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 (45)

Dr. Mario (Dr. マリオ, Dr. Mario) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. Dr. Mario's 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 regards to Dr. Mario was in order to appeal to the fanbase he gained from his appearance in 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, alongside Mewtwo and Roy. However, he retains his status as an unlockable character, whereas Mewtwo and Roy are now downloadable content.

Like Mario, Dr. Mario's moveset has very slightly changed since his last appearance, as 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. Like in Melee, he is less vocal than his normal counterpart.

Dr. Mario is ranked 45th out of 56 on the tier list, placing him at the bottom of G tier and thus making him the lowest ranked low-tier character. This is a vast drop from his 11th out of 26 ranking in Melee, where he was ranked higher than his normal counterpart. While Dr. Mario overall has more relative power compared to his appearance in Melee, he is noticeably slower and sluggish, traits that were intentionally implemented to differentiate him from Mario. He also sports a weaker recovery and combo game, which has resulted in him suffering from poor representation and below average results.

Despite his flaws, Dr. Mario has gained status as a niche character in competitive play. This is courtesy of professionals such as 2ManyCooks, Atomsk and Nairo expanding his metagame by showing 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 of average weight and stature and can wall jump just like his normal counterpart. However, while sharing animations and overall design, he functions a bit differently due to his difference in speed and power. As such, he now fights like a stronger, yet slower version of Mario, just like he was originally intended to be in Melee. As a result, his mobility is sub-par overall, as his walking, dashing and air speeds and air acceleration are all slower due to using a 0.82x multiplier on his normal counterpart's original values, while his jumps are lower. Outside of these traits, both Dr. Mario and Mario share the same traction, falling speed and gravity. Compared to Mario, however, his entire moveset deals noticeably more damage; except for his forward and back aerials, Dr. Mario's remaining attacks use a 1.12x multiplier on Mario's respective attacks, making Dr. Mario's damage output above average compared to Mario's, which is merely average.

In addition to a higher overall damage output, Dr. Mario's moveset also possesses more knockback overall. This means he is notably 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. This also grants Dr. Mario a very capable punishment game once he finds the proper opening. Other noticeable differences he possesses are seen in his specials: Megavitamins deal more damage than Mario's Fireball whether they are early or late. However, the angle between the two attacks are more clear cut, as Megavitamins travel further in the air without landing and bounce twice instead of three times. Super Sheet has more vertical range and its reflection hitbox has a longer duration compared to Mario's Cape, but it has less horizontal range and, most notably, it no longer stalls him in midair like it did in Melee. While this is a glaring problem for Dr. Mario due to his mobility issues, the removal of its aerial stalling effect instead grants it approaching potential. As a result of this, Dr. Tornado is now a more pivotal part of his recovery, since it grants Dr. Mario some good horizontal distance if the button is mashed enough. Lastly, Super Jump Punch acts more like Luigi's version of the move, with high power at its base and a sourspot throughout the rest of its duration instead of a multiple hitting attack, making it an amazing out of shield option and a good KOing option, though unlike Luigi's Super Jump Punch, it is considerably weaker and sends the opponent on a horizontal trajectory in exchange for being less punishable since it has less ending and landing lag.

In terms of playstyle, Dr. Mario's combo game is also very different than 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 makes Dr. Mario's combo game have poor 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 original counterpart's. Lastly, Dr. Mario's up smash can also initiate grounded combos, particularly into itself while uncharged and at low percentages, due to its horizontal launching angle.

There are some things Dr. Mario shares with Mario, however. Like his normal counterpart, he boasts an effective grab game, with his forward throw being an excellent move to edgeguard, his back throw KOing at high percentages, his up throw being a viable move to put aerial pressure and his down throw being able to combo into Super Jump Punch if timed correctly, though very rarely due to its high knockback and Dr. Mario's low jumping force. Regardless, it is difficult to punish except at very low percentages. His aerial 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 very 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 option near the edge, as well as being a viable move for edgeguarding, making it his best aerial. His forward aerial, though slow in execution, is the third strongest of its kind when sweetspotted and a tremendously powerful punishing option, making it from a short hop while near the edge. His up and down aerials, however, are different from Mario's in terms of utility, and in the latter's case, entirely: up aerial launches at a more horizontal angle and has much less knockback, making it his most difficult to chain at low percentages, while down aerial is a drill kick with considerable start-up but higher duration, making it better than Mario's Mario Tornado to avoid getting juggled. His grounded game has also some utility: as stated above, his down tilt can combo into many moves and his up tilt can chain into itself, his neutral attack is among the fastest in the game, and all of his smash attacks have 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 lacking guaranteed KO set-ups like Mario does. 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 much slower mobility compared to Mario gives him problems at approaching the opponent to land a move, which is further compounded by the fact that he possesses poor range on his attacks and prevents him from fighting at a safe distance compared to Mario.

