Bullet Bill

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Bullet Bill
Bullet Bill in Mario Kart 8
Artwork from Mario Kart 8
First appearance Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Latest appearance Super Mario Party Jamboree (2024)
Variants
Relatives
Comparable
“King of Speed”
Bullet Oil poster, Mario Kart Wii

Bullet Bills are enemies introduced in Super Mario Bros. These bullet-like projectiles are blasted out of Bill Blasters, coupled with a firing sound effect, whether onscreen or offscreen. A Bullet Bill continues traveling horizontally when fired. Bullet Bills are unaffected by Fire Flowers and their fireballs, and most games allow Bullet Bills to be defeated from being stomped. In the side-scrolling games, Bullet Bills can pass through walls. Ever since Super Mario 64, some Bullet Bills have the ability to home in on Mario as a missile, a function that would later go to Bull's-Eye Bills mainly. Bullet Bills are portrayed as items in some series, mostly the Mario Kart series, functioning either as projectiles or having the player take advantage of their speed by either riding on them or transforming into one.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros. / Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

Bullet Bill
Super Mario Bros. promotional artwork: A Bullet Bill
Artwork from Super Mario Bros., depicting the first design of a Bullet Bill

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and their remakes within Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. Bullet Bills are usually shot from a Turtle Cannon, though are sometimes shot from off-screen, and fly in a straight line. A Bullet Bill can be defeated if stomped or from the effects of a Starman. A Koopa Shell or Buzzy 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 the flagpole, 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 and Piranha 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 in World 5-1 in Super Mario Bros. A Bullet Bill takes on the disguise of the fake Bowser in World C-4. Since Bullet Bills share the same color palette as Goombas, they appear gray in World 6-3 of Super Mario Bros. and blue in World A-2 from Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Bullet Bills are not launched from the Turtle Cannons in World 9-1 of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.

Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario Bros. 3. They are encountered mostly in airship stages. Besides previous methods, it is also possible for Bullet Bills to be defeated from a Hammer, a tail attack, or a Bob-omb in certain stages. The game introduces Missile Bills, which turn around and fly back towards Mario if it misses him the first time. The World-e level in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 features diagonally-fired Bullet Bills.

Super Mario Land

Main article: Bullet Biff

Bullet Bills do not appear in Super Mario Land, though a subspecies native to Sarasaland named Bullet Biffs appears.

Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2

Bullet Bill

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario World. Bullet Bills are first encountered in Vanilla Dome 4 where they are fired off-screen, while Bullet Bills emitted from Turtle Cannons are first encountered in Sunken Ghost Ship. Bullet Bills in Cheese Bridge Area are encountered in a zone led from a Warp Pipe. The level Outrageous 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 the Torpedo Ted and Banzai Bill variants. Additionally, when the Special Zone is completed, horizontal-moving Bullet Bills turn into Pidgit Bills, which function identically but look like flying Pidgits. In Super 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

A Bullet Bill, from Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. They often appear in the Mario 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 Bill SM64.pngA Bullet Bill in Super Mario 64 DS
Screenshot from Super Mario 64 (left) and Super Mario 64 DS (right)

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS. They are designed similarly to Banzai Bills. Bullet Bills are encountered in Whomp's Fortress only, after the Whomp King has been defeated, and are shot from Blaster 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's health. A Bullet Bill can appear from the blaster forcefully if Mario Ground 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 in Dire, Dire Docks, at the submarine dock until completing Bowser in the Fire Sea. It was made possible to defeat a Bullet Bill from a kick or a Mushroom, 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

A Bullet Bill in Super Mario Sunshine.

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario Sunshine. They have been redesigned enitrely, having a metallic exterior, googly eyes, and smile in a manner akin to Torpedo 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 two coins when squirted by FLUDD, except Golden Bullet Bills, which release eight coins instead. Black Bullet Bills are first shown at Pinna Park during Episode 1, being fired from four cannons in Mecha-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. In Episode 2, black, purple, and golden Bullet Bills appear fired by Monty 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 in Super Mario 64, though with a tight-but-lengthy u-turn if they miss; this type can destroy the baskets with Blue Coins in the same episode. In Episode 1 of Noki Bay, a single inactive black Bullet Bill is found laying dormant in the platform connecting the cannon to the giant cork. In the battle against Bowser and Bowser Jr. on Corona Mountain, the latter shoots special Purple Bullet Bills[1] or Guided 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 a 1-Up Mushroom or Water Bottle if defeated this way, or from Bowser's Fire 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 in New Super Mario Bros. Their role is based on their appearance from Super Mario Bros., except some of them are launched from Bill Blaster Turrets, and some can be additionally defeated from using a Mega Mushroom. Banzai Bills also return as enemies. Bullet Bills are encountered in World 2-Castle; World 5-4, where some appear from offscreen; World 6-1; World 6-Castle, during the Monty Tank fight only, World 7-5, and World 8-1}}.

