Super Smash Bros. Fighters - Super Mario series - 05 Dr. Mario

Debut

In the Super Mario series: Dr. Mario (1990)
In the Super Smash Bros. series: Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)
 

Boxing Title: The Prescriber

Theme Song: Chill (Dr. Mario) Ver. 2 

Dr. Mario is a persona Mario adopts in the Dr. Mario series. Mario works at the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital alongside his assistant, Nurse Toadstool, where they work to eliminate the many viruses that plague the Mushroom Kingdom with his patented Vitamin Capsules!

The first game in the series, titled Dr. Mario, was released for both the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Game Boy. As said in the game's instruction manual, an experiment that was occurring in the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital goes wrong, which results in three-colored viruses to flood the place! With his Vitamin Capsules in hand, the eponymous doctor goes to war with the Red, Blue, and Yellow Viruses!

In the NES version, specific cutscenes will play depending on what speed your playing on. If you're on Low speed, you simply get a "Congratulations!" message after clearing Level 20. On Med Speed and Hi Speed, cutscenes will play upon the completion of Levels 5, 10, 15, and 20. All of them involve the Viruses sitting on top of a tree as something flies by. Notably, the Hi Speed Level 20 cutscene reveals that the Viruses are actually aliens! After losing to Dr. Mario so many times, they flee to their UFO and head back into space.

The Game Boy version also does the same thing as the NES version, though with some differences. In Low speed, you just get a "Congratulations!" message as the Viruses sit at the bottom of the sea. In Med Speed, they'll watch a nautilus swim by after you beat Level 20. In Hi Speed, cutscenes play after the completion of Levels 5, 10, 15, and 20. Level 20 has the UFO arrive to pick them up. However, as they slowly get beamed towards their ship, a coelacanth quickly swims by and eats them.

Dr. Mario 64 would be the first - and so far only - Dr. Mario game to feature a Story Mode. Two in fact: Dr. Mario's Story and Wario's Story. In Dr. Mario's Story, it's flu season, so he's busy curing everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom with his Megavitamins. Wario happens to learn of the them, and plans to steal the Megavitamins to make a lot of money, but before he can do so, another man named Mad Scienstein sneaks into Mario's house and snags them! Dr. Mario eventually arrives back home and discovers that his Megavitamins are missing, and assumes Wario is the one responsible. After defeating him, he notices the true culprit, who begins to run away, so he and Wario chase after him.

The two go through many scenarios, but eventually they arrive at a castle, where Dr. Mario learns that Mad Scienstein stole the Megavitamins to cure an individual named Rudy. Since Rudy doesn't want to surrender them, Dr. Mario is forced to battle him to get them back. If the player manages to defeat Rudy and hasn't lost a single round up to this point, then Wario manages to steal the Megavitamins and eats some of them, transforming himself into Vampire Wario! Dr. Mario then battles the greedy treasure hunter and defeats him, reclaiming his Megavitamins as Wario runs off, swearing revenge. Dr. Mario than turns his attention back to Rudy and cures him of his cold. After that, Dr. Mario heads home to rest.

Wario's storyline has similar beats, though Wario fights a few different opponents, and is the one who fights Rudy instead. If the player hasn't lost a single round after defeating Rudy, Dr. Mario shows up and accidentally swallows a few Megavitamins, transforming him into Metal Dr. Mario! Metal Dr. Mario tries to defeat Wario, but ends up losing. Wario celebrates, but before he can claim the Megavitamins, Mad Scienstein snatches them and flees, with Wario giving chase. The end. (No, really.)

The next two games, Dr. Mario Online Rx for the Nintendo Wii and Dr. Mario Express for the Nintendo DSi would go back to basics. Dr. Mario Online Rx would be the first game to have online mode, while Dr. Mario Express would adopt a more cel-shaded look.

On the Nintendo Wii U, the next entry would be Dr. Luigi, which was released to celebrate the Year of Luigi, with Dr. Mario no where in sight. Unlike the viruses Mario usually fights, Luigi goes up against the new Dizzy (Cyan), Confused (Magenta), and Drowsy (Yellow) Viruses. Additionally, the game would feature the new L-Capsules, which -as you can imagine - are two capsules in an "L" position. They only pop up in the "Operation L" game mode.

The Nintendo 3DS would receive Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure. Dr. Mario would host the standard game mode, while Dr. Luigi would host his "Dr. Luigi" mode. Dr. Mario would receive a new power to bust the viruses, aptly named the Miracle Cure! Once the gauge for the Miracle Cure is filled up, it can be used to destroy all viruses and capsules of the corresponding color, drop a bomb to remove adjacent viruses and capsules, or clear an entire column.

