Bullet Bill
| Bullet Bill | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork fromMario Kart World | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. (1985) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) | ||
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Bullet Bills are large black self propelled ammunition with eyes and white arms that are usually enemies and obstacles in theSuper Mario franchise. They are fired byBill Blasters, at which point the Bullet Bill archtypically flies in a straight line while ignoring gravity. Some games have Bullet Bills home in on the player instead. Bullet Bills can fly in from off-screen, without a Bill Blaster shooting them. In such cases, the sound effect for a Bill Blaster shooting is usually still played upon their appearance. Bullet Bills are usually immune tofireballs fromFire Mario, but vulnerable to beingstomped. They are one of the most recurring and oldest enemies in the franchise, having debuted in the originalSuper Mario Bros.
Bullet Bills frequently appear as items in spin-off games, such as theMario Kart series. In some cases, the Bullet Bill is a projectile to use against other players. In others, the player gets to ride a Bullet Bill, transform into a Bullet Bill, or transform their ball into a Bullet Bill. This enables the player to utilize the species' speed and flight powers.
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros. /Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Mario Bros.,Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and their remakes withinSuper Mario All-Stars andSuper Mario Bros. Deluxe. Bullet Bills are usually shot from aTurtle Cannon, though are sometimes shot from off-screen, and fly in a straight line. A Bullet Bill can be defeated ifstomped or from the effects of aStarman. AKoopa Shell orBuzzy Shell can defeat Bullet Bills instantly if they originate from off-screen, but not if they are shot from Turtle Cannons. Because Bullet Bills travel continuously, if Mario touches theflagpole, any Bullet Bills in his presence disappear instantly. Stomping on a Bullet Bill is always worth 200 points, and it is not possible to earn additional points by stomping them in succession. Bullet Bills andPiranha Plants are the only two enemies with death animations that never depict them with their sprites flipped upside-down, the former remaining right side-up and the latter simply disappearing.
Bullet Bills are first encountered inWorld 5-1 inSuper Mario Bros. A Bullet Bill takes on the disguise of thefake Bowser inWorld C-4. Since Bullet Bills share the same color palette as Goombas, they appear gray in World 6-3 ofSuper Mario Bros. and blue in World A-2 fromSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Bullet Bills are not launched from the Turtle Cannons inWorld 9-1 ofSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.
In theSuper Mario All-Stars ports for bothSuper Mario Bros. andThe Lost Levels, although their overall role is the same, their sprite is altered slightly to show them moving their arms up and down while flying.
Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)
Bullet Bills reappear in theGame & Watch gameSuper Mario Bros., where they appear in levels starting in the second Loop of the game, afterWorld No. 8 Burning Road is completed for the first time.
Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Mario Bros. 3. They are encountered mostly inairship stages. Besides previous methods, it is also possible for Bullet Bills to be defeated from aHammer, atail attack, or aBob-omb in certain stages. The game introducesMissile Bills, which turn around and fly back towards Mario if it misses him the first time. TheWorld-e level inSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 features diagonally-fired Bullet Bills.
Super Mario Land
- Main article:Bullet Biff
Bullet Bills do not appear inSuper Mario Land, though a subspecies native toSarasaland named Bullet Biffs appears.
Super Mario World /Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Mario World. Bullet Bills are first encountered inVanilla Dome 4 where they are fired off-screen, while Bullet Bills emitted from Turtle Cannons are first encountered inSunken Ghost Ship. Bullet Bills inCheese Bridge Area are encountered in a zone led from a Warp Pipe, where they are fired diagonally. The levelOutrageous includes several Bullet Bills launched from Turtle Cannons. The game introduces Bullet Bills that are fired diagonally from four corners, Bullet Bills shot vertically, and both theTorpedo Ted andBanzai Bill variants. Additionally, when theSpecial Zone is completed, horizontal-moving Bullet Bills turn intoPidgit Bills, which function identically but look like flyingPidgits. InSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, vertically and diagonally-fired Bullet Bills are given this design and are animated to flap their wings.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. They often appear in theMario Zone. Bullet Bills act like they do in previous games. Their design depicts them with grinning faces and no arms.
Super Mario 64 /Super Mario 64 DS
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Mario 64 andSuper Mario 64 DS. They are designed similarly to Banzai Bills. Bullet Bills are encountered inWhomp's Fortress only, after theWhomp King has been defeated, and are shot from the Turtle Cannon at the top of the fortress. Bullet Bills home in on Mario and spin backwards upon contact, but explode after hitting a wall or after reaching a certain distance. Bullet Bills cannot be defeated, and any form of contact with it takes away three wedges of Mario'shealth. A Bullet Bill can appear from the Turtle Cannon forcefully if MarioGround Pounds it, though not in the remake.
In the remake, Bullet Bills can appear at the new base of Whomp's Fortress, directly opposite of the starting point. Bullet Bills were also added inDire, Dire Docks, at the submarine dock until completingBowser in the Fire Sea. It was made possible to defeat a Bullet Bill from akick or aMushroom, which sends them spinning backwards to eventually explode. The remake standardized the design of Bullet Bills, depicting them with smaller pupils, though their arms would be recolored from black to white in later appearances, matching their hands.
Super Mario Sunshine
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Mario Sunshine. They have been redesigned enitrely, having a metallic exterior, googly eyes, and smile in a manner akin toTorpedo Teds. Bullet Bills make a quick radar beeping constantly as they fly. Bullet Bills appear with different colors and behaviors at various points in the game, coming in black, purple,gold, and blue. Most types of Bullet Bills release twocoins when squirted byFLUDD, except Golden Bullet Bills, which release eight coins instead. Black Bullet Bills are first shown atPinna Park duringEpisode 1, being fired from four cannons inMecha-Bowser's chest and following the tracks of the roller coaster that Mario is riding, either from the front or back, though they can still miss him by a wide margin on certain turns. InEpisode 2, black, purple, and golden Bullet Bills appear fired byMonty Mole, and all of them travel in a long, downward arc, exploding when they hit the ground, with black and gold only differing in rarity and coin reward.Purple Bullet Bills,[1] which have blinking red nosecones, follow Mario on a horizontal plane if they approach him, similarly to Bullet Bills inSuper Mario 64, though with a tight-but-lengthy u-turn if they miss; this type can destroy the baskets withBlue Coins in the sameepisode. InEpisode 1 ofNoki Bay, a single inactive black Bullet Bill is found laying dormant in the platform connecting the cannon to the giant cork. In the battle againstBowser andBowser Jr. onCorona Mountain, the latter shootsspecial Purple Bullet Bills[1] orGuided Bullet Bills,[2] which come in black and blue, the former having a blinking nosecone (aside than the first one launched) and the latter being solid-colored. These ones follow Mario more persistently when they get a lock on him, but the large number causes them to have a fairly short and narrow line-of-sight, and they can also change their altitude to get on his level. These Bullet Bills can be defeated by jumped on, with the blue ones giving a1-Up Mushroom orWater Bottle if defeated this way, or from Bowser'sFire Breath.