Super Mario Galaxy

Artwork from Super Mario Galaxy

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario Galaxy. They are very common and appear in several galaxies. 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 defeat Megaleg in Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor. If a Bullet Bill hits Mario, he is knocked down for a few seconds and loses a wedge of health. Both Banzai Bills and Torpedo Teds also make a reappearance.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Bullet Bills are enemies in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. They act the same as in New Super Mario Bros., though they can be frozen by an Ice Ball from Ice or Penguin Mario. Unlike other flying enemies, Bullet Bills could be picked up and thrown while frozen. They are encountered in World 3; World 5-5, being fired from off-screen only; in World 6, including as Enemy Courses; and in several levels of World 7. In addition to Missile Bills and Banzai Bills reappearing, the game also introduces King Bills and homing Banzai Bills.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Screenshot from Super Mario Galaxy 2, showing Bullet Bills chase Mario and Yoshi in the battle against Megahammer.

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario Galaxy 2. Several retain their homing capabilities, though some Bullet Bills in Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet and Bowser's Galaxy Generator 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 defeat Megahammer, which launches out Bullet Bills constantly. Banzai Bills also return as enemies.

Super Mario 3D Land

Many Bullet Bills
Screenshot from Super Mario 3D Land, showing Bullet Bills in World 2-Airship

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario 3D Land. This is the first 3D game where Bullet Bills travel in only a single direction and to have stomping or a boomerang as a method for defeating them. A Bullet Bill that is tail-whipped by Tanooki Mario changes its angle after a spin and keeps flying. The game introduces Tail Bullet Bills, which are Bullet Bills that have striped tails.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

Bullet Bills are enemies in New Super Mario Bros. 2. They retain their traits from before. While a Gold Ring is active, Bullet Bills become golden and leave a trail of coins behind them. Jumping on the Bullet Bills themselves discontinue the production of any more coins. Exclusively in the course packs Coin Challenge Pack B and Platform Panic Pack are diagonally flying Bullet Bills.

New Super Mario Bros. U

Bullet Bills are enemies in New Super Mario Bros. U. They act similarly as before, though produce a red smoky flare like in Super Mario 3D Land. Bullet Bills also appear in the battle against Roy Koopa, who shoots them from a Bill Blaster at players. Besides the returning Torpedo Teds from Super Mario World, Bullet Bills also have a variant named Targeting Teds.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Bullet Bills in Bowser's Bullet Bill Brigade
Screenshot from Super Mario 3D World, showing Bullet Bills being launched

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. They act the same as before. The game introduces a Cat Bullet Bill based on the Cat Mario transformation that is based on the Tail Bullet Bills in Super Mario 3D Land.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS

Artwork of Mary O from Super Mario Maker
Artwork from Super Mario Maker, showing Mary O. hammer a loose nail on a Bill Blaster

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS. They are not standalone enemies, since they emerge from Bill Blasters only. Likewise, Bull's-Eye Bills return, and they are fired from Bull's-Eye Blasters.

Super Mario Run

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario Run. They are encountered in the levels Sky-High Lifts and Leaps! and Bullet Bill Barrage. Bullet Bills behave the same as before, other than the fact that all of them are launched offscreen. Bull's-Eye Bills also make a returning appearance.

Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Odyssey artwork
Artwork from Super Mario Odyssey of a captured Bullet Bill

Bullet Bills are enemies Super Mario Odyssey. They are encountered in the Metro Kingdom and the Sand Kingdom, where they wear visors, as well as in the Underground Moon Caverns in the Moon Kingdom, where they wear white top hats. Bullet Bills chase after Mario upon being fired from a Bill Blaster. If the Bullet Bill cannot see Mario, usually because he is inside a two-dimensional area 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 certain Blocks or interact with a number of objects. They start to glow red if they fly for too long, which signifies that the Bullet Bill will explode on its own soon. Bullet Bills can also appear in two-dimensional areas, using their sprite from Super Mario Bros.. They function as they do in that game, but still explode on contact with any surface. Bullet Bills are allowed to fly into and out of two-dimensional areas, with their behavior changing as part of the swap.

A Bullet Bill can be captured temporarily, first by using the Cap Throw to knock off its hat and then using the Cap Throw a second time. As a captured Bullet Bill, Mario can travel across pits. The player can accelerate with Y Button or X Button, 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. Between capturing the Bullet Bill and starting to fly, the player can rotate the Bullet Bill in any direction. Bullet Bills continue to explode on contact with anything or when their timer elapses, though this does not harm Mario and is easier to direct to the player's advantage since the Bullet Bill is being guided. 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 is After being released, a Bullet Bill is not stunned. A second timer is set, and the Bullet Bill flies forward instead of chasing Mario until that timer runs out.

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 in Super Mario Maker 2. Their role is similar as in Super Mario Maker, but in the added Super Mario 3D World style, Bullet Bills can defeat enemies on contact and get defeated when hitting a wall; version 3.0.0 introduces the Bullet Bill Mask in said style.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Screenshot of a Missile Meg from Super Mario Bros. Wonder
A Missile Meg under the effect of a Wonder Flower

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. A few variants were introduced, all prominently in Castle 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; and Renketsu Search Killers, variants of Bull's-Eye Bills consisting of multiple segments and dorsal fins.

