Editing Dr. Mario (SSBM)

{{disambig2|Dr. Mario's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''|the character in other contexts|Dr. Mario}}

|tier = B-

|ranking = 13

'''Dr. Mario''' ({{ja|Dr. マリオ|Dokutā Mario}}, ''Dr. Mario'') is an [[unlockable character]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''.

''Melee'' marks Dr. Mario's first 3D appearance as well as his first appearance in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, as he stems from a series of ''Mario'' puzzle games. As a [[clone]] of {{SSBM|Mario}}, Dr. Mario and Mario have nearly identical movesets with obvious differences in attack physics. Dr. Mario's voice consists of the same voice clips regular Mario has; they come from ''Super Mario 64'' and were originally performed by Charles Martinet.

Dr. Mario currently ranks 13th on the ''Melee'' [[tier list]], at the end of B- tier, two places higher than Mario's rank and his best placement in the series. His [[combo]] ability possesses unique qualities, such as an unusual-functioning reverse-[[sex kick]]. His [[approach]] options are also very good, with a long [[wavedash]] and a good air game, as well as a very good [[SHFFL]]. Dr. Mario also has a good [[projectile]], which itself can be used to aid his approach while subsequently keeping away others. However, Dr. Mario's primary weakness is his abysmal [[recovery]], which is one of the worst in the game, due to its predictability and few methods of increasing its distance. Dr. Mario also suffers from lack of range in his attacks, leaving him vulnerable against characters with disjointed hitboxes such as {{SSBM|Marth}}.

Dr. Mario must be defeated in battle before he can be unlocked. There are two ways the player can encounter Dr. Mario:

*One way is to complete Classic Mode, Adventure Mode, or All-Star Mode as Mario without using any continues. If the player fails to defeat Dr. Mario, they can re-fight him by doing this same method again.

*Another way is to play 100 VS. matches to completion. If the player fails to defeat Dr. Mario, they can re-fight him by playing another VS. match to completion. If this method is used, {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} must be unlocked before Dr. Mario can be fought.

Dr. Mario is essentially a stronger version of Mario (that despite claims from his Smash trophies within the game, is not slower in any form except for his neutral attack, and aerial attack landing lag). Both have the same [[dash|dashing speed]] and [[falling speed]], yet most of Dr. Mario's attacks deal greater damage and knockback than Mario's. Dr. Mario has a slightly faster [[air speed]], rendering his combo potential and aerial approach superior. True to having relatively low traction and a slightly above average falling speed, Dr. Mario has a rather long wavedash. A low short hop, above average falling speed, and low lag aerials give Dr. Mario a good SHFFL, improving his air game. In addition, Dr. Mario has a good number of reliable finishers: a fast forward smash with no [[sourspot]]s that can KO opponents under 100%, an up smash that is faster than Mario's and has low knockback to set up more combos, and forward aerial, sometimes referred to as "The Fist", which is a very powerful aerial with a large, lasting hitbox, that can KO opponents under 120%, and is relatively easy to combo into.

==Differences from {{SSBM|Mario}}==

The most notable difference between the two is that Dr. Mario boasts higher attack power than Mario. Almost all of his attacks do more damage than his counterpart which allows him to rack up damage easily. He can also spike foes with his up smash, albeit only if they are on the ground, and has high KO potential on aerial foes. He can KO earlier than Mario, especially due to his throws being much stronger, with his back throw being among the strongest throws in the game.

However, Dr. Mario's recovery is worse since he cannot wall jump, his Super Sheet (side special) only lifts him up once and gains minimal height on usage, and both his Super Jump Punch and Dr. Tornado specials gain less distance in the air in comparison to Mario's up and down specials. Furthermore, even though Dr. Mario boasts much more damage and KO potential than Mario, his forward smash's hitbox has less horizontal reach, requiring him to be closer to his opponents to make efficient usage of it. His combo game is also worse than Mario's, as his up and down tilts launch at very awkward angles, his down aerial lacks a landing hitbox, his neutral aerial's sourspot is much harder to hit with, and his throws' higher power make them less effective at setting up. Despite this, he has the aforementioned up smash, and his up special can be cancelled, making this nerf negligible. His grab range is also worse overall.

Despite this, the numerous advantages that he has over Mario outnumber his disadvantages and makes him a solid choice in ''Melee'', placing in the upper middle tier.

