Capsule

From the Super Mario Wiki, the Mario encyclopedia

A vector graphic of two arrows, one red and one blue, pointing away from one another, with a purple and white circle in the middle.

It has been suggested that this article be split intoL-capsule,half-capsule,rainbow capsule. (discuss)

This article is about the capsule pieces in the Dr. Mario series. For the items in theSuper Smash Bros. series, seeList of Super Smash Bros. series items § Capsule. For the items in theMario Party series also known as "capsules", seeOrb.

Capsule
Artwork of a capsule fromMario Kart Tour
First appearance	Dr. Mario (1990)
Latest appearance	WarioWare: Move It! (2023)
Effect	Clears any viruses of the same color when a line of at least four (or three inDr. Mario World) is lined up

“To eliminate avirus, you need to use acapsule.”

—Dr. Toad,Dr. Mario World

Capsules, also known asvitamins orvitamin capsules, areDr. Mario's prescription of choice, seen in theDr. Mario series. Invented by Dr. Mario himself,^[1] capsules are an effective weapon againstviruses, where they are used to match up with viruses of the same color to eliminate them.

History[edit]

Dr. Mario series[edit]

Dr. Mario juggling three Capsules

Dr. Mario[edit]

InDr. Mario andits VS. counterpart (the latter of which calling thempills),^[2] capsules were introduced, where they were known as vitamin capsules. They come in six different color combinations that include red, blue, or yellow (all red, all blue, all yellow, red and blue, yellow and blue, and red and yellow). For theGame Boy version, these patterns correspond to black, white, and gray/textured colors.

In the games, Dr. Mario throws vitamin capsules into the bottle and will have another ready, which acts as a preview on what the next vitamin capsule is. He will throw that capsule if the current capsule landed, and will repeat until all the viruses are eliminated or a game over is obtained. In 2-Player game, the vitamin capsules appear at the mouth of the bottle instead of being thrown in. Because of this, the cooldown between a capsule landing and a new capsule being added is shorter than in 1-Player game.

In a 2-Player game, if multiple capsule matches are made in a single move, colored pieces will fall into the opponent's bottle depending on the colors cleared which is determined by what the colors of the matched rows or columns are, and also the amount of matches made during the move, where clearing two, three, or four lines will result in two, three, or four pieces falling into the opponent's bottle. Clearing more than four matches will still result in four pieces instead of more. The stray capsules start to fall after the opponent lands their current capsule, and they have to wait for the stray capsule pieces to land before they can use the next capsule.

Tetris & Dr. Mario[edit]

InTetris & Dr. Mario, vitamin capsules appear in theDr. Mario segment of the game, as well as theDr. Mario game in Mixed Match. They behave the same way as in the firstDr. Mario game.

Dr. Mario 64[edit]

InDr. Mario 64 and theDr. Mario game inNintendo Puzzle Collection, vitamin capsules behave similar to previousDr. Mario games. For this game, a new feature is added that allows a translucent image of the currently dropped capsule to be shown, which shows where the capsule will land if it dropped, thus making it easier to gauge where the capsule will land. This feature can be toggled with any of the C Buttons buttons.

Dr. Mario curing Octo using his Megavitamins.

Dr. Mario cures Octo with his Megavitamins.

While the capsules during gameplay are referred to as one of the following either in-game or the manual: "vitamin capsule", "capsule", or "vitamin", there is a separate type of medicine called theMegavitamins in Story mode. These Megavitamins belong to Dr. Mario and are contained in a bottle, who uses them to cure patients all day long due to them being struck by flu season. Whenever the effects of the Megavitamins are applied, a star appears and envelop the one who consumes them. After bothWario andMad Scienstein each separately witness Dr. Mario using his Megavitamins to cure an ailingOcto, they each plan to steal it for their own use: Wario plans to use the medicine to take advantage of the situation to enrich himself, while Mad Scienstein was tasked byRudy to steal them for him. After Mad Scienstein steals the medicine at Dr. Mario's house after he left it for a short while, Wario discovers the thief and chases him while Dr. Mario returned. Dr. Mario thought Wario has stolen them in the ensuing chaos until he is proven to not be the thief, but when the real thief scrambles away from the scene, both Dr. Mario and Wario chase Mad Scienstein until they reach Rudy's castle. If Dr. Mario is the chosen character, he eventually uses his Megavitamins to cure Rudy, who had a cold, but if Wario is the chosen character, Mad Scienstein will snatch the Megavitamins from Wario in the end, prompting a never-ending chase. This brand of Megavitamins are also shown to have a transforming property when consumed, where in Dr. Mario's case, it causes him to transforms intoMetal Mario, whereas in Wario's case, it causes him to transform intoVampire Wario.

