Dr. Mario Virus Count Comparison
Starting viruses per level, from 4 at Level 0 to 84 at Level 20. Pick any two.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 0 Lowest here at 4. Twenty one make one Level 20. | 4 viruses | NES and Game Boy, starting level | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (virus count equals 4 times level plus 4, manual) |
| Level 1 Double Level 0. | 8 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 1 plus 4 equals 8) |
| Level 2 Triple Level 0. | 12 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 2 plus 4 equals 12) |
| Level 3 Four Level 0 bottles. | 16 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 3 plus 4 equals 16) |
| Level 4 Five Level 0 bottles. | 20 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 4 plus 4 equals 20) |
| Level 5 Six Level 0 bottles. Med cutscene rooster at 10. | 24 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 5 plus 4 equals 24) |
| Level 6 Seven Level 0 bottles. | 28 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 6 plus 4 equals 28) |
| Level 7 Eight Level 0 bottles. | 32 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 7 plus 4 equals 32) |
| Level 8 Nine Level 0 bottles. | 36 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 8 plus 4 equals 36) |
| Level 9 Ten Level 0 bottles. | 40 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 9 plus 4 equals 40) |
| Level 10 Eleven Level 0 bottles. Med cutscene rooster. | 44 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 10 plus 4 equals 44) |
| Level 11 Twelve Level 0 bottles. | 48 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 11 plus 4 equals 48) |
| Level 12 Thirteen Level 0 bottles. | 52 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 12 plus 4 equals 52) |
| Level 13 Fourteen Level 0 bottles. | 56 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 13 plus 4 equals 56) |
| Level 14 Fifteen Level 0 bottles. | 60 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 14 plus 4 equals 60) |
| Level 15 Sixteen Level 0 bottles. Med cutscene aerosol. | 64 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 15 plus 4 equals 64) |
| Level 16 Seventeen Level 0 bottles. | 68 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 16 plus 4 equals 68) |
| Level 17 Eighteen Level 0 bottles. | 72 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 17 plus 4 equals 72) |
| Level 18 Nineteen Level 0 bottles. | 76 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 18 plus 4 equals 76) |
| Level 19 Twenty Level 0 bottles. | 80 viruses | NES and Game Boy | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 19 plus 4 equals 80) |
| Level 20 Top here at 84. Levels 21 to 24 cap at 84 too. | 84 viruses | NES and Game Boy, max counted level | MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page (4 times 20 plus 4 equals 84, cap 21 to 24) |
About this converter
Dr. Mario sets virus counts by a fixed formula: four times the level plus four. Level 0 opens at 4, Level 1 at 8, Level 2 at 12, Level 3 at 16, Level 4 at 20, Level 5 at 24, Level 6 at 28, Level 7 at 32, Level 8 at 36, Level 9 at 40, Level 10 at 44, Level 11 at 48, Level 12 at 52, Level 13 at 56, Level 14 at 60, Level 15 at 64, Level 16 at 68, Level 17 at 72, Level 18 at 76, Level 19 at 80 and Level 20 at 84. That makes one Level 20 bottle equal twenty one Level 0 bottles. Speed settings move points per virus instead: 100 Low, 200 Med and 300 Hi. Every value here is the manual start count with the formula beside it.
How to use it
Pick two levels and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. One box holds a count of the first level, one holds the matching count of the second, one holds the total in viruses. Try 1 Level 20 against Level 0 bottles.
The cap stays flagged: levels 21 through 24 always open at 84, so rows stop at 20 with the cap noted. Game Boy levels past 20 can deal unwinnable layouts, and Level 28 is a kill screen with no Mario sprite, both noted as outside math. VS. Dr. Mario drops Low speed and renames Med to Norm, so arcade rows would differ and stay out. Score per virus doubles per speed tier and multiplies per chain, which is why points stay out of virus rows. Level 20 at 84 against Level 0 at 4 shows twenty one to one.
FAQ
What is the virus formula?
Four times the level plus four. Level 0 holds 4 and Level 20 holds 84.
How many viruses at Level 20?
84 viruses. Levels 21 through 24 cap at 84 as well.
Do speeds change counts?
100 Low, 200 Med and 300 Hi per virus, multiplying per chain. Rows pin counts, not points.
What is the kill screen?
Level 28 on Game Boy, with no Mario sprite. Game Boy levels past 20 can also deal unwinnable layouts.
Sources
- MarioWiki Dr. Mario game page gameplay section (virus count equals 4 times level plus 4, levels 0 to 20, cap at 84 for 21 to 24, Game Boy kill screen 28)
- Dr. Mario NES instruction manual via MarioWiki (21 levels 0 to 20, speed and scoring tables)
Last verified: 2026-09-28 · 21 entries
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