Amanda Knapp
Mario Slam Basketball, known as Mario Hoops 3-on-3 in North America, is a basketball game in the Super Mario franchise. It was developed by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS and released in 2006. The game features a series of three-on-three basketball tournaments on different courts, with each tournament consisting of three games. Players can unlock new levels, courts, and characters by completing certain tasks, such as winning a certain number of games in a row or earning a high score. The game also features items and coins from the Mario series, which can be used to increase the player's score and unlock new abilities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Game Name | Mario Hoops 3-on-3 (Mario Slam Basketball in Europe) |
| Platform | Nintendo DS |
| Developer | Square Enix |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Release Date | 2006 (2007 in Europe) |
| Ported to Wii U Virtual Console | 2016 |
| Gameplay | Basketball game with two teams of three characters each trying to score the most points |
| Controls | Touch screen used for shooting, dribbling, and special shots; D-pad used for movement |
| Points | Regular shots worth 20 points; Three-point shots worth 30 points; Points can be increased by collecting coins |
| Unlockables | Win Flower Cup to unlock Dixie Kong; Finish Flower Cup on Hard to unlock Boo; Win 5 times on DS Wireless Play to unlock Rainbow Ball; Lose 5 times to unlock Pumpkin Ball; Get 800 points in Normal Star Tournament to unlock Cactaur; Finish Star Cup with Silver Trophy to unlock Moogle; Finish Rainbow Cup with Silver Trophy to unlock White Mage; Get Gold in Rainbow Cup to unlock Black Mage outfit |
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What You'll Learn
Unlocking characters
To unlock characters in Mario Slam Basketball (known as Mario Hoops 3-on-3 outside of Europe), players must complete certain tasks. The game was developed by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS, and it features two teams of three characters competing to score the most points in two 180-second periods.
To unlock the Desert Stage, players must get over 800 points in the Star Cup on normal difficulty. Once unlocked, players can go to the stage and see a cactus. If they jump above the cactus, it will run away, and winning the current match will unlock the Cactaur character.
To unlock Glare Desert, players must get 100 coins, 5 purple coins, and 3 Mario heads in Jr. Street on normal difficulty. Once they have exceeded 800 points within both periods, they will unlock Glare Desert. To unlock the Cactaur character, players must then go to Glare Desert during Exhibition Mode, dribble the ball around until they see a sprout that looks like a cactus top, and then dribble on top of it a few times. The sprout will pop up and run away, and winning the match will unlock the Cactaur character.
To unlock the Mario Classic 2-2 and Forest Stage levels, players must play and win 5 coin hunter games in a row without losing or turning off their device.
Other tasks that unlock characters include beating the Peach Castle and Sunshine Road records to unlock Rainbow Road, and beating the Rainbow Cup in the Normal Tournament to unlock Hard Mode. Beating the Rainbow Cup in the Hard Tournament will unlock Saikyou Difficulty under exhibition mode.
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Unlocking levels
To unlock new levels in Mario Slam Basketball, players must complete specific tasks and challenges. Here are some examples:
Unlocking Mario Classic 2-2 and Forest Stage
To unlock these two levels, players must play and win 5 Coin Hunter games in a row without losing or turning off their device. Once they achieve this, a message will appear the next time they turn on their device, confirming that the new levels have been unlocked.
Unlocking Glare Desert
To unlock the Glare Desert level, players should first go to the normal difficulty setting and reach Jr. Street. Here, they must collect 100 coins, 5 purple coins, and try to get 3 Mario heads. By exceeding 800 points within both periods, players will unlock Glare Desert. To unlock the Cactaur character, players must then go to Glare Desert in Exhibition mode, dribble around until they see a small cactus sprout, and then win the match.
Unlocking the Third Dribble Race: Rainbow Road
To unlock this level, players must beat the existing records in the first two Dribble Races: Peach Castle (45 seconds) and Sunshine Road (55 seconds). By achieving these records, the third Dribble Race, Rainbow Road, will be unlocked.
Unlocking Hard Mode
To unlock Hard Mode, players must complete the Rainbow Cup in the Normal Tournament.
Unlocking Saikyou Difficulty
To unlock the Saikyou Difficulty, players must complete the Rainbow Cup in the Hard Tournament under exhibition mode.
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Unlocking balls
Unlocking new balls in Mario Hoops 3 on 3 (or Mario Slam Basketball in Europe) requires players to complete certain tasks. The game features a variety of unlockable balls, each with its own unique requirements. Here is a guide to unlocking some of them:
Rainbow Ball: To unlock the Rainbow Ball, players must win five exhibition matches in a row against another DS player. This ball is earned by demonstrating skill and dominance in the exhibition mode.
