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|first_appearance=''[[Dr. Mario (game)|Dr. Mario]]'' ([[List of games by date#1990|1990]])
|first_appearance=''[[Dr. Mario (game)|Dr. Mario]]'' ([[List of games by date#1990|1990]])
|species=[[Human]]
|species=[[Human]]
|latest_appearance=''[[Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure]]'' ([[List of games by date#2015|2015]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Super Mario Maker]]'' ([[List of games by date#2015|2015]])
}}
}}
{{LLQuote|Hi everybody! 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. Today I'm about to begin my research as usual.|Dr. Mario|Dr. Mario NES manual, p. 3}}
{{LLQuote|Hi everybody! 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. Today I'm about to begin my research as usual.|Dr. Mario|Dr. Mario NES manual, p. 3}}

Revision as of 13:26, October 19, 2015

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Dr. Mario is the persona Mario takes in the Dr. Mario series of games. Under this identity, Mario dons a lab coat, a head mirror, and a stethoscope around his neck. He first appeared in his titular game, Dr. Mario. Dr. Mario and Nurse Toadstool, his assistant nurse, work at the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital, where Dr. Mario eliminates Viruses and other diseases by using Megavitamins, which has been the standard for subsequent games starring him. Dr. Mario has also appeared as an unlockable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U.

History

Dr. Mario series

Dr. Mario

Dr. Mario sprite from Dr. Mario.

Dr. Mario made his first appearance in a puzzle game with the same name, Dr. Mario. Dr. Mario works in a virus research lab at the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital, alongside Nurse Toadstool.[1] When an experiment goes wrong, the hospital is flooded with tri-color viruses.[2] Armed with Megavitamins - a medicine of his own invention[3] - Dr. Mario sets out to neutralize the outbreak.

In gameplay, Dr. Mario periodically throws Megavitamins into the bottle. Afterwards, the player can move and land them on Viruses, which spawn throughout the bottle. By connecting a line of three or more halves of Megavitamins to a virus of the corresponding color, the Virus disappears. As such, blue Megavitamins eliminate Chill Viruses (blue), red Megavitamins eliminate Fever Viruses (red), and yellow Megavitamins eliminate Weird Viruses (yellow). Removing all viruses on the screen advances the player to the next level.

Dr. Mario 64

Dr. Mario sprite from Dr. Mario 64.

In Dr. Mario 64, Mad Scienstein robs Dr. Mario's Megavitamins and sets off to deliver them to his master, Rudy the Clown. Dr. Mario, as well as Wario, who wants to sell the Megavitamins for money, follow defeat the two. In order to advance through the story, Dr. Mario must defeat Rudy's minions in Vs. Matches. In the end, it is revealed that Rudy is actually sick and Scienstein was ordered to retrieve the magical healing pills to cure him.

Dr. Mario also received several subtle aesthetic changes, most of them reflecting Mario's changes over time, although he did gain a tie which has since become a staple of his design.

Dr. Mario Online Rx

Gameplay of Dr. Mario Online Rx with Dr. Mario as the character.

In the WiiWare game Dr. Mario Online Rx, players can control Dr. Mario or any Mii stored in their Wii. Dr. Mario serves a similar role as his debut game; he takes Megavitamins from his bag and throws them into the bottle, using them to defeat viruses.

Dr. Mario Express

In Dr. Mario Express plays the same role as he does in Dr. Mario Online Rx, but unlike the Wii version, his model is cel-shaded, giving him a more cartoonish look.

Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure

Dr. Mario, as well as his brother, Dr. Luigi, appears in the compilation in Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure, which includes "Dr. Mario", the standard gameplay where Dr. Mario assists players destroy viruses, as well as two additional modes, "Operation L" from Dr. Luigi, and "Virus Buster". One new clearing method Dr. Mario can use is the Miracle Cure, which is a gauge that, once filled, can be used to destroy all Viruses and Megavitamins of the corresponding color, drop a bomb to remove adjacent Viruses and Megavitamins, or clear an entire column.

Nintendo Comics System

The Doctor Is In... Over His Head

Dr. Mario appears in Nintendo Comics System's adaptation of Dr. Mario, entitled "The Doctor Is In... Over His Head". Mario and Princess Peach, expecting a plumbing emergency, enter the Mushroom Kingdom General Hospital, although they find no emergency. Dr. Waldo Bloom insists so and makes Mario his research assistant, calling him Dr. Mario. After touring through the hospital, Dr. Waldo takes them to his laboratory where he shows them the Viruses, and he explains that the Viruses have been multiplying. The original Viruses, inside the jar, soon break free and introduce themselves as Chill, Fever, and Weird. Eventually, after discovering that matching the colors of stacked Megavitamins can destroy Viruses, Mario manages to defeat them.