Dr. Mario's problems do not end here, however, as his slow mobility compounds another of his noticeable weakness: his recovery. Even in spite of his newfound ability 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 Super Jump Punch results in his recovery being short-ranged and predictable. Unlike Mario, however, 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 compared to the latter, even when he wall jumps, which leaves him vulnerable to most meteor smashes as they may send him low enough to lose a stock. As a result, he is among the characters that suffer the most when trying to get back to the stage, and even though he may not need to use his second jump to recover, any attack strong enough (most notably semi-spikes) may launch him too far away to recover back to the stage.

Dr. Mario significantly benefits when custom moves are turned on. Like his normal counterpart, his custom moves define the fundamentals of customization, but in his case, some of them allow him to cover up his most significant flaws more noticeably than that of Mario's. Fast Capsule deals less damage and barely causes flinching, but covers more range at a much faster pace, improving his already decent projectile game. Mega Capsule has less range and is much slower, but deals repeated damage and lingers after being shot, allowing it to shut down many approaches from characters that lack projectiles and can be followed up with his other moves. Breezy Sheet provides him more safety when fighting near the edge at a slight cost of damage, while Shocking Sheet gives him an extra KOing option that has decent speed, though it cannot reflect projectiles. Ol' One-Two gives him an extremely powerful KOing option that can KO at very low percentages at the cost of further hampering Dr. Mario's already poor recovery. Both Super Jump and Soaring Tornado considerably improve his sub-par recovery game. Soaring Tornado also has the benefit of making Dr. Mario an incredible edgeguarder due to its consistent windbox effect, how soon its hitbox can KO, even from the center of the stage, and how it is consistently powerful throughout its hitbox duration, unlike most other lingering hitboxes. His only sub-par custom move seems to be Clothesline Tornado, which hampers his recovery without giving him a better damage racking move and has less utility overall.

Overall, Dr. Mario functions like he was initially intended to in Melee: a slower, yet much stronger version of Mario. These traits make him a bit of a slow, yet fairly powerful glass cannon; he is able to deal considerable damage and launch the opponent far away, but cannot afford to receive much damage in return, resulting in him having to utilize a much more patient playstyle in comparison to his normal counterpart. As a result, Dr. Mario's essential tactics to succeed include avoiding edgeguarding if possible and remaining on-stage more often than not, capitalizing on predictions by punishing an opponent's openings with his powerful attacks and effective grab game, and wisely using his few, limited combos to rack up damage. Dr. Mario's faults outweigh his strengths and this is reflected in his tournament representation and results both being poor. However, he does have 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 his transition from Melee to SSB4, with all of his changes gearing him towards what he was intended to be in Melee: a slower, yet stronger Mario. However, this results in Dr. Mario being considerably nerfed overall in the transition, due to the nerfs to his speed and mobility weakening his neutral game and approach despite having Megavitamins as a projectile. Many of his moves were also nerfed; notable examples include his forward aerial and forward smash, which now require landing their sweetspots in order to actually be effective, while his Megavitamins deal less damage. Although his punishment game is still strong, 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, while Super Sheet no longer stalls him in the air. When combined with his lower jumps, this forces him to using his new wall jump for recovery mix-ups and thus makes him very easy to edgeguard.

However, Dr. Mario has been buffed in other regards. Some of his moves have increased ranges, while the universal change to units of distance benefits his match-ups against characters who countered him in the past, such as Marth. However, Mario 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 appearance as of Dr. Mario 64 and his appearance in 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 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 idle pose. He pounds his fist into his open palm.
• Dr. Mario has a new victory pose, replacing the one he shared with Mario in Melee. He rubs his chin with his hand, as if examining a patient or being contemplative.
• Dr. Mario's stance while holding a light item is now identical to Mario's.

