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Whatís in a name?
Well, in this case, whatís not in a name? The Mario sports games have never been the
most realistic recreations of their respective sports, but at least those respective sports
provide a foundation for the gameplay. Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, Mario Baseballóthe games
are exaggerated versions of those sports, but theyíre still those sports.
And then thereís Mario Hoops 3-on-3 for the Nintendo DS.
See, strange as it may sound, a lot of this gameís problems are reflected in its name.
Hoops, not basketball. And yes, thereís actually significant. Because NBA Jam is like a historical
analysis of the theories of James Naismith compared to this. Mario Hoops is like a bizarre
strategy game that happens to involve an inflated leather ball.
Say what you will about Marioís overuse in sports games, but Mario sports games are reliably
excellent...especially for multiplayer. Piggybacking on gems like Mario Power Tennis and Super
Mario Strikers, you see a Mario basketball gameólet alone one of the most polished games
on the Nintendo DSóand you expect the same kind of experience.
And then you get rejected. Freaking Dikembe Koopa-tumbo.
The fundamental problem with Mario Hoops is that it misses what made prior Mario sports
games so good. Itís not an arcadey version of its sport, like a Mario Tennis or Mario
Baseball. Instead, it plays more like...an extended basketball minigame from a Mario
Party. That works for a board game, but it wears thin within minutes here.
You choose a three-person squad from a fantastic roster of Mario and Square Enix characters,
the latter of which because this game was developed by Square. And to honest, they nailed
it in terms of presentation. Itís a beautiful game that really looks Mario, so to speak.
But when it comes to gameplay and controls, thatís where the product shoots a bit of
an air ball.
You play by shooting baskets. Thatís where its basketball similaritiesóand sadly, its
simplicityóend. See, a two-point basket is actually worth 20 points by default, but the
whole point of the game is to increase that value before burying it. And you do that by
finding question blocks on the court and tapping the touch screen to dribble on them. That
gives you coins, and the more coins you have in your bank, the more points a basket is
worth.
Itís an interesting idea, but it quickly becomes a bit too convoluted. The point inflation
feels pointless, and although thatís where the game pins its strategy, it never feels
like itís adding anything positive to the experience. Itís just superfluous, and controlling
it is another issue. You use the d-pad to move your character, everything else requires
surprisingly complex touch controls.
Itís not long before you just start pushing buttons, but even then, Mario Hoops still
doesnít play as sharply or as tightly as some of the plumberís other sports games.
As youíd expect, the multiplayer is better. But itís only fully available against players
who own the cartridge. Itís not that Mario Hoops 3-on-3 just isnít as good as other
Mario sports games.
Itís just not a very good sports game, period.