Princess Peach then advises Dr. Bloom play golf and return only he is done with the game, but Mario notes that Dr. Bloom is a bad golfer, which means Dr. Bloom will be off duty for a long time. Princess Peach then suggests Mario to be both a plumber and a doctor, which Mario agrees to do.

Club Nintendo

Dr. Mario also appears in the German Club Nintendo comic "Süße Weihnachten" where he helps Bowser who suffers from a stomachache on Christmas Day. Bowser has Viruses in his stomach, and Dr. Mario advises him to take bitter pills instead of marzipan.

Super Mario-Kun

Dr. Mario makes a brief appearance in volume 1 of Super Mario-Kun, when Yoshi falls from the Sky, Mario transforms into Dr. Mario and stuffs a giant Megavitamin in his mouth. Dr. Mario also appears in volume 8, after being attacked by a Tweeter, Mario transforms into Dr. Mario. He then reveals a shell underneath a rock and attaches rocket boosters (which resemble Megavitamins) to it, enabling him, Luigi, and Yoshi to fly on it. This knocks away nearby Snifits.

Super Smash Bros. series

Dr. Mario's stock icon in Super Smash Bros. Melee

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Main article: SmashWiki:Dr. Mario (SSBM)
Main article: SmashWiki:Dr. Mario (SSB4)
Artwork of Dr. Mario from Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Dr. Mario appears as an unlockable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee, his design based upon that of the original Dr. Mario game. He is unlocked by beating Classic or Adventure mode with Mario without losing any lives and then defeating him in the immediate subsequent match. Most of his attacks and moves are nearly identical to his standard self, Mario. However, instead of fireballs, Dr. Mario shoots Megavitamins at his opponents, his smash attacks uses electricity instead of fire, and the yellow cape is replaced with the Super Sheet. His other moves, Super Jump Punch and Dr. Tornado, are the same, with Dr. Mario jumping up into the air and spinning around to damage opponents respectively. Dr. Mario shares the same speed and jump prowess as Mario, despite his trophy description, although these differences exist in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U.

Although Dr. Mario is absent from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, data for Dr. Mario can be found, suggesting that he was intended to be in the game in some form. Meanwhile, Dr. Mario's Super Smash Bros. Melee theme can be used as one of the songs that plays in the PictoChat and custom stages. He also has a Sticker depicting his artwork from the original Dr. Mario game.

Dr. Mario returns in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U as an unlockable fighter, making him, Mewtwo and Roy the only cut characters from Super Smash Bros. Melee to return. To unlock him in the Nintendo 3DS version, players must either complete Classic Mode with Mario on at least 4.0 intensity, or play 60 Smash matches and then defeat him in the next immediate match. In the Wii U version, players can unlock Dr. Mario by completing a Master Orders ticket with a difficulty level of Hard or higher or playing 50 Smash matches. Although he retains his dark gray pants from Super Smash Bros. Melee, his design has been updated to include the shirt and tie that appear starting with Dr. Mario 64. Reflecting the change, Dr. Mario can wear tie-related equipment to boost his defense stat instead of the usual overalls his counterpart uses.

While his movement speed is much slower than in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Dr. Mario appears relatively unchanged; he retains his original down special move, the Dr. Tornado. He shares his custom special moves with Mario, barring the Dr. Tornado, which are shared with Luigi. His Final Smash, Doctor Finale, is a variation of Mario's Mario Finale: the flames are replaced with giant pills. Dr. Mario has also gained two new taunts, a new entrance animation, and one of his victory animations from Super Smash Bros. Melee, the one shared with Mario, has been replaced with a new one, which has him pondering.

Other appearances

In Nintendo Monopoly, Dr. Mario is seen on one of the ? Block Cards, "Receive for medical services $25". Dr. Mario also makes a short appearance in one strip of Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater. Here, he receives a patient, which turns out to be a Dry Bones, much to his annoyance. Dr. Mario also makes a small appearance as one of the occupations listed in Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up on the "Medical Doctor/Nurse" career page. In WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, Dr. Mario appears in a microgame named after him based on the NES version of his game. A spoof of the original Dr. Mario game appears in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! called Dr. Wario, it has no gameplay differences.

Dr. Mario cropped from a strip of a scan of Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater.
Dr. Mario in a strip of Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater.

Later, in the animated Super Mario World TV show episode "King Scoopa Koopa", Mario finishes off his healthy-eating request to a group of cave people with the line "Dr. Mario's orders!". Dr. Mario was given a similar reference in Paper Mario when the thankful Whale told Mario that he should be addressed by the title of "Dr. Mario" after Mario and his partners expelled the Fuzzipede from the Whale's body, thus ending his stomachache.

