Dr. Mario

Play takes place inside a tall bottle-shaped playfield. Each turn, a two-color capsule falls from the top and can be moved left or right and rotated before landing. Matching four or more of the same color in a row removes capsules and viruses. The goal is usually to clear all viruses on the screen while preventing the stack from reaching the top. As the virus count and speed increase, careful placement and chain planning become essential.

Mario

The doctor protagonist who drops capsules to clear the viruses.

Viruses

The red, blue, and yellow obstacles that must be eliminated by color matching.

Focus on clearing the lower and central areas first to keep the board from locking up. Try to set up future matches instead of making isolated clears. When the pace gets faster, leave open spaces for capsule rotation and landing flexibility. Watching the next capsule and planning one step ahead makes a big difference at higher levels.

Tips and tricks

• Stabilize the board before going for big chains.
• Use the center columns carefully; they are powerful but easy to clog.
• Plan around the next capsule to reduce wasted placements.