Back in big Shaq's 1st TV commercial we were introduced to not only the "password" but words to live by. You simply cannot pretend to have funk whilst taking the basketball to the basket by jumping up and delivering the ball personally, if one does it without style. It's also no way to make a video game. For the sake of staying on topic I'll be covering the video game aspect.

In the beginning of the DS's life, we saw a few inspired uses of the stylus (Feel the Magic), but a bunch of misguided attempts to shoehorn in the new technology (Ridge Racer). Since then the DS has been ripe with games that learned how to implement the new controls and to created some really original and fun titles. Luckily, not every game used the touch screen. Games like Mario Kart, Tetris, and Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time were left to use the regular old cross pad and buttons. Mario 3-on-3 should've been on that list.

On the surface, it seems like an interesting idea. A basketball game using the touchscreen to control the on the court action. Tap to dribble, straight line up to shoot, diagonal line to pass, etc. But the problem is that basketball is a fast-paced game, and using a touchscreen to direct that action simply doesn't work well. The game doesn't flow. On more than one occasion the game misinterpreted my stylus moves, and shooting the ball when I'm trying to pass is beyond frustrating.

From an AI perspective the game itself is very simplistic, your teammates don't do a damn thing on the court for you. The usually just stand there and let themselves be covered by the defense. Yet I've had no problem winning games all by myself, usually severely lopsided victories too I might add. The game does get harder but I had lost interest long before that happened.

It's also worth mentioning that since you use the cross pad as well as the touch screen, those of us that are left-handed have no choice but to use the four buttons as a makeshift d-pad, which makes the game all the more difficult.

Push comes to shove the idea just flat out doesn't work. It was a great idea, and I'm glad there are companies thinking outside the box. Not every idea works out in the end however. This idea should've been aborted early on in the development process. They would've been better off with a standard basketball game starring Mario, the touch screen integration just never comes together.Take a pass on this one.

Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk. Period. End of story.

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