Dr. Mario & Puzzle League[edit]

InDr. Mario & Puzzle League, the capsules are known as "vitamins". They appear in theDr. Mario segment of the game. They behave the same way as in the firstDr. Mario game. Similar toDr. Mario 64, the preview image of the vitamin can toggled, this time with L Button or R Button .

Dr. Mario Online Rx[edit]

InDr. Mario Online Rx, capsules behave similarly to previousDr. Mario games. Starting from this game, instead of having only one capsule in preview, three capsules are in preview. Also starting from this game, capsules can instantly be dropped if the Quick Drop option is enabled, where pressing up will result in the capsule landing faster than if down is held to drop it. In multiplayer games, the previewed capsules are in a separate container instead of being at the top of the bottle, resulting in new capsules being thrown into the bottle instead of being dropped, thus having a longer cooldown between a capsule landing and a new capsule being introduced, compared to the multiplayer in previous games.

In Virus Buster, the capsules behave differently from the main Dr. Mario mode, though a capsule match of four will still result in them and any viruses being cleared. For this mode, up to three capsules can drop at once, and if any capsules fall because they are not supported at the bottom, a player can control any falling capsules, including half-capsules. Additionally, these capsules can quickly be dragged into open spaces if they can fit, even though the capsule is obstructed by any objects between them and the open space. Falling capsules will not be able to interact with other falling capsules, and will only become solid if they landed on something.

Dr. Mario Express[edit]

InDr. Mario Express, capsules behave similarly to previousDr. Mario games, and is controlled similarly to the Dr. Mario mode in its predecessorDr. Mario Online Rx. In Vs. CPU mode, Dr. Mario is present to throw the capsules into the bottle on the player's side, unlike in the other multiplayer modes in other games. The CPU still has a separate container where new capsule are added from.

Dr. Luigi[edit]

Dr. Luigi holding an L-capsule

InDr. Luigi, Capsules return in both Retro Remedy and Virus Buster, where they behave similarly to previous installments. One change for this game is that it is possible to switch a capsule's colors in a narrow column or row if the capsule cannot be rotated, whereas previously, the capsule would be stuck in that position if it is in a narrow gap.

For this game, a new variant of capsules known asL-capsules are introduced in Operation L, this game's new mode. L-capsules are two capsules attached together in a blister pack so that they form the shape of an "L", similar to the L-block inTetris. The color patterns for these L-capsules differ depending on the selected Speed: if Low and Med are selected, there will be three pieces with one color and three pieces with another color, where the three pieces are the vertical capsule and the left half of the horizontal capsule adjacent to vertical capsule. If High is selected, both halves of one capsule has one color and the other capsule has another color on both halves, resulting in two pieces of each color. In a match between two players, if a combo is made by one player, their opponent's next L-capsule will have its colors changed.

If any part of the L-capsule lands on an object, the blister pack will disappear and if the capsules are in air, they will fall. However, if there is a capsule match, it will be made before the capsules fall. Because of the larger size of the L-capsule, the player will get a game over if capsules are stacked so that one of the two middle spots in one of the two topmost rows is occupied with a capsule.

The red, blue, and yellow colors of the capsule are retained from previous games if the red, blue, and yellow viruses are present, but if the viruses present are the ones introduced in this game where they are cyan, magenta, and yellow, the capsules will have those colors instead.

Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure[edit]

InDr. Mario: Miracle Cure, both Capsules and L-capsules return, where the former are found in the Dr. Mario and Virus Buster modes, while the latter are found in the Dr. Luigi mode. Both variants behave the same as their respective games. The ability to swap a capsule's colors in narrow spaces is retained fromDr. Luigi.

For this game, the titular Miracle Cures are introduced, and one type of miracle cure, theCapsule Blasters can be used to eliminate capsules depending on the color. The Capsule Blaster R, Capsule Blaster B, and Capsule Blaster Y can be used to remove all red, blue, or yellow capsules respectively if they are cleared. They behave similarly to capsules where a match of four in a row or column needs to be made to be cleared, including any viruses in that line. The Capsule Blaster Z removes every single capsule piece in the bottle if it is cleared, and can be used to substitute for any color in a capsule match. The miracle-cure meter fills gradually, but if a capsule match is made, it fills up faster.

