink to purple hair, and Yoshi can be changed to any of four colours.