Alleyway

Stage 15
The Bullet Bill block formation in stage 15 of Alleyway

Several breakable blocks are arranged in the shape of a Bullet Bill in stage 15 of Alleyway.

DIC cartoons

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

“Hit the deck! It's a Bullet Bill!”
Toad, "Robo Koopa"
Bullet Bill
Three Bullet Bills from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Robo Koopa"

Bullet Bills appear only in "Robo Koopa" of The 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

Three Bullet Bills from The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3.
Three Bullet Bills from The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "Mush-Rumors"

Bullet Bills appear only in "Reptiles in the Rose Garden" and "Mush-Rumors" of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. They are projectiles fired from the Doom Ship. Additionally, they are launched at a family consisting of Norman, his wife, Missy, and Bud in "Mush-Rumors."

Nintendo Comics System

In the Nintendo Comics System story "The Kingdom Enquirer", several Bullet Bills (depicted as being able to talk) appear among the various monsters pestering Toad (who had become a reporter) for an interview. A later story, entitled "Bowser Knows Best", also features Bullet Bills, who the Koopalings hitch a ride on in order to chase down Princess Toadstool, who had previously escaped their clutches.

Super Mario Adventures

In Nintendo Power's Super 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 the Mario Kart series.

Super Mario Kart

A Bullet Bill found in Super Mario Kart
A Bullet Bill in Super Mario Kart

Bullet Bills are obstacles in Super Mario Kart. They appear in Match Race, functioning as additional obstacles in all Mario Circuit courses, Donut Plains courses (excluding Donut 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

Artwork of a Bullet Bill in Mario Kart DS
A Bullet Bill in Mario Kart DS, its first appearance as an item

Bullet Bills are obstacles and an item in Mario Kart DS. As obstacles, Bullet Bills are depicted with their arms flattened to their sides, and they appear in Airship Fortress only. As an item, Bullet Bills are received by players in 6th place or lower. When activated, the user's entire kart 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 driver or obstacle hit by a Bullet Bill, whether it is an item or an obstacle, is knocked out of the way and drops any item in their possession, a function derived from the Chain Chomp item in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. A Bullet Bill cannot damage players under the effects of a Star or a Boo, though the former condition still knocks them aside slightly. Players using a Bullet Bill cannot receive any items from an Item Box. The Bullet Bill item has a longer duration, the lower ranked a player is.

Mario Kart Wii

Bullet Bill
Wario using a Bullet Bill

Bullet Bills are items in Mario Kart Wii. They can be received only by players in 8th place or lower, most commonly in 12th place, which has a 25% chance. Bullet Bills function identically as in Mario Kart DS, though players under the effects of a Mega Mushroom can also be knocked back by this item. When a Bullet Bill is used, another one cannot be obtained until the current one is exhausted, much like the Thunder Cloud, Spiny Shell, Blooper, POW Block, and Lightning. A Bullet Bill is the basis for the design of the Bullet Bike.

Mario Kart 7

Bullet Bills are items in Mario Kart 7. They function similarly as in Mario Kart Wii, but can be received by players only in 6th place or lower. Bullet Bills now slow before expiring, reducing the likelihood of players falling off the course. The warning sound from Mario Kart Wii also plays when a Bullet Bill is nearby.

Mario Kart Arcade GP DX

Bullet Bills make a cameo appearance in Mario 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 in Mario Kart 8 and its port. They also have their own sponsor, Bullet Bill Speed Trial. A Bullet Bill's eyes glow in the dark in Twisted Mansion and other dark areas. Originally, the rear-view mirror is not usable while using a Bullet Bill, though this was changed as of version 2.3.0 of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Players who can receive a Bullet Bill have to be a certain distance from the player in first place. Up to three Bullet Bills can be used on a course at once.

Mario Kart Tour

Bullet Bills are items in Mario Kart Tour. During a Bullet Bill Frenzy, 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 the Bowser vs. DK Tour that is a recreation of the Bullet Bill's appearance in Super Mario Bros., aptly named 8-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 from Mario Kart Tour.
Bullet Bill Plus
Increases your chances of getting a Bullet Bill. Using one will get you more points.
+20 points
Wario WingWaluigi Wing
+30 points
Blizzard BalloonsSilver-and-Gold HeartsSilver StarchuteBlack Great Sail8-Bit Bullet BillSpringtime CranePink Gold MeteorsLuigi ParafoilMagniflying GlassSilver Luigi's MustacheRainbow Fare FlierRed EmblemRoyal FlushBullet Bill ParachuteSecret ScrollRoy OilpaperBarrel HanafudaBullet Bill Hanafuda

Super Mario Bros. film

Bullet Bill Cartridge
Bullet Bill prop used in the film.

In the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film, miniature, non-explosive Bullet Bills appear as the fuel cartridges of the Thwomp Stompers used by Mario, Luigi and Big Bertha. A neon sign advertising a bar called "Bullet Bill's" can also be seen prominently displayed in the Koopa Square in Dinohattan throughout the film. Daisy can be seen wearing various Bullet Bills in the film's ending when she interrupts Mario, Luigi and Daniella's meal.

