This article is about the game. For Mario's doctor persona, seeDr. Mario. For other uses, seeDr. Mario (disambiguation).

Dr. Mario
NES box art Game Boy box art For alternate box art, see thegame's gallery.
Developer	Nintendo R&D 1
Publisher	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Family Computer/Nintendo Entertainment System,Game Boy,PlayChoice-10,VS. System,Game Boy Advance,Satellaview,Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System,Virtual Console (Nintendo 3DS,Wii U),NES Classic Edition/Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer,Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online,Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online
Release date	Famicom/NES: July 27, 1990[1] October 14, 1990[2] June 27, 1991[?] June 27, 1991[?] VS. System: August 1990[3] 1990[?] 1990[?] Nintendo PlayChoice-10: August 1990[3] 1990[?] 1990[?] Game Boy: July 27, 1990[4] December 1, 1990[5] April 30, 1991[?] LodgeNet (Super NES version): Unknown year, between 1995 and 1999[note 1] Satellaview: March 30, 1997[?] Player's Choice (Game Boy Version): September 1, 1997[6] Super Famicom (NP): June 1, 1998[7] Game Boy (NP): March 1, 2000[?] Game Boy Advance (NES version): May 21, 2004[8] October 25, 2004[9] January 7, 2005[10] Virtual Console (3DS) (Game Boy version): July 27, 2011[?] March 22, 2012[?] March 22, 2012[?] October 4, 2012[?] May 18, 2016[?] Virtual Console (Wii U) (NES version): February 13, 2014[?] February 14, 2014[?] February 26, 2014[?] March 27, 2014[?] NES Classic Edition/Famicom Mini: November 10, 2016[?] November 10, 2016[?] November 11, 2016[?] November 11, 2016[?] Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online: September 18, 2018[?] September 19, 2018[?] September 19, 2018[?] September 19, 2018[?] April 23, 2019[?] April 23, 2019[?] The UFO cover-up. (NES version): December 12, 2018[?] December 12, 2018[?] December 12, 2018[?] December 12, 2018[?] Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online: March 11, 2024[11] March 12, 2024[?] March 12, 2024[?] March 12, 2024[?] March 12, 2024[?] March 12, 2024[?]
Language(s)	English
Genre	Puzzle
Rating(s)	ESRB: - Everyone[?] PEGI: - Three years and older[?] CERO: - All ages[?] ACB: - General[?] USK: - All ages[?] ClassInd: - General audience[?] GRAC: - All ages[?]
Mode(s)	1–2 players
Format	Arcade: Built-in Famicom: Cartridge NES: Game Pak Super NES: Game Pak Satellaview soundlink Wii U: Digital download Nintendo Switch: Digital download Game Boy: Game Pak Game Boy Advance: Game Pak Nintendo 3DS: Digital download NES Classic Edition: Built-in
Input	Famicom: Famicom Controller NES: NES Controller Wii U: Wii U GamePad Wii Remote (horizontal) Classic Controller Wii U Pro Controller Nintendo Switch: Joy-Con Joy-Con (horizontal) Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Famicom Controller NES Controller Super NES Controller Game Boy: Gamepad Game Boy Advance: Gamepad Nintendo 3DS: Gamepad NES Classic Edition: NES Classic Controller Classic Controller
Serial code(s)	Famicom: HVC-VU Game Boy: DMG-VUA Game Boy Advance: AGB-FDME-USA AGB-FDMJ-JPN AGB-FDMP-EUR

Dr. Mario (stylized asD℞. MARIO on theWestern logo) is an arcade-stylepuzzle video game created byNintendo, and it was released for theNintendo Entertainment System andGame Boy in 1990. The gameplay is very similar to that ofTetris, although inDr. Mario, the object is to line up vitamins to destroyviruses.

Story[edit]

The following text is taken directly from the instruction manual.

Hi everybody! I'm Mario. How's it going? Over the last few years, I've been involved in some pretty wild adventures. Now, believe it or not, I work in the virus research lab at the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital. Today I'm about to begin my research as usual.

"Dr. Mario, something terrible has happened!"
"What's wrong, nurse Toadstool?""One of the experiments has gone out of control. The viruses are spreading quickly!"
"Oh No! We've got to do something! I have just developed a new vitamin that should be able to take care of it. I sure hope this stuff works!"

