Dr. Mario (SSB4)

Dr. Mario in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Mario
Other playable appearance	in Melee
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Doctor Finale
Tier	G (48)

Dr. Mario (Dr. マリオ, Dr. Mario) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. His return to the series was officially confirmed on October 9th, 2014 as part of a post-release announcement, during which Dark Pit was also confirmed. Like Dark Pit and Lucina, Dr. Mario was originally planned to be an alternate costume. However, all three were instead converted into being clones late in SSB4's development, with Masahiro Sakurai explaining that the reason for doing so in regard to Dr. Mario was in order to appeal to his fanbase from Super Smash Bros. Melee. Dr. Mario is also the first of three Melee characters that were cut from Super Smash Bros. Brawl to return for SSB4, followed by Roy and Mewtwo. However, he retains his status as an unlockable character, whereas Roy and Mewtwo are now downloadable content.

Like Mario, Dr. Mario's moveset has very slightly changed since his last appearance, though he now possesses a Final Smash called Doctor Finale. Charles Martinet reprises his role as Dr. Mario's voice actor, albeit via Mario's voice clips from Brawl. However, Dr. Mario is less vocal than his normal counterpart.

Dr. Mario is currently ranked 48th out of 58 on the tier list, placing him in the G tier. This is a vast drop from his placement in Melee, where his ranking of 11th out of 26 placed him in the mid-tier and higher than his normal self. While Dr. Mario's power has increased overall, his mobility has become noticeably slower and less nimble, with these traits having been implemented in order to differentiate him from Mario. Dr. Mario's recovery and combo game are also inferior to Mario's, which altogether have resulted in him having poor representation and below average results in competitive play.

Despite his glaring flaws, Dr. Mario has gained status as a niche character in competitive play. This is courtesy of his metagame being expanded by professionals, such as 2ManyCooks, Atomsk and Nairo, who have shown that he can still be an effective choice in certain matchups.

How to unlock

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

• Play 60 VS Matches.
• Clear Classic Mode as Mario on difficulty 4.0 or higher.

Dr. Mario must then be defeated on Mushroomy Kingdom.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

• Play 50 VS Matches.
• Clear Master Orders on Hard difficulty.

Dr. Mario must then be defeated on Delfino Plaza.

Attributes

Dr. Mario is a clone of Mario: he is a middleweight of average stature and can now wall jump, just like his normal self. However, while they share animations and overall design, Dr. Mario functions differently due to his differences in speed and power. As such, he fights like a stronger, but slower version of Mario, just as he was originally intended to be in Melee. Although Dr. Mario has the exact same in-game values as Mario, his overall mobility is sub-par due to multipliers being applied to his walking and dashing speeds (0.83x), air speed (0.81x), and air acceleration (0.82x), in addition to having lower jumps. Outside of these attributes, both Dr. Mario and Mario share the same falling and fast falling speeds, traction, and gravity.

However, Dr. Mario's entire moveset deals noticeably more damage and knockback than Mario's, due to all but his up tilt, forward aerial, back aerial, down aerial, and down special using a 1.12x multiplier on his normal self's respective attacks. As a result, Dr. Mario is noticeably more efficient at KOing in comparison to Mario, with all of his smash attacks, his forward and back aerials, and his Super Jump Punch being excellent KOing options. Dr. Mario's above average damage output and knockback also grant him a very capable punishment game once he finds the proper opening.

Other noticeable differences are seen in his special moves: Megavitamins deal more damage than Mario's Fireball whether they are early or late. However, the angle between the two attacks are more defined, as Megavitamins travel farther in the air without landing and bounce twice instead of three times. Super Sheet has higher hitboxes and its reflection hitbox has a longer duration compared to Mario's Cape, but it has much less horizontal range and, most notably, no longer stalls him in midair like it did in Melee.

To alleviate the removal of Super Sheet's recovery potential, Dr. Tornado is now a more integral part of Dr. Mario's recovery, since it grants him a decent amount of horizontal distance if it is button mashed sufficiently. In addition, Dr. Tornado deals damage unlike F.L.U.D.D. and can be used for edgeguarding, although it is noticeably riskier at doing so in comparison. Super Jump Punch functions like Luigi's version of the move, as it consists of a sweetspot and a sourspot, rather than multiple hitboxes. This makes Dr. Mario's Super Jump Punch a very effective KOing option, especially from out of shield. In addition, Super Jump Punch can be B-reversed upon startup, potentially allowing Dr. Mario to counter shielded attacks even from behind his back. While Dr. Mario's Super Jump Punch is considerably weaker than Luigi's, it's less punishable thanks to its lower ending and landing lag.

In regard to playstyle, Dr. Mario's combo game is very different from Mario's, as it is harder overall to land more attacks without correct reads. While he has a higher overall damage output, Dr. Mario's slower movement speed, increased knockback and his up aerial's different angle can noticeably hinder his ability to chain hits together in quick succession, especially against lightweight characters, which gives Dr. Mario's combo game less flexibility. Despite this, his down tilt is his most versatile combo starter; although it has poor reach overall, it is particularly effective against middleweights, heavyweights and certain fast-fallers. It can chain into either his neutral attack, up smash, forward tilt, up tilt, Super Jump Punch or Dr. Tornado. Outside of this, his up tilt can also chain into itself as reliably as Mario's, though it can be performed less consecutively compared to his normal self's due to its higher knockback. Lastly, Dr. Mario's uncharged up smash can also initiate grounded combos, particularly into itself at low percentages, due to its horizontal launching angle.