In the demo reel on the title screen, black Bullet Bills have blinking red noses and solid red eyes with white pupils, like Purple Bullet Bills, so the design change occurred most likely very late in development.
New Super Mario Bros.
Bullet Bills are enemies inNew Super Mario Bros. Their role is based on their appearance fromSuper Mario Bros., except some of them are launched fromBill Blaster Turrets, and some can be additionally defeated from using aMega Mushroom.Banzai Bills also return as enemies. Bullet Bills are encountered inWorld 2-
Castle;World 5-4, where some appear from offscreen;World 6-1;World 6-Castle, during theMonty Tank fight only,World 7-5, andWorld 8-1.
Super Mario Galaxy
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Mario Galaxy. They are very common and appear in severalgalaxies. Upon being fired, if Bullet Bills notice the player character, their eyes turn red and they home in on him until hitting either him, an obstacle, or an enemy; this method can break open cages, destroy fences, and attack and eventually defeatMegaleg inBowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor. If a Bullet Bill hits Mario, he is knocked down for a few seconds and loses a wedge of health. BothBanzai Bills andTorpedo Teds also make a reappearance.
Appearances
marks missions where they are completely absent.
marks missions where they are loaded and may be visible, but cannot be encountered directly.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Bullet Bills are enemies inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii. They act the same as inNew Super Mario Bros., though they can be frozen by anIce Ball fromIce orPenguin Mario. Unlike other flying enemies, Bullet Bills could be picked up and thrown while frozen. They are encountered inWorld 3;World 5-5, being fired from off-screen only; inWorld 6, including asEnemy Courses; and in several levels ofWorld 7. In addition to Missile Bills and Banzai Bills reappearing, the game also introducesKing Bills andhoming Banzai Bills.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Mario Galaxy 2. Some retain their homing capabilities, though other Bullet Bills fly straight and do not follow the player character.Yoshi can use his tongue to capture an incoming Bullet Bill in his mouth and spit it back out at other incoming enemies or bosses; this is required to attack and eventually defeatMegahammer, which launches out Bullet Bills constantly. When in Yoshi's mouth, Bullet Bills blink before eventually exploding, which will damage him. Banzai Bills also return as enemies.
Appearances
- marks missions where they are completely absent.
- marks missions where they are loaded and may be visible, but cannot be encountered directly.
| Linear | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Worlds | Galaxies | Missions | |
| World 3 | Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet |  | |
| World 5 | Fleet Glide Galaxy |  | |
| World 6 | Bowser's Galaxy Generator | | |
| Homing | |||
| Worlds | Galaxies | Missions | |
| World 3 | Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet | |  |
| World 5 | Bowser Jr.'s Boom Bunker | | |
| World S | Grandmaster Galaxy | | |
Super Mario 3D Land
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Mario 3D Land. The game incorporates many elements of the two-dimensional games of theSuper Mario series, and as such Bullet Bills only fly forward after being fired, are immune to fireballs, and can bestomped to defeat them. Boomerangs fromBoomerang Mario can defeat them as well.Tanooki Mario'stail attack does not defeat Bullet Bills, but instead makes them spin in place. Once they stop, the Bullet Bull faces a different direction and flies that way. In this game, Bullet Bills leave behind smoky red flares as they fly.
The game introducesTail Bullet Bills, which are Bullet Bills that fly using striped tails instead of a jet. They can slow down to perform their own tail attack.
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Bullet Bills return inNew Super Mario Bros. 2, appearing and behaving as they do inNew Super Mario Bros. As long as aGold Ring is active, Bullet Bills transform intoGold Bullet Bills. Gold Bullet Bills leave a trail of coins behind them, but defeating them stops the coin trail. All Bullet Bills in the base game fly horizontally, but courses ofCoin Challenge Pack B and thePlatform Panic Pack contain diagonally flying Bullet Bills.
New Super Mario Bros. U
Bullet Bills are present inNew Super Mario Bros. U, retaining their behavior fromNew Super Mario Bros,. Instead of leaving white clouds in their wake, as they did inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii, they leave behind produce a red smoky flare as they didSuper Mario 3D Land. When they are stomped, Bullet Bills fall offscreen without tumbling, but still tumble when defeated through other means such as aGround Pound. Bullet Bills also appear in the battle againstRoy Koopa, who shoots them from aBill Blaster at players.
Torpedo Teds reappear, as well as a new variant of them namedTargeting Ted.
Super Mario 3D World /Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Bullet Bills are inSuper Mario 3D World andSuper Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. They retain their behaviors fromSuper Mario 3D Land. The game introducesCat Bullet Bills, based onCat Mario, that home in on the player.
Super Mario Maker /Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Bullet Bills appear inSuper Mario Maker andSuper Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS. They behave as they do inNew Super Mario Bros. U irrespective of the game style of a given course, though they lack trails in theSuper Mario Bros. andSuper Mario Bros. 3 game styles while keeping the white trails from the original game in theSuper Mario World game style. Bullet Bills are not standalone course elements, instead only appearing in courses through placed Bill Blasters. Further, the Bill Blaster has to not be set to fire a course element in order to fire Bullet Bills.Bull's-Eye Bills return along with theirBull's-Eye Blasters.
Super Mario Run
InSuper Mario Run, Bullet Bills appear in the courseSky-High Lifts and Leaps! and their self-titled courseBullet Bill Barrage. Bullet Bills behave the same as before, but no Bill Blasters appear in courses. As such, all Bullet Bills in the game appear from offscreen, and even still only from the right side of the screen. This game further does not include the sounds for a Bullet Bill being fired. Characters canvault over Bullet Bills flying just above the ground. Bull's-Eye Bills also make a returning appearance.
Super Mario Odyssey
Bullet Bills are enemiesSuper Mario Odyssey. They are encountered in theSand Kingdom andMetro Kingdom, where they can wear visors. They calso appear in theUnderground Moon Caverns in theMoon Kingdom, where they wear white top hats. Once they are fired from a Bill Blaster, Bullet Bills chase after Mario. They are unable to change elevation as they do. If a Bullet Bill cannot see Mario, usually because he is inside an area accessed through an8-bit pipe and the Bullet Bill is not, the Bullet Bill just flies forward. They explode on contact with anything, including other Bullet Bills. This can break certainBlocks or interact with a number of objects. Bullet Bills also explode after flying for too long, glowing red when this is about to occur.
A Bullet Bill can becaptured by using theCap Throw on it. If it has a hat, another Cap Throw is required to knock off the Bullet Bill's hat before it can be captured. As a captured Bullet Bill, Mario can travel acrosspits or fly into an object to blow it up. The player can accelerate with
or
, causing purple flames to erupt from the Bullet Bill as it flies faster. Shaking the controller has the Bullet Bill twirl, increasing the speed further. Mario cannot change elevation, as they cannot jump or drop downward. During the period where time is stopped while something is being captured, the player can rotate the Bullet Bill in any direction so that they will start flying in that direction once time resumes. Bullet Bills continue to explode on contact with anything or when their timer elapses, and Mario is forced to release the Bullet Bill when these happen. The explosion from Bullet Bills that Mario is capturing does not harm Mario. The timer for exploding is reset when a Bullet Bill is captured for the first time. In dark areas, the eyes of a captured Bullet Bill are flashlights, illuminating the area in front of it and showing where Mario currently is. After being released, Bullet Bills are not stunned and therefore do not teleport back to their origin point. They are breifly forced to fly forward instead of homing into Mario though.