Dr. Mario works in a virus research lab at theMushroom Kingdom Hospital, alongsideNurse Toadstool. When one of the experiments goes wrong, the hospital is flooded with tri-colorviruses. Armed withvitamin capsules–a medicine of his own invention–Dr. Mario sets out to neutralize the outbreak.

Gameplay[edit]

Title screen on the Game Boy version

In this game, the interface is presented with a giant bottle, which features a grid that is 8 tiles long and 16 tiles tall. When the stage starts, viruses will populate the bottle, and they come in three varieties: Chill (blue), Fever (red), and Weird (yellow).

The main objective of the game is to clear the viruses in the bottle. This objective can be fulfilled with the help of multi-colored capsules called vitamin capsules. The vitamins have two segments, where each half can come in three colors, and both halves can even have the same color. To eliminate a virus with them, they must be lined up with at least one like-colored virus in a column or row so that the line consists of at least four in a row or column. When that happens, both the viruses and vitamins in that line disappear. These vitamins can also be cleared if four or more of the same colored pieces are arranged in a line, even if there are no viruses within them. The viruses remaining is represented by the three viruses under the magnifying glass around the bottom-left, where they slowly revolve along the glass. If at least one virus is eliminated, the corresponding virus color will flinch and the viruses will stop moving. If all viruses of that color are gone from the bottle, that corresponding virus under the glass will also disappear after flinching. After a number of vitamins are brought to the bottle, a five-note chime will be played which will signify that the speed of the capsule drops increased.

If vitamins are stacked so that one of the two middle spots at the top of the bottle is occupied, the player receives a Game Over.

Characters[edit]

• Dr. Mario (playable)
• Fever (enemy)
• Chill (enemy)
• Weird (enemy)

Game modes[edit]

1-Player Game[edit]

Single player mode.

When a 1-Player game is started, the player has three options: Virus Level, Speed, and Music Type. For Virus Level, one of the 21 levels (from 0 to 20) can be chosen. This determines the number of viruses at the beginning is equal to four times the level number plus four, all the way up to level 20. Although the level number can go up to 24 in the Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System version, there will always be 84 viruses at the beginning of levels 20 and above.^[12] In the Game Boy version, levels above 20 may be arranged in a way that is impossible to beat. Level 28 is akill screen in which Mario does not appear.

The Speed setting determines the speed of the vitamins as they fall, which are between: Low, Med (medium), or Hi (high). The Music Type is a choice betweenFever,Chill, or Off (no music). For the Game Boy version, the music can be previewed by highlighting the option, whereas this feature is not present in the Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System version.

In a 1-Player Game, the score is tracked. In order to earn points, viruses must be eliminated, as just clearing only capsules or forcefully dropping capsules will not contribute to the score. The amount of points earned from eliminating viruses is dependent on the Speed setting, where the base score is 100 for Low, 200 for Med, and 300 for Hi. Additionally, if the player eliminates more than one virus in a single move, the subsequent viruses contribute more points. After clearing all the viruses and finishing the level, the score is carried over to the next level. The basic scoring is as follows:

In the NES version, a fanfare will not sound after clearing more than one line in a single move. However in the Game Boy version, a fanfare will be played depending on the amount of lines made, and a special fanfare is played after clearing four or more lines in a single move, something that is not present in other versions.

2-Player Game[edit]

2-Player mode in action.

A 2-Player Vs. game mode is also available for selection. In this mode, two players battle to either clear their grid first, or cause their opponent to get a Game Over through causing an object to reach the middle of the topmost row. The game ends after one of the players wins three rounds. The Level and Speed options are chosen independently by each player before the game begins. For the Game Boy version, a Game Link cable is required to play the 2-player Vs. game mode. On the 3DS Virtual Console version, 2-player mode is not supported.

During a two-player head-on-head game, whenever a vitamin resulted in a chain or combo with more than one line cleared, a corresponding number of garbage, basically single vitamin pieces of colors based on the colors cleared by a player, will drop into their opponent's bottle at a slow pace, similar to the speed of a capsule falling normally in the Hi speed. The number of garbage that drops depends on the amount of lines cleared, so for example, clearing two lines in a move will cause two pieces to fall. The dropped pieces will simultaneously be either in the odd-numbered columns or even-numbered columns. If two pieces drop, both of them are always four columns apart, and if three pieces drop, they will all be two columns apart of each other and won't be two pieces that will be four columns apart.

