Editing Dr. Mario

{{forfighter|SSBM=y|SSB4=y|SSBU=y}}

:''For information on his default persona, see [[Mario]].''

{{redirect|Doc|other uses of Doc|Doc (disambiguation)}}

|caption      = [[File:MarioSymbol.svg|50px|class=invert-dark]]

Official artwork of Dr. Mario from ''{{s|mariowiki|Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure}}''.

|firstgame    = ''{{b|Dr. Mario|game}}'' (1990)

|lastappearance= ''{{s|mariowiki|WarioWare: Move It!}}'' (2023, cameo)

Dr. Mario is not a unique character, but rather just [[Mario]] wearing a doctor's garb. According to his [[mariowiki: Dr. Mario (game)|eponymous debut game's]] manual, he took a break from adventuring in order to work in a virus research lab at the {{s|mariowiki|Mushroom Kingdom Hospital}} alongside [[Princess Peach|Nurse Toadstool]].<ref>"I'm Mario. How's it going? Over the last few years, I've been involved in some pretty wild adventures. Now, believe it or not, I work in the virus research lab at the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital." ''Dr. Mario'' instruction manual for NES, page 3.</ref> When an experiment goes wrong, the hospital was flooded with three differently colored types of {{s|mariowiki|Virus}}es.<ref>"One of the experiments has gone out of control.  The viruses are spreading quickly!" ''Dr. Mario'' instruction manual for NES, page 3.</ref> Arming himself with {{s|mariowiki|Megavitamin}}s, a medicine of his own invention<ref>"I have just developed a new vitamin that should be able to take care of it.  I sure hope this stuff works!" ''Dr. Mario'' instruction manual for NES, page 3.</ref>, Dr. Mario sets out to neutralize the outbreak.

''Dr. Mario''{{'}}s gameplay sees Dr. Mario throwing Megavitamins into a prescription bottle. Afterward, the player can move and land them on Viruses, which spawn throughout the bottle. [[wikipedia:Tile-matching video game|Connecting a line of four or more]] halves will make those halves disappear. If the other halves were suspended at the time, they will resume falling, but cannot be controlled any more. Connecting a line of three or more halves of Megavitamins to a Virus of the corresponding color, the Virus disintegrates. As such, blue Megavitamins eliminate blue Viruses (known as "Chill" in the ''Nintendo Comics System'' comic), red Megavitamins eliminate red viruses (known as "Fever" in the same comic), and yellow Megavitamins eliminate yellow viruses (known as "Weird" in the comic). Removing all of the Viruses on the screen advances the player to the next level. If the player runs out of Megavitamins or the bottle becomes completely filled with viruses still alive, the game ends. If the player reaches the final level on the highest difficulty, they will see a cutscene of the viruses climbing a tree and being taken in by a UFO, implying that they were not only diseases, but also aliens. The other endings show the same shot of the tree, but instead show bizarre images such as witches, flying books, and triceratopses piloting egg planes. The player can choose two songs, the upbeat ''Fever'' or funky ''Chill'', while later ''Dr. Mario'' games have introduced extra songs such as ''Cube'' and ''Que Que''.

All subsequent ''Dr. Mario'' games retain the core gameplay, with some also introducing new mechanics, but only two games feature actual plots - ''{{s|mariowiki|Dr. Mario 64}}'' and ''{{s|mariowiki|Dr. Mario World}}''. Some Dr. Mario games have introduced new doctors, with ''{{s|mariowiki|Dr. Luigi}}'' introducing the titular character, and ''{{s|mariowiki|Dr. Mario Online Rx}}'' introducing doctor [[Mii]]s. ''Dr. Luigi'' also introduces 3 new viruses, who have not been seen since. Multiple ''Dr. Mario'' games have been bundled with other titles, such as ''[[Panel de Pon|Puzzle League]]''; ''[[Tetris]]''; ''Yoshi's Cookie'', or "Germ Buster", a mode based on ''Dr. Mario'' from the {{uv|Brain Age}} series.

In ''Dr. Mario 64'', Dr. Mario seeks to reclaim his Megavitamins after they are stolen by {{s|mariowiki|Mad Scienstein}} on behalf of his master, {{s|mariowiki|Rudy}}, both from ''{{s|mariowiki|Wario Land 3}}''. However, Dr. Mario also has to contend with [[Wario]], who seeks to steal the Megavitamins from Mad Scienstein and sell them for money.