Bullet Bills can also appear in areas accessed through 8-bit pipes, using their sprite fromSuper Mario Bros.. Bullet Bills in such areas function as they do in that game, but still grant a coin when stomped and explode on contact with any surface as per there mechanics elsewhere in the game Bullet Bills are allowed to fly out of an area accessed through an 8-bit pipe, and change to their normal behavior in the game after doing so.
Banzai Bills appear much later in the game, functioning similarly to Bullet Bills but with an immunity to Blocks and enemies.Knucklotec, a boss in the Sand Kingdom, has two floating hands each named Kuncklotec's Fist. They can be captured, and control identically to Bullet Bills. The hands do not explode, but are still timed.
Super Mario Maker 2
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Mario Maker 2. Their role is similar as inSuper Mario Maker, but in the addedSuper Mario 3D World style, Bullet Bills can defeat enemies on contact and get defeated when hitting a wall; version 3.0.0 introduces theBullet Bill Mask in said style.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Mario Bros. Wonder, appearing inFluff-Puff Peaks Flying Battleship,Petal Isles Flying Battleship,KnuckleFest Bowser's Blazing Beats andThe Semifinal Test Piranha Plant Reprise. A few variants were introduced, all prominently inCastle Bowser levels:Missile Megs, which bear a vicious grimace and a more elongated shape resembling a missile and can be stood upon;Seeker Bullet Bills, which stick onto surfaces and fly towards the players on contact; andBull's-Eye Billet Trains, variants of Bull's-Eye Bills consisting of multiple segments and dorsal fins.
Alleyway
Several breakable blocks are arranged in the shape of a Bullet Bill in stage 15 ofAlleyway.
DIC cartoons
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
- “Hit the deck! It's a Bullet Bill!”
- —Toad, "Robo Koopa"
Bullet Bills appear only in "Robo Koopa" ofThe Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, though Bullet Bill-like projectiles with gray bodies, peach-colored arms, and toothy grins are fired by a Snifit in "On Her Majesty's Sewer Service."
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Bullet Bills appear only in "Reptiles in the Rose Garden" and "Mush-Rumors" ofThe Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. They are projectiles fired from theDoom Ship. Additionally, they are launched at a family consisting ofNorman,his wife,Missy, andBud in "Mush-Rumors."
Super Mario Bros. (Valiant Comics)
In theSuper Mario Bros. comic "The Kingdom Enquirer", several Bullet Bills (depicted as being able to talk) appear among the various enemies pesteringToad (who had become a reporter) for an interview. A later story, entitled "Bowser Knows Best", also features Bullet Bills, which theKoopalings hitch a ride on in order to chase downPrincess Toadstool, who had previously escaped their clutches.
Super Mario Adventures
InNintendo Power'sSuper Mario Adventures comic, a Bullet Bill makes a relatively small appearance; after accidentally activating a Turtle Cannon after knocking Luigi off it, Mario is blasted by a Bullet Bill, which he ends-up riding straight into the Koopaling's Tower, where he is captured by Bowser's forces.
Mario Kart series
Bullet Bills[3] appear as both obstacles and items in theMario Kart series.
Super Mario Kart
Bullet Bills are obstacles inSuper Mario Kart. They appear in Match Race, functioning as additional obstacles in all Mario Circuit courses, Donut Plains courses (excludingDonut Plains 3) and Bowser Castle courses. They bounce back and forth between two walls, and racers that come into contact with them spin out and cause it to bounce off the screen.
Mario Kart DS
Bullet Bills are obstacles and an item inMario Kart DS. As obstacles, Bullet Bills are depicted with their arms flattened to their sides, and they appear inAirship Fortress only. As an item, Bullet Bills are received by players in 6th place or lower. When activated, the user's entirekart briefly transforms into an invincible Bullet Bill, which rockets down the track at high speed, mostly in auto-pilot, but the player still has a little bit of steering control. Any player or obstacle hit by a Bullet Bill is knocked out of the way, and players will drop any item in their possession, a function derived from theChain Chomp item inMario Kart: Double Dash!!. Any item on the track that a Bullet Bill hits is also destroyed. A Bullet Bill cannot damage players under the effects of aStar or aBoo, though the former condition still knocks them aside slightly. Players using a Bullet Bill cannot receive any items from anItem Box.
As an item, the Bullet Bill's duration is determined by three conditions. There is first a timer that will cause a Bullet Bill to end after seven to nine seconds in most cases, but it will end early if a certain number of other players are passed while using the item. This value changes depending on the number of players in a race; it can be found by subtracting one from the number of players, dividing the result in half, and then rounding down to the nearest whole number (with a minimum value of one). Lastly, if the player ever reaches first place while using a Bullet Bill, it will end shortly after. However, specific tracks can include areas where a Bullet Bill will not drop off the player under any circumstance; this can be exploited to increase the item's duration beyond its normal limits.
Mario Kart Wii
Bullet Bills are items inMario Kart Wii, obtainable only in 8th place or lower. Bullet Bills function identically as inMario Kart DS, though players under the effects of aMega Mushroom can also be knocked back by this item. The larger race sizes also affect the number of players a Bullet Bill can normally pass before ending, now reaching a maximum of five instead of three. When a Bullet Bill is used, another one cannot be obtained until the current one is exhausted, much like theThunder Cloud,Spiny Shell,Blooper,POW Block, andLightning. A Bullet Bill is the basis for the design of theBullet Bike.
Mario Kart 7
Bullet Bills are items inMario Kart 7. They function similarly as inMario Kart Wii, with the same warning sound when one is nearby, but they can now be received by players in 6th place or lower, and the user has no steering control over it. Bullet Bills now slow before expiring, reducing the likelihood of the user falling off the course. While Airship Fortress returns as a course in this game, the Bullet Bill obstacles have now been replaced withBanzai Bills.
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
Bullet Bills make a cameo appearance inMario Kart Arcade GP DX, where in one of the courses they fly overhead as the player approaches the finish line. However, they do not affect gameplay.
Mario Kart 8 /Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Bullet Bills are items inMario Kart 8 andits port. They also have their own sponsor,Bullet Bill Speed Trial. A Bullet Bill's eyes glow in the dark inTwisted Mansion and other dark areas. Originally, the rear-view mirror was not usable while using a Bullet Bill, though this was changed as of version 2.3.0 ofMario Kart 8 Deluxe. Players who can receive a Bullet Bill now have to be a certain distance from the player in first place, but their actual position can be as high as second place, and the number of players that can be holding or using a Bullet Bill item is now raised to three. Many of the games' tracks also feature large areas that prevent Bullet Bills from dropping off players, allowing for a Bullet Bill to last up to 12 seconds if used correctly.