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, which makes his hurtbox slightly smaller, but slightly hinders his range.
• Dr. Mario is lighter (100 → 98), with his weight now being identical to Mario's since Brawl. This slightly hinders his survivability, but makes him slightly less susceptible to combos.
• Dr. Mario walks slower (1.1 → 0.902).
• Dr. Mario dashes slower (1.5 → 1.312).
• 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 → 0.943), 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.
• Jumpsquat is 1 frame slower (4 frames → 5).
• Jump is slightly higher.
• Dr. Mario can now wall jump.
• 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, as opposed to 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 his jab cancel.
• 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 lasts shorter (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 lasts shorter (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, this improves its combo potential.
• Down tilt's hitbox lasts shorter (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 smashes deal more damage (19% → 19.04% (non-angled), 18% → 19.6112% (downward)). Forward smash also has increased range.
• Upward angled forward smash deals 0.008% less damage (20% → 19.992%).
• Forward smash has decreased knockback (30 (base)/97 (scaling) → 25/96), increased start-up, increased ending lag (IASA 42 → 48) and its hitbox lasts shorter (frames 12-16 → 15-17). It has also 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%).
• Up smash now deals consistent damage (16% (clean)/13% (late) → 15.68%). Its hitbox and the intangibility on Dr. Mario's head both last longer (9-11 → 9-13).
• Clean up smash no longer spikes grounded opponents. This improves its KO potential, but hinders its combo potential.
• 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 lasts shorter (14-15 → 14).
• Down smash's knockback has been altered (50 (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 a sweetspot and a sourspot.

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, which 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).
• Back aerial's animation has changed. It is now identical to Mario's back aerial since Brawl.
• 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, which deals 2.24%. It also has increased knockback, which includes its landing hitbox (50 (base)/160 (scaling)), with the latter having more knockback than Mario Tornado's landing hitbox. 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

• The removal of chain grabbing hinders Dr. Mario's grab game and damage racking potential.
• All grabs have increased range.
• Standing and dash grabs are faster (frame 7/11 → 6/8) and have decreased ending lag (IASA 31/41 → 29/36).
• Grab's animation has changed. Dr. Mario now grabs with one hand instead of both.
• Pummel deals 0.64% more damage (3% → 3.64%), making it the most damaging pummel in the game.
• All of Dr. Mario's throws have decreased ending lag, improving his up and down throws' follow-up potential into aerial attacks.
• Forward, up and down throws deal less damage (9% → 8.96% (forward), 8% → 7.84% (up), 6% → 5.6% (down)).
• Back throw deals more damage (12% (throw)/8% (collateral) → 12.32%/8.96%).
• Back throw has decreased knockback (80 (base)/72 (scaling) → 70/60). This hinders its KO potential, although it is still one of the strongest throws in the game.
• 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 increased 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 and more rounded.
• Super Sheet deals less damage (10%/12% → 7.84%).
• Aerial Super Sheet no longer stalls Dr. Mario. This removes its recovery potential, but grants it approaching potential.
• Super Jump Punch deals 0.44% more damage (13% → 13.44%) and 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% at the edge. This improves its KO, combo and tech-chasing potentials. Super Jump Punch can also be moved in the opposite direction upon landing its clean hitbox, which gives Dr. Mario the ability to possibly hit multiple opponents with the clean hitbox and possibly avoid being punished after landing it.
• Super Jump Punch can no longer be canceled and has increased landing lag. While Mario's Super Jump Punch's vertical distance has increased, Dr. Mario's Super Jump Punch retains its vertical distance from Melee.
• 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. Before the last hit, the move now uses a single hitbox that re-hits every 6 frames rather than many hitboxes with short durations, improving its safety.
• Dr. Tornado deals less damage (13% (all ground hits)/14% (all aerial hits) → 8.736% (all hits)) and has slower start-up (frame 8 → 10). Aerial Dr. Tornado's vertical distance has also decreased due to its lengthier animation.
• Dr. Mario now has a Final Smash, Doctor Finale. It functions exactly the same as Mario's Mario Finale, but involves two massive Megavitamins instead of two massive, streaming fireballs.

Version exclusives

• Megavitamins lack a translucent half.

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.
• Dr. Mario keeps his fingers stretched out when using Megavitamins, whereas Mario curls his fingers when using Fireball.