*{{buff|Dr. Mario's air speed is slightly faster (0.86 → 0.9), improving his ability to approach opponents.}}

*{{nerf|Dr. Mario's torso hurtbox is slightly bigger than Mario's, making him easier to hit.}}

**{{buff|All hits deal more damage (3% (first hit)/2% (second hit)/5% (third hit) → 4%/3%/6%).}}

**{{buff|The third hit has more base knockback (10 → 18).}}

**{{nerf|The first two hits transition significantly slower into the subsequent hits (Frame 6 (both) → 14 (hit 1)/16 (hit 2)).}}

**{{change|The first two hits have higher set knockback (20 → 30).}}

*[[Forward tilt]]:

**{{buff|It has less startup with a longer hitbox duration (Frames 5-7 → 4-8).}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt deals less damage on all angles (10%/9%/8% → 9%/8%/7%), although its knockback was somewhat compensated (6 base → 11/10/9).}}

**{{change|Dr Mario's up tilt consists of a clean hit that is active on the first frame of activation.}}

***{{change|It sends at the [[Sakurai Angle]] instead of a vertical angle (96°), allowing it to be used as a horizontal launcher but it loses its combo potential.}}

***{{nerf|It deals slightly less base knockback, and despite the damage increase, its KBG was lowered enough to give it slightly less knockback scaling too (26 (base)/125 (scaling) → 20/95).}}

**{{change|It also has a late hitbox that functions more like Mario's.}}

**{{buff|Up tilt has a longer duration (Frames 4-12 → 4-13).}}

**{{change|It has less knockback on the clean hit (50 (scaling) → 30), but has more on the late hit (45 (base)/30 (scaling) → 60/50).}}

**{{change|It has a higher launch angle that sends opponents in front of him instead of behind (110°/120° → 80°/85°).}}

**{{change|Dash attack has less animation frames (48 frames → 43), but still has the same IASA frames as Mario's, keeping the ending lag identical.}}

**{{buff|Forward smash deals more damage (18% → 19%) and has slightly stronger knockback (25 (base)/95 (growth) → 30/97), making it the fifth most powerful forward smash in the game. Additionally, it also lacks a sourspot.}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash has significantly shorter reach, making it significantly harder to connect with.}}

**{{change|Forward smash lacks transcendent priority and deals [[electric]] damage instead of [[flame]] damage.}}

**{{change|Up smash a clean and late hit that deals more and less damage respectively (15% → 16% (clean)/13% (late)), the late hit also has a different launch angle (83° → 76°) on aerial opponents.}}

**{{change|Up smash can spike grounded opponents (83° → 259°).}}

***{{buff|This noticeably improves the move's combo potential against grounded opponents.}}

***{{nerf|However, it also significantly hinders its KO potential against them.}}

**{{buff|Up smash has larger hitboxes (3.2 → 3.6), slightly improving its range.}}

**{{nerf|The early and clean hits of up smash deal slightly less knockback (32 (base)/97 (scaling) → 35/95), hindering their KO potential.}}

**{{buff|Down smash deals marginally more base knockback (40 → 45) and damage (16% and 10%/12% → 18%/17% and 15%/13%). Additionally, its second hit has a slightly longer duration (frame 14-15 → 14-16), enabling it to punish rolls better than Mario's.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash has less reach (12u/6.8u (front) and -10.8u/-6u (back) → 10u/6u and -10u/-6u).}}

**{{change|Down smash has a 'cone' effect instead of a smoke effect.}}

**{{change|Dr. Mario's neutral aerial does more damage and knockback the longer it's out, while it does less damage and knockback when it first comes out. Overall, Mario's sweetspotted neutral is in between Dr. Mario's neutral aerial's sweet and sour spots. Also, when it first comes out, it has a larger hitbox than Mario's, but afterwards it gets smaller than Mario's neutral aerial. Lastly, it has a slightly altered animation where Dr. Mario sticks his leg completely out, while Mario's is at an angle.}}

**{{buff|It does more damage than Mario's (12% (sweetspot)/8% (sourspot) → 14%/10%).}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial has a slightly shorter duration (3-33 → 3-32).}}

**{{buff|Dr. Mario's forward aerial deals more damage (15% → 17%/16%) and sends opponents at a different angle (280° → 60°) that can reliably KO at 80-100%. It also deals significantly more knockback (30 (base)/70 (growth) → 50 and 40/100). It's less risky to use as a finisher than Mario's since Dr. Mario does not need to be offstage for it to be effective.}}