Mario Kart Tour
Bullet Bills are items inMario Kart Tour, obtainable in 7th place or lower. The number of players a Bullet Bill can normally pass before ending now dynamically changes based on both the number of players in a race, and the user's position when activating the item. During a Bullet BillFrenzy, two smaller Bullet Bills fly beside the player. The player can launch said Bullet Bills forwards by tapping the screen, which home in on a racer ahead of them, and explode upon striking them. There is also a new glider introduced in theBowser vs. DK Tour that is a recreation of the Bullet Bill's appearance inSuper Mario Bros., aptly named8-Bit Bullet Bill.The following gliders increase the chance of getting Bullet Bills and points for hitting racers under the effects of one.
| Special skill | Gliders |
|---|---|
 Bullet Bill Plus Increases your chances of getting a Bullet Bill. Using one will get you more points. | — |
| +20 points | |
  | |
| +30 points | |
                  |
Mario Kart World
Bullet Bills reappear as items inMario Kart World. In this game, they travel slower than before and no longer cause racers to crash, instead simply pushing them out of the way and canceling their drift, and their effect does not end during a turn.[4] The item also retains its dynamic behavior changes fromMario Kart Tour.
Super Mario Bros. film
In the 1993Super Mario Bros. film, miniature, non-explosive Bullet Bills appear as the fuel cartridges of theThwomp Stompers used byMario,Luigi andBig Bertha. A neon sign advertising a bar called "Bullet Bill's" can also be seen prominently displayed in theKoopa Square inDinohattan throughout the film.Daisy can be seen wearing various Bullet Bills in the film's ending when she interrupts Mario, Luigi andDaniella's meal.
Though they are officially meant to be Bullet Bills, they more resembleBanzai Bills; an earlier draft of the script more appropriately referred to these cartridges as "Banzai Bills".[5]
Yoshi's Safari
Bullet Bills are enemies inYoshi's Safari. They arrive from offscreen and can be destroyed from a single hit with theSuper Scope. They are seen from the front only like inSuper Mario Kart.
Mario's Time Machine
Bullet Bills are enemies in the PC release ofMario's Time Machine only. They appear ifMario sets the date on theTimulator incorrectly, sending him to the prehistoric era. Here, Bullet Bills fly at Mario from offscreen while he collects eggs from apterosaur. A Bullet Bill can be jumped over automatically if Mario approaches it, though if a Bullet Bill hits Mario, he loses an egg.
Yoshi's Island series
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. They are colored green instead of black and have facial expressions. The game introducesBouncing Bullet Bills, which bounce and ricochet off walls after being fired. Theremake also addsMissile Bills, which home in on Yoshi while biting upon being shot out of their cannons. Bullet Bills can be defeated through the same methods as most enemies. If Yoshi catches a Bullet Bill with his tongue, it can be spit out and flies away from Yoshi like it has been shot out of a cannon, or Yoshi can eat one to produce an egg.
DuringSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island's development, the Bullet Bill was colored its usual black and was intended to bite as it moved.[6]
Bullet Bills return in the sequel,Yoshi's Island DS, where they were changed to black to be consistent with their appearance inSuper Mario games. Bullet Bills also return inYoshi's New Island, performing the same actions as in previousYoshi's Island games and retaining their design from games in theSuper Mario series, like withYoshi's Island DS.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
InSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars,Apprentices,Snifsters,Blasters, andBig Blasters use Bullet Bills as a way to attack. Usually, touching one in the overworld prompts a battle with Blasters or Big Blasters, though a room in theSunken Ship has them shot by normalcannons and simply push Mario to a lower floor. This game also introducesBlazers, an alternate variety of Bullet Bills, which are used by Blasters and Big Blasters to defeat a party member in one hit and cannot be blocked.Smithy uses a similar variety calledMagnums.
Inthe remake, Bullet Bills retain their original design, having arms and a mouth.
Yoshi's Story
Bullet Bills are enemies inYoshi's Story. They follow the same pattern as before, though the game introduces tongues for the mechanical irritants. TheTurtle Cannons of this game are slightly different in appearance and the Bullet Bills are golden in color.
Game & Watch Gallery series
Bullet Bills are enemies in the Modern version ofDonkey Kong Jr. inGame & Watch Gallery 3 andGame & Watch Gallery 4 as well as the ModernFire Attack in the latter. They get in the way ofDonkey Kong Jr. as he tries to rescueDonkey Kong. Additionally, inGame & Watch Gallery 4, Bullet Bills appear in the Modern version ofFire Attack, where they attempt to destroy a statue belonging toWario.
Super Smash Bros. series
- SmashWiki article:Bullet Bill
Bullet Bills first appear inSuper Smash Bros. One ofMaster Hand's attacks firing pairs of Bullet Bills from his fingers, though later games replace them with regular bullets. The Bullet Bills shot by Master Hand are gold and resemble their design inYoshi's Story.
Super Smash Bros. Melee is the onlySuper Smash Bros. game where Bullet Bills do not appear. However, thetrophy of the Banzai Bill enemy fromPrincess Peach's Castle erroneously identifies it as "Bullet Bill" when the language is set to English. This was fixed in later NTSC revisions and the PAL version to match the Japanese text.
Bullet Bills have appeared in a few of the series' single-player campaigns. InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, Bullet Bills are enemies inThe Subspace Emissary, where they are affiliated with Bowser's forces and theSubspace Army. Here, Bullet Bills launch straight from right to left, like with most of their appearances in theSuper Mario franchise, although they appear larger than in most of their other appearances and cannot be stomped on. Bullet Bills do sometimes home in on the character, similarly toBull's-Eye Bills, and can be temporarily deflected. In a cutscene, silver Bullet Bills are seen pursuingDiddy Kong andDonkey Kong, but explode after being defeated by theKongs' attacks. InSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Bullet Bills are an enemy in theSmash Run mode, where they slowly fly toward the player to try and hit them and inflict damage.
InSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Wii U andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, Bullet Bills are also featured as an item. When a player picks up a Bullet Bill, they attack by ramming into opponents at full speed. Players explode if they hit a solid wall, including ceilings and floors, and the resulting explosion deals even further damage to players and has a blast radius.
InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, in addition to returning as items, a Bullet Bill also appears as one of the drawings drawn byNikki. After it is fully drawn, it launches off, damaging any opponent in its path. A Bullet Bill also appears in the game as a Novice-class Attack-typeprimary spirit. Once it reaches level 99, it can be enhanced to aBanzai Bill. InWorld of Light, thespirit is encountered onThe Light Realm map; the puppet fighters are four smallCaptain Falcons fought on theMushroom Kingdom stage, with Bullet Bill items spawning throughout the battle.
Mario Party series
Mario Party 2
Bullet Bills are obstacles in the minigameBombs Away inMario Party 2. They are fired from a Bowser ship and hit the island eventually, forcing players to time their jumps right to avoid being stunned by the explosion.
Mario Party 3
Bullet Bills are an interactable species inMario Party 3. They are obstacles in the minigamesCrazy Cogs andRidiculous Relay, usable weapons inAces High, and cameo inPump, Pump and Away. The boat in Ridiculous Relay also resembles a Bullet Bill. Crazy Cogs involves Bullet Bills continuously going after the three players while the solo player rotates the cog.
