hoops
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Google keeps the interactive Olympic doodles going, tests your spacebar with a game of hoops
If your keyboard survived yesterday's track & field test, the folks in Mountain View have posted another interactive doodle to satisfy your Olympic dreams. This time around, you can give arcarde-style basketball your best shot by tapping on your spacebar to get into a rhythm from the charity stripe. Once you hit that blue play button, you'll have 24 seconds to give the main search page your best Kevin Durant. A chance for Google+ bragging rights awaits your fingers via the source link below.
Ball-throwing robot seal has a talent for basketball, embarrassing humans (video)
You pick up your first tan leather roundball at the age of 9, you practice religiously for a decade before you can even feel worthy of calling yourself a basketball player, and then you find a video online of a robotic seal that can shoot better than you after just a few weeks in the lab. Yep, some Taiwanese know-it-alls have put together a robo-seal that converts 99 percent of shots (admittedly with a toy ball launched at a toy hoop) within a three-meter range. It's basically just an articulating arm with stereo vision for some good old depth perception, but it's sophisticated enough to maintain its killer accuracy even if the target is moved from its spot. That's more lethal that Shaq or Karl Malone's elbows ever were. Video's after the break, skip to the 1:05 mark if you don't care about the details of how it's done.
wowtwitter giving away a FigurePrint for a screenshot contest
We've talked about wowtwitter here on the site before -- they're the ones who created a whole other Twitter-like service just for your WoW characters (and that featured verification of your toons, so that no one else could claim or tweet as them). The site is definitely growing, but they wanted to give it that extra oomph, and so they're giving away a free FigurePrint to someone who joins up and posts a special screenshot. If you want a chance at the prize, what you've got to do is log in to the site and verify your character (as we said last time, it requires that you remove a piece of gear and then log out so the Armory can see the change), and then use their new screenshot uploading tool to post a screenshot with "wowtwitter" somewhere in the picture. Then they'll take the screenshots with the top three "like" totals (other users on the site can approve of your uploads), and the one they choose will win a real-life 3D sculpture of their character from FigurePrints.Seem like a lot of work? It does to us, too, but FigurePrints are still $130, so if you want a representation of your character but don't want to cough up the cash, this is probably easier. So good luck to everyone who enters -- the contest runs through July 31st, so you've got a little bit of time to get your picture in and get it voted up somehow.
1up Mario Hoops review -- did Mario serve an airball?
Mario Hoops 3 on 3 has had so much hype that we were ready for a game full of more fun than a circus. But from the sound of it, all we got were peanuts. Having played the game ourselves, we see where the review is coming from and we are 100% catching what they are throwing -- something Mario and his pals seem to fail at. The review basically states that the controls are good in theory, but iffy on paper. Stealing is difficult and passing is okay, when it works. Your teammates are pretty much useless. They never try to steal or use items to help you out. They are especially difficult to work with against perfect AI on harder levels. Good luck on unlocking all your favorite Final Fantasy characters. The levels are difficult and your opponents ruthless. While it sounds like a challenge, it lacks an important element -- fun. Mario Hoops 3 on 3 received a 6 out of 10 -- a passable grade and rightful score for an average sports title. Check out the rest of the review to see what else 1up found wrong with the game. Or, pipe up and let us know that we and everyone else is completely wrong (we know you like doing that anyway) and Mario Hoops is zomg teh best game evah kthxbye! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Mario Hoops site updated again
Another week and another lesson at Dunk U has us being schooled in the art of the Paratroopa dunk. With wings spread wide and flying about with the kind of majesty only a Pegasus riding the back of a Luckdragon could, this 44 point dunk is epic. Every week a new dunk is revealed and every week we find ourselves needing a larger bib to suck up the vast amounts of saliva slowly flowing from our mouth and dripping down our chin.
