It is the first Mario basketball game ever to be released, although characters from the series have appeared in the GameCube version of NBA Street V3.

The game uses the Nintendo DS's touch screen extensively and features items and coins from the Mario series.

The gameplay of Mario Hoops 3-on-3 is centered on basketball games, structured into tournaments that the player must win to progress.

During matches, the Nintendo DS touch control is used for all actions except for movement, which can be handled by the directional pad.

The player can perform multiple moves, such as stealing the ball and passing, by using gestures on the touchpad.

[2] The game was generally praised for its control, graphics, and variety, but was criticized for its simplistic AI, unsatisfactory minigames, overpowered skills for the Final Fantasy characters, and lack of Nintendo Wi-Fi connection support.

"[17] The Sydney Morning Herald gave it three stars out of five and called it "fast-paced stylus-swiping basketball action best suited to short matches against friends.

"[15] The Times also gave it three stars out of five, saying, "The wild combinations of touch-pad and direction keys required to play make this a game you might not wish to use on public transport, and it somehow lacks the charm of previous Mario-themed games.