Mario Party 5
Bullet Bills are usable weapons in the minigameBill Blasters and items inMario Party 5. As items, Bullet Bills appear in the form of theBullet Bill Capsule, which involves the user continuing their turn while riding a Bullet Bill, stealing 30 coins from whoever is hit by them.
Mario Party 6
Bullet Bills are non-playable characters and items inMario Party 6. As items, Bullet Bill Orbs have the same effect, except they steal only 20 coins per opponent instead. The minigameJump the Gun involves a player shooting Bullet Bills at targets to form a platform for their partner. InShoot Yer Mouth Off minigame, saying 4, 8, or 9 shoots a Bullet Bill, eliminating a rival player on contact, as well as the "Bullet Bill" voice inVerbal Assault, though the latter can be unlocked from the Star Bank. TheMagma Flow path inStar Sprint also has Bullet Bills being shot at the player.
Mario Party Advance
- “Hey, stay outta my way! I'm trainin'! Don't you know who I am? I'm Bullet Bill!”
- —Bullet Bill,Mario Party Advance
A Bullet Bill is a character inMario Party Advance. He is a track and field athlete at theMushroom Stadium. He is also a huge fan of theKamek Krew, owning all of their albums and even letting them perform at his stadium. For his quest, Bullet Bill can be raced by the player, and defeating him causes the player to be handed over theMini SoccerGaddget. In a separate quest, Bullet Bill is hesitant to rent out his stadium, but he eagerly obliges when he is told it is theKamek Krew, of which he is a big fan. Bullet Bill allows the Kamek Krew to perform there free of charge and begins the preparations. Some time later, Bullet Bill finished second in the world sprint trials.[7]
Bullet Bills are obstacles in the minigameBill Bounce. It involves jumping on Bullet Bills to earn points, with more being earned from jumping on several in succession. If a Bullet Bill hits the player, they are stunned temporarily.
Mario Party 7
Bullet Bills are obstacles in theWheel of Woe,StratosFEAR!, andHelipopper minigames ofMario Party 7. A character hit by a Bullet Bill in any of the minigames loses. In Wheel of Woe, saying a Bullet Bill's name summons two Bullet Bills out ofBill Blasters on each side of the room at the other three players.
Mario Party 8
Bullet Bills are obstacles in the minigamesSick and Twisted andThrash 'n' Crash, weapons inCardiators, and items inMario Party 8. As an item, Bullet Bills appear in the form ofBullet Candy, exclusively inBowser's Warped Orbit, which transforms the lower half of the user into a blaster; allows them to hit threeDice Blocks; and steal one Star from each opponent run into. In Sick and Twisted, even jumping on a Bullet Bill eliminates the character. Cannons in the second stage ofSuperstar Showdown shoot black Bullet Bills, after attaching to Bowser's Clown Car, and red Bullet Bills during the third stage, both types steering themselves at the player slightly. The minigameGun the Runner has a helicopter that the team of three are in while up against the solo player. Three Bullet Bills are used in Cardiators if the player gets a card with three Bullet Bills, firing at the opponent and dealing nine damage upon them in total.
Mario Party 9
Bullet Bills are obstacles in the minigameBillistics and usable vehicles inSpeeding Bullets inMario Party 9. In the former minigame, the goal is to dodge them and severalMissile Bills. The game involves the players attempting to dodge several Bullet Bills. There is an unlockable constellation named "Straight Shot" that appears in the likeness of a Bullet Bill.
Mario Party: Island Tour
Bullet Bills are items inMario Party: Island Tour. They are usable only onPerilous Palace Path, where they are known asBackwards Bills, which knock a selected player back by five spaces.
Mario Party 10
Bullet Bills are obstacles inMeanie Match,Hop, Drop, and Roll,Bullet Bill Bullies, andKamek's Rocket Rampage; and a feature ofAirship Central inMario Party 10. The role of Bullet Bills on Airship Central is to shoot down Bowser'sAirship. There is a Bullet Bill attraction onMushroom Park that involves collectingMini Stars by jumping.
Super Mario Party
Bullet Bills are non-playable characters in the minigamesFollow the Money andDrop Quiz inSuper Mario Party.
Mario Party Superstars
Bullet Bills reappear inMario Party Superstars in the returning Bill Blasters minigame fromMario Party 5.
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Bullet Bills reappear inSuper Mario Party Jamboree in a variety of roles, including as an item in Koopathlon that allows a player to travel across the board faster, inWario's Buzzer Beater alongside Bill Blasters,Jr.'s Jauntlet,Fire Away,Bowser Crashers where they are summoned by Kamek alongsideParabombs, and the returning Jump the Gun minigame fromMario Party 6 (but fired from Bill Blasters instead of generic cannons). They also appear in theKing Bowser's Keep board fired from Bill Blasters manned by a blackSnifit, where they deduct five coins from players who landed on theEvent Spaces and hit theDry Bones. In addition, a Bullet Bill can seen flying across the mode selection screen via thehot-air balloon and as part of the Album picture Have a Safe Flight.
Paper Mario series
Paper Mario
Bullet Bills are enemies inPaper Mario. They are encountered in theKoopa Bros. Fortress, being shot out by Bill Blasters shortly before theKoopa Bros. are fought. They attack by ramming into Mario, destroying themselves in the process. If a Bullet Bill bumps into Mario on the overworld, it makes theFirst Strike on him.
Gold Bullet Bills known asBombshell Bills are also introduced inPaper Mario and are shot fromB. Bill Blasters. They are found inBowser's Castle. These attack the same way as regular Bullet Bills, but they have more HP, do more damage, and have 1 defense.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Bullet Bills are enemies inPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. They are encountered inPirate's Grotto, where they are once again shot byBill Blasters. Bombshell Bills and their Blasters also appear in thePalace of Shadow. Bullet Bills home in on Mario to damage him, destroying themselves by doing so. Because of this, they also die if they miss or areSuperguarded.
Super Paper Mario
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Paper Mario. They appear once inThe Bitlands. There are two Bill Blasters mounted on each of the fortresses that continuously shoot them—however, if the player returns to the chapter after completing it, there is only one; the other is mounted on the fortress that gets destroyed. A simple stomp destroys them. The player can also useThoreau to pick up the Bullet Bill and throw it at the Bill Blaster.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Like with the previous game, Bullet Bills only appear in one level,Bowser Jr.'s Flotilla, in World 6 inPaper Mario: Sticker Star. In this level, there are two Bill Blasters mounted at the platforms on the airship's exterior. However, unlike previous iterations, they cannot be battled; instead, they fly at Mario and damage him upon contact. They can be defeated by hammering them or jumping on them. Touching a Bullet Bill causes Mario to lose 2HP. They were originally able to be battled, as evidenced by the text dump.[8]
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Bullet Bills are an interactable species inPaper Mario: Color Splash. They are blasted from a Bill Blaster and drop multi-colored paint when stomped on. Bullet Bills are encountered in an underground area of theGreen Energy Plant level based onSuper Mario Bros. 3.