Remakes & compilations

Dr. Mario, usually in his debut game, has also appeared in the various remakes and compilations of several games. Dr. Mario Vs. which was made for Vs. matches of Dr. Mario, released for the Nintendo Vs. System. Tetris & Dr. Mario is a remake of the NES game, and, as shown in the title, also includes Tetris. Dr. Mario BS Version is a remake of the original game for the Satellaview that includes the graphics and sound from Tetris & Dr. Mario.

Classic NES Series: Dr. Mario is a direct port of the original Dr. Mario, it was one pf the many NES games remade for the Classic NES Series on the Game Boy Advance. Also for the Game Boy Advance, Dr. Mario & Puzzle League featured Dr. Mario alongside an unrelated game, Puzzle League in a similar fashion to Tetris & Dr. Mario. Finally, Nintendo Puzzle Collection includes Dr. Mario 64 as part of the collection of Nintendo puzzle games.

List of appearances

Title Description Release Date Medium
Dr. Mario Playable character 1990 NES
Gameboy
Nintendo Vs. System
Nintendo PlayChoice-10
The Doctor Is In... Over His Head Major character 1990 Nintendo Comics System
Süße Weihnachten Minor appearance 1991 Club Nintendo
Super Mario-Kun Minor appearance 1991 Manga
Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up Minor appearance 1991 DOS
Tetris & Dr. Mario Playable character 1994 SNES
Dr. Mario DS Version Playable character 1997 Satellaview
Dr. Mario 64 Playable character 2001 Nintendo 64
Super Smash Bros. Melee Unlockable playable character 2001 Nintendo Gamecube
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! Cameo in microgame 2003 Gameboy Advance
Classic NES Series: Dr. Mario Port of original game 2004 Game Boy Advance
Dr. Mario & Puzzle League Playable character 2005 Gameboy Advance
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Minor appearance; sticker 2008 Wii
Dr. Mario Online Rx Playable character 2008 Wii (WiiWare)
Dr. Mario Express Playable character 2008 Nintendo DSi (DSiWare)
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Unlockable playable character 2014 Nintendo 3DS
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Unlockable playable character 2014 Wii U
Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure Playable character 2015 Nintendo 3DS

Profiles and statistics

Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up

Picture Name In-game description
Dr. Mario and Nurse Princess Toadstool Medical Doctor/Nurse Dr. Mario and Nurse Princess Toadstool are using the X-Ray machine to find out what is wrong with their patient. "Aha! This patient's bones aren't connected," says Dr. Mario. "No wonder he looks so sick."

Medical doctors take charge of treating the sick to save lives and relieve suffering. Doctors know almost everything about the human body and specially trained in preventing and treating disease. Nurses help doctors in clinics, hospitals and doctor's offices. Some nurses have special training which allows them to examine patients and prescribe treatment.

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros. Melee Trophy information

Type Image Description
Classic File:Trophy61.PNG 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.
Adventure File:Trophy62.PNG 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.
All-Star File:Trophy63.PNG The differences between Dr. Mario and Mario are more pronounced in some areas than others, but basically they can be played in a 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.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Stickers

Name Image Artwork from Effect in The Subspace Emissary
Dr. Mario A sticker of Dr. Mario Nintendo Puzzle Collection [Head] - Attack +18
Usable by: Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, Bowser

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U

Trophy information

Name 3DS Image Wii U Image Appears in NTSC-U Description PAL Description
Dr. Mario Trophy thumbnail image. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Dr. Mario's trophy render from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U NES Dr. Mario (10/1990)
Wii Dr. Mario Online Rx (05/2008)
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. 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.
Dr. Mario (Alt.) Trophy thumbnail image. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Dr. Mario's trophy render from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U NES Dr. Mario (10/1990)
Wii Dr. Mario Online Rx (05/2008)
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. 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.
Doctor Finale N/A Doctor Finale's trophy render from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U In Dr. Mario's Final Smash, he spreads his arms wide and then lets loose a pair of giant vitamin capsules that spiral through the air, taking out any pesky "viruses" in their path. The wide range makes it tough for foes to avoid, and opponents they strike will take multiple hits, and possibly even being pushed right off the screen!
Palutena's Guidance
  • Pit: I don't think that's a real doctor.
  • Palutena: I wouldn't be so sure. He delivers crushing blows, so he must be very knowledgeable about anatomy.
  • Viridi: He's a quack. I hear he treats viruses by randomly throwing medication at them. Doesn't seem very safe.
  • Pit: I'm so glad Skyworld doesn't have checkups.
  • Palutena: Dr. Mario is slower than the regular Mario, but he's also more powerful. Don't get sent to the emergency room! You don't know what kind of treatment you'll get.

Gallery

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See also

Name in other languages

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References

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ "One of the experiments has gone out of control. The viruses are spreading quickly!" Dr. Mario instruction manual for NES, page 3.
  3. ^ "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.

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