There are some things Dr. Mario shares with Mario, however. Like his normal self, he boasts an effective grab game due to his throws' respective uses. His forward throw is excellent for initiating edgeguards, while his back throw is a viable KOing option at high percentages. His up throw is able to initiate aerial pressure, while his down throw is able to combo into his up smash on the majority of the cast beginning at 0%, his back air at early and mid percents, and even his forward aerial and Super Jump Punch at higher percentages, although the latter two require very precise timing. Dr. Mario's air game is also above average: his neutral aerial is a "reverse sex kick", meaning it has lower knockback at the start, but higher knockback throughout the rest of its duration. It also comes out quickly, which makes it ideal to break combos and lead into another move when late due to its low landing lag. His back aerial is also fast and powerful, making it a viable KOing and edgeguarding option. His back aerial and up aerial can also be auto-cancelled from a short hop, making them good pressuring and combo tools respectively.

His forward aerial, while slow in execution, is the third strongest of its kind when sweetspotted and is a tremendously powerful punishing option, making it lethal from a short hop while near the edge. His up and down aerials, however, are different from Mario's in regard to utility. His up aerial launches at a more horizontal angle and has much less knockback, making it his most difficult aerial to chain at low percentages. His down aerial is a drill kick with considerable start-up, but a longer duration and a much lower launching angle, making it better than Mario's Mario Tornado for edgeguarding. In addition to his down tilt, the majority of his other grounded moves have some utility: his neutral attack is among the fastest in the game, his up tilt can chain into itself, and all of his smash attacks boast great power.

Dr. Mario's flaws are significantly more noticeable when compared to Mario's. While he boasts excellent KO power, his KO potential is inconsistent due to having fewer guaranteed KO set-ups than Mario. Many characters also outperform him in several areas: Donkey Kong has more power, Luigi has greater combo versatility, Villager and R.O.B. have stronger zoning abilities, Captain Falcon has better mobility and Shulk has greater range. Out of these attributes, his most problematic ones are the latter two: his slow mobility compared to Mario gives him problems with approaching, which, when compounded by the poor range on his attacks, further prevents him from fighting at a safe distance compared to Mario.

Dr. Mario's sluggish mobility compounds another notable weakness: his recovery. Despite him now being able to wall jump, the combination of Dr. Mario's lower jumps, slower air speed, slower air acceleration, and the lower distance Super Jump Punch grants compared to Mario's results in his recovery being predictable. Unlike Mario, he can extend it by making use of Dr. Tornado, which allows him to gain slightly better horizontal distance compared to Mario. However, his recovery gains noticeably less vertical distance if not used early compared to the latter (unless used with a double jump) which leaves him vulnerable to most meteor smashes as they may launch him low enough to be KO'd. As a result, it's best for him to read the opponent when trying to return to the stage knowing when and how to make use of Dr. Tornado. Additionally, even though he may not need to use his second jump to recover, any sufficiently strong attacks, particularly semi-spikes, may launch him too far away to recover back to the stage.

Dr. Mario significantly benefits from his custom moves. Like Mario, his custom moves define the fundamentals of customization, but in Dr. Mario's case, some of them alleviate his most significant flaws compared to how Mario's benefit him. Fast Capsule deals less damage and barely causes flinching, but covers more range at a much faster pace and thus improves his already decent projectile game. Conversely, Mega Capsule has less range and is much slower, but deals repeated damage and lingers after being thrown. This allows it to shut down many approaches from characters that lack projectiles, as well as provide follow-ups. Breezy Sheet provides more safety when fighting near the edge but deals slightly less damage, whereas Shocking Sheet gives Dr. Mario another KOing option that has decent speed, but merely destroys projectiles rather than reflecting them. Ol' One-Two gives Dr. Mario an extremely powerful KOing option that can KO at very low percentages, but at the cost of further hindering his already sub-par recovery. Conversely, Super Jump functions in the exact opposite way: it grants noticeably better recovery, but deals no damage whatsoever. Soaring Tornado is arguably Dr. Mario's best custom move due to its utility. It grants noticeably better vertical recovery, has incredible edgeguarding potential due to its windbox and hitbox, and its hitbox is powerful enough to KO early either on-stage or off-stage. However, these benefits come at the cost of granting less horizontal recovery. Dr. Mario's only sub-par custom move seems to be Clothesline Tornado: it boasts impressive power, yet further hinders his recovery, has a shorter duration and has a bit of start-up lag.

Overall, Dr. Mario functions like he was initially intended to in Melee: a slower, but stronger version of Mario. These traits make Dr. Mario function like a fairly slow, yet fairly powerful glass cannon, similarly to Zelda. As such, he performs optimally with a bait and punish playstyle while remaining on-stage more often than not due to his sub-par recovery. While Dr. Mario's faults outweigh his strengths to the point that his tournament representation and results are both poor, he has a few notable players to his credit, such as 2ManyCooks, Atomsk and Nairo.

Changes from Melee

Dr. Mario received some of the most recognizable changes out of any veteran in the transition from Melee to SSB4, with all of his changes gearing him towards what he was intended to be in Melee: a slower, but stronger Mario. However, these changes result in Dr. Mario being considerably nerfed overall, due to the nerfs to his speed and mobility weakening his neutral game and approach despite having Megavitamins as a projectile, which means Dr. Mario must now rely more on baiting the opponent rather than approaching. Many of his moves were also nerfed, with notable examples including his forward aerial and forward smash, which now require landing their sweetspots in order to be effective, and his Megavitamins, which now deal less damage and have much worsened lag.

Although his punishment game is still potent, the post-Melee changes to game physics have also removed many of Dr. Mario's set-ups into those potential sweetspots, making it much less effective as well. Furthermore, his recovery was nerfed due to Dr. Tornado's vertical coverage having been decreased when used in the air (without the aid of his jump) while Super Sheet no longer stalls him in the air. When combined with his lower jumps, this forces Dr. Mario to either mix up the usage of his Dr. Tornado by using it early when recovering or by using it with his double jump to get more vertical distance. His new wall jump can be used for recovery mix-ups but this makes him predictable to edgeguard.