Though they are officially meant to be Bullet Bills, they more resemble Banzai Bills; an earlier draft of the script more appropriately referred to these cartridges as "Banzai Bills".[4]

Yoshi's Safari

Bullet Bills are enemies in Yoshi's Safari. They arrive from offscreen and can be destroyed from a single hit with the Super Scope. They are seen from the front only like in Super Mario Kart.

Mario's Time Machine

Sprite of a Bullet Bill from Mario's Time Machine (PC).

Bullet Bills are enemies in the PC release of Mario's Time Machine only. They appear if Mario sets the date on the Timulator incorrectly, sending him to the prehistoric era. Here, Bullet Bills fly at Mario from offscreen while he collects eggs from a pterodactyl. 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

A Bullet Bill from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. They are colored green instead of black and have facial expressions. The game introduces Bouncing Bullet Bills, which bounce and ricochet off walls after being fired. The remake also adds Missile 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.

During Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island's development, the Bullet Bill was colored its usual black and was intended to bite as it moved.[5]

Bullet Bills return in the sequel, Yoshi's Island DS, where they were changed to black to be consistent with their appearance in Super Mario games. Bullet Bills also return in Yoshi's New Island, performing the same actions as in previous Yoshi's Island games and retaining their design from games in the Super Mario series, like with Yoshi's Island DS.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Bullet Bill
A Bullet Bill as it appears in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Apprentices, Snifsters, Blasters, and Big 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 the Sunken Ship has them shot by normal cannons and simply push Mario to a lower floor. This game also introduces Blazers, 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 called Magnums.

In the remake, Bullet Bills retain their original design, having arms and a mouth.

Yoshi's Story

Bullet Bill
A Bullet Bill in Yoshi's Story
Sprite of a Bullet Bill from Yoshi's Story

Bullet Bills are enemies in Yoshi's Story. They follow the same pattern as before, though the game introduces tongues for the mechanical irritants. The Blasters of this game are slightly different in appearance and the Bullet Bills are golden in color.

Game & Watch Gallery series

A Bullet Bill, from the Game & Watch Gallery 3 version of Donkey Kong Jr. A Bullet Bill, from the Game & Watch Gallery 4 version of Donkey Kong Jr.
A Bullet Bill in the Donkey Kong Jr. remakes in Game & Watch Gallery 3 (left image) and Game & Watch Gallery 4 (right image)

Bullet Bills are enemies in the Modern version of Donkey Kong Jr. in Game & Watch Gallery 3 and Game & Watch Gallery 4 as well as the Modern Fire Attack in the latter. They get in the way of Donkey Kong Jr. as he tries to rescue Donkey Kong. Additionally, in Game & Watch Gallery 4, Bullet Bills appear in the Modern version of Fire Attack, where they attempt to destroy a statue belonging to Wario.

Super Smash Bros. series

SmashWiki article: Bullet Bill
Data-rendered model of a Bullet Bill from Super Smash Bros.
In Super Smash Bros.

Bullet Bills first appear in Super Smash Bros. One of Master 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 in Yoshi's Story.

Super Smash Bros. Melee is the only Super Smash Bros. game where Bullet Bills do not appear. However, the trophy of the Banzai Bill enemy from Princess 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.

A Bullet Bill in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
The Bullet Bill enemy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Bullet Bills have appeared in a few of the series' single-player campaigns. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Bullet Bills are enemies in The Subspace Emissary, where they are affiliated with Bowser's forces and the Subspace Army. Here, Bullet Bills launch straight from right to left, like with most of their appearances in the Super 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 to Bull's-Eye Bills, and can be temporarily deflected. In a cutscene, silver Bullet Bills are seen pursuing Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong, but explode after being defeated by the Kongs' attacks. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Bullet Bills are an enemy in the Smash Run mode, where they slowly fly toward the player to try and hit them and inflict damage.

A Bullet Bill in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
The Bullet Bill item in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super 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.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, in addition to returning as items, a Bullet Bill also appears as one of the drawings drawn by Nikki. 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-type primary spirit. Once it reaches level 99, it can be enhanced to a Banzai Bill. In World of Light, the spirit is encountered on The Light Realm map; the puppet fighters are four small Captain Falcons fought on the Mushroom Kingdom stage, with Bullet Bill items spawning throughout the battle.

Mario Party series

Mario Party 2

Bullet Bills are obstacles in the minigame Bombs Away in Mario 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 in Mario Party 3. They are obstacles in the minigames Crazy Cogs and Ridiculous Relay, usable weapons in Aces High, and cameo in Pump, 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 minigame Bill Blasters and items in Mario Party 5. As items, Bullet Bills appear in the form of the Bullet 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 in Mario Party 6. As items, Bullet Bill Orbs have the same effect, except they steal only 20 coins per opponent instead. The minigame Jump the Gun involves a player shooting Bullet Bills at targets to form a platform for their partner. In Shoot 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 in Verbal Assault, though the latter can be unlocked from the Star Bank. The Magma Flow path in Star Sprint also has Bullet Bills being shot at the player.

