Viruses are enemies that mainly appear in the Dr. Mario games. They commonly appear in Red, Blue, and Yellow varieties, and they can be only defeated by using Megavitamins matching up three of the same colors. If the megavitamins overflow the jar, thus plugging up the lid with their mass, the viruses believe that it is funny, at which point they start laughing. Viruses are Evil in alignment.
Viruses trace their origin to real-life germs, though real viruses are much more primitive, while the Mario series depicts the Viruses as somewhat proto-sentient, allowing them to coordinate attacks.
Other Appearances
Mario & Luigi series
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Viruses are first seen in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga where they are only fought in Woohoo Hooniversity. In battle, they mainly attack by trying to bite either Mario or Luigi. If this attack isn't blocked back, the Virus may poison the brother. They are also defeated when all of the viruses in each battle is the same color. In the 3DS version, Viruses have Dr. Mario sound effects when this happens.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Viruses are seen briefly in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story where they are one of the Toothy's attacks.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Viruses are fairly common in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team where they are seen only in the areas where Mario and Luigi are searching for the five pieces of the Ultibed, but can appear in Wiggly's area. The Viruses always fight in groups of 16 and they attack mainly by charging at Mario and Luigi. The way to defend against their charge varies depending on how it is done. If it involves the viruses charging in two lines, it must be jumped. If it has them run around the Bros. in a circle, it must be avoided by whacking them with the hammer, causing them to retreat. If three of the same colour are countered in a row, those viruses die instantly. They are defeated normally or by placing them in 3 same colors in a row, which can be done by attacking them, but not with counterattacks unlike in their Superstar Saga appearance.
Dr. Luigi
The Viruses return in this game where they serve as the main enemies. Their designs in this game are completely different from most other games, as now they are completely legless, with just two arms coming from their sides. The red virus becomes a magenta virus (confusion), the blue one now becomes cyan (dizziness), while the yellow one just suffers design changes, inflicting "drowsiness".
Dr. Mario World
The Viruses reappear in this mobile game for iOS and Android, this time wreaking havoc all across the Mushroom Kingdom with their powers, forcing Mario and his friends to team up with Bowser and his minions to bust the viruses. In addition to the standard red, yellow, and blue viruses, this game also has green, cyan, purple, and pink viruses.
Statistics
Virus | ||||||||||||||
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LVL | 16 | HP | 36 | POW | 64 | DEF | 40 | SPEED | {{{spd}}} | ||||
EXP | 22 (20) | COINS | 4 | Fire | Heal | Thunder | Critical | Jump | Normal | |||||
Hammer? | Normal | Hand? | Normal | Stun? | 30% | Burn? | 60% | Stat Down? | 100% | |||||
Item drop | Location(s) | |||||||||||||
•Red Pepper – 16.13% •Ultra Nut – 25.81% (Red Pepper - 0%) |
Woohoo Hooniversity | |||||||||||||
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Virus | ||||||||||||||
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LVL | 15 | HP | 36 | POW | 44 | DEF | 60 | SPEED | {{{spd}}} | ||||