**{{nerf|Dr. Mario's forward aerial is slightly less useful for edgeguarding due to lacking meteor smash hitboxes.}}

***{{Buff|However, it is more reliable than Mario's forward aerial due to its angle rendering it immune to meteor cancelling.}}

*[[Back aerial]]:

**{{buff|The clean hit sends at a [[semi-spike]] angle (361° → 28°).}}

**{{buff|It has has much more base knockback (10 (clean)/7 (late) → 43/20).}}

**{{nerf|The clean hit has much less knockback scaling (100 → 65), making it much weaker for KOing at center stage.}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial has a slightly shorter duration (6-17 → 6-16).}}

**{{buff|Down aerial's looping hits deal more damage (2% → 3%).}}

**{{buff|It has a different launch angle (94° → 80°), improving its gimping potential.}}

**{{nerf|It has smaller hitboxes (6u → 5.6u).}}

**{{nerf|It does not have a landing hitbox.}}

*[[Megavitamins]]:

**{{buff|Megavitamins deals more damage (6% → 8%) and has a larger hitbox.}}

**{{change|Megavitamins does not have a [[flame]] effect.}}

**{{change|Megavitamins travel slower (1.5 → 1.4).}}

**{{change|Megavitamins uses the normal and virus line clear sound effects from the original ''Dr. Mario''.}}

*[[Super Sheet]]:

**{{buff|It deals more damage (8% → 10%).}}

**{{change|Super Sheet contains three hitboxes instead of two, these hitboxes are larger (6.4u → 7.2u) and have altered placements (X-offset: 0u/7.2u → 2.4u/4u/-1.6u, Y-offset: 0u → 0u/-5.6/5.6, Z-offset: 0u → 0u/-5.6/5.6), this gives it significantly more vertical range, but gives it less horizontal range.}}

**{{nerf|Super Sheet stalls Dr. Mario in the air for a much shorter time (Frames 12-34 → 12-15).}}

**{{buff|[[Super Jump Punch]] can be cancelled, which can be use to set up into other moves.}}

**{{nerf|Super Jump Punch only has one [[intangibility]] frame (Frames 3-6 → 3) and cannot be cancelled into a wall jump since Dr. Mario cannot wall jump.}}

**{{change|Super Jump Punch does not make a coin sound effect.}}

*[[Dr. Tornado]]:

**{{buff|Dr. Tornado does more knockback than the Mario Tornado, improving its KO potential.}}

**{{change|Dr. Tornado hits less times (7 → 5) and the last hit launches opponents horizontally instead of vertically. Dr. Mario also lacks a voice clip when performing the move.}}

**{{buff|The final hit is much bigger, especially on the ground (6.25u → 9.37u (ground)/8.2u (air)). Additionally, the delay between the penultimate and final hits is 2 frames shorter, due to the altered timing of the multi-hits, making the final hit less likely to drop.}}

[[File:DrMarioAerialAttacksSSBM.png|thumb|200px|Dr. Mario's aerial attacks.]]

|neutralname=Left Jab ({{ja|左パンチ|Hidari Panchi}}, ''Left Punch'') / Right Cross ({{ja|右パンチ|Migi Panchi}}, ''Right Punch'') / Toe Kick ({{ja|けりあげ|Kiri Age}}, ''Kick Up'')

|neutraldesc=A weak punch forward, then a second weak punch, then a strong kick forward.

|ftiltname=Dr. Kick ({{ja|ミドルキック|Midoru Kikku}}, ''Middle Kick'')

|ftiltdesc=Kick straight forward. Is weaker than {{SSBM|Mario}}'s (despite having slightly more base knockback), but has less ending lag.

|utiltname=Uppercut ({{ja|アッパーカット|Appākatto}})

|dtiltname=Reflex Test ({{ja|スピニングローキック|Supiningu Rō Kikku}}, ''Spinning Low Kick'')

|dashname=Slide ({{ja|スライディング|Suraidingu}}, ''Sliding'')

|dashdesc=Slides on the ground feet first, has slightly more range than Mario's, since the hitbox fully covers Dr. Mario's foot, instead of only covering up to his leg, like Mario's version. Launches foes in a different trajectory compared to Mario's.

|fsmashname=Defibrillator ({{ja|心臓マッサージ|Shinzō Massāji}}, ''Cardiac Massage'')

|fsmashdesc=Launches a somewhat short-ranged electrical shock from his palm, in a very similar fashion to his clone. In comparison with Mario's, it has no sourspot and is quite stronger, being able to reliably KO under 100%. It does, however, have less range than Mario's and lacks transcendent priority.