However, Dr. Mario has been buffed in other aspects. Some of his moves have increased reach, benefitting his match-ups against characters with long reach such as Marth. However, Mario also benefits somewhat more from the latter change in comparison, due to his better mobility. Dr. Mario's already high power has increased even further, due to the strengthening of some of his attacks' sweetspots. These changes, however, do not compensate for the overall decrease to his mobility. As a result, he is the only Melee veteran to have been truly nerfed in his transition, as Mewtwo has been significantly buffed via game updates, while Roy had already been buffed in various ways upon his return and was slightly buffed via game updates.

Aesthetics

• Dr. Mario's design is now a combination of his appearances from both Dr. Mario 64 and Super Smash Bros. Melee. Like in Dr. Mario 64 and subsequent Dr. Mario games, he wears a red tie, while his stethoscope and head mirror's headband are now black and dark gray instead of blue and brown, respectively. Like in Melee, he wears dark gray pants instead of white pants like in the Dr. Mario games, although they have been slightly rolled up at his ankles.
• Dr. Mario now has an on-screen appearance. He appears from behind a stack of Megavitamins that disintegrates once a final Megavitamin lands on it.
• Dr. Mario has a new idle pose. He pounds his fist into his open palm. However, his stance while holding a light item is now identical to Mario's.
• Dr. Mario now has an up taunt and a down taunt. His up taunt involves him grinding his shoe on the ground, while his down taunt involves him lightly pounding his shoulder with his fist.
• Dr. Mario has a new victory pose, replacing the one he shared with Mario in Melee. He contemplatively rubs his chin with his hand.

Attributes

• While Dr. Mario's overall damage output is higher than Mario's, most of his moves deal slightly less damage due to Mario's overall damage output having been decreased.
• Dr. Mario is slightly smaller. This makes his hurtbox slightly smaller, but slightly hinders his range.
• Dr. Mario is lighter (100 → 98). His weight is now identical to Mario's since Brawl, which slightly hinders his survivability, but makes him slightly less susceptible to combos.
• Dr. Mario walks slower (1.1 → 0.913).
• Dr. Mario dashes slower (1.5 → 1.328).
• Dr. Mario's traction is lower (0.6 → 0.45), now being identical to Mario's. This hinders his punishment game, especially from out of shield.
• Dr. Mario's air speed is faster (0.9 → 0.9315), though it is still significantly slower than Mario's.
• Due to the physics changes in SSB4, Dr. Mario's falling speed is slower (1.7 → 1.5) and his gravity is lower (0.095 → 0.08715). Compared to the other veterans, his endurance is still balanced.
• Jump is slightly higher.
• Dr. Mario can now wall jump.
• Dr. Mario's jumpsquat is 1 frame slower (4 frames → 5).
• Walk's animation has changed. It is now is identical to Mario's since Brawl.
• Backward jump's animation has changed. Dr. Mario now backflips three times, rather than once.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack's first hit is now a consecutive jab like Mario's and it transitions faster overall.
• Neutral attack deals less damage (4% (hit 1)/3% (hit 2)/6% (hit 3) → 2.8%/1.68%/4.48%). All hits also have increased ending lag (IASA 16/19/23 → 23/25/36), hindering its jab canceling potential.
• All tilt attacks deal less damage (9% (upward)/8% (non-angled)/7% (downward) → 7.84% (all angles) (forward), 10% (clean)/8% (late) → 7.056% (up), 9% → 7.84% (body)/5.6% (foot) (down)).
• Forward tilt comes out 1 frame slower and its hitbox has a shorter duration (frames 4-8 → 5-7).
• Up tilt no longer launches the opponent forward if they are hit in front of Dr. Mario. Instead of having different launching angles depending on where it hits them, it now always launches opponents upward. This improves its combo potential, but hinders its versatility.
• Up tilt comes out 1 frame slower and its hitbox has a shorter duration (frames 4-12 → 5-11).
• Down tilt now launches opponents at 80° instead of behind Dr. Mario. This improves its combo potential, but removes its edgeguard set-up potential.
• Down tilt has decreased ending lag (26 frames → 21). When combined with its new angle, these changes improve its combo potential.
• Down tilt's hitbox has a shorter duration (frames 5-8 → 5-7).
• Dash attack deals less damage (9% (clean)/8% (late) → 8.96%/6.72%).
• Due to the damage multiplier for fully charged smash attacks being increased from Melee to SSB4 (1.3671x → 1.4x), fully charged forward and up smashes deal more damage.
• Non-angled and downward angled forward smash deal more damage (19% (non-angled)/18% (downward) → 19.04%/19.6112%). Forward smash also has increased range.
• Upward angled forward smash deals 0.008% less damage (20% → 19.992%).
• Forward smash has received a sourspot located at Dr. Mario's hand that deals less damage (20% (upward)/19% (non-angled)/18% (downward) → 16.464%/15.68%/16.1504%).
• Forward smash has decreased knockback (30 (base)/97 (scaling) → 25/96). It also has increased start-up and ending lag (IASA 42 → 48) and its hitbox has a shorter duration (frames 12-16 → 15-17).
• Up smash now deals consistent damage (16% (clean)/13% (late) → 15.68%). It also no longer spikes grounded opponents, which improves its KO potential, but hinders its combo potential.
• Up smash's hitbox and intangibility have longer durations (9-11 → 9-13).
• Down smash deals less damage (18% (clean front)/17% (late front)/15% (clean back)/13% (late back) → 11.2% (front)/13.44% (back)), has increased ending lag (IASA 38 → 44) and its back hit's hitbox has a shorter duration (14-15 → 14).
• Down smash's knockback has been altered (45 (base)/75 (scaling) → 30/100), which makes it stronger at medium to high percentages, but not enough to compensate at low percentages. Its hits' properties have also been reversed, with the back hit being stronger than the front hit. Lastly, both hits have a consistent hitbox throughout, rather than clean and late hitboxes.
• Down smash is now a semi-spike (Sakurai angle → 30°). This significantly improves its KOing and edgeguarding potentials despite its decreased damage output.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral, forward, up, and down aerials all deal less damage (10% (early)/14% (clean) → 5.6%/8.96% (neutral), 17% (clean)/16% (late) → 11.2% (early)/16.8% (clean)/10.08% (late) (forward), 10% → 7.84% (up), 16.38% → 10.976% (down)).
• Neutral and forward aerial autocancel slightly faster (frame 36 → 34 (neutral), frame 44 → 43 (forward)).
• Neutral aerial's hitbox lasts shorter (frames 3-31 → 3-27).
• Forward aerial comes out 2 frames faster and its hitbox lasts longer (frames 18-22 → 16-22).
• Forward aerial has received an early hitbox during frame 1 and a late hitbox during its last 3 frames that deal less damage (11.2% (early), 10.08% (late)) and knockback (30 (base)/95 (scaling) (early), 20 (base)/95 (scaling) (late)). Clean forward aerial also has altered knockback (50/40 (base)/100 (scaling) → 30/102).
• Back aerial deals more damage (8% (clean)/7% (late) → 13.44%/7.84%) and has altered knockback (43 (base)/65 (scaling) → 10/95), improving its KO potential.
• Back aerial's angle has been altered (28° → 361°), removing its semi-spike ability and hindering its edgeguarding potential. It also has a shorter hitbox duration (frames 6-16 → 6-13) and increased ending lag (IASA 29 → 34).
• Up aerial has increased base knockback (0 → 9), a longer hitbox duration (frames 4-9 → 4-12) and decreased ending lag (IASA 34 → 32).
• Up and down aerials autocancel slower (frame 16 → 18 (up), frame 33 → 45 (down)).
• Up aerial's angle has been altered (55° → 45°).
• Down aerial has received a landing hitbox that deals 2.24%. Its loop hits also launch at the auto-link angle, making it much harder to SDI out of.
• Down aerial has increased ending lag (IASA 38 → 52).
• Down aerial now consists of five hits rather than seven due to receiving a single hitbox that re-hits every 4 frames, rather than multiple hitboxes every 3 frames.