Attributes

• Except for his forward and back aerials, Dr. Mario's other moves use a multiplier of 1.12x on their damage outputs, making him stronger overall.
• Dr. Mario's walking speed, dashing speed, air speed and air acceleration use a multiplier of 0.82x and his jumps are lower, making him significantly less mobile overall.
• Dr. Mario does not crouch as low.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack's first two hits deal more knockback, 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 cannot jab reset.
• Forward tilt has a longer duration (2 frames → 3).
• Up tilt does 1.556% more damage (5.5% → 7.056%).
• Dr. Mario's dash attack launches opponents vertically, whereas Mario's launches them obliquely, making it more effective for combos at low percentages.
• Forward smash has less range.
• 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.
• Forward smash is an electric attack rather than a flame attack.
• Up smash has a longer duration (4 frames → 5).
• Up smash has different knockback (30 (base)/95 (scaling) → 0/117), making it less effective at KOing.
• Dr. Mario's up smash launches opponents horizontally, whereas Mario's launches them vertically. This makes it more effective for combos into itself at low percentages when uncharged, but less effective at KOing.

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).
• Early forward aerial deals 0.8% less damage (12% → 11.2%).
• Clean and late forward aerials deal more damage (14% (clean)/10% (late) → 16.8%/10.08%).
• Clean and late forward aerials have shorter and longer durations, respectively (4 frames (clean)/6 frames (late) → 3/7).
• Dr. Mario's clean forward aerial launches the opponent at a diagonal angle, 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 (clean)/3 frames (late)/5 frames (overall) → 3/5/8).
• Up aerial has a longer animation. However, this results in it having a longer duration (5 frames → 9) and 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 opponents horizontally, whereas Mario's launches them vertically. Altogether, this makes it less effective for combos and juggling.
• Dr. Mario retains his drill kick as his down aerial, whereas Mario's has been Mario Tornado since Brawl. As a result, Dr. Mario's down aerial launches opponents horizontally, whereas Mario's launches them vertically.
• Despite its higher damage output, down aerial's last hit deals 1.64% less damage (5% → 3.36%) and different knockback (80 (base)/100 (scaling) → 50/120). It also has more start-up (3 frames → 11), more ending lag (13 frames → 27) and less vertical range. Altogether, this makes it less effective for combos.

Grabs and throws

• Despite its lower knockback scaling (66 → 60), back throw is slightly stronger, making it slightly more effective at KOing.
• Down throw has different knockback (40 (base)/90 (scaling) → 75/45), making it significantly less effective for follow-ups at low percentages and not being properly compensated at high percentages.

Special moves

• Unlike Fireball, Megavitamins cannot be absorbed due to being classified as physical projectiles.
• Megavitamins bounce twice, whereas Fireball bounces three times.
• Super Sheet has less ending lag (16 frames → 14) and its reflection hitbox has a longer duration (15 frames → 17), making it slightly safer.
• Super Sheet has more vertical range than Cape, but less horizontal range.
• Unlike aerial Cape, aerial Super Sheet does not stall Dr. Mario. This makes it less effective for recovery, but more effective for approaching.
• Dr. Mario's Super Jump Punch deals more damage and knockback than Mario's and has a longer duration (9 frames → 17), making it significantly more effective at KOing.
• Dr. Mario's Super Jump Punch only has two hitboxes like Luigi's and deals more damage at its beginning.
• Dr. Mario's Super Jump Punch covers less vertical distance than Mario's.
• Dr. Mario's Super Jump Punch has a different sound effect than Mario's when it hits an opponent.
• Dr. Mario retains Dr. Tornado as his down special.
• Dr. Tornado is purely offensive, whereas F.L.U.D.D. is purely defensive.
• Doctor Finale deals more damage than Mario Finale.