EXP | 22 (20) | COINS | 4 | Fire | Critical | Thunder | Heal | Jump | Normal | |||||
Hammer? | Normal | Hand? | Normal | Stun? | 30% | Burn? | 60% | Stat Down? | 100% | |||||
Item drop | Location(s) | |||||||||||||
•Refreshing Herb (Green Pepper) – 16.13% •Green Pepper – 25.81% (0%) |
Woohoo Hooniversity | |||||||||||||
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Virus | ||||||||||||||
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LVL | 16 | HP | 36 | POW | 54 | DEF | 80 | SPEED | {{{spd}}} | ||||
EXP | 22 (20) | COINS | 4 | Fire | Heal | Thunder | Heal | Jump | Normal | |||||
Hammer? | Normal | Hand? | Normal | Stun? | 30% | Burn? | 60% | Stat Down? | 100% | |||||
Item drop | Location(s) | |||||||||||||
•Refreshing Herb – 16.13% (38.71%) •Steady Badge – 25.81% (32.26%) |
Woohoo Hooniversity | |||||||||||||
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Nomenclature
Viruses earned their name from the Latin Vīrus, a second declension noun meaning "poison". Other languages did not give the viruses alternative names, using the English voices as well, with the exception of the Japanese language, which calls them "Uirusu", which still means "Virus". Their names in other languages are as follows:
- Spanish: El/La Virus (fourth declension noun, genitive Lois/Les Virús, dative Loy/Le vírui, accusative Lo(m)/La(m) Víru(m), ablative Lod/Lad Vírud, plural Los/Las Virus, genitive plural Loro/Laro Viruro, dative/ablative plural Leis/Labos Virubus, Accusative Plural Los Virus)
- Portuguese: O/A Vírus (fourth declension noun, genitive Lóis/Leis Virus, plural Os/As Vírus, genitive plural Lorom/Larom Viru(r)om, Dative/Ablative Plural Lais/Labus Virubos, Accusative Plural Los/Las Vírus)
- Italian: Il/La Virus (fourth declension noun, genitive Lóis/Les Virúus, dative Lói/Lái Vírui, accusative Lo/La Víru, ablative Lód(e)/Lá(d)e Vírud, plural I/Le Virus, genitive plural Loro/Laro Virúro, dative/ablative plural Glis/Labus Virúbus, Accusative plural Los/Las Vírus)
- French: Le/La Virus
- Latin: Vīrus (Declension as in Latin, but masculine, with the plural Vīrī (accusative Vīrōs) and the accusative singular Vīrum. Variable gender depending on the individual.)
Gallery
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Characters | Protagonists | Bowser • Luigi • Mario • Starlow |
Antagonists | Dark Star • Fawful • Midbus | |
Other Characters | Blue Paratroopas • Bowser Memory Neuron • Bowser Memory P • Broggy • Broque Madame • Broque Monsieur • Chakron • Corporal Paraplonk • Doctor Toadley • Doctor Toadley's intern • Fawful • Giant Sockop • Jerry • Kamek • Kuribo • Kuzzle • Monty Bros. • PR Toad • Princess Lipid • Princess Peach • Private Goomp • Sergeant Guy • Toadbert • Toadsworth • Yikk | |
Species | Bee • Blitty • Bob-omb • Brock • Emoglobin • Evoglobin • Goomba • Magikoopa • Nutsoglobin • Shy Guy • Totemglobin • Toad • Virus | |
Locations | Mushroom Kingdom | Badge Shop • Blubble Lake • Bowser Path • Bowser's Castle • Broggy's Shop • Broque Monsieur's Shop • Bumpsy Plains • Cavi Cape • Conference Hall • Dimble Wood • Fawful Theater • Gear Shop • Peach's Castle • Peach's Castle Garden • Plack Beach • Project K • Star Shop • Tea Kiosk • Toad Town • Toad Town Caves • Toad Town Mall • Toadles Boutique • Toadley Clinic • Tower of Yikk • Treasure Chamber • Tunnel |
Bowser's body | Airway • Arm Center • Challenge Node • Chest Station • Cholesteroad • Energy Hold • Flab Zone • Flame Pipe • Funny Bone • Gut Check • Joint Tower • Leg Outpost • Lumbar Nook • Memory Banks • Nerve Cluster • Nose Deck • Pipe Yard • Pump Works • Rump Command • The Gauntlet • Toad Square • Trash Pit | |