Throws/other attacks

• All grabs have increased ranges.
• Standing and dash grabs are faster (frame 7/11 → 6/8) and have decreased ending lag (IASA 31/41 → 29/36).
• Pummel deals 0.64% more damage (3% → 3.64%), making it the most damaging pummel in the game.
• All throws have decreased ending lag, improving up and down throws' aerial follow-up potentials.
• Forward, up and down throws deal less damage (9% (forward)/8% (up)/6% (down) → 8.96%/7.84%/5.6%).
• Back throw deals more damage (12% (throw)/8% (collateral) → 12.32%/8.96%).
• Back throw has significantly decreased knockback (80 (base)/72 (scaling) → 70/60). This hinders its KO potential (could KO under 135% in Melee, but won't KO until around 200%-160% in SSB4), although it is still one of the strongest throws in the game (sixth most powerful back throw in SSB4, along with Mario).
• The removal of chain grabbing hinders Dr. Mario's grab game and damage racking potential.
• Due to the introduction of tripping, Dr. Mario has received a floor attack when he trips.
• Front and back floor attacks deal 1.84% more damage (6% → 7.84%).
• Edge attack now deals consistent damage (8% (legs)/6% (body) → 7.84%).

Special moves

• Megavitamins deal less damage (8% → 5.6% (early)/4.48% (late)), have increased start-up (frame 12 → 17) and ending lag (IASA 44 → 53). They also have a shorter duration (75 frames → 53).
• Megavitamins are slightly larger, cover more range and are no longer absorbable.
• Megavitamins are much brighter, more rounded and lack a translucent half.
• Super Sheet deals less damage (10%/12% → 7.84%) and has much smaller hitboxes.
• Aerial Super Sheet no longer stalls Dr. Mario, removing its recovery potential.
• Super Jump Punch deals 0.44% more damage (13% → 13.44%). It also now consists of clean and late hitboxes, with the clean hitbox being strong enough to KO reliably before 150% from center-stage and around 100% near the edge. This improves its KO, combo and tech-chasing potentials. Super Jump Punch can also be moved in the opposite direction upon hitting with its clean hitbox, which gives Dr. Mario the ability to possibly hit multiple opponents with the clean hitbox and possibly avoid being punished after hitting with it.
• Super Jump Punch can no longer be canceled and has increased landing lag.
• Super Jump Punch's animation has changed. It no longer produces coins upon contact.
• Dr. Tornado has decreased ending lag (IASA 80 → 75), allowing for a double jump sooner and thus improving its recovery potential. Its duration has slightly increased and it is harder to escape from, while its last hit is stronger, improving its KO potential. Lastly, it now consists of a single hitbox that re-hits every 6 frames, rather than many hitboxes with short durations before it concludes. This improves its safety.
• Dr. Tornado deals less damage (13% (all grounded hits)/14% (all aerial hits) → 8.736% (all hits)) and has increased start-up lag (frame 8 → 10). Aerial Dr. Tornado's vertical distance has also decreased due to its longer animation.
• Dr. Mario now has a Final Smash, Doctor Finale. Dr. Mario rears his arms back before thrusting them forward to generate and launch two gigantic Megavitamins that move across the screen in a spiraling motion, which trap and repeatedly damage any opponents in their path. Aesthetically, it functions identically to Mario Finale.

Differences from Mario

Aesthetics

• Dr. Mario's on-screen appearance, taunts, idle poses and victory poses are different.
• Dr. Mario's stance is identical to Mario's, albeit slower.
• Dr. Mario is less vocal and a few of his attacks emit different sound effects upon contact.