Mario Party Advance

MPA Bullet.png
Screenshot from 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 in Mario Party Advance. He is a track and field athlete at the Mushroom Stadium. He is also a huge fan of the Kamek 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 the Mini Soccer Gaddget. In a separate quest, Bullet Bill is hesitant to rent out his stadium, but he eagerly obliges when he is told it is the Kamek 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.[6]

Bullet Bills are obstacles in the minigame Bill 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 the Wheel of Woe, StratosFEAR!, and Helipopper minigames of Mario 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 of blasters on each side of the room at the other three players.

Mario Party 8

Superstar Showdown from Mario Party 8
Screenshot from Mario Party 8, showing Bullet Bills in Superstar Showdown

Bullet Bills are obstacles in the minigames Sick and Twisted and Thrash 'n' Crash, weapons in Cardiators, and items in Mario Party 8. As an item, Bullet Bills appear in the form of Bullet Candy, exclusively in Bowser's Warped Orbit, which transforms the lower half of the user into a blaster; allows them to hit three Dice 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 of Superstar 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 minigame Gun 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

Billistics
Bullet Bills are the focus of the Mario Party 9 minigame, Billistics

Bullet Bills are obstacles in the minigame Billistics and usable vehicles in Speeding Bullets in Mario Party 9. In the former minigame, the goal is to dodge them and several Missile 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 in Mario Party: Island Tour. They are usable only on Perilous Palace Path, where they are known as Backwards Bills, which knock a selected player back by five spaces.

Mario Party 10

Bullet Bills are obstacles in Meanie Match, Hop, Drop, and Roll, Bullet Bill Bullies, and Kamek's Rocket Rampage; and a feature of Airship Central in Mario Party 10. The role of Bullet Bills on Airship Central is to shoot down Bowser's Airship. There is a Bullet Bill attraction on Mushroom Park that involves collecting Mini Stars by jumping.

Super Mario Party

Bullet Bills are non-playable characters in the minigames Follow the Money and Drop Quiz in Super Mario Party.

Mario Party Superstars

Bullet Bills reappear in Mario Party Superstars in the returning Bill Blasters minigame from Mario Party 5.

Super Mario Party Jamboree

Bullet Bills reappear in Super Mario Party Jamboree in the returning Jump the Gun minigame from Mario Party 6, but are fired from Bill Blasters instead of generic cannons.

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario

Sprite of Bullet Bill, from Paper Mario.

Bullet Bills are enemies in Paper Mario. They are encountered in the Koopa Bros. Fortress, being shot out by Bill Blasters shortly before the Koopa 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 the First Strike on him.

Gold Bullet Bills known as Bombshell Bills are also introduced in Paper Mario and are shot from B. Bill Blasters. They are found in Bowser'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

PMTTYD Bullet Bill Sprite.png

Bullet Bills are enemies in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. They are encountered in Pirate's Grotto, where they are once again shot by Bill Blasters. Bombshell Bills and their Blasters also appear in the Palace 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 are Superguarded.

Super Paper Mario

PMTTYD Bullet Bill Sprite.png

Bullet Bills are enemies in Super Paper Mario. They appear once in The 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 use Thoreau to pick up the Bullet Bill and throw it at the Bill Blaster.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

PMSSBulletBillSprite.png

Like with the previous game, Bullet Bills only appear in one level, Bowser Jr.'s Flotilla, in World 6 in Paper 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 2 HP. They were originally able to be battled, as evidenced by the text dump.[7]

Paper Mario: Color Splash

Bullet Bills are an interactable species in Paper 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 the Green Energy Plant level based on Super Mario Bros. 3.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

Bullet Bills make cameos in Paper Mario: The Origami King. They can be seen in the background of the Buzzy Beetle statue room in Bowser's Castle, and are fired from Bowser's airship at the Paper Plane Squadron before Mario 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 with Boomerang Bros. in Origami Castle.

Mario Golf series

Bullet Bills are non playable characters in the Mario Golf series. They are shot out of Bill Blasters resembling the Monty Mole's cannons from Super Mario Sunshine atop towers in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. They land into the water but have no effect on gameplay. Bullet Bills are usable item shots in Mario 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 his Special Dash in Mario Golf: Super Rush.

Mario & Luigi series

A Sniper Bill in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

Bullet Bills are obstacles in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions. They are launched from Bill Blasters in Stardust Fields at Mario and Luigi to attack, which can be dodged or countered with a jump. Mecha-Bloopers, which are found in the Seabed and Gwarhar Lagoon, also use Bullet Bills to attack. The game also features a new subspecies called the Sniper Bill, a Bullet Bill that uses a Super Scope as a weapon which fires a smaller Bullet Bill. It is found in Bowser's Castle. In the original version, landing on the Sniper Bill after jumping causes no damage.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

An Elite Boom Guy from Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, two variants of Shy Guy called Boom Guys and Elite 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 against Swiggler in the Vim Factory, if the player looks closely when the Shroob saucers attack.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey

Dark Bowser's minions from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey.

