Dr. Mario (series)

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It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include more information. Reason: Include proper gameplay section and evolution from game to game, etc

Dr. Mario
Dr. Mario Logo
Japanese logo,
PAL logo since Dr. Mario & Germ Buster,
North American logo since Dr. Luigi
DrMarioLogo.png
Old international logo
First installment Dr. Mario (1990)
Latest installment Dr. Mario World (2019)
Number of installments 15 (7 main, 4 reissues, 3 compilations, 1 promotional)
Franchise Super Mario
“Medical alert: Microscopic monsters have come out in force to take over the lab of the famous plumber turned practitioner, Dr. Mario, and you've got to set things straight. Manipulating the doctor's special vitamin capsules and making matches to obliterate the menace is Tetris-style strategic fun for one or two players!”
Nintendo Power Issue #18, November/December 1990

The Dr. Mario series is a series of puzzle games in the Super Mario franchise. The series stars Mario's medical alter ego, Dr. Mario. It has elements similar to that of Tetris, the main concept of the game being that the player must stack multi-colored capsules (rather than blocks) in rows of a single color so that they can eradicate correspondingly colored viruses and achieve victory.

Starting with Dr. Mario Online Rx, installments in the series have been released exclusively via download.

Games[edit]

Main games[edit]

Title
Image, original release, and system Synopsis
Dr. Mario
North American box art for Dr. Mario on NES
Japan July 27, 1990[?]
NES, Game Boy
Dr. Mario is the first game in the Dr. Mario series; it was released for the NES and for the Game Boy in 1990. The game brought the basic concept of the series to the players' attention immediately, as they would start the game off having to reorganize falling vitamin capsules in order to eradicate viruses from the screen. Once all viruses has been eliminated, the player would move on to the next level. As the game progressed, each level rose in difficulty, providing more viruses for the player to eliminate and less space to maneuver the vitamin capsules in. Dr. Mario was ported and remade many times after its original release.
Dr. Mario 64
Box art for Dr. Mario 64
USA April 9, 2001[?]
Nintendo 64
Dr. Mario 64 is the second installment in the Dr. Mario series, released on the Nintendo 64 in 2001. The concept from the original Dr. Mario had continued in this installment, with the only major change being a graphics update. The player still had to reorganize vitamin capsules in their respective color pattern in order to eliminate viruses. This game also featured a Story Mode. In this mode, Wario is introduced to the series. Dr. Mario and Wario must retrieve the Megavitamins that had been stolen. However, all the battles were against the computer.
Dr. Mario Online Rx
Dr. mario online rx.jpg
Japan March 25, 2008[?]
Wii (WiiWare)
Dr. Mario Online Rx (known in Europe and Australia as Dr. Mario & Germ Buster) is a game specially made for WiiWare, released in 2008. It had no story mode, unlike Dr. Mario 64, but the player can play with others online via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. It is also possible for the player to play as their own Mii. It actually contains two games: the original Dr. Mario, and Germ Buster (known in NTSC regions as Virus Buster), a game originally from Brain Age 2 (known in Europe as More Brain Training of Dr. Kawashima). Germ Buster is a special game that uses the motion control of the Wii Remote, to move the capsules to the Viruses. Germ Buster includes a Co-op mode in the main game self, so, if there is any other Wii Remote on, the player of that Wii Remote can play too, to help the first one. In Germ Buster the player can press on Miis too (while playing) to let then say something in a text bubble. When pressing on Viruses outside the bottle (again while playing), they will laugh happily to the player. Players can also send demo versions of Dr. Mario Online Rx to friends, but WiiConnect24 is needed. Also, in the Demo version, the player can only play online with another friend.
Dr. Mario Express
DSiLogoDr.Mario.png
Japan December 24, 2008[?]
Nintendo DSi (DSiWare)
Dr. Mario Express (known in Europe and Australia as A Little Bit of... Dr. Mario) released on DSiWare in 2009, features gameplay that is very similar to Dr. Mario Online Rx, but the Virus Blaster minigame is not included and there is also no multiplayer feature. This was the first Super Mario DSiWare game.
Dr. Luigi
English logo for Dr. Luigi.
USA December 31, 2013[?]
Wii U (Nintendo eShop-exclusive)
Dr. Luigi is the fifth game in the series released on Nintendo eShop on Wii U, in celebration of the Year of Luigi. As the title suggests, the game features Luigi instead of Mario. Additionally, the game introduces a new mode, called Operation L, in which the player must eliminate viruses using L-capsules.
Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure
Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure Logo
Japan May 31, 2015[?]
Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo eShop-exclusive)
Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure is the sixth game in the Dr. Mario series for Nintendo 3DS, released exclusively on Nintendo eShop in 2015. It features a new item called "Miracle Cure" that has a random helpful effect on the playing field.
Dr. Mario World
Dr. Mario World English logo
July 9, 2019
iOS, Android
Dr. Mario World is the seventh and latest game in the Dr. Mario series for mobile devices. It was initially released on July 9, 2019, and features several doctors with different abilities. It was shut down in November 2021.