Attributes

• Except for his up tilt, forward aerial, back aerial, down aerial and down special, Dr. Mario's other attacks use a multiplier of 1.12x on the damage outputs of Mario's respective attacks. However, this multiplier does not apply to items or reflected attacks. This makes him stronger overall.
• Dr. Mario's walking speed, dashing speed, air speed and air acceleration are slower than Mario's due to using multipliers of 0.82x on Mario's respective attributes. Additionally, his jump is lower than Mario's. Altogether, these differences make him significantly less mobile overall.
• Dr. Mario does not crouch as low as Mario.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack's first two hits deal more weight-based knockback (15/10/15 (hit 1)/18/15/18 (hit 2) → 30 (both)), making it slightly more effective at jab canceling.
• Neutral attack has more ending lag (20 frames → 23 (hit 1), 22 frames → 25 (hit 2), 34 frames → 36 (hit 3)) and consistently launch at vertical angles unlike Mario's which can launch horizontally or vertically. (361°/361°/80° (both) → 60°/70°/80° (hit 1), 70°/78°/88° (hit 2)) This prevents it from being able to jab lock and causes issues with lighter opponents falling out of the combo at higher percents.
• Forward tilt has a longer duration (2 frames → 3).
• Up tilt deals 1.556% more damage (5.5% → 7.056%).
• Dr. Mario's dash attack launches the opponent vertically, whereas Mario's launches them diagonally. This makes it more effective for follow-ups at low percentages.
• Dr. Mario's dash attack has different knockback (100 (base)/40 (scaling) → 90/42)
• Forward smash has slightly less range.
• Dr. Mario keeps his fingers outstretched while using forward smash, whereas Mario curls his fingers.
• Dr. Mario's forward smash's sweetspot is on his arm, whereas Mario's is on the flame. This means that Dr. Mario has to be closer to the opponent to hit with the sweetspot.
• Dr. Mario's forward smash has less knockback scaling than Mario's (103/99 → 96/96/100), though it still KO's earlier than Mario's.
• Dr. Mario's forward smash is an electric attack, whereas Mario's is a flame attack. This makes his forward smash safer on shield, but easier to DI.
• Up smash has a longer duration (4 frames → 5) and slightly more range.
• Dr. Mario's up smash has different knockback (32 (base)/94 (scaling) → 0/117) and launches the opponent horizontally (130°), whereas Mario's launches them vertically (83°). This makes it much more effective for starting combos at low percentages when uncharged, but less effective at KOing lightweight/floaty characters.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have more landing lag (10 frames → 12 (neutral), 26 frames → 28 (forward), 12 frames → 16 (back), 12 frames → 14 (up), 19 frames → 21 (down)).
• Dr. Mario's neutral aerial deals more damage and knockback the longer it is active, whereas Mario's functions oppositely.
• Neutral aerial can jab reset until around 40%.
• Neutral aerial has a shorter duration (27 frames → 25).
• Clean and late forward aerials deal more damage (14% (clean)/10% (late) → 16.8%/10.08%).
• Dr. Mario's forward aerial has more knockback scaling (80 (early)/78 (clean)/80 (late) → 95/102/95).
• Early forward aerial deals 0.8% less damage (12% → 11.2%).
• Clean forward air deals less base knockback. (32 → 30)
• Clean and late forward aerials have shorter and longer durations, respectively (4 frames → 3 (clean), 6 frames → 7 (late)).
• Dr. Mario's clean forward aerial launches the opponent diagonally, whereas Mario's meteor smashes them.
• Back aerial deals more damage (10.5% (clean)/7% (late) → 13.44%/7.84%) and its duration is longer (2 frames → 3 (clean), 3 frames → 5 (late), 5 frames → 8 (overall)).
• Clean back aerial deals less knockback (12 (base)/106 (scaling) → 10/95), though it will still KO much earlier than Mario's can.
• Up aerial has a longer duration (5 frames → 9) due to its longer animation. It also less ending lag (24 frames → 20).
• Despite its higher damage output, up aerial deals less knockback (10 (base)/135 (scaling) → 9/100). Dr. Mario's up aerial also launches the opponent diagonally, whereas Mario's launches them vertically. Altogether, these differences make it less effective for combos and juggling.
• Dr. Mario retains his diagonal corkscrew dropkick as his down aerial, whereas Mario's has been Mario Tornado since Brawl.
• Down aerial deals 2.88% more damage (10% → 12.88%). Its last hit also launches the opponent horizontally, whereas Mario's launches them vertically. This makes it more effective at edgeguarding.
• Despite its higher damage output, down aerial's last hit deals 1.64% less damage (5% → 3.36%) and has different knockback (80 (base)/100 (scaling) → 50/120). Dr. Mario's down aerial also has more start-up (5 frames → 11) and ending lag (13 frames → 27) and less vertical range. Altogether, these differences make it less effective at KOing.
• Down aerial cannot autocancel from a short hop.

Grabs and throws

• Despite its lower knockback scaling (66 → 60), back throw is slightly stronger, making it slightly more effective for KOing.
• Up throw has less knockback (70 (base)/72 (scaling) → 65/70), making it KO slightly later, but allows for minor followups at higher percentages.
• Down throw has different knockback (40 (base)/90 (scaling) → 75/45), making it significantly less effective for grounded combos at low percentages and not being compensated at high percentages.