Enemies | Mushroom Kingdom | Alarm Bob-omb • Beehoss • Borp • Broggy • Broque Monsieur • Chain Chawful • Choomba • Chuboomba • Coalbit • Crawful • Dark Fawful Bomb • Dark Fawful Guy • Dark Mechawful • Dark Mechawful.5 • Dark Trashure • Drillbit Crab • Fawflant • Fawflopper • Fawfulcopter • Fawful Guy • Flifit • Glam Lakitu • Jailgoon • Lakitu King • Magifoofa • Mawful Mole • Mechawful • Metal Mawful Mole • Naplock • Nooz • Pendril • Scutlet • Sneed • Sniffle Thwomp • Sockop • Toothy • Treevil • Trashure |
Bowser's body | Airnapse • Air Cannon • Air Cheep • Bone Thwomp • Bowser Memory Boo • Bubble Blooper • Calorite • Dried Blooper • Elite Goombule • Goombule • Napse • Pep • Piranha Plorp • Protobatter • Pwallop • Spike Blop • Stonk • Tenderling | |
Bosses | Main Bosses | Alpha and Beta Kretin • Biffidus • Blizzard Midbus • Bowser • Bowser Memory ML • Chakron • Dark Bowser • Dark Fawful • Dark Satellmite • Dark Star • Dark Star Core • Durmite • Junker • Junker Can • Leaf Guy • Midbus • Scutlet • Sea Pipe Statue • Shroob • Snawful • Vacuum Helmet • Wiggler • Wisdurm |
Giant Bosses | Bowser's Castle • Fawful Express • Fawful Mountain • Super Peach's Castle • Tower of Yikk | |
X Bosses | Alpha and Beta Kretin X • Biffidus X • Bowser X • Bowser Memory MLX • Dark Satellmite X • Dark Star X • Durmite X • Junker X • Junker Can X • Wisdurm X | |
Techniques | Mario and Luigi | Falling Star • Fire Flower • Green Shell • Jump Helmet • Magic Window • Mighty Meteor • Snack Basket • Spin Pipe • Super Bouncer • Yoo Who Cannon |
Bowser | Bob-omb Blitz • Broggy Bonker • Goomba Storm • Koopa Corps • Magikoopa Mob • Shy Guy Squad | |
Items | Consumables | 1-Up Deluxe • 1-Up Mushroom • Cheese** • Fiery Drumstick • Heart Bean • Hot Drumstick • Max Mushroom • Max Nut • Max Syrup Jar • Mushroom • Nut • Power Bean • Refreshing Herb • Retry Clock • Special Bean • Star Candy • Super Cheese** • Super Mushroom • Super Nut • Supersyrup Jar* • Syrup Jar* • TNT Drumstick • Ultra Cheese** • Ultra Mushroom • Ultra Nut • Ultrasyrup Jar* |
Key Items | Banzai Bill • Birdley • Blitty • Blue Key • Green Key • Hammers • Miracle Cure • Mushroom Ball • Puzzle Sack • Red Key • Skeletone Formula • Star Cure • Star Panel • Stingler • Vacuum Block • Vacuum Shroom | |
Blocks | 99 Block • Attack Piece Block • Blue Shell Block • Command Block • Hidden Block • L Block • M Block • Rally Block • Save Block • Shop Block | |
Other | 5 Gold Coin • 10 Gold Coin • 50 Gold Coin • Blorbs • Boo-ray Machine • Cake • Chakroad • Chombone • Donut • Giga-carrot • Launch Fit • Liftoglobin • Meat • Mushroom Tea • Negative Ions • Nubbin • Scratch Card • Seesaw Fit • Squid Fit • Vegetable • Whirlwind | |
Miscellenous | Stats | Defense • Experience Point • Heart Point • Power • Rank • Special Point • Speed • 'Stache/Horn |
Status | Balloon Mario • Burn • DEF-Down • DEF-Up • Dizzy • Fire Mario • Fury • Level up • No Skills • Poison • POW-Down • POW-Up • Pump Mario • SPD-Down • SPD-Up • Shell Mario • Sick | |
Moves | Body Slam • Fire Breath • Flee • Jump • Shell Defense • Sliding Punch • Spike Ball • Trip | |
Other | Bros. Badge • Clothing • Gallery • Glitches • Mario & Luigi RPG: Sound Selection • Pre-release and unused content • Quotes • Shops • Staff • Star Menu | |
*-Exclusive in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story • *-Exclusive in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey |
Dr. Luigi | ||
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Characters | ||
Dr. Luigi · Virus |