Other

• Dr. Mario uses Ties as defensive Equipment instead of 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, enabling 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 forward and back aerials, Dr. Mario's other attacks deal 1.12x more damage than Mario's attacks. This does not apply to items or reflected attacks.
• Dr. Mario can wall jump.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2.8%	Two alternating jabs followed by a front kick. The first two hits have set vertical knockback, allowing Dr. Mario to potentially perform jab canceled follow-ups, such as into a grab. 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 out opponents.
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 ground attack at low percentages or an aerial and Super Jump Punch until high percentages.
Dash attack			8.96% (clean), 6.72% (late)	A baseball slide, a dropkick variation. It launches the opponent at a purely vertical angle, but has a fair amount of ending lag.
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 purely diagonal knockback makes it great for combos at low percentages, particularly into itself. However, this also makes it is only reliable for KOing 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 is able to hit opponents behind him.
Down smash			11.2% (front), 13.44% (back)	A double legsweep performed from a flare, an acrobatic technique used in breakdancing and gymnastics. It deals the least amount of damage out of Dr. Mario's smash attacks. However, it is a very fast and very powerful semi-spike, which makes it excellent for edgeguarding and KOing, especially when landing its back hit. Originates from Super Mario 64.
Neutral aerial			5.6% (clean), 8.96% (late)	A flying kick. Like in Melee, it is a "reverse sex kick", with its late hit dealing more damage and knockback, making it great for edgeguarding. However, its clean hit also has use due to being good for breaking out of the opponent's combo. Originates from Super Mario 64.
Forward aerial			11.2% (early), 16.8% (clean), 10.08% (late)	Rears his arm back and performs a downward punch. 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 high 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, with the last hit dealing diagonal knockback, unlike Mario's Mario Tornado.
Grab			—	Reaches out. Like Mario, Dr. Mario has a relatively short grab range.
Pummel			3.64%	A headbutt. It is moderately slow, yet is the most damaging pummel in the game. Although 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 it has lost some of the knockback it had in Melee, it remains a very strong throw and can KO near the edge around 135%. It also can hit other opponents while spinning, which deals minor damage and knockback. Originates from Super Mario 64.
Up throw			7.84%	Throws the opponent directly overhead with both hands. Decent against fast-fallers for aerial follow-ups.
Down throw			5.6%	Slams the opponent into the ground. Launches the opponent much higher than Mario's and has low knockback scaling, allowing for easier aerial follow-ups compared to Mario's.
Floor attack (front)			7.84%	Gets up then kicks behind himself and then in front of himself.
Floor attack (back)			7.84%	Gets up then punches behind himself and then in front of himself.
Floor attack (trip)			5.6%	Kicks behind himself, then in front of himself while getting up.
Edge attack			7.84%	Performs an upward dropkick after flipping over the edge.
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 and Falco's Blasters. It deals lower 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 sheet that deals damage, reflects projectiles with 50% more power than they originally had, and reverses opponents. It has more vertical range than Mario's, but less horizontal range than his. Unlike in Melee, it no longer stalls his momentum in midair, removing its recovery potential. This in turn, however, grants it approaching potential.
	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 covers less distance than Mario's and only hits once like Luigi's, but can be sweetspotted for extra damage like Luigi's. It has KO potential starting at 140% on middleweights and around 100% near the edge.
	Custom 1	Super Jump	—	Covers 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 covers 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. Dr. Mario can move around on the ground while spinning, and can enable Dr. Mario to hover in the air by button mashing the special button while using it. 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 is likely based on the Spin Jump that debuted in Super Mario World.
	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)	Throws two massive Megavitamins, which move forward and spiral outward, creating exploding capsule effects as they travel. Aesthetically, it functions identically to Mario Finale, but deals more damage.

On-screen appearance

• A large stack of Megavitamins appear 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. This taunt returns from Melee.
• Down taunt: Pounds his shoulder with his fist.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Sways his head from right to left.
• Pounds his left hand into his open palm.

Crowd cheer

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

Victory poses

A flourished remix directly from Brawl based on the sound clip that would play when Mario reaches the end of a level in Super Mario Bros.

• Throws out 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 straight, then to his left and then straight again.
• Rubs his chin while appearing to be in deep thought, 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

•  2ManyCooks
•  A2ZOMG
•  Atomsk
•  Caste
•  Nairo
•  Rice
•  Tsumusuto

Inactive

•  Koolaid

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 opponents have been unlockable characters in previous Super Smash Bros. games.
• Doctor Schmoctor: As Wario, the player must defeat Dr. Mario while Wario is 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.

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  Using Super Jump Punch on Bowser.

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

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  Using his dash attack on Fox.

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  Using his side taunt alongside Little Mac and Captain Falcon.

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  Using Doctor Finale, his Final Smash.

• 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 shirt and tie are done up in his official artwork, but in gameplay, his collar is open and tie is loose.
• 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 is one of the five unlockable veterans that do not appear in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U's opening movie. The other four are Falco, Mr. Game & Watch, R.O.B. and Wario.
• Dr. Mario and Lucario are the only characters that lack a meteor smash of any kind.
• Dr. Mario is one of two fighters, the other being Pac-Man, who has a taunt that aesthetically changes each time it is initiated, with Dr. Mario's side taunt creating a different randomized color combination for the Megavitamin each time it is activated.
• Dr. Mario is the only clone to not share the same idle animations as the character he is cloned from.