Special moves

• Unlike Fireball, Megavitamins cannot be absorbed due to being physical projectiles.
• Megavitamins bounce twice, whereas Fireball bounces three times.
• Dr. Mario keeps his fingers outstretched while using Megavitamins, whereas Mario curls his while using Fireball.
• Compared to Cape, Super Sheet's reflection hitbox has a longer duration (15 frames → 17), making it slightly safer against projectiles.
• Compared to Cape, Super Sheet has significantly worse horizontal range and its hitbox is shifted upwards slightly, making it more difficult to use for gimping.
• Unlike aerial Cape, aerial Super Sheet does not stall Dr. Mario. This makes it unusable for recovering and even approaching due to its diminuitive hitbox size.
• Dr. Mario's Super Jump Punch consists of clean and late hitboxes similarly to Luigi's, whereas Mario's consists of six hitboxes. This makes it significantly more effective at KOing. It also has a longer duration (9 frames → 17).
• Dr. Mario's Super Jump Punch retains its vertical distance from Melee, whereas Mario's has increased. It also lacks Intangibility at the start of the move.
• Dr. Mario's Super Jump Punch no longer produces coins upon contact, whereas Mario's now produces Star Coins upon contact.
• Dr. Mario retains Dr. Tornado as his down special, whereas Mario's has been F.L.U.D.D. since Brawl.
• Unlike F.L.U.D.D., Dr. Tornado deals damage. Compared to F.L.U.D.D., Dr. Tornado is much more effective at recovering.
• Compared to F.L.U.D.D., Dr. Tornado is slightly less effective at edgeguarding.
• Doctor Finale produces 2D and 3D Megavitamin-based effects and emits Megavitamins' contact sound effect, whereas Mario Finale produces 3D fiery effects and emits a burning sound effect.

Other

• Dr. Mario uses Ties as defensive Equipment, whereas Mario uses Overalls.

Update history

Although his core problems have not been addressed, Dr. Mario has received a handful of buffs nonetheless. Updates 1.0.4 and 1.0.6 increased his forward aerial's damage output and knockback, allowing it to score KOs easier. Update 1.1.0 slightly improved his up smash by giving it an extra frame, as well as making it capable of scoring KOs easier near edges due to increasing its knockback. Like Mario, the changes on shieldstun in update 1.1.1 make it slightly harder for him to use his patient playstyle effectively, as the increased shieldstun makes it harder for him to punish out of shield. This change, however, also benefits him due to his overall damage output being higher than Mario's, which makes his most powerful moves much safer on shield in comparison to Mario's.

1.0.4

• Forward aerial has increased knockback scaling (85 (early/late)/95 (clean) → 95/102)
• Down aerial's loop hits deal 0.336% more damage (1.568% → 1.904%)
• Down aerial has less landing lag (24 frames → 21).
• Down aerial deals less damage overall due to having two less hits (14.336% → 12.88%).

1.0.6

• Up smash's knockback increased, improving its KO potential.
• Clean forward aerial deals 1.12% more damage: 15.68% → 16.8%.

1.1.0

• Up smash's knockback scaling increased: 108 → 117, improving its KO potential.
• Up smash's duration increased: 4 frames → 5.

1.1.1

• Clothesline Tornado deals more damage: 8% → 10%/12%.
• Clothesline Tornado's clean hitbox's size increased.
• Clean Clothesline Tornado's knockback altered: 60 (base)/120 (scaling) → 100/70.