Paper Mario: The Origami King
Bullet Bills make cameos inPaper Mario: The Origami King. They can be seen in the background of theBuzzy Beetle statue room inBowser's Castle, and are fired fromBowser's airship at thePaper Plane Squadron beforeMario fights them. One Bullet Bill appears as a Collectible Treasure, which can be found inside one of the? Blocks at the south-western corner of the room withBoomerang Bros. inOrigami Castle.
Mario Golf series
Bullet Bills are non playable characters in theMario Golf series. They are shot out of Bill Blasters resembling the Monty Mole's cannons fromSuper Mario Sunshine atop towers inMario Golf: Toadstool Tour. They land into the water but have no effect on gameplay. Bullet Bills are usable item shots inMario Golf: World Tour, increasing the player's maximum driving distance and causing the ball to travel in a straight line, ignoring wind and player stats. Bowser Jr. rides a Bullet Bill for hisSpecial Dash inMario Golf: Super Rush.
Mario & Luigi series
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga /Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
Bullet Bills are obstacles inMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga andMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions. They are launched from Bill Blasters inStardust Fields at Mario and Luigi to attack, which can be dodged orcountered with a jump.Mecha-Bloopers, which are found in theSeabed andGwarhar Lagoon, also use Bullet Bills to attack. The game also features a new subspecies called theSniper Bill, a Bullet Bill that uses aSuper Scope as a weapon which fires a smaller Bullet Bill. It is found inBowser's Castle. In the original version, landing on the Sniper Bill after jumping causes no damage.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
InMario & Luigi: Partners in Time, two variants ofShy Guy calledBoom Guys andElite Boom Guys carry Bill Blasters on their head. They run up to the Mario Bros. and shoot out a Bullet Bill to harm them. Sometimes, the cannon lets out a little puff before firing the Bullet Bill. Energy-based ones can also be spotted during the boss fight againstSwiggler in theVim Factory, if the player looks closely when theShroob saucers attack.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story /Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
Bullet Bills are enemies inMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story andMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey. They are shot out of cannons manned byAir Cannons, after which Bullet Bills may turn invisible and attack one of the Mario Brothers, who can dodge with precise timing. During the final battle withDark Bowser, dark versions of Bullet Bills are among those which appear during his dark minion attack. Bowser must punch the Bullet Bills or duck under them depending on their height.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
While Bullet Bills themselves do not appear inMario & Luigi: Paper Jam, there arepapercraft versions of Bullet Bills that appear during the Papercraft Bowser segment.
WarioWare series
Bullet Bills appear in somemicrogames in theWarioWare series. InWarioWare: Twisted!, Bullet Bills make appearances with theirSuper Mario Bros. 3 sprites in the microgameSuper Mario Bros. 3-Lift, aSuper Mario Bros. 3-based microgame found in9-Volt and18-Volt's stage, where they appear as one of the enemies that the player has to avoid. They also make cameos inWarioWare: Touched! in two microgames: in theSuper Mario Bros.Stomp! microgame, where in the third level, when the player defeats all the enemies, Mario appear riding in a Bullet Bill instead of in a Lakitu's Cloud, and in the microgameClawing for More, where they appear as one of the sprites that can appear when the player grabs the ball. Bullet Bills return in theSuper Mario Bros. 3 microgame inWarioWare Gold.
Mario Tennis series
Bullet Bills make a few appearances in theMario Tennis series. InMario Power Tennis, near the climax of the opening cinematic, Bowser launches a Bullet Bill from his balloon, only for Mario to knock it away with his tennis racket, striking Wario and Waluigi, and the Special GameMecha-Bowser Mayhem features Bullet Bills launched byMecha-Bowser. InMario Tennis Aces, Bullet Bills appear in the adventure mode levelDefeat Bowser's Minions!, found at the Castle Gates. They are fired from two Bill Blasters when the player battles aWhomp, and can be blocked by Mario's tennis racket to cause them to damage the Whomp. Getting hit by a Bullet Bill causes Mario to lose ten seconds on the timer.
Mario Baseball series
Bullet Bills are non-playable characters in theMario Baseball series. Their role is largely similar betweenMario Superstar Baseball andMario Super Sluggers. In both games, Bowser uses the Bullet Bill for pitching in hisStar Skill,Killer Ball, as well as for batting inMario Superstar Baseball; similarly, a Bullet Bill wearing a bandana resemblingBowser Jr.'s is used by said character when usingKiller Jr. Ball inMario Superstar Baseball only. While pitching, a Bullet Bill is launched at the batter, traveling slow before flying in a loop and then zooming toward the batter. While batting, a Bullet Bill is launched across the field, and if caught, the Bullet Bill pushes the catcher back a distance. Upon hitting the ground, the Bullet Bill turns back into a regular ball. In the Challenge Mode, purchasing a Bullet Bill at the item shop allows Bowser to perform Killer Ball. In the final cutscene ofMario Super Sluggers, a Bullet Bill is inserted into a cannon used for a Bob-omb Derby contest at Mario Stadium by Wario and Waluigi. When the Bullet Bill launches, Bowser emerges to hit it away from Mario and at Wario and Waluigi, blasting them away before setting off a chain reaction of fireworks.
Super Princess Peach
Bullet Bills are enemies inSuper Princess Peach. They appear from offscreen and can be defeated either from beingstomped or with theRage vibe. This game also introduces a red, more dangerous variant known asMad Bullet Bills, which fly faster than normal Bullet Bills and are enshrouded in fire.
Mario Strikers Charged
A Bullet Bill is a non-playable character inMario Strikers Charged. It is part ofShy Guy'sSkillshot, known asBullet Bill Blast, where after charging the ball, Shy Guy summons a Bullet Bill and rides on it while holding the ball, going directly to theGoalkeeper to knock him out in a explosion.
Mario & Sonic series
Bullet Bills appear in various games of theMario & Sonic series. In theNintendo DS version ofMario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Bullet Bills are enemies inAirship. In theWii version ofMario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Bullet Bills make their first appearance in an Olympic event,Dream Snowball Fight, where they periodically appear in the area and knock down characters when they hit them, but can be turned around by hitting them with snowballs. In the Story Mode of theNintendo 3DS version ofMario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Bowser Jr. uses a Bullet Bill to travel between areas, and there is an obtainablebadge of a Bullet Bill from the badge machine. InMario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Bullet Bills are featured prominently in theBullet Bill Sledge Race event, where each sled is pulled by a pair of harnessed Bullet Bills. In the Nintendo 3DS version ofMario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Bullet Bills appear inBoxing Plus, as an item that can deplete the opponent's Guard Gauge, as well asRhythmic Gymnastics Plus, where they occasionally fire from offscreen to show upcoming buttons for the player to input.
Though Bullet Bills do not appear in the Nintendo DS version ofMario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, aBig Bullet Bill appears as a rival inAdventure Tours mode, where it is faced inCubyrinth. Big Bullet Bill is also the fourth rival inSkeleton in Single Festival and the second rival inBobsleigh in Team Festival.
Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move
Bullet Bills are enemies in the minigameElevation Station inMario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move. Bullet Bills in one of three sizes fly in from either side, trying to hit theMini Mario on the platform.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Bullet Bills are enemies inCaptain Toad: Treasure Tracker andits ports. Their appearance and behaviors are carried over fromSuper Mario 3D World. Bullet Bills can be defeated by throwing aTurnip at them, and the explosion of a Bullet Bill can destroyRock Blocks. The latter property is helpful because the orientation and position of Bill Blasters can be manipulated usingSpinwheels andTouchstones to make them fire Bullet Bills into Rock Blocks. The coursesSpinwheel Bullet Bill Base,Bullet Bill's Touchy Trials, andToad Brigade to Bullet Bill Base! are named after Bullet Bills.Bull's-Eye Bills return, taking after the movement of Cat Bullet Bills.
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition
Bullet Bills are enemies and allies inPuzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. Their main attribute is Dark. As enemies, Bullet Bills sometimes deliver first strike blows, and tend to attack every turn. They can even increase the ATK of every enemy on the field, making their attacks deal more damage than normal to the player. As allies, Bullet Bills have a skill that halves the defense of all the enemies for three turns.
A Bullet Bill can be transformed into aBanzai Bill by giving it fourFire Flowers. Alternatively, giving a Bullet Bill threeGoomba Coins transforms it into a mash-up enemy, called Bullet Bill &Goomba (a solo Goomba on a Bullet Bill blaster). Six more Goomba Coins transforms Bullet Bill & Goomba into Bullet Bill & Goombas (two Goombas on a Bullet Bill blaster).
Bullet Bills have ATK as their highest stat, while their HP and RCV are very low.
Yoshi's Woolly World /Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
Bullet Bills are enemies inYoshi's Woolly World andPoochy & Yoshi's Woolly World. They take on a knitted appearance, consistent with the game's theme. The game introduces theWoollet Bill variant.
Yoshi's Crafted World
Bullet Bills are enemies inYoshi's Crafted World. They are depicted with their modern appearance in the levelSpinwheel Shuffle.
Dr. Mario World
Bullet Bills debut in theDr. Mario series as assistants inDr. Mario World. In both stage mode and versus mode, their skill grants the doctor a chance in having a fully filled skill meter at the start of the stage, where the chance of activation is greater in versus mode compared to stage mode, at 20% to 60% chance in versus mode as opposed to stage mode's 4% to 20% chance.
Bullet Bills also appear during Dr. Roy's skill animation, which features them flying across the screen from left to right after his cannon is fired.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
A Bullet Bill appears in the background of aposterMedia:The Super Mario Bros. Movie Rainbow Road poster.jpg forThe Super Mario Bros. Movie showcasingPrincess Peach and numerousKongs driving onRainbow Road. In the movie itself,Koopa Troopas fire them out of the cannons of their karts at the same location. One Bullet Bill is fired from its Bill Blaster at Mario and Donkey Kong'sRocket Barrel upon their return from theMaw-Ray, while several of them alongside someKoopa Paratroopas are flying inBrooklyn, being easily taken down by Invincible Mario and Luigi.
Princess Peach'sTraining Course also features Bullet Bills alongsideBomber Bills. However, these do not explode. Mario is knocked out by a Bullet Bill in one of his failed attempts to complete the course.
Unused appearances
Yoshi
Hidden within the data of theGame Boy version ofYoshi is an unused Bullet Bill that would have functioned similarly to theGoombas,Bloopers,Boos, andPiranha Plants in both that game and theFamily Computer andNintendo Entertainment System version.[9] It is fully functional, though it turns into garbage graphics when it settles on a plate.
Other appearances
In a sketch by the producers ofRobot Chicken from Nintendo'sE3 2014 YouTube video, a Bullet Bill helpsWario andGanondorf ambushReggie Fils-Aimé's presentation; however, it is defeated by Reggie andMario.
The Legend of Zelda series
InThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a Bullet Bill can be seen on the shirt ofFyer, aHylian who operates the cannon atLake Hylia.
Kirby series
InKirby Super Star Ultra, the bossKabula has an attack that involves firing out missiles that resemble Bullet Bills. The only difference is that they have thrusters on their backs.
LEGO City Undercover
InLEGO City Undercover, a cannon in the King's Court district shoots LEGO Bullet Bills at Chase McCain when he approaches them. An optional puzzle requires Chase to use a Bullet Bill to break a cage resembling those seen inSuper Mario Galaxy. The Bullet Bill cameo was retained in theNintendo Switch version of the game's remastered edition, but removed from all other versions.
Skylanders: SuperChargers
InSkylanders: SuperChargers, Bullet Bills can be fired when Bowser is in the Clown Cruiser; however, due to an agreement between Nintendo andActivision, they are featured exclusively in the Nintendo versions of the game.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Though Bullet Bills do not appear inMario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, the RocketBullenator is modeled after one.
General information
Physical appearance and traits
Bullet Bills are black anthropomorphicmissile-like creatures. They have eyes with black pupils/irises and engines at their backsides, thus allowing them to travel in the air. In most games, they can be defeated by simplyjumping on them, though other games make them more resilient. Like other enemies, Bullet Bills have had varying appearances. In the earlierSuper Mario games, Bullet Bills had a slightly brown hue, though this was due to color limitations. Bullet Bills were inspired by shark mouthnose art on fighter planes[10] and older artwork shows them with both arms and mouths, which are depicted variously in early sprites and models. To date, they appear with both arms and a visible mouth in the Game & WatchSuper Mario Bros., the DIC Entertainment cartoons,Super Mario Bros. Print World, the PC release ofMario's Time Machine,Yoshi's Safari,Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, andMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. InSuper Mario Kart,Super Mario 64, andYoshi's Story, they lack arms but have an open mouth with sharp teeth and an angry expression, resemblingBomber Bills. InSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins,Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, andYoshi's Island DS, Bullet Bills display a grin instead, as well as a green color scheme in the second of these. InSuper Mario Sunshine, they have a slimmer shape in the vein ofTorpedo Teds, in addition to having a smile, fuller eyes, and rocket-like fins in the back. In theSuper Mario Bros. comics andMario Party Advance, Bullet Bills are shown to be sentient and possess the ability to speak.
In most games, Bullet Bills simply fly around without targeting a victim, usually being launched fromBill Blasters. However, theSuper Mario Galaxy games give Bullet Bills the ability to home in on their opponents, while their eyes turn red. In theSuper Smash Bros. games, Bullet Bills can also home in on their opponents, though only a few of them do this. In some cases, they can spin while flying. InSuper Mario Odyssey, Bullet Bills appear ascapturable enemies; this game reveals that, Bullet Bills can fly at three different speeds, and can self-destruct after a certain period of time. In thePaper Mario games, Bullet Bills use a kamikaze attack, thus resulting in explosions. InPuzzles and Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, Bullet Bills are associated with the Dark attribute, boast higher ATK, and attack on every turn. TheMario & Sonic games depict Bullet Bill (and more specifically,Big Bullet Bill), as a Speed rival. This is supported by theMario Kart series, which makes Bullet Bill a high-speed item with automatic turning capabilities. A billboard advertisement inMario Kart Wii'sMoonview Highway course addresses Bullet Bill as the "King of Speed".