Dr. Mario World[edit]

Artwork of Dr. Bowser from Dr. Mario World

Dr. Bowser holding two capsules

InDr. Mario World, gameplay has been heavily changed from otherDr. Mario games, meaning capsules differ in a number of ways. Capsules are eliminated when they form a match of at least three in a row or column instead of four, eliminating any viruses in the match. Two capsules are in preview at one time, rather than three as in multiple games prior toDr. Mario World. Capsules have similar controls to the Virus Buster mode in previousDr. Mario games, where they can be moved by dragging it and rotated clockwise by tapping it. The primary difference is thatDr. Mario World has capsules float up in stages, instead of falling down. Capsules only enter the stage when dragged in, rather than entering immediately after a prior capsule lands. Capsules can be rotated before bringing them into the stage, There is no limit on how many capsules can be brought into the stage at the same time, other than the open space in a stage. When the player begins to move a capsule, it stops floating on its own, while in past games gravity would continue to act on a capsule the player is moving. Even with this change, capsules cannot be moved downward in a stage. If there is a space that a capsule can fit in on the other side of objects, and that space is to the side or above a capsule, the player can drag that capsule over to that space to teleport it past the objects. Half-capsules are more useful for this due to their smaller size. Finally, if a capsule moves into the space of a floating object, including another capsule, the object is pushed upward to make space for the capsule. In this game, doctors have a skill meter that can be filled by making capsule matches.

Capsule segments can come in more colors besides red, blue, and yellow; there are also green, light-blue, and pink capsule segments. The colors of capsules in stages match the viruses that are present. For example, if the stage has red, blue, and green viruses, any combination of red, blue, and green capsules will appear. Although purple capsules exist in the data, it is unused because purple viruses never appear during gameplay. Capsule Blasters return, but as items, where it can be used to remove all capsules in the stage, but in version 2.0.0, it is replaced with theCapsule Swapper, which can be used to change the current capsule for a different one. Certain doctors and assistants have skills that can be used to manipulate the capsules, such asDr. Baby Daisy's ability to render the next few capsules to have the same color on both halves, andBlooper's ability to possibly change the first few capsules to have the same color on both halves.

Rainbow capsules are introduced in this game. They are wildcards and can match up against any virus or capsule color, even multiple colors at once. Normally, they have the size of a half-capsule. In stage mode, if seven capsule matches or eliminations are made, a rainbow capsule will appear as the second-next capsule, but it will not appear if the second-next capsule is either already a rainbow-capsule or a full-sized rainbow capsule is in that space. Full-sized rainbow capsules are rare and can only appear in certain stages, through certain assistants or doctor skills, or by using theRainbow Start item before the stage begins. In versus mode, rainbow capsules only appear through certain assistants or doctor skills, such asDr. Baby Rosalina's skill in changing viruses or objects into rainbow capsules.

In stage mode, non-timed stages have a limited supply of capsules to use. Moving a capsule into the stage decrements the counter by one. Once the counter reaches one, the preview of the next capsule does not appear. If the final capsule is placed and the stage is not cleared, then the stage is failed.

Aside from normal gameplay, Dr. Mario, Dr. Luigi, and Dr. Wario have skills that use special capsules with their non-doctoremblems printed on them. Dr. Mario sends out a red and blue capsule that clears the lowest row(s) with objects in a stage, with it always being one in Stage Mode and potentially being two in Versus Mode after his Skill Level goes up. In Stage Mode, Dr. Luigi sends out a green and blue capsule, which moves in a "L" shape across the stage, and the capsule starts at the highest point. All objects in the shape are eliminated. In stage mode in non-timed stages, Dr. Wario's skill has him open atreasure chest. In it are several purple and yellow capsules, one of which moves up to the capsule counter for the stage and adds three capsules to the total. Dr. Luigi's, and Dr. Wario's skills in Versus Mode does not involve these capsules.Dr. Toad's skill in stage mode has him call a large group ofToads carrying half-capsules. They are thrown into random spaces in the stage, and eliminate objects in those spaces.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

In theSuper Smash Bros. series, capsules depicted in theDr. Mario series are mainly used by Dr. Mario, where the move is known asMegavitamins. Like in theDr. Mario games, the capsules are randomly generated with different color combinations, though this has no effect on the attack itself.

Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]

InSuper Smash Bros. Melee, because of Dr. Mario's inclusion as a fighter, the move Megavitamins is introduced. For this game, both the move and the capsules are known as "Megavitamins". For this move, Dr. Mario tosses a Megavitamin that bounces forward. They act the same asMario'sFireball move, except that the Megavitamins are more powerful. They also bounce in a different path, and make a different noise when it hits. There's also a trophy of Dr. Mario shooting Megavitamins and one of the vitamins themselves.Kirby is also able to use the Megavitamins if hecopies Dr. Mario, although the sound that plays when the Megavitamin hits an opponent is different.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, a Capsule depicted in theDr. Mario series appears as asticker, which boosts the attack of the equipped character by five points.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]

InSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U, capsules return as part of the Dr. Mario's neutral special move Megavitamin. The projectiles of this move are referred to as "Megavitamin capsules". The Megavitamin move is given two customizable variants, which are similar in effect to Mario's Fireball customs. The first isFast Capsule, which sends out a fast-moving but weaker Megavitamin that travels directly forward, and the second isMega Capsule, which sends out a slow-moving giant Megavitamin that does not travel as far but deals multiple hits of damage. Although the move is officially called Megavitamins, the move is referred to as "Capsules" in a couple of Dr. Mario's tips inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U.

For Dr. Mario'sFinal Smash, theDoctor Finale, he fires a pair of giant vitamin capsules that push back any opponents in their path, damaging them in the process. The move behave similarly to Mario'sMario Finale, but Dr. Mario's deals greater damage and knockback.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, capsules return as Dr. Mario's neutral special move called Megavitamins. For this game, the vitamin capsules are not only larger, but also gained a higher launching angle, increased hitlag, decreased ending lag, better hitbox placements and increased knockback. Altogether, these changes make them much more effective for camping and setting up combos at the comparatively minor cost of their ability to lock a downed opponent.

Similarly toSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U, while the move itself is known as Megavitamins, the move in the Tips section is referred to as "Capsules". The capsules themselves are also referred to as either "capsules" or "vitamin capsules".

WarioWare series[edit]

There are threemicrogames in theWarioWare series that are based on the gameDr. Mario, each of which tasks the player with using one capsule to eliminate all viruses in a stage. All of them are named Dr. Mario.WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! hasone microgame where the player moves a single capsule to eliminate one color of virus.WarioWare Gold hasone microgame, has a similar premise, but has to rotate a capsule such that it eliminates a row of viruses when it lands. This game is controlled using the gyroscope of theNintendo 3DS, and the capsule's orientation matches the angle of the 3DS. As such, the capsule can be in many angles other than the standard four, with some auto-correction applying when the capsule lands and is close to the proper angle to eliminate the viruses. The level 1 version uses capsules with one color, while the other versions use capsules with two colors.WarioWare: Move It! hasone microgame with a different concept, where the game cycles between three different capsules and the player has to throw the correct one into the bottle to eliminate rows of viruses. The level 1 version uses capsules with one color, while the other versions use capsules with two colors.

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! also has the minigameDr. Wario, which is a full Wario version of theDr. Mario game.

Super Mario Maker[edit]

InSuper Mario Maker, when playing as Dr. Mario'scostume, holding the +Control Pad up button results in Dr. Mario holding up a capsule.

Mario Kart series[edit]

The Capsule Kart and the Blue-Green Capsule Kart fromMario Kart Tour

Capsules appear inMario Kart Tour as new items starting from the2022 Doctor Tour. They are thespecial skill of Dr. Mario, Dr. Luigi, Dr. Peach, and Dr. Bowser. When used, three capsules orbit the player's kart, and the player must then tap the screen to throw them all at once; when they do, the capsules bounce toward opponents, and they cause them to spin out when hit. When Capsule+ is activated, the capsules are slightly bigger, and a fourth one is added.

Capsule-themed karts are also introduced in the 2022 Doctor Tour, aptly named theCapsule Kart and theBlue-Green Capsule Kart. Dr. Mario and Dr. Luigi's emblems also consist of red-and-blue and green-and-blue capsules, respectively. In theMay 2022 Peach vs. Bowser Tour, new variations of the Capsule Kart, thePink Capsule Kart andGreen-Yellow Capsule Kart, are introduced. Dr. Peach and Dr. Bowser's emblems also consist of pink-and-light-pink and green-and-yellow capsules, respectively.

InSqueaky Clean Sprint, a box of bandages with the red-blue capsule emblem on it appears on the upper path at the end of the course before theGlide Ramp. The course returns in Wave 5 ofMario Kart 8 Deluxe'sBooster Course Pass.