It’s a whole new ball game as Mario rocks the rim on the Nintendo DS.

•Get that magic touch. There are plenty of basketball games out there, but none with the hands-on control of Mario Slam Basketball. Players use the touch screen to get their game on as they execute tricky dribbles, special passes and sweet shots – all with strokes and taps of the stylus.

•Players choose their teams of three characters from the Mario universe and hit the parquet. Power-ups like Red Shells and Bob-ombs can turn the tide as they chase down coins – they will affect the score, so players collect as many as they can as they drive to the hoop.

•Whether playing against friends on a local wireless connection, jamming through a tournament or just playing mini-games, there’s a mode for everyone.