|usmashname=Ear, Nose and Throat ({{ja|スマッシュヘッドバット|Sumasshu Heddobatto}}, ''Smash Headbutt'')

|usmashdesc=Headbutts upwards. Slightly faster, but a little weaker than Mario's (if hit on an aerial foe, it will be stronger than Mario`s). Unusually, the hitboxes have [[spike]] properties, though it only works on grounded opponents. Just like Mario, Dr. Mario's head is intangible while the hitboxes are out.

|dsmashname=Surgical Sweep ({{ja|ダブルキック|Daburu Kikku}}, ''Double Kick'')

|dsmashdesc=Does a breakdancing sweep kick. Deals more damage if the opponents hits Dr. Mario's feet. Also has less reach compared with Mario's. Considered to be his best KO move.

|nairname=Dr. Kick ({{ja|ドクターキック|Dokutā Kikku}}, ''Doctor Kick'')

|nairdesc=Does an inverted "[[sex kick]]". Oddly, the move's power increases the longer it's out, unlike other sex kicks. One of the most powerful neutral aerials in the game. It also has a slightly different animation from Mario's (Mario's leg is at an angle while Dr. Mario's leg is fully extended out in front of him).

|fairname=Dr. Punch ({{ja|ドクターグーパンチ|Dokutā Gū Panchi}}, ''Doctor Rock Punch'')

|fairdesc=Winds up and punches in a downwards angle, though unlike Mario's, it does not have a meteor smash hitbox; instead, it has high vertical knockback, being capable of KOing at 80%-100% and is the most powerful forward aerial in the game, knockback-wise (along with {{SSBM|Zelda}}'s). Has a slightly weaker sourspot on Dr. Mario's hand. While it is a very powerful KO option (in fact, it is his most powerful attack), it is rather sluggish (hits on frames 18-22 and its FAF is on frame 60), being hard to land on its own. While Dr. Mario has setups for the move in his throws, they are not fully reliable and require successful reading of the opponent's DI for landing the move.

|bairname=Drop Kick, M.D. ({{ja|ドロップキック|Doroppu Kikku}}, ''Drop Kick'')

|bairdesc=Kicks backwards. Very good for [[edgeguarding]], with very fast start-up and ending lag, having high base knockback (43), and hitting opponents in a semi-spike trajectory (28 degrees). However, at higher percentages, this move fails to KO effectively due to its very low knockback growth (65) and is one of Dr. Mario's few moves that is actually weaker than Mario's.

|uairname=Bicycle Kick ({{ja|エアスラッシュ|Ea Surasshu}}, ''Air Slash'')

|uairdesc=Does a flip kick upward. A good move for juggling fast-fallers. Weaker than Mario's, which allows for more extended juggles.

|dairname=Bone Drill ({{ja|ドリルキック|Doriru Kikku}}, ''Drill Kick'')

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|pummelname=Eye Exam ({{ja|つかみヘッドバット|Tsukami Heddobatto}}, ''Grab Headbutt'')

|pummeldesc=Headbutts the opponent. Relatively slow.

|fthrowname=Routine Physical ({{ja|ヒコーキ投げ|Hikōki Nage}}, ''Airplane Throw'')

|bthrowname=Traction ({{ja|ジャイアントスイング|Jaianto Suingu}}, ''Giant Swing'')

|uthrowname=Check Up ({{ja|スルーアップ|Surū Appu}}, ''Throw Up'')

|uthrowdesc=Heaves his opponent upwards. Can lead into a combo against fast fallers, notably into a forward air for a KO.

|dthrowname=Hospital Bed ({{ja|スルーダウン|Surū Daun}}, ''Throw Down'')

|dthrowdesc=Slams the opponent to the ground. Good for a short-hopped neutral air follow up. Weirdly, the move's knockback on {{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}} is affected by port priority; if the Dr. Mario player has the higher port (closer to P1), then the knockback will be normal; if he has the lower port, however (closer to P4), [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EllXsKyXcLQ then the knockback will behave in the same manner as Fox's down throw].

|edgesdesc=Gets up then does an attack similar to his forward tilt.

|dsdesc=A spinning tornado attack, similar to Mario's, but is a little stronger and deals less hits. The move traps the opponent in a tornado, hitting them constantly, before knocking them back. While Mario's knocks opponents into the air, Dr. Mario's knocks them in a random direction. Dr. Mario can hover in the air using this move by repeatedly pressing the [[B button]] while using it, but it only works once without landing. Has [[transcendent priority]] on all but the last hit.

