Dr. Mario

Among Mario's various personas, Dr. Mario is perhaps his most important alter ego. Trading in his plumber's overalls for a doctor's lab coat, Dr. Mario is a force to be reckoned with in the medical community. Just as Mario assumes the role of the good doctor, Princess Peach assumes the role of the attentive nurse.

Day and night, Dr. Mario works hard in his laboratory developing cures to the new Viruses that have appeared throughout the years. The good doctor has developed special Megavitamins to destroy these viruses and cure the sick. Dr. Mario's work has provided incredible health benefits to the people of Mushroom World. However, one cure has constantly eluded him: the cure for the common cold.

In the various Dr. Mario puzzle games, Dr. Mario must toss his Megavitamins into virus-filled jars. By lining up the color of the pill to the color of the virus, Dr. Mario could defeat the germs and make the world a little less sick.

In Dr. Mario 64, Dr. Mario battles traditional villains along with the usual assortment of viruses. During the events of the game, Mad Scienstein actually steals Dr. Mario's Megavitamins and brings them to his master Rudy the Clown. Both Dr. Mario and the anti-hero Wario chase after the mad scientist in an attempt to recover the curative pills (However, Wario wants the Megavitamins so he can sell the miracle pills for profit and make himself rich). As it turns out, Rudy the Clown ordered Scienstein to steal the Megavitamins because the clown villain was sick, and needed the vitamins to heal himself. In the end, Dr. Mario recovers his Megavitamins from Rudy the Clown and continues his pursuit of the cure for the common cold.

Super Smash Bros.
Dr. Mario is a hidden playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee. He is unlocked by beating Classic mode with Mario, without losing any lives, and then beating Dr. Mario. Although dressed differently, Dr. Mario fights exactly like his normal self, Mario, making him a clone character. However, instead of fireballs, Dr. Mario shoots Megavitamins at his opponents, and his regular yellow cape is replaced by his doctor's cloak. Dr. Mario is slower than his red counterpart, but he is more powerful. This more than makes up for his lack of good running and jumping skills.

It is currently unknown if Dr. Mario will return to the game's sequel, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. However, many fans have speculated that he may return as an alternate costume for Mario, or may not return in the game at all.

Classic
''Immaculate in his medical garb, Dr. Mario destroys killer viruses with his amazing vitamin capsules. With his dedicated nurse, Princess Peach, at his side, Dr. Mario spends day and night in his laboratory working on new miracle cures. Somehow he's managed to keep up with all the new viruses that have arisen over the years.''

Adventure
''There's hardly any difference in the abilities of Mario and Dr. Mario, so choosing is largely a matter of taste. Dr. Mario is a tad slower due to his lack of exercise, but his Megavitamins pack a bit more punch than Mario's Fireballs. The capsules travel on a unique trajectory and make a distinct sound on impact.''

All-Star
''The differences between Dr. Mario and Mario are more pronounced in some areas than others, but basically they can be played in a similar fashion. While it may be hard to spot the contrasts, they do exist. For example, Dr. Mario's Super Sheet is longer and narrower than Mario's cape, and any opponents hit by Dr. Tornado will fly off in diverse directions.''

Other Appearances
Ironically, before even the first version of Dr. Mario was released, Mario and Luigi referred to each other as "Dr. Mario" and "Dr. Luigi" at one point on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, during the live-action segment "Defective Gadgetry".

Dr. Mario also appears in Nintendo Comics System's adaptation of Dr. Mario, which was entitled "The Doctor Is In... Over His Head".

One part of the Super Mario Adventures comic has Mario dressing up as a doctor. However, in this case, Mario is pretending to be psychiatrist instead of actually becoming a medical physician.

Also, in the Super Mario World TV show episode "King Scoopa Koopa", Mario finishes off his healthy-eating request to a group of cavepeople with the line "Dr. Mario's orders!". Dr. Mario was given a similar reference in Paper Mario when the thankful Whale told Mario that he should be addressed by the title of "Dr. Mario" after Mario and his partners expelled the Fuzzipede from the Whale's body, thus ending his stomachache.

In the Nintendo Monopoly, Dr. Mario only makes a small cameo in one of the ? Block Cards.

Dr. Mario also appears in the Club Nintendo comic "Süße Weihnachten" where he helps Bowser who suffers from stomachache.

Trivia

 * Dr. Mario is referenced in Paper Mario; after the Fuzzipede is blown out of the Whale, he tells Mario, "I feel so much better now! They should call you Dr. Mario!"