Moveset

• Except for his up tilt, forward aerial, back aerial, down aerial and down special, Dr. Mario's other attacks deal 1.12x more damage than Mario's respective attacks. This does not apply to items or reflected attacks.
• Dr. Mario can wall jump.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2.8%	A one-two combo followed by a front kick. The first two hits have set vertical knockback, allowing Dr. Mario to potentially perform jab canceled follow-ups. Originates from Super Mario 64.
			1.68%
			4.48%
Forward tilt			7.84%	A reverse roundhouse kick. It has low KO potential, making it best suited for spacing.
Up tilt			7.056%	A spinning uppercut. It can combo into itself repeatedly, similarly to Mario's up tilt, or combo into an aerial attack. KOs around 160%. Originates from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
Down tilt			5.6% (foot), 7.84% (body)	A legsweep. Dr. Mario's most reliable combo starter, it can be followed up by any grounded attack or a grab at low percentages, or any aerial attack or Super Jump Punch until high percentages.
Dash attack			8.96% (clean), 6.72% (late)	A baseball slide, a dropkick variation. It launches the opponent directly above Dr. Mario, which gives its better follow-up potential than Mario's. However, it has a fair amount of ending lag like Mario's.
Forward smash	↗		19.992% (arm), 16.464% (hand)	A palm thrust that produces a small blast of electricity. It has longer range than in Melee, but has received a sweetspot at Dr. Mario's arm. Deals outstanding damage and knockback, as it can KO at 92% depending on where it lands.
	→		19.04% (arm), 15.68% (hand)
	↘		19.6112% (arm), 16.1504% (hand)
Up smash			15.68%	An upward headbutt. Its diagonal angle makes it great for combos at low percentages, particularly into itself. However, this also makes it reliable at KOing only while near the edge, whereas Mario's can KO from any part of a stage. Dr. Mario's head is intangible while its hitboxes are active and it possesses more range than Mario's, as it can hit opponents behind himself.
Down smash			11.2% (front), 13.44% (back)	A double legsweep performed from a flare, an acrobatic technique used in breakdancing and gymnastics. It is Dr. Mario's least damaging smash attack. However, it is a very fast and a powerful semi-spike, which makes it excellent for edgeguarding and KOing, especially when landing its back hit. In addition, opponents can potentially be hit by both the front and back hit. Originates from Super Mario 64.
Neutral aerial			5.6% (clean), 8.96% (late)	A flying kick. It is a "reverse sex kick", as its late hit deals more damage and knockback, while its clean hit deals less damage and knockback. As a result, its late hit is great for edgeguarding, while its clean hit is useful for breaking out of an opponent's combo. Originates from Super Mario 64.
Forward aerial			11.2% (early), 16.8% (clean), 10.08% (late)	A delayed overhand. Unlike Mario's, its clean hit does not meteor smash, but instead deals incredibly high diagonal knockback, to the point that it is the third strongest forward aerial in the game. Great for edgeguarding and can sometimes be used immediately after a down throw. KOs at 109% from center-stage.
Back aerial			13.44% (clean), 7.84% (late)	A dropkick. Its fast speed and high knockback make it effective for edgeguarding and as part of a reverse aerial rush. KOs at 124% near the edge if hit clean.
Up aerial			7.84%	A backflip kick. Launches the opponent upward at a purely diagonal angle and is decent for juggling opponents at low percentages, but it is not reliable for combos like Mario's is.
Down aerial			1.904% (loop), 3.36% (last), 2.24% (landing)	A diagonal corkscrew dropkick. Hits multiple times like Mario Tornado. However, its last hit deals horizontal knockback, making better for edgeguarding compared to Mario Tornado. It's also a great follow-up after down throw at lower percents, and can lead into an up air.
Grab			—	Reaches out. Like Mario, Dr. Mario has a relatively short grab range.
Pummel			3.64%	A headbutt. It is moderately slow, but is the most damaging pummel in the game. While Olimar's and Shulk's pummels can deal more damage, this only occurs if they are using White Pikmin and the Buster Art, respectively.
Forward throw			8.96%	Spins the opponent around once and throws them forward. At certain percentages, it can be followed up with a dash attack or an aerial attack. Can also be useful for forcing opponents off-stage.
Back throw			12.32% (throw), 8.96% (collateral)	Spins the opponent by their legs three times before throwing them backward. While its knockback has decreased somewhat since Melee, it remains a very strong throw and can KO even heavyweight characters near the edge around 160%. It also can hit other opponents while spinning, which deals minor damage and knockback. Originates from Super Mario 64.
Up throw			7.84%	Heaves the opponent directly overhead with both hands. Decent against fast-fallers for aerial follow-ups.
Down throw			5.6%	A body slam. Launches the opponent much higher than Mario's and has low knockback scaling, which makes it better for aerial follow-ups compared to Mario's. However, this also makes it much less suitable for grounded follow-ups compared to Mario's, with its only reliable one being up smash beginning at 0% and ending at very low percentages.
Floor attack (front)			7.84%	Kicks behind himself and then in front of himself while getting up.
Floor attack (back)			7.84%	Punches behind himself and then in front of himself while getting up.
Floor attack (trip)			5.6%	Kicks behind himself and then in front of himself while getting up.
Edge attack			7.84%	Dropkicks upward while climbing up.
Neutral special	Default	Megavitamins	5.6% (early), 4.48% (late)	Throws a Megavitamin. Megavitamins travel on a bouncing arc, similarly to Mario's Fireball, although their arc is unique and allows them to cover different angles compared to Mario's Fireball. Unlike Mario's Fireball, they cannot be absorbed.
	Custom 1	Fast Capsule	3.36% (early), 2.576% (mid), 1.68% (late)	Throws a faster Megavitamin that flies straight ahead, similarly to Fox's and Falco's Blasters. It deals less damage and hitstun, but it can be easily spammed due to its fast speed.
	Custom 2	Mega Capsule	1.68% (per hit)	Throws a slower, but considerably larger, Megavitamin that damages any opponent it hits in its predetermined path until it vanishes. Unlike the other two variations, it does not disappear upon impact. It has slow start-up and ending lag, but can provide a number of potential follow-ups.
Side special	Default	Super Sheet	7.84% (sheet), 1.5x (reflected projectiles)	Waves a white sheet. It deals damage, reflects projectiles with 50% more power than they originally had, and reverses opponents. Its hitbox is much smaller than Mario's Cape, but it has a slightly longer reflection window. Unlike in Melee and Cape, it also no longer stalls him in midair.
	Custom 1	Shocking Sheet	12.544%	The sheet discharges electricity, which launches opponents instead of reversing them and destroys projectiles instead of reflecting them. It deals noticeably more damage and knockback, to the point that it can KO at high percentages, but has more ending lag.
	Custom 2	Breezy Sheet	5.6% (sheet), 1.5x (reflected projectiles)	The sheet emits a small gust of wind, pushing opponents backward in addition to turning them around and reflecting projectiles. It deals slightly less damage while also having more ending lag.
Up special	Default	Super Jump Punch	13.44% (clean), 6.72% (late)	A jumping uppercut. It grants less distance than Mario's and only hits once like Luigi's. However, its hitboxes also function similarly to Luigi's, as its clean hitbox deals more damage and enough knockback to KO middleweights beginning at 140% and around 100% near the edge.
	Custom 1	Super Jump	—	Grants more distance, but deals no damage.
	Custom 2	Ol' One-Two	8.96% (hit 1), 14.56% (hit 2)	Deals more damage overall due to hitting twice as well as much more knockback, but grants considerably less distance.
Down special	Default	Dr. Tornado	1.344% (loop), 3.36% (last)	Rapidly spins around, trapping opponents and damaging them with a series of discus clotheslines and spinning backfists before launching them. On the ground, Dr. Tornado allows Dr. Mario to slightly move around and, via button mashing, leap into the air. In the air, button mashing can allow him to ascend after his first jump and hover after his second jump. While it has 10 frames of start-up lag and has considerable ending lag, it has respectable range that allows it to out-prioritize attacks. It can KO around 130% near the edge and, because of its high knockback scaling, it can be used as a risky but efficient edgeguarding option. It appears to be based on the Spin Jump.
	Custom 1	Soaring Tornado	6.72%	A faster variation that covers considerably more vertical distance, but covers no horizontal distance. Instead of having numerous hitboxes, it consists of a windbox and a single hitbox, the latter of which deals much more knockback than Dr. Tornado's last hitbox. When coupled with its considerably better vertical coverage, it is much more efficient at edgeguarding than Dr. Tornado, as it can KO as low as 30% when near the edge and around 85% at center-stage.
	Custom 2	Clothesline Tornado	8.96% (loop), 8.96% (last)	A slower variation that deals much more damage and more horizontal knockback, but covers considerably less distance.
Final Smash		Doctor Finale	3.36% (big Megavitamin), 2.24% (small Megavitamin)	Rears his arms back before thrusting them forward to generate and launch two gigantic Megavitamins that move across the screen in a spiraling motion, which trap and repeatedly damage any opponents in their path. Aesthetically, it functions identically to Mario Finale. However, it deals more damage than Mario Finale.