 

 

|victory-desc=An orchestrated cover of the iconic "Level Completed" music from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

:''See also: [[:Category:Dr. Mario players (SSBM)]]''

*{{Sm|Caveman|USA}} - The best Dr. Mario player during the "Golden Age". Commonly considered the one of the first Dr. Mario players to make top 8 at notable tournaments, placing 3rd at {{Trn|MOAST 3}} as a secondary and exclusively used him at events such as 5th at {{Trn|MELEE-FC3}} and 9th at {{Trn|MLG Los Angeles 2005}}.

*{{Sm|Eagle|Denmark}} - One of the best players in Denmark and previously the best Dr. Mario in Europe. Consistently placed top 32 at notable European tournaments as a solo Dr. Mario player such as 17th at {{Trn|Heir II the Throne}} and 25th at {{Trn|B.E.A.S.T 7}}. Was formerly ranked 25th on the [[European Melee Power Rankings]] and 2nd on the [[Danish Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Franz|USA}} - The best active Dr. Mario player in the world. He came to prominence in 2018 after placing 49th at {{Trn|GENESIS 5}}. In the next year, he placed 9th at {{Trn|Mainstage}} by beating {{Sm|Medz}}, {{Sm|HugS}}, and {{Sm|Aura}}, which became the highest solo Dr. Mario placement at a major since Shroomed placed 7th at {{Trn|EVO 2013}}. He is currently the sole Dr. Mario representative on global rankings, placing 93rd on the [[SSBMRank 2023]].

*{{Sm|skullbro|Netherlands}} - One of the best players from the Netherlands and is the current best Dr. Mario player in Europe. He has shown the best Dr. Mario results in the modern era behind Franz, placing 5th at {{Trn|HFLAN 2022: Golden Melee Edition}} and 17th at {{Trn|Fête 2}}, as well as 49th at {{Trn|Collision 2023}}.

*{{Sm|Shroomed|USA}} - Started as a Dr. Mario player and is the best Dr. Mario player of all time. He consistently got top 8 finishes at major tournaments when maining the character, a feat no other Dr. Mario player has replicated. He notably upset {{Sm|Leffen}} at {{Trn|EVO 2013}}.

*{{Sm|S-Royal|Japan}} - Was considered one of the best Dr. Mario players during the "Golden Age", though  only competed in Japan on most occasions. Placed 5th at {{Trn|NorCal Tournament 2}} and 7th at {{Trn|Jack Garden Tournament}}. He came out of hiatus in 2015, but switched to playing {{SSBM|Fox}}.

It was not until 2011 when {{Sm|Shroomed}} showed Dr. Mario's powerful grab game and projectile game, placing consistently in top 8 at national tournaments such as [[Apex 2013]] and [[EVO 2013]]. Although Shroomed no longer uses Dr. Mario in tournament, Dr. Mario was still considered a solid high tiered character, sitting at 9th place at the top of the high tier in the eleventh tier list. However, his results have been worse as of late, with Shroomed himself stating metagame trends do not favor Dr. Mario as much. In spite of {{Sm|Franz}}’s success with the character, such as in {{Trn|Mainstage}} and {{Trn|GENESIS 5}}, Dr. Mario has fallen to 13th place in the current tier list, at the end of B- tier.

==In 1-P Mode==

===[[Congratulations_screen#Super_Smash_Bros._Melee|Congratulations Screens]]===

DrMarioClassicMode.jpg|Classic Mode

DrMarioAdventureMode.jpg|Adventure Mode

DrMarioAllStarMode.jpg|All-Star Mode

==[[Trophies]]==

In addition to the normal trophy about Dr. Mario as a character, there are two trophies about him as a fighter, unlocked by completing both [[Adventure Mode|Adventure]] and [[All-Star]] modes respectively with Dr. Mario on any difficulty:

|name=Dr. Mario

|image=Dr. Mario Trophy Melee.png

|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.

|name=Dr. Mario

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

|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.

|gamelist=:B: Megavitamins

:Smash B: Super Sheet

|name=Dr. Mario

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

|mode=All Star

|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.

|gamelist=:Up & B: Super Jump Punch

**Dr. Mario is actually not slower than Mario in any terms of mobility, making the trophy's description in ''Melee'' misleading.