Bullet Bills are enemies in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey. They are shot out of cannons manned by Air 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 with Dark 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 in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, there are papercraft versions of Bullet Bills that appear during the Papercraft Bowser segment.

WarioWare series

Bullet Bills appear in some microgames in the WarioWare series. In WarioWare: Twisted!, Bullet Bills make appearances with their Super Mario Bros. 3 sprites in the microgame Super Mario Bros. 3-Lift, a Super Mario Bros. 3-based microgame found in 9-Volt and 18-Volt's stage, where they appear as one of the enemies that the player has to avoid. They also make cameos in WarioWare: Touched! in two microgames: in the Super 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 microgame Clawing for More, where they appear as one of the sprites that can appear when the player grabs the ball. Bullet Bills return in the Super Mario Bros. 3 microgame in WarioWare Gold.

Mario Tennis series

Bullet Bills make a few appearances in the Mario Tennis series. In Mario 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 Game Mecha-Bowser Mayhem features Bullet Bills launched by Mecha-Bowser. In Mario Tennis Aces, Bullet Bills appear in the adventure mode level Defeat Bowser's Minions!, found at the Castle Gates. They are fired from two Bill Blasters when the player battles a Whomp, 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

Screenshot from Mario Super Sluggers of Bowser hitting a Bullet Bill during the last cutscene

Bullet Bills are non-playable characters in the Mario Baseball series. Their role is largely similar between Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers. In both games, Bowser uses the Bullet Bill for pitching in his Star Skill, Killer Ball, as well as for batting in Mario Superstar Baseball; similarly, a Bullet Bill wearing a bandana resembling Bowser Jr.'s is used by said character when using Killer Jr. Ball in Mario 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 the final cutscene of Mario 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 in Super Princess Peach. They appear from offscreen and can be defeated either from being stomped or with the Rage vibe. There are also mad variants known as the Mad Bullet Bills, which fly faster than normal Bullet Bills. Pidgit Bills also make cameo appearances after Peach swipes with Perry at Bowser and the Vibe Scepter over the horizon and once Mario is saved.

Mario Strikers Charged

A Bullet Bill is a non-playable character in Mario Strikers Charged. It is part of Shy Guy's Skillshot, known as Bullet Bill Blast, where after charging the ball, Shy Guy summons a Bullet Bill and rides on it while holding the ball, going directly to the Goalkeeper to knock him out in a explosion.

Mario & Sonic series

Big Bullet Bill
Big Bullet Bill

Bullet Bills appear in various games of the Mario & Sonic series. In the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Bullet Bills are enemies in Airship. In the Wii version of Mario & 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 the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Bowser Jr. uses a Bullet Bill to travel between areas, and there is an obtainable badge of a Bullet Bill from the badge machine. In Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Bullet Bills are featured prominently in the Bullet Bill Sledge Race event, where each sled is pulled by a pair of harnessed Bullet Bills. In the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Bullet Bills appear in Boxing Plus, as an item that can deplete the opponent's Guard Gauge, as well as Rhythmic 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 of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, a Big Bullet Bill appears as a rival in Adventure Tours mode, where it is faced in Cubyrinth. Big Bullet Bill is also the fourth rival in Skeleton in Single Festival and the second rival in Bobsleigh in Team Festival.

Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move

Bullet Bills are enemies in the minigame Elevation Station in Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move. Bullet Bills in one of three sizes fly in from either side, trying to hit the Mini Mario on the platform.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Bullet Bills are enemies in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and its ports. They act exactly as they did in Super Mario 3D World. Bullet Bills can now be taken out with Turnip and redirected with spinwheels or moving blocks, often for destroying Rock Blocks. Bull's-Eye Bills return as well.

Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition

Bullet Bills are enemies and allies in Puzzle & 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 a Banzai Bill by giving it four Fire Flowers. Alternatively, giving a Bullet Bill three Goomba 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 in Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World. They take on a knitted appearance, consistent with the game's theme. The game introduces the Woollet Bill variant.

Yoshi's Crafted World

Bullet Bills are enemies in Yoshi's Crafted World. They are depicted with their modern appearance in the level Spinwheel Shuffle.

Dr. Mario World

Bullet Bills debut in the Dr. Mario series as assistants in Dr. 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 a posterMedia:The Super Mario Bros. Movie Rainbow Road poster.jpg for The Super Mario Bros. Movie showcasing Princess Peach and numerous Kongs driving on Rainbow 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's Rocket Barrel upon their return from the Maw-Ray, while several of them alongside some Koopa Paratroopas are flying in Brooklyn, being easily taken down by Invincible Mario and Luigi.

Princess Peach's Training Course also features Bullet Bills alongside Bomber 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 the Game Boy version of Yoshi is an unused Bullet Bill that would have functioned similarly to the Goombas, Bloopers, Boos, and Piranha Plants in both that game and the Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System version.[8] It is fully functional, though it turns into garbage graphics when it settles on a plate.