Controls[edit]

• /: Move cursor on the menu screen
• / (left/right): Move vitamin capsule
• / (down): Drop vitamin capsule
• /: Rotate vitamin capsule clockwise
• /: Rotate vitamin capsule counterclockwise
• /: Start the game; Pause or unpause game during gameplay,
• /: Move cursor on the title screen

Cutscenes[edit]

After completing certain levels at certain speeds, a short cutscene will occur, along with text that consists of a "CONGRATULATIONS!" message and the Virus Level and Speed that the player has beaten. The cutscenes are different between the NES version and the Game Boy version. If the cutscene has something that moves in it, the text on the screen will disappear or appear depending on the version: they appear before the cutscene is played in the NES version, whereas they start to appear after the cutscene is played in the Game Boy version.

NES[edit]

Most of the cutscenes start with the viruses sitting on a tree. Graphics for a snowman and a round ball exist that are likely used in a cutscene, but they ended up unused.^[13]

Level to beat	Screenshot	Description	Level to beat	Screenshot	Description
Level 20 (Low)		Only the "Congratulations!" message will be displayed, as the background is black otherwise. The music played in this cutscene is a shorter, slower, and higher-pitched version of the normal ending theme.	Level 5 (Med)		A book flaps its covers from left to right.
Level 10 (Med)		A rooster slowly flies from right to left.	Level 15 (Med)		An upside-down aerosol is sprayed, quickly propelling from right to left.
Level 20 (Med)		A dinosaur in an egg slowly paddles from left to right.	Level 5 (Hi)		A tortoise slowly swims in the air from left to right.
Level 10 (Hi)		A pig uses its tail to propel in the air from right to left.	Level 15 (Hi)		A witch rides her broom to fly from left to right.
Level 20 (Hi)		The sky gradually changes from bright to dark, after which a UFO floats down to beam the three viruses into it, and then it flies away. While the UFO is present, the music pauses until it goes away, after which the music continues. After the UFO is gone, the sky flashes bright before flashing stars appear and fall from the sky.

Game Boy[edit]

Every cutscene starts with the viruses sitting at the sea floor.

Level to beat	Screenshot	Description	Level to beat	Screenshot	Description
Level 20 (Low)		Nothing else happens beyond the viruses sitting at the sea floor.	Level 20 (Med)		A nautilus slowly swims from right to left.
Level 5 (Hi)		A puffed-up pufferfish slowly swims from right to left.	Level 10 (Hi)		A crab quickly scuttles along the sea floor from right to left.
Level 15 (Hi)		A flying fish flies above the sea from right to left.	Level 20 (Hi)		A UFO flies from the right to the middle, beaming the viruses. While in the middle of being beamed, a coelacanth quickly swims across the viruses to eat them. After the coelacanth swims away, the UFO flees the scene to the right.

Reception[edit]

The Game Boy version of the game was placed 45th in the 100th issue of Nintendo Power's "100 best Nintendo games of all time" in 1997.^[14]The NES version placed 69th in the 200th Issue of GameInformer's "Top 200 Games of All Times". The game placed 51st in IGN's Top 100 NES Games list.^[15]

Reviews for the game were generally positive, although there has been some criticism from parents about the medicine in a children's game.ACE in particular was more negative, giving the Game Boy version 510/1000, criticizing the repetitive gameplay and uninspired graphics. They also stated that the game "reeks of plagarism", stating that it was worse than the original games it was modeled after.^[16]GameRankings gave the game 69.25%, while review aggregatorMetacritic gave it a 66 out of 100 based on 10 reviews.

Remakes and ports[edit]

VS. Dr. Mario[edit]

Arcade cabinet

Title screen

Gameplay

The game was released on theVS. System under the nameVS. Dr. Mario. This version was first shown at Nintendo's Seventh Annual Distributor Meeting in San Diego, and was released simultaneously with the PlayChoice-10 version in August 1990.^[3] Players can spend only 20 seconds on the settings menu. This version drops the Low speed and renames the Med speed to Norm (normal). Normal speed has a grey background while High is now purple. There is no option to turn off the music.