Profiles and statistics
- Main article:List of Bullet Bill profiles and statistics
Most Bullet Bill bios highlight their trademark habit of soaring through the air and the Bill Blaster which they are shot out of.
List of appearances
Gallery
- For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Bullet Bill.
Naming
Internal names
| Game | File | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Galaxy | ObjectData/HomingKiller.arc | HomingKiller | Transliteration of below |
| Super Mario Galaxy 2 | |||
| Super Mario Galaxy | StageData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl | ホーミングキラー (Hōmingu Kirā) | Homing Bullet Bill |
| Super Mario Galaxy 2 | SystemData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl |
Names in other languages
The contemporaneous name for each language is listed first. Subsequent names are listed in chronological order for each language, from oldest to newest.
Bullet Bill
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | キラー[11][12][13][14][15] Kirā | Killer | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 炮弹先锋[16] Pàodàn Xiānfēng | Bullet Vanguard | contemporary name within Chinese releases |
| 炮弹刺客[17] Pàodàn Cìkè | Bullet Assassin | contemporary name within international releases | |
| 弹头杀手[18] Dàntóu Shāshǒu | Bullet Killer | prior toSuper Mario Party | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 炮彈刺客[17][14] Pàodàn Cìkè | Bullet Assassin | |
| Dutch | Bullet Bill[17][14] | - | |
| Kogelpunt[19]:35 | Bullet point | Super Mario Bros. | |
| Finnish | Bullet Bill[20][21] | - | |
| Luoti-Lasse[22] | An allteration ofluoti ("bullet") with the Finish given nameLasse, a Finnish given name pronounced similarly to "Lassie" | Super Mario Bros. | |
| French | Bill Balle[23][17] | Bullet Bill | |
| La balle menaçante[19]:13[24] | The menacing bullet | Super Mario Bros.,Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels | |
| German | Kugelwilli[25][17][14] | Bullet Willi; "Willi" being a German given name equivalent to "Wily" | |
| Kugel-Willi[26][27][28] | Super Mario Bros.,Super Mario Bros. 3,Super Mario 64 | ||
| Raketen Willi[29] | Rocket Willi; shared withMissile Bill | Yoshi's Story | |
| Italian | Pallottolo Bill[30]:96[31][14][17] | Bullet Bill; frompallottola ("bullet") in masculine form | |
| Bullet Bill[32] | - | Super Mario Bros. | |
| Bullet Guy[33] | Super Mario Bros. Deluxe | ||
| Pallottola Bill[34] | Bullet Bill | New Super Mario Bros. Wii | |
| Korean | 킬러[35][17][14] Killeo | Killer | |
| Portuguese | Bill Bala[36][14][37] | Bullet Bill | |
| Portuguese (NOA) | Bill bala[38] | Bullet Bill | earlySuper Mario Run translation |
| Bullet Bill[39] | - | Super Mario Bros. | |
| Portuguese (NOE) | Bill-Bala[40] | Bullet Bill | Super Mario 3D World |
| Russian | Билл-пуля[17][14] Bill-pulya | Bill-bullet | |
| Spanish | Bill Bala[17][14] | Bullet Bill | |
| Bullet Bill[41] | - | Super Mario Bros. | |
| Koopa Misil[42] | Missile Koopa | The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! | |
| Spanish (NOA) | Bill bala[17][14] | Spanish names were lowercased in Latin American territories from 2012 to 2019 | prior toNew Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe |
| Swedish | Bullet Bill[43] | - |
Purple Bullet Bill
"Purple Bullet Bill" refers to a specific type of Bullet Bill that homes-in on the player inSuper Mario Sunshine.
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | キラー（紫）[44] Kirā (Murasaki) | Bullet Bill (Purple) | |
| むらさきキラー[15] Murasaki Kirā | Purple Bullet Bill | ||
| Italian | Pallottolo Bill Viola[30]:96 | Purple Bullet Bill | PRIMA Guide |
| Pallottolo Bill lilla[45] | Lilac Bullet Bill | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia |
Blue Bullet Bill
"Blue Bullet Bill" refers to a specific type of Bullet Bill that homes-in and turns to target the player inSuper Mario Sunshine.
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | キラー（青）[44] Kirā (Ao) | Bullet Bill (Blue) | |
| あおキラー[15] Ao Kirā | Blue Bullet Bill | ||
| Italian | Pallottolo Bill (Blu)[30]:171 | Bullet Bill (Blue) | PRIMA Guide |
| Pallottolo Bill blu[45] | Blue Bullet Bill | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia |
Notes
- InThe Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening development assets, a Bullet Bill sprite can be found around the game's cameos.[46]
References
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- Bullet Bills
- Playable characters
- Capturable
- Subspace Army
- Smash Run enemies
- Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix enemies
- Dinosaur Dilemma enemies
- Dr. Mario World
- LEGO Super Mario characters
- Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games species
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games species
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
- Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
- Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games species
- Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move enemies
- Mario Clock
- Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)
- Mario Golf: World Tour characters
- Mario Golf: World Tour items
- Mario Kart 7 items
- Mario Kart 8 items
- Mario Kart Arcade GP VR
- Mario Kart DS items
- Mario Kart Tour items
- Mario Kart Wii items
- Mario Kart World items
- Mario Party 2
- Mario Party 3
- Mario Party 5
- Mario Party 6
- Mario Party 7
- Mario Party 8
- Mario Party 9
- Mario Party Advance characters
- Mario Party Advance enemies
- Mario Party: Island Tour characters
- Mario Party: The Top 100 characters
- Mario Pinball Land enemies
- Mario Sports Superstars
- Mario Superstar Baseball items
- Mario's Picross
- Mario's Time Machine enemies
- New Super Luigi U enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. 2 enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. U enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii trading cards
- Paper Mario enemies
- Paper Mario: Color Splash enemies
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door enemies
- Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition bosses
- Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition enemies
- Super Mario 3D Land enemies
- Super Mario 3D World enemies
- Super Mario 64 enemies
- Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 enemies
- Super Mario Bros. (Valiant Comics) enemies
- Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
- Super Mario Bros. enemies
- Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels enemies
- Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!
- Super Mario Bros. Special enemies
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder enemies
- Super Mario Bros. 3 enemies
- Super Mario Galaxy enemies
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 enemies
- Super Mario Galaxy trading cards
- Super Mario Kart
- Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins enemies
- Super Mario Maker enemies
- Super Mario Maker 2 enemies
- Super Mario Odyssey enemies
- Super Mario Run enemies
- Super Mario Sunshine enemies
- Super Mario World enemies
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island enemies
- Super Nintendo World characters
- Super Paper Mario enemies
- Super Princess Peach enemies
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl stickers
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophies
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS trophies
- Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophies
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U items
- Super Smash Bros. series enemies
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate items
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirits
- The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 enemies
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie characters
- The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! enemies
- Yoshi's Crafted World enemies
- Yoshi's Island DS enemies
- Yoshi's New Island enemies
- Yoshi's Story enemies
- Yoshi's Safari enemies
- Yoshi's Woolly World enemies