 

 

Dr. Mario has also made a number of cameos outside of his home series. Most notably, he appears in the [[mariowiki:WarioWare (series)|''WarioWare'' series]] series via two {{s|mariowiki|microgame}}s based on his debut game, while his medical garb can be unlocked in ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Maker}}'' and ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Odyssey}}''. In the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, Dr. Mario is usually depicted as being slower, yet stronger, than his normal self. A trophy in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' attributes his sluggishness to lack of exercise, whereas ''SSB4'' variously attributes this to his white coat or medical doctorate status. In regard to Dr. Mario's raw strength, [[Palutena's Guidance]] attributes it to his knowledge of anatomy.

Thanks to Dr. Mario's superior KO potential and his mobility being marginally better than Mario's, he has fared better than his normal self within the competitive scene. As such, Dr. Mario is currently ranked 13th out of 26 on the [[tier list]], which places him in the B- tier.

As a playable character, Dr. Mario has three trophies - a normal trophy won beating the {{SSBM|Classic Mode}} with Dr. Mario on any difficulty, and "Smash Red" and "Smash Blue" trophies are acquired by beating the Adventure and All-Star modes, respectively.

|name=Dr. Mario

|desc=Immaculate in his medical garb, Dr. Mario destroys killer viruses with his amazing vitamin capsules. With his dedicated nurse, Princess Peach, at his side, Dr. Mario spends day and night in his laboratory working on new miracle cures. Somehow, he's managed to keep up with all the new viruses that have arisen over the years.

|gamelist={{Trophy games|game1=Dr. Mario|release1=10/90}}

{{Trophy

|name=Dr. Mario

|image=Dr. Mario Trophy (Smash).png

|mode=Adventure

|desc=There's hardly any difference in the abilities of Mario and Dr. Mario, so choosing is largely a matter of taste. Dr. Mario is a tad slower due to his lack of exercise, but his Megavitamins pack a bit more punch than Mario's Fireballs. The capsules travel on a unique trajectory and make a distinct sound on impact.

 

|image=Dr. Mario Trophy (Smash 2).png

|desc=The differences between Dr. Mario and Mario are more pronounced in some areas than others, but basically they can be played in similar fashion. While it may be hard to spot the contrasts, they do exist. For example, Dr. Mario's Super Sheet is longer and narrower than Mario's Cape, and any opponents hit by Dr. Tornado will fly off in diverse directions.

{{main|Beta elements (SSBB)#Fighters}}

While Dr. Mario does not appear as a playable character, an unfinished character file that makes reference to him exists inside the game's files, called (<code>ef_dr_mario.pac</code>). There is no explanation as to why the data exists; however, it is commonly inferred that he was intended to be included in ''Brawl'''s roster before being scrapped for unknown reasons.

! Fighter(s)

| {{StickerHead|Mario|Yoshi|Luigi|Bowser|Peach}}

After being absent from ''Brawl'', Dr. Mario returned as an unlockable character in ''Super Smash Bros. 4'', becoming the first fighter in the series' history to return as a playable character after skipping a previous installment, and the only one in ''Smash 4'' who is not DLC. His design is now based on a combination of his appearance as of ''Dr. Mario 64'' and the dark gray pants he sported in ''Melee''. Although he was originally planned to be an [[alternate costume]] of {{SSB4|Mario}}, Dr. Mario ultimately retained his status as a [[clone]] late in ''SSB4''{{'}}s development for the purpose of appealing to his ''Melee'' fanbase.<ref>[http://www.gamnesia.com/news/sakurai-explains-why-dr-mario-is-his-own-character-in-smash-bros Sakurai Explains Why Dr. Mario is His Own Character in Smash Bros.]</ref>

Although Dr. Mario's moveset is mostly unchanged since ''Melee'', he received his own [[Final Smash]] called [[Doctor Finale]]. True to its name, it is Dr. Mario's version of [[Mario Finale]] and fittingly uses a pair of gigantic, intertwining [[Megavitamins]] that deal more damage.