Reissues and compilations[edit]

Title
Image, original release, and system Synopsis
VS. Dr. Mario
The title screen for Vs. Dr. Mario.
USA 1990[?]
VS. System
VS. Dr. Mario is a port Dr. Mario released on the VS. System. This edition of the game eliminated the Slow Mode of the game; it also made racking up points more difficult. In the original Dr. Mario, the points received for eliminating a virus would double with each one that disappeared; in this version of the game, only an additional 200 points would be rewarded for each virus that was eliminated.
Dr. Mario
Dr. Mario in its original blister pack (front view)
1993
Gamewatch Boy
Dr. Mario is a version of the original game of the same name adapted to the Gamewatch Boy. It was manufactured by Mani and licensed by Nintendo in 1993.
Tetris & Dr. Mario
Tetris & Dr. Mario box art
USA December 30, 1994[?]
SNES
Tetris & Dr. Mario is a compilation game released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. It contains enhanced remakes of Tetris and Dr. Mario. Additionally, it includes a "Mixed Match" mode that transitions between the two games as the players progress, beginning at Tetris's B-Type mode before switching to Dr. Mario, then Tetris's A-Type mode and so on. The game also earned a Player's Choice label.
Dr. Mario BS Ban
Used in case of images missing from a section gallery, table, bestiary box, or certain infoboxes.
Japan March 1997[?]
Satellaview
Dr. Mario BS Ban was a standalone version of the remake of Dr. Mario that was included in Tetris & Dr. Mario. This version was broadcast for the Satellaview system between March 1997 and June 2000.
Nintendo Puzzle Collection
Nintendo Puzzle Collection cover.jpg
Japan February 7, 2003[?]
Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo Puzzle Collection is a Japan-only game for the Nintendo GameCube. The collection includes three games, with one of them being Dr. Mario 64. The Family Computer version of Dr. Mario can also be played by using the Nintendo GameCube–Game Boy Advance Link Cable.
Classic NES Series: Dr. Mario
The box art for the Classic NES Series release of Dr. Mario
Japan May 21, 2004[?]
Game Boy Advance
Classic NES Series: Dr. Mario is a port of the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Dr. Mario under the Classic NES Series line. The game is almost identical, however there is no two player mode.
Dr. Mario & Puzzle League
Drmariogba.jpg
Japan September 13, 2005[?]
Game Boy Advance
Dr. Mario & Puzzle League is a compilation game for the Game Boy Advance. The game includes an enhanced remakes of Dr. Mario and a game called Puzzle League, which is a simplified version of Panel de Pon that is named after Pokémon Puzzle League.

Promotional games[edit]

Title
Icon, original release, and system Synopsis
Dr. Mario Vitamin Toss
Icon of Dr. Mario Vitamin Toss
2005
Adobe Flash
Dr. Mario Vitamin Toss was an online Flash advergame published by Nintendo to promote Dr. Mario & Puzzle League for the Game Boy Advance. It was available to play on the game's official website, as well as in the Nintendo Arcade section of nintendo.com. The game departs from the puzzle-driven gameplay of the Dr. Mario series, but still has in view defeating viruses using capsules.

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ドクターマリオ[?]
Dokutā Mario
Dr. Mario
Chinese (simplified) 马力欧医生[?]
Mǎlì'ōu yīshēng
Dr. Mario
Chinese (traditional) 瑪利歐醫生[?]
Mǎlì'ōu yīshēng
Dr. Mario
Korean 닥터마리오[?]
Dagteomalio
Dr. Mario

Trivia[edit]

  • The old international logo for the series, used from Dr. Mario to Dr. Mario Express in North America, stylized the "R" in "Dr." as "℞". This is in reference to a common abbreviation for a medical prescription (given that Mario is a doctor in this series), with the R crossed out being an abbreviation for Recipere (Latin for "Take thou"). Similarly, Dr. Mario Online Rx has the "Rx" stylized as "℞", but not the "R" in "Dr."