The scoring system is also less generous. In the NES version, the first virus killed by a vitamin capsule yields 200 points (on Medium speed), the second 400, the third 800, the fourth 1600, so each virus is worth twice as much as the last. In the VS. version, the first virus is worth 200, then 400, then 600, then 800, so a virus is worth only 200 points more, and not twice as many points, as the previous virus.

Satellaview[edit]

A slightly altered version ofDr. Mario known asDr. Mario BS Ban「Ｄｒ．マリオＢＳ版」was broadcast for theSatellaview system between March 1997 and June 2000.^[17] It has the same graphics and music that was used in the remake fromTetris & Dr. Mario which was not released in Japan. The complete game is in the ROM, just locked out.^[18]

List of re-releases and ports[edit]

• 1990:Dr. Mario was made available for theVS. System andNintendo PlayChoice-10 arcade machines in North America.
• 1994: Nintendo released the remake forSNES, as a part of theTetris & Dr. Mario cartridge.
• 2003: The original Famicom version is ported toGame Boy Advance throughNintendo Puzzle Collection, where that version requires a Game Boy Advance.
• 2004: Nintendo re-released the original NES version for theGame Boy Advance, as part of theClassic NES Series.
• 2005: Nintendo again releasedDr. Mario for Game Boy Advance, but this time as an enhanced remake inDr. Mario & Puzzle League.
• 2012: On March 22, 2012, the Game Boy version was released on theNintendo 3DS'sVirtual Console in PAL regions and it was released in Japan and North America on October 2nd and 3rd respectively later that year.
• 2014:
  • Dr. Mario is one of the games that appear inNES Remix 2 andUltimate NES Remix. It is the final challenge in Championship Mode.
  • A trial version of the Game Boy game appears as an unlockableMasterpiece inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U.
• 2015: A trial version of the NES game appears as a "highlight" inamiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits.
• 2016:The NES and Famicom version ofDr. Mario is one of the 30 games included in theNES Classic Edition andNintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer, respectively.
• 2018: The NES version ofDr. Mario was made available as one of the 20 NES titles atNintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online's launch in September 2018, and can be played competitively with other players online.^[19] A special edition titledDr. Mario: The UFO cover-up. that starts the player at level 20 and Hi speed was also added on December 12, 2018.
• 2024: The Game Boy version ofDr. Mario was made available forGame Boy - Nintendo Switch Online on March 11, 2024 in the Americas and March 12 elsewhere, alongside theGame Boy Color versions ofMario Tennis andMario Golf.

Microgames[edit]

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! featured amicrogame version ofDr. Mario. There is also an unlockable mini game version entitledDr. Wario.

Another microgame based on this game appeared inWarioWare Gold, with twist controls instead ofMega Microgames$!'s button controls.

Another microgame based on this game appeared inWarioWare: Move It!

Development[edit]

Dr. Mario was originally under the title "Virus", which had similar gameplay, but the goal was to cure viruses in a sick animal. What appears to be Nurse Toadstool is also visible in the game.^[20]

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Dr. Mario (game).

• 

  Dr. Mario

• 

  Blue Virus

• 

  Red Virus

• 

  Yellow Virus

Media[edit]

For a complete list of media for this subject, seeList of Dr. Mario media.

Title

File infoMedia:DM NES Title.oga 0:30

Select

File infoMedia:DM NES Select.oga 0:30

Fever

File infoMedia:DM NES Fever.oga 0:30

Fever Clear

File infoMedia:DM NES Fever Clear.oga 0:23

Chill

File infoMedia:DM NES Chill.oga 0:30

Help:Media •Having trouble playing?

Staff[edit]

Main article:List of Dr. Mario staff

Names in other languages[edit]

Dr. Mario: The UFO cover-up.[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Dr. Mario coverage on otherNIWA wikis:

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NintendoWiki

SmashWiki

StrategyWiki

• Nintendo UK Game Boy Advance site
• Japanese website (Game Boy)
• Japanese website (Super Famicom Nintendo Power)
• Japanese website (Famicom 40th Anniversary)
• Japanese Famicom manual
• North American NES manual

• Dr. Mario
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• Nintendo Entertainment System games
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• Amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits

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