Other appearances

In a sketch by the producers of Robot Chicken from Nintendo's E3 2014 YouTube video, a Bullet Bill helps Wario and Ganondorf ambush Reggie Fils-Aimé's presentation; however, it is defeated by Reggie and Mario.

The Legend of Zelda series

In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a Bullet Bill can be seen on the shirt of Fyer, a Hylian who operates the cannon at Lake Hylia.

Kirby series

KabulaBulletBill.png

In Kirby Super Star Ultra, the boss Kabula 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

A Bullet Bill in Lego City Undercover

In LEGO 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 in Super Mario Galaxy. The Bullet Bill cameo was retained in the Nintendo Switch version of the game's remastered edition, but removed from all other versions.

Skylanders: SuperChargers

In Skylanders: SuperChargers, Bullet Bills can be fired when Bowser is in the Clown Cruiser; however, due to an agreement between Nintendo and Activision, they are featured exclusively in the Nintendo versions of the game.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Though Bullet Bills do not appear in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, the Rocket Bullenator is modeled after one.

General information

Physical appearance and traits

Bullet Bills are black anthropomorphic missile-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 simply jumping on them, though other games make them more resilient. Like other enemies, Bullet Bills have had varying appearances. In the earlier Super Mario games, Bullet Bills had a slightly brown hue, though this was due to color limitations. Bullet Bills were inspired by shark mouth nose art on fighter planes[9] 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 & Watch Super Mario Bros., the DIC Entertainment cartoons, Super Mario Bros. Print World, the PC release of Mario's Time Machine, Yoshi's Safari, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. In Super Mario Kart, Super Mario 64, and Yoshi's Story, they lack arms but have an open mouth with sharp teeth and an angry expression, resembling Bomber Bills. In Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, and Yoshi's Island DS, Bullet Bills display a grin instead, as well as a green color scheme in the second of these. In Super Mario Sunshine, they have a slimmer shape in the vein of Torpedo Teds, in addition to having a smile, fuller eyes, and rocket-like fins in the back. In the Nintendo Comics System and Mario 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 from Bill Blasters. However, the Super Mario Galaxy games give Bullet Bills the ability to home in on their opponents, while their eyes turn red. In the Super 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. In Super Mario Odyssey, Bullet Bills appear as capturable enemies; this game reveals that, Bullet Bills can fly at three different speeds, and can self-destruct after a certain period of time. In the Paper Mario games, Bullet Bills use a kamikaze attack, thus resulting in explosions. In Puzzles and Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, Bullet Bills are associated with the Dark attribute, boast higher ATK, and attack on every turn. The Mario & Sonic games depict Bullet Bill (and more specifically, Big Bullet Bill), as a Speed rival. This is supported by the Mario Kart series, which makes Bullet Bill a high-speed item with automatic turning capabilities. A billboard advertisement in Mario Kart Wii's Moonview 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