These factors have resulted in Dr. Mario's tier status and tournament representation both suffering from a vast downturn compared to his appearance in ''Melee''. To reflect this, Dr. Mario is ranked 48th out of 54 on the [[tier list]], placing him in the F tier and rendering him a low-tier character.

{{main|List of SSB4 trophies (Super Mario Bros. series)}}

|desc-ntsc=In the 1990 puzzle game Dr. Mario, Mario threw on a white coat and decided to take a shot at that whole "medicine" thing. In this game, he's a balanced fighter who can throw Megavitamin capsules and nimbly deflect blows with his Super Sheet. He's not quite as quick as normal Mario, but his attacks deal a bit more damage.

|desc-pal=In Dr. Mario, released in Europe in 1991, Mario threw on a white coat and decided to have a bash at the whole medicine thing. In this game, he's an all-rounder who can throw Megavitamin capsules and nimbly deflect blows with his Super Sheet. He's not quite as quick as normal Mario, but his attacks deal a bit more damage.

|gamelist-ntsc={{Trophy games|console1=NES|game1=Dr. Mario|release1=10/1990|console2=Wii|game2=Dr. Mario Online Rx|release2=05/2008}}

|gamelist-pal={{Trophy games|console1=NES|game1=Dr. Mario|release1=06/1991|console2=Wii|game2=Dr. Mario & Germ Buster|release2=05/2008}}

|name=Dr. Mario (Alt.)

|image-3ds=DrMarioAltTrophy3DS.png

|image-wiiu=DrMarioAltTrophyWiiU.png

|desc-ntsc=Mario and Dr. Mario are only slightly different. Basically, Dr. Mario is stronger, but his MD slows his speed and lowers his jump. He also has a move Mario doesn't: Dr. Tornado, a down special that can trap opponents before launching them. You can move left and right while doing it and press the button repeatedly to rise into the air.

|desc-pal=Mario and Dr. Mario are only slightly different. Basically, Dr. Mario is stronger, but his heavy coat affects his speed and jumping. He also has a move Mario doesn't: Dr. Tornado, a down special that can trap opponents before launching them. You can move left and right while doing it and press the button repeatedly to rise into the air.

|gamelist-ntsc={{Trophy games|console1=NES|game1=Dr. Mario|release1=10/1990|console2=Wii|game2=Dr. Mario Online Rx|release2=05/2008}}

|gamelist-pal={{Trophy games|console1=NES|game1=Dr. Mario|release1=06/1991|console2=Wii|game2=Dr. Mario & Germ Buster|release2=05/2008}}

Dr. Mario returns as an unlockable character in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''. He still functions as a stronger and slower version of {{SSBU|Mario}}, yet has nevertheless been marginally decloned: Dr. Mario now has slightly higher [[traction]], a new and significantly stronger back throw, and updated animations for his idle pose and Super Sheet. Aside from these changes, Dr. Mario has also gained a new down aerial, which possesses [[meteor smash]]ing potential like his normal self's forward aerial.

Despite the term "Echo Fighter" being used in ''Ultimate'' to denote clones, Dr. Mario is not labeled as such, and no official reason has been given for this oddity. However, it is worth noting that no clone characters introduced before ''SSB4'' are labeled as Echo Fighters.

{{clr}}

===Spirit===

SSBU spirit Dr. Mario.png|8. '''''Dr. Mario'''''

**He is the only character in the series whose voice clips are shared with another character, although Luigi used to share Mario’s voice clips as well with the only difference being his voice having a higher pitch.

*Dr. Mario is the first fighter to return after skipping a previous installment.

*Dr. Mario is the only {{uv|Mario}} fighter to skip an installment of ''Super Smash Bros.'', that being ''Brawl''.

**Unfinished data, however, indicates that he might have been intended to make a playable appearance in that installment as well.

*As of ''Super Smash Bros. 4'', Dr. Mario is also the only character of any kind to have attributes affected by [[equipment]]-esque multipliers.

*If Mario and Dr. Mario are counted separately, Dr. Mario is one of two characters to not make any sort of animated appearances in cutscenes or trailers, the other being [[Ryu]].

** The two are also among the only characters to not receive CGI models, the others being [[Joker]] and [[Terry]].