Mario Hoops 3-on-3 (2006)

Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Wii U, Nintendo DS
Genres: Sport
Rating: 3.1 of 5, 36 player ratings
Main story: about 8.0 hours
Completionist: about 15 hours
Where to get it: Nintendo eShop

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

Touch-screen basketball with Mario characters, power-ups, and stylus-controlled dribbling for quick-pick-up arcade fun.

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About

Get that magic touch. There are plenty of basketball games out there, but none with the hands-on control of Mario Hoops 3-on-3. Players use the touch screen to get their game on as they execute tricky dribbles, special passes and sweet shots - all with strokes and taps of the stylus. Players choose their teams of three characters from the Mario universe and hit the parquet. Power-ups like Red Shells and Bob-ombs can turn the tide as they chase down coins - they will affect the score, so players collect as many as they can as they drive to the hoop. Whether playing against friends on a local wireless connection, jamming through a tournament or just playing mini-games, there's a mode for everyone.

Screenshots

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This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.