On-screen appearance

• A large stack of Megavitamins appears on-stage. Another Megavitamin then lands on the top, causing a chain reaction which disintegrates the entire stack, revealing Dr. Mario behind them. Initially, Dr. Mario appears to be in deep thought with his eyes closed, but then opens his eyes with a surprised expression once the entire stack of Megavitamins disappears.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Grinds his shoe on the ground.
• Side taunt: Pulls out a randomly colored Megavitamin, rolls it down his arm, uses his shoulder to toss it into the air, then catches it.
• Down taunt: Lightly pounds his shoulder with his fist.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Sways his head around.
• Pounds his fist into his palm.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Go Doc!	Doc-tor!
Pitch	Group chant	Group chant

Victory poses

A flourished remix of the Victory Theme used in Super Mario Bros.

• Throws two randomly colored Megavitamins, dusts off his gloves, and then pulls out two more Megavitamins that are the same color as the ones he threw.
• Holds out his stethoscope and points it in front of himself, then to his left, and then in front of himself again.
• Contemplatively rubs his chin and then faces the screen while continuing to rub his chin. This replaces his "Here we go!" victory animation from Melee.

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Dr. Mario	2312	2332	2212	2232	2211
	1311	1332	1212	1211	2322

Notable players

Active

•  Atomsk
•  B7Games
•  Caste
•  Rice (NorCal)
•  Tsumusuto

Inactive

•  2ManyCooks
•  Koolaid
•  Nairo

Tier placement and history

Since SSB4's release, Dr. Mario's nerfs were immediately noticed. His slower mobility, lack of reliable KO set-ups, reduced overall damage output, worsened combo game and worsened recovery, alongside his inability to successfully adapt to SSB4's game physics, contributed to a negative perception of Dr. Mario. As a result, Dr. Mario was widely perceived seen as a low-tier or even bottom-tier character. Despite his poor perception, Nairo surprisingly utilized Dr. Mario for some matches at MLG World Finals 2015 alongside Zero Suit Samus, with a notable example being a set against ESAM that concluded with Nairo winning 3-0 against him in Losers Finals after using Dr. Mario to defeat ESAM's Pikachu for the first two matches and his Samus for their final match. Other professionals, such as 2ManyCooks, have also achieved decent results with him.

Despite these flashes of success, and many more arguing in support of him, citing the fact that, in spite of his greater power, his frame data is mostly identical to Mario’s (which is considered outstanding and lets him abuse otherwise unsafe moves like charged smash attacks) and his Super Jump Punch combos and back air grant him a niche over Mario in very specific matchups, Dr. Mario's metagame has remained stagnant. This is due to both his tournament results and representation being considered among the most scarce in the game, more so than some fellow low-tier and even some bottom-tier characters. These aspects have been reflected in his tier status, in which he was ranked 45th on the first tier list before dropping to his current ranking of 48th on the second tier list, with both rankings placing him in the G tier and only being due to his strengths being greater than those of some low-tier and bottom-tier characters.

Trophies

Dr. Mario

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 10/1990

: Dr. Mario Online Rx 05/2008

Dr. Mario (Alt.)

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.

: Dr. Mario 10/1990

: Dr. Mario Online Rx 05/2008

Doctor Finale

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, possibly even being pushed right off the screen!

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• DrMarioAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Doctor Finale

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• All-Star Battle: Secret: Dr. Mario is one of the opponents fought in this event. All of the opponents have been unlockable characters in previous Super Smash Bros. games.
• Doctor Schmoctor: As Wario, the player must defeat Dr. Mario before Wario's health is depleted due to being flowered.

Co-op Events

• Viral Visitors: Dr. Mario and Peach must defeat four Kirbies.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

  Dr. Mario's amiibo.

• 

  Dr. Mario in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

• 

  Attempting to grab Charizard.

• 

  Using his forward smash on Mega Man.

• 

  Using Super Jump Punch on Bowser.

• 

  Alongside King Dedede, Kirby, Wii Fit Trainer and some food.

• 

  Using his dash attack on Fox.

• 

  Using his side taunt alongside Little Mac and Captain Falcon.

• 

  Using Doctor Finale, his Final Smash, on Olimar, Marth and Zero Suit Samus.

• SSB4 - Dr. Mario Screen-9.jpg

  His on-screen appearance.

• SSB4 - Dr. Mario Screen-10.jpg

  Using Megavitamins on two Kirbies, as a reference to the viruses from his eponymous game.

Trivia

• Dr. Mario's amiibo description on the official amiibo website is a combination of his Classic Mode trophy descriptions from Melee and SSB4.
• Dr. Mario's collar and tie are done up in his official artwork. However, his in-game model shows his collar open and tie loose.
• In addition to this, his head mirror band is also dark brown in-game rather than dark gray as shown in the artwork.
• Dr. Mario and Lucina are the only characters who are not playable in a solo event unless selected.
• Dr. Mario is the only character to have two challenges exclusive to him in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
• Dr. Mario and Lucario are the only characters that lack a meteor smash of any kind, including unconventional meteor smashes.
• Dr. Mario and Pac-Man are the only characters who have a taunt that aesthetically changes each time it is performed. In Dr. Mario's case, his side taunt creates a randomly colored Megavitamin each time it is performed.
• Dr. Mario is the only clone to not share the same idle animations as the character he is cloned from.