Mario Hoops site updated
The pre-launch extravaganza for Mario Hoops: 3 on 3 continues with the latest video update centering around another simian slam-dunker in Dixie. The video, which shows Dixie's Barrel Drop maneuver, allows us to enjoy the carnage resulting from the massive alley-oop as Dixie sits atop the giant wooden barrel, blasting the ball to Peach, who then rocks the rim with the kind of authority that could put Shaq to shame. See also: Get schooled at Dunk U
Get schooled at Dunk U
Nintendo has realized that online marketing campaigns have worked wonders for them in the past (see: New Super Mario Bros.), so it's no surprise that they are doing the same with Mario Hoops: 3 on 3. Of course, televised promotion doesn't hurt either. On the pre-launch site for Mario Hoops: 3 on 3, visitors are welcomed to attend Dunk U and learn the subtle art of creating showers of golden coins through elaborate, devastating dunks. First up is Donkey Kong, throwing down like the crazy ape that he is. Other videos will be available, on a weekly basis, leading up to the game's release.[Thanks Romath!]
Mario Hoops import previewed
A gentleman, calling himself Zombie, yet we believe to actually be the kid brother to ring-bearing Frodo, shows us some tutorial action as well as full-fledged in-game action on an import copy of Mario Hoops: 3 on 3. The controls may not be so smooth, but what this blogger finds most disturbing is right around the 1:30 mark. Seriously, we know the competition between Donkey Kong and Mario is heated, but we never thought the Italian plumber would play so dirty. [Via Go Nintendo]
Mario Hoops special shots videos
The Japanese web site for Mario Hoops: 3 on 3 has put up some videos depicting various characters laying the smack down with their specialized shots. The available videos of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Wario, and Diddy Kong getting nasty on the court may take a bit to load, but they are very much worth the wait. The Nintendo sports titles may not be the most grounded-in-reality interpretation of whichever sport they're based on, but they have consistently been fun throughout each iteration. As such, we're dying to get our hands on this game and have our own DS Fanboy playoffs.
Mario Hoops commercial reveals more characters
This Japanese commercial, starring those awesome Hot Mario Bros. dudes, reveals a handful of characters we had not previously known of. During the clip, keen eyes will spot none other than a Koopa Troopa, Boo (although he could just be some kind of power up), Dixie Kong, Shy Guy, and some small yellow thing (could also be a power up of sorts).
More Final Fantasy characters in Mario Hoops
We already know of the Moogle making the cut in Mario Hoops: 3 on 3, but what we didn't know was that several other characters from the Final Fantasy universe would be making their way into the game. Nintendo's Japanese website not only lists the Moogle, but also shows a cactuar called Sabotender, Black Mage, White Mage, and Ninja as playable characters. We hope they give Black Mage some sort of hadoken dunk...[Thanks Probot!]
Screenshot roundup: Mario Hoops 3 on 3 [Update]
A French gaming site recently posted some new screens which show off some of the game's courts, along with other "hoopers" in action. One screen shows Luigi rocking the rim, while taking time to bathe in the shower of coins that follow such a vicious dunk. Courts present are the mansion from Luigi's solo effort Luigi's Mansion, the Boo house from Mario 64, and an icey rink. How many of you are looking forward to its September release?[Update: Corrected a questionable typo (we dropped a "y"). Thanks Jason C.]
Mario Hoops 3 on 3: The Controls
Siliconera has a nice breakdown on how the touchscreen-exclusive controls will work on the DS. By tapping on the screen, you'll be able to make Mario dribble, with the faster you tap naturally causing him to up the speed of his dribble. While in possession of the ball, swiping the stylus across the touchscreen in the direction of the basket will cause Mario (or whichever subsequent character is holding the ball) to shoot the ball. On the opposite side of the ball, swiping the stylus across the touchscreen in the direction of your opponent will cause your character to attempt a steal on the ball. Of course, it wouldn't be a Nintendo sports title without crazy power shots and this game does not disappoint. As Mario, in activating your special shot, the game asks you to trace out the letter M on the bottom screen, which will cause Mario to turn up the heat with a flaming basketball. Other characters will have their own unique special shots as well. While I failed to get my hands on it during E3, I'm very excited for this game's release.
