<s>
Mario	B-Application
Hoops	I-Application
3-on-3	I-Application
,	O
known	O
in	O
Europe	O
as	O
Mario	B-Application
Slam	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
and	O
in	O
Japan	O
as	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
sports	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Square	O
Enix	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
in	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
in	O
which	O
Mario	B-Application
and	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
characters	O
appear	O
together	O
as	O
playable	O
characters	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
second	O
Mario	B-Application
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Square	O
Enix	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
one	O
being	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
RPG	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
Mario	B-Application
basketball	I-Application
game	O
ever	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
,	O
although	O
characters	O
from	O
the	O
series	O
have	O
appeared	O
in	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
version	O
of	O
NBA	B-Application
Street	I-Application
V3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
European	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
on	O
May	O
26	O
,	O
2016	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
North	O
American	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
on	O
November	O
3	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
uses	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
's	O
touch	O
screen	O
extensively	O
and	O
features	O
items	O
and	O
coins	O
from	O
the	O
Mario	B-Application
series	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Mario	B-Application
Hoops	I-Application
3-on-3	I-Application
is	O
centered	O
on	O
basketball	O
games	O
,	O
structured	O
into	O
tournaments	O
that	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
win	O
to	O
progress	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
one	O
exception	O
is	O
an	O
extra	O
game	O
with	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
team	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
final	O
tournament	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
matches	O
feature	O
three	O
players	O
on	O
each	O
side	O
,	O
with	O
characters	O
drawn	O
primarily	O
from	O
Mario	B-Application
and	O
other	O
Nintendo	O
games	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
characters	O
from	O
Square	O
Enix	O
's	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
matches	O
,	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
touch	O
control	O
is	O
used	O
for	O
all	O
actions	O
except	O
for	O
movement	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
handled	O
by	O
the	O
directional	O
pad	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
top	O
screen	O
of	O
the	O
DS	B-Device
shows	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
3D	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
bottom	O
screen	O
shows	O
an	O
overhead	O
view	O
of	O
the	O
whole	O
court	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
was	O
Soken	O
's	O
first	O
major	O
game	O
soundtrack	O
;	O
he	O
had	O
worked	O
at	O
Square	O
Enix	O
as	O
a	O
sound	O
editor	O
for	O
five	O
years	O
before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
had	O
only	O
composed	O
music	O
for	O
advertisements	O
and	O
minor	O
games	O
before	O
Mario	B-Application
Hoops	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
official	O
soundtrack	O
album	O
containing	O
music	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Mario	B-Application
Basketball	I-Application
3on3	O
Original	O
Soundtrack	O
,	O
was	O
published	O
by	O
Square	O
Enix	O
on	O
October	O
18	O
,	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
video	O
game	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
generally	O
praised	O
for	O
its	O
control	O
,	O
graphics	O
,	O
and	O
variety	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
criticized	O
for	O
its	O
simplistic	O
AI	O
,	O
unsatisfactory	O
minigames	O
,	O
overpowered	O
skills	O
for	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
characters	O
,	O
and	O
lack	O
of	O
Nintendo	O
Wi-Fi	O
connection	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
 [ ... ] 	O
I	O
'd	O
honestly	O
recommend	O
this	O
game	O
for	O
any	O
DS	B-Device
owner	O
out	O
there	O
as	O
I	O
feel	O
the	O
game	O
at	O
least	O
deserves	O
a	O
try	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Times	O
also	O
gave	O
it	O
three	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
,	O
saying	O
,	O
"	O
The	O
wild	O
combinations	O
of	O
touch-pad	O
and	O
direction	O
keys	O
required	O
to	O
play	O
make	O
this	O
a	O
game	O
you	O
might	O
not	O
wish	O
to	O
use	O
on	O
public	O
transport	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
somehow	O
lacks	O
the	O
charm	O
of	O
previous	O
Mario-themed	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
July	O
25	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
Mario	B-Application
Hoops	I-Application
3-on-3	I-Application
has	O
sold	O
1.5	O
million	O
copies	O
worldwide	O
.	O
</s>
