Final Fantasy characters play Mario in hoops [update 1]

by Ross Miller { Jul 14th 2006 at 5:35PM }

Although it is only a 3-on-3 basketball title, Square Enix has gone ahead and added five characters from the Final Fantasy world into their new DS game, Mario Hoops. The additional characters are (clockwise from top left) Moogle, White Mage, Ninja, Black Mage, and a cactuar named Sabotender ("Sabotaged bartender?").

The title will come out later this year in the US. Kupo!

[via DS Fanboy; thanks, Jibaro009 and Pheonix Gamma]

[update 1: Gotta give credit where credit is due.]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Samuel McConnell @ Jul 14th 2006 5:38PM

Cactaur is not Cactaur in Japanese. It's Sabotender.

Marc @ Jul 14th 2006 5:53PM

It's nice to see new faces in the Mario universe (but let's not make this a habit SquareEnix).

Artimus @ Jul 14th 2006 6:05PM

There are more characters coming. There were 3 pages and only 2 have been revealed.

Kylara @ Jul 14th 2006 6:41PM

"Saboten", I believe, is the Japanese word for.. you guessed it, cactus.

Pheonix Gamma @ Jul 14th 2006 7:10PM

Didn't I send Joystiq this tip this morning? Oh yea, I did T_T

phantom42 @ Jul 14th 2006 7:16PM

Not for nothing, but its Nintendo's game, not Square-Enix's.

Probot @ Jul 14th 2006 7:28PM

#6
Actually, I'm pretty sure it's SquareEnix's game. Nintendo is the publisher, not the developer. But SE has permission to use Nintendo characters. Same deal as Super Mario RPG.

I'm glad their using character's from both companies. More variety is a good thing.

Dan @ Jul 14th 2006 7:31PM

Now please put FF characters in Super Smash Brawl.

Josh @ Jul 14th 2006 7:37PM

Is it just me, or is that moogle oddly Pikachu-ish?

But that's cool. Moogles have changed a lot over the course of the series, and whether they're cat-like, rabbit-like, or Pikachu-like, I've always like them.

Bring on Mario Hoops!

T. Holbrook Walker @ Jul 14th 2006 7:56PM

And now after all these years I see that "moogle" is pronounced "moogly."

Christopher7xii @ Jul 14th 2006 8:04PM

... moogles are "mooglys"?

please tell me you're joking.

supadude5000 @ Jul 14th 2006 8:14PM

Dan: "Now please put FF characters in Super Smash Brawl."

I really hope you're not one of those people that thinks Cloud or Sephiroth should be in the game....but Black Mage or Ninja would awesome, especially since they are from the NES times (which is what think Sakurai is limiting it to).

As far as these characters go, I really like the choices. These are some iconic characters (red mage would've been nice...but too many mages doesn't make sense). I really hope that this brings Square and Nintendo one step closer to Super Mario RPG 2! I really liked the universe created in that game, and really want to visit it once again....oh! Maybe it could be made into a tactics game with Johnny and Croco being able to join you!

Donald @ Jul 14th 2006 8:17PM

If black Mage gets to Hadoken Link, I'm all for this.

SenseiJinx @ Jul 14th 2006 8:17PM

Now we just need Mallow and Geno...really, it seems pretty likely to me. This is Nintendo and Square-Enix's first collaboration since Super Mario RPG, so why not throw two of their beloved characters from that game into it? It would make a lot of fans happy. ^_^

listereo @ Jul 14th 2006 8:38PM

Or rather, Pikachu has always been a bit moogle-ish. Or they just come from a long line of rodent-like Cute Anime Creatures.

This and Solid Snake agree: this bodes well for Final Fantasy characters appearing in Super Smash Bros Brawl. I'm sure there are all kinds of warring fan groups praying for this spikey haired fellow, or that 16-bit guy, or for the 8-bit characters, but Square's hand in a game means Square's glorious special effects style and graphics more so than their IPs. That is what excites me more.

supadude5000 @ Jul 14th 2006 8:43PM

^^^ Mallow and Geno YES! That would be a genius thing for them to put on the third page!

Walter @ Jul 14th 2006 9:29PM

I think it's great seeing these characters in the new Mario game. I've always been a Mario fan, but only recently have I started to become a Fanal Fantasy fan.

Cody Musser @ Jul 14th 2006 10:09PM

I posted this on 4CR as well, if you take a look at the site there is a third character page that hasn't been posted yet, so there's definitely going to be more characters. I wonder who ...

Tom Hayden @ Jul 14th 2006 10:22PM

Does this mean that SE has taken over the handheld mario sports duties from Camelot? I know some people hated those games, but I really liked them. Are there going to be RPG elements to this one a la the old camelot Advance games? That would make sense considering that SE is developing.

Pal @ Jul 14th 2006 11:00PM

Here comes your local half-Japanese guy to save the day!

Sabotender:

Saboten, as previously mentioned, is Japanese for cactus. In Japanese, Sabotender is pronounced Sabotenda (stretched "a", more like Sabotendaa), which litereally translates to "I am".

Sabotender = I am a cactus.

Capt. Castellanos @ Jul 14th 2006 11:04PM

sigh...

super mario rpg 2...

i can only dream of such awesomeness.....

NeoForte @ Jul 14th 2006 11:34PM

While true usually Catuar aren't called so in Japan, they do adopot the Cactuar name when they have multiple versions of them, as in FFXI where there are Sabotenders, Cactuars, and Cactrots. Also all the NM names are in spanish, as well as special items they drop.

The More you kno....ok never mind this looks great and the adition of iconic Square characters makes it sweeter.

William @ Jul 15th 2006 1:41AM

@ 18:

No, SE isn't taking over Nintendo's sports games. SE originally planned a 3 on 3 basketball game, but they figured it'd be better if they had licensing, so they approached Nintendo about it.

And no to mages in Super Smash Bros. Brawl... Ugh, stupid FF fanboys.