Dr. Mario

Smash Attacks

SIDE SMASH

Dr. Mario unleashes a blast immediately in front of him. This can be aimed up or down.

DOWN SMASH

Dr. Mario swings his legs around his body to sweep the opponent.

UP SMASH

An overhead smash that starts behind Dr. Mario.

Basic Attacks

Standing Attack

Dr. Mario punches twice then kicks the opponent away.

Forward Tilt

Dr. Mario kicks forward horizontally. This can be aimed up or down.

Up Tilt

A jumping spinning uppercut useful for combos.

Down Tilt

A spinning sweep attack that pops opponents up.

Dash Attack

Dr. Mario runs at the opponent then does a baseball slide attack.

Edge Attack

Dr. Mario quickly returns to the stage and dropkicks your opponent’s shins.

Air Attacks

Neutral Air Attack

Dr. Mario does a jump kick attack that stays out for awhile.

Up Air Attack

Dr. Mario does a flipkick attack midair!

Down Air Attack

Dr. Mario drills down into the opponent while spinning rapidly. This attack hits multiple times.

Forward Air Attack

An overhead punch that is useful off-stage.

Back Air Attack

A reverse dropkick with good knockback.

Special Attacks

Megavitamins (Neutral Special)

Bounce a vitamin capsule off the ground.

Super Sheet (Side Special)

Use this to sheet swing and reflect projectiles or to turn your opponents around. The horizontal range is limited, but the vertical range is good.

Super Jump Punch (Up Special)

This leaping uppercut differs from Mario’s in that it only hits once. To make up for this, this version is more powerful at the start of the jump.

Dr. Tornado (Down Special)

Dr. Mario spins like a tornado with arms outstretched. Hit the button repeatedly to rise higher into the air. You can also move left or right during this attack.

Final Smash

Doctor Finale

Dr. Mario unleashes a vitamin barrage with vitamins growing in size as they get farther away from him. The attack starts narrow immediately beside Dr. Mario and gets more vertical range as it extends horizontally away from him. Opponents caught in the barrage get pushed horizontally away, so use this on opponents who are closer to the sides of a stage.

Strategy

While his basic moveset is similar to Mario’s, Dr. Mario’s has some important differences. Dr. Mario’s attacks are about 10% stronger, but his movement speed is about 20% slower and his jump height is about 10% lower. His Megavitamins are useful to harass opponents from a distance while his Super Sheet is great against projectiles or opponents with longer range. Dr. Tornado is good for shield pressure and combos, and Super Jump Punch deals good damage out of shield.

Megavitamins are your main projectile to deal damage at a distance. Using it on your way down from a jump allows you to chase after it to pressure your opponent. If your opponent opts to shield, be prepared to throw that opponent. This projectile is not energy based, so characters with an absorb like Ness aren’t able to absorb these capsules! Dr. Mario’s Super Sheet is excellent to deal damage while turning opponents around. It has a slightly larger reflection window than Mario’s Cape, and it doesn’t have the same hitbox. Dr. Mario’s has less horizontal range but more vertical range. Super Jump Punch is good for Dr. Mario out of shield, as it deals consistent damage. The biggest difference from Mario is that Dr. Mario has Dr. Tornado instead of F.L.U.D.D. It doesn’t move as much horizontally as Luigi’s, but its still useful to deal damage and pressure shields.

In the air, Dr. Mario’s best KO options are Forward Air, Back Air, Up Air, and Super Jump Punch. On the ground, Forward Smash is your best bet. Build up damage using Dr. Mario’s jab and tilts, but be careful against opponents with longer range. Use your Neutral Air out of short hop to force opponents to shield, then mix them up with lots of throws or cross them up and attack their shield from behind. Dr. Mario’s Back Air is also incredibly useful out of short hop as well. Short hop, then Back Air, and fast fall while drifting away from opponents to recover more safely while still keeping the pressure on. For edge-guarding, use Super Sheet to turn opponents around, and harass them with Megavitamins. Super Sheet doesn’t stall Dr. Mario in the air, so you have to be more careful off-stage with this.

Recovery

Dr. Mario has pretty decent recovery options. He has Super Jump Punch as his primary vertical recovery. Like Mario’s, you can aim it to the left or right slightly when inputting the direction, and it leaves you in a fall state. Dr. Mario, however, also has his Dr. Tornado for horizontal recovery. The faster you hit the button, the more he spins, allowing you to move left or right to position yourself. Although this doesn’t put you in a fall state, it gives you a slight vertical boost only the first time you use it per jump. Also note Dr. Mario’s Super Sheet doesn’t stall him in the air like Mario’s Cape does to Mario.