Title Description Release date System/format
Super Mario Bros. Enemy 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System
VS. Super Mario Bros. Enemy 1986 VS. System
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels Enemy 1986 Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Bros. Special Enemy 1986 NEC PC-88, X1
All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros. Enemy 1986 Family Computer Disk System
2-in-1 Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt Enemy 1988 Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Bros. 3 Enemy 1988 Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Land Enemy 1989 Game Boy
Alleyway Cameo 1989 Game Boy
3-in-1 Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet Enemy 1990 Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario World Enemy 1990 Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Kart Obstacle 1992 Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins Enemy 1992 Game Boy
Super Mario All-Stars Enemy 1993 Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Yoshi's Safari Enemy 1993 Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World Enemy 1994 Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Enemy 1995 Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Enemy 1996 Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario 64 Enemy 1996 Nintendo 64
Yoshi's Story Enemy 1998 Nintendo 64
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe Enemy 1999 GBC
Game & Watch Gallery 3 Enemy 1999 Game Boy Color
Mario Golf Course on Mario's Star Hole 11 1999 Nintendo 64
Mario Golf Background of Bogey animation 1999 Game Boy Color
Mario Party 2 Enemy 2000 Nintendo 64
Mario Party 3 Enemy 2001 Nintendo 64
Paper Mario Enemy 2001 Nintendo 64
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 Enemy 2001 Game Boy Advance
Animal Crossing Enemy in unlockable port of Super Mario Bros. 2001 Nintendo GameCube
Super Mario Sunshine Enemy 2002 Nintendo GameCube
Game & Watch Gallery 4 Enemy 2002 Game Boy Advance
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Enemy 2003 Game Boy Advance
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour Non-playable character 2003 Nintendo GameCube
Mario Party 5 Item/attack 2003 Nintendo GameCube
Classic NES Series: Super Mario Bros. Enemy 2004 Game Boy Advance
Classic NES Series: Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels Enemy 2004 Game Boy Advance
Mario Pinball Land Enemy 2004 Game Boy Advance
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Enemy 2004 Nintendo GameCube
Mario Power Tennis Item 2004 Nintendo GameCube
Mario Party 6 Item/Attack 2004 Nintendo GameCube
Super Mario 64 DS Enemy 2004 Nintendo DS
WarioWare: Touched! Cameo in microgame 2005 Nintendo DS
WarioWare: Twisted! Cameo in microgame 2005 Game Boy Advance
Mario Party Advance Enemy 2005 Game Boy Advance
Mario Superstar Baseball Item 2005 Nintendo GameCube
Mario Kart DS Item 2005 Nintendo DS
Mario Party 7 Enemy 2005 Nintendo GameCube
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time Enemy 2005 Nintendo DS
Super Princess Peach Enemy 2005 Nintendo DS
New Super Mario Bros. Enemy 2006 Nintendo DS
Yoshi's Island DS Enemy 2006 Nintendo DS
Super Paper Mario Enemy 2007 Wii
Mario Party 8 Enemy/item 2007 Wii
Mario Strikers Charged Skillshot 2007 Wii
Super Mario Galaxy Enemy 2007 Wii
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Enemy 2007 Wii, DS
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Enemy, trophy and sticker 2008 Wii
Mario Kart Wii Item 2008 Wii
Mario Super Sluggers Item 2008 Wii
New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis Item 2009 Wii
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Enemy 2009 Nintendo 3DS
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Rival 2009 Wii, DS
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Enemy 2009 Wii
Super Mario Galaxy 2 Enemy 2010 Wii
Super Mario 3D Land Enemy 2011 Nintendo 3DS
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games Rival 2011 Wii, 3DS
Mario Kart 7 Item 2011 Nintendo 3DS
Mario Party 9 Enemy 2012 Wii
New Super Mario Bros. 2 Enemy 2012 Nintendo 3DS
Paper Mario: Sticker Star Enemy 2012 Nintendo 3DS
Animal Crossing: New Leaf Fired from Bill Blaster item 2012 Nintendo 3DS
New Super Mario Bros. U Enemy 2012 Wii U
Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move Enemy 2013 Nintendo 3DS
New Super Luigi U Enemy 2013 Wii U
Super Mario 3D World Enemy 2013 Wii U
Mario Party: Island Tour Item 2013 Nintendo 3DS
Mario Golf: World Tour Item 2014 Nintendo 3DS
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Enemy and trophy 2014 Nintendo 3DS
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Enemy 2014 Wii U
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Trophy 2014 Wii U
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition Enemy/teammate 2015 Nintendo 3DS
Super Mario Maker Enemy 2015 Wii U
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Item 2016 Nintendo 3DS
Minecraft: Wii U Edition 3D pixel art in the Super Mario Mash-up world 2016 Wii U
Paper Mario: Color Splash Enemy 2016 Wii U
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS Enemy 2016 Nintendo 3DS
Super Mario Run Enemy 2016 iOS, Android
Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World Enemy 2017 Nintendo 3DS
Mario Sports Superstars Enemy in Superstar Road Mode 2017 Nintendo 3DS
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Item 2017 Nintendo Switch
Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition 3D pixel art in the Super Mario Mash-up world 2017 Switch
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions Enemy 2017 Nintendo 3DS
Super Mario Odyssey Enemy 2017 Nintendo Switch
Mario Party: The Top 100 Enemy 2017 Nintendo 3DS
Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition 3D pixel art in the Super Mario Mash-up world 2018 New Nintendo 3DS
Minecraft: Bedrock Edition 3D pixel art in the Super Mario Mash-up world 2018 Nintendo Switch
Mario Tennis Aces Enemy 2018 Nintendo Switch
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Enemy 2018 Switch / 3DS
WarioWare Gold Cameo in microgame 2018 Nintendo 3DS
Super Mario Party Enemy 2018 Nintendo Switch
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Item, one of Nikki's drawings, spirit 2018 Nintendo Switch
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey Enemy 2018 Nintendo 3DS
Mario Kart Tour Item, obstacle 2019 iOS, Android
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Enemy 2019 Nintendo Switch
Yoshi's Crafted World Enemy 2019 Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Maker 2 Enemy 2019 Nintendo Switch
Paper Mario: The Origami King Cameo 2020 Nintendo Switch
Mario Golf: Super Rush Enemy and Special Dash 2021 Nintendo Switch
Mario Party Superstars Enemy 2021 Nintendo Switch
The Super Mario Bros. Movie Enemy 2023 Film
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Enemy 2023 Nintendo Switch
Super Mario RPG Enemy 2023 Nintendo Switch
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Enemy 2024 Nintendo Switch

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Bullet Bill.

Additional names

Internal names

Game File Name Meaning

Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy 2
ObjectData/HomingKiller.arc HomingKiller Transliteration of below
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy 2
StageData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl
SystemData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl
ホーミングキラー (Hōmingu Kirā) Homing Bullet Bill

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese キラー[10]
Kirā
Killer
Chinese (simplified) 弹头杀手[11]
Dàntóu Shāshǒu
Bullet Killer
炮弹刺客[?]
Pàodàn Cìkè
Bullet Assassin International releases for games since Super Mario Party
炮弹先锋[12]
Pàodàn Xiānfēng
Bullet Vanguard China release for Nintendo Switch games
Chinese (traditional) 炮彈刺客[?]
Pàodàn Cìkè
Bullet Assassin