Pumpkin Ball: The Pumpkin Ball is obtained by taking a different approach. Instead of winning, players need to lose five times in a row without scoring a basket in exhibition mode. It encourages players to explore the other side of the game and embrace defeat.
Pearl Ball: To balance the Pumpkin Ball's theme, players can unlock the Pearl Ball by winning five times in a row in exhibition mode. It serves as a reward for resilience and consistent victory.
Glare Desert Ball: Unlocking the Glare Desert Ball requires players to focus on a specific stage and set of tasks. To unlock it, players need to enter the normal difficulty mode and navigate to Jr. Street. Here, they must collect 100 coins and 5 purple coins while also aiming for 3 Mario heads. By exceeding 800 points within both periods, players will unlock the Glare Desert stage. Once unlocked, players should enter the Glare Desert stage in exhibition mode and dribble around with the ball. They will discover a small sprout that resembles a cactus top; dribbling on it a few times will unlock the Cactaur character.
These are just a few examples of the unlockable balls in Mario Hoops 3 on 3, each requiring players to engage in specific challenges and explore different aspects of the game.
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Unlocking modes
Unlocking new modes in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 (or Mario Slam Basketball in Europe) involves completing specific in-game tasks and challenges. Here is a guide on how to unlock some of these modes:
Practice Mode
Practice mode is available from the start of the game and can be used to, well, practice your skills. This mode can only be played using the Touch Screen, and shooting is done by drawing a line forward on the screen.
Hard Mode
To unlock hard mode, you must first beat the Final Fantasy team on normal mode. In this mode, the maximum number of points per shot is typically 140, achieved by making a successful special shot and collecting 100 coins (worth 10 points each).
Glare Desert
To unlock the Glare Desert stage, you must first unlock Jr. Street by getting over 800 points in a Star Cup match on normal difficulty. Once you've unlocked and entered Jr. Street, collect 100 coins, 5 purple coins, and try to get 3 Mario heads. When you exceed 800 points, you should advance to the next stage, which is Glare Desert.
Rainbow Road
To unlock Rainbow Road, you must first beat the two existing records in Dribble Race: Peach Castle in 45 seconds and Sunshine Road in 55 seconds.
Cactaur
To unlock Cactaur, a fast and recommended character, you must first unlock Glare Desert as described above. Then, go to Glare Desert during Exhibition mode, dribble around until you see a small cactus sprout, dribble on top of it a few times, and then win the match.
Moogle Garden
To unlock the Moogle Garden stage, get 3 dunks in Daisy Garden, which is the last match of the Flower Cup.
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Increasing points
In Mario Hoops 3-on-3 (known as Mario Slam Basketball in Europe), there are several ways to increase your points by utilising unlockables. The game features a few Final Fantasy characters as secret unlockable characters.
Firstly, getting the ball in the hoop awards 20 points, but you can increase this base score by collecting coins. These coins are obtained by dribbling over the question mark blocks scattered on the floor, which will often bestow players with gold or red coins worth ten gold each. The more coins you have, the higher your score will be when you make a basket.
Additionally, different shots are worth different amounts of points. While a normal shot or a slam dunk is worth 20 points plus the number of coins, a ranged shot (or three-point shot) is worth 30 points plus the number of coins. You can also perform a Super Shot (Special) worth 40 points plus the number of coins. The maximum amount of points per shot is 140 in most basketball courts, which equates to 100 coins plus a successful special shot.
There are also certain tasks you can complete to increase your points and unlock new features. For example, winning the Flower Cup tournament unlocks Dixie Kong as a playable character, and finishing the Flower Cup Mode on hard difficulty unlocks Boo. You can also unlock new levels by winning a certain number of coin hunter games in a row.
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Frequently asked questions
To unlock the Mario Classic 2-2 and Forest Stage levels, you must play and win 5 coin hunter games in a row without turning off your DS. After winning 5 games in a row, turn on your DS to receive a message saying you have unlocked the two levels.
To unlock Boo as a playable character, finish Flower Cup Mode on hard difficulty. To unlock a White Mage, finish the Rainbow Cup and earn a Silver Trophy. To unlock a Moogle, finish the Star Cup and obtain a Silver Trophy.
To unlock the Rainbow Ball, you must defeat someone else on exhibition mode on DS Wireless Play 5 times. To unlock the Pumpkin Ball, you must lose to someone else 5 times on DS Wireless Play.
To perform a special shot, you need to make the player bounce the ball in a specific way. The most common is to tap out the letter "M" on the Touch Screen.