Dr. Mario would receive further help in the game, Dr. Mario World, where characters like Peach, Toad, and even Bowser have obtained their own Ph.D's to help the Mario Bros. combat the various viruses that's plaguing the Mushroom Kingdom!

In the mainline Super Mario series, Dr. Mario makes his first appearance in Super Mario Odyssey as an alternate costume for Mario to wear. Once the player manages to obtain 240 Power Moons, the Doctor Headwear and the Doctor Outfit become available to purchase in the Crazy Cap stores. The player can also scan a Dr. Mario amiibo to instantly unlock the outfit.

While not appearing in person, Dr. Mario shows up in the various microgames in the WarioWare series, making his debut in WarioWare Inc.: Mega Microgame$ in the microgame titled "Dr. Mario." A spoof of the game titled "Dr. Wario" was also an unlockable as well.

In Super Smash Bros., Dr. Mario shares many of his moves with Mario, but the main difference between the two is that Dr. Mario is stronger, but slower. The Doc can use some of the same strategies as the heroic plumber, but for others he’ll have to find alternatives.

Special Moves 

Neutral Special: Megavitamins

Dr. Mario tosses a Megavitamin at his opponent. Assuming Dr. Mario threw it on a flat surface, it’ll bounce 3 times on the ground, disappearing on the fourth bounce. Not Dr. Mario’s strongest move, but he can use it as he approaches his opponent.

The two halves of the Megavitamin can come in one of these three colors: Red, Blue, and Yellow. This is only an aesthetic thing, all three colors do the same amount of damage.

Inspired by the Vitamin Capsules, which debuted in the NES game "Dr. Mario." Vitamin Capsules are what Dr. Mario uses to fight the viruses throughout the series. The name "Megavitamin" was only used in "Dr. Mario 64," and may have been unrelated to the capsules Dr. Mario uses.

The way Dr. Mario tosses them is inspired by the Fire Flower power up in “Super Mario Bros.”

Side Special: Super Sheet

Dr. Mario flings his sheet upwards in front of him! Opponents that get hit get twirled around.

If Dr. Mario hits a projectile with his sheet, it gets flung back at the offender at twice the power!

Somewhat loosely inspired by the Cape Feather power up from “Super Mario World”, where Mario and Luigi could use their capes to attack enemies, as well as slow their descent and even fly, though it was not able to reflect things back at the offender. Within his own games, Dr. Mario has never performed anything similar to this.

Up Special: Super Jump Punch

Dr. Mario jumps upward in a diagonal direction. If Dr. Mario hits his opponent at the start of the move, they’ll get flung away, but if he hits them at any other point during the move, it’ll only cause weak flinching, leaving him open to be countered.

Inspired by Mario and Luigi’s basic jumping move, mainly when they bash blocks from underneath, in “Super Mario Bros.“

Down Special: Dr. Tornado

Dr. Mario twirls around with his arms outstretched, sucking in nearby opponents who will take various hits from him before he stops and sends the opponents flying away. Dr. Mario can also use the move to try and gain some vertical distance, but only once per time he’s in the air. (he’ll have to land to use that again)

Loosely inspired by the Spin Jump from "Super Mario World." In that game, the Mario Bros. could use the Spin Jump to defeat certain enemies in one hit, or even safely "jump" on certain dangerous enemies. If Mario or Luigi where in their Super forms, they could use it to break yellow blocks from below. 

Final Smash: Doctor Finale

Dr. Mario throws two gigantic Megavitamins at his opponents! Everyone who gets in its way gets caught and dragged away!

This move is original to Super Smash Bros., though Dr. Mario does use the Vitamin Capsules to fight against the viruses. The move shares similarities with Mario’s “Mario Finale,”  only replacing the flames with Vitamin Capsules.

Additional Notes

Dr. Mario was intended to return in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but was scrapped for reasons unknown. When he returned for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U, he was intended to become an alternate costume for Mario before Masahiro Sakurai thought it would be better if he stayed in his own character slot.

According to Palutena’s Guidance, the reason Dr. Mario is stronger than regular Mario is because, as a doctor, he knows anatomy, and thus knows what to aim for and where to make sure his attacks really hurt. As for why he’s slower, his trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee implies it’s because he doesn’t get much exercise, while Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U implies it’s because of his white coat and/or his medical doctorate status.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate introduced the concept of “Echo Fighters”; aka: characters who play similar to another with only a few differences. However, Dr. Mario is one of the few who are not classified as an Echo Fighter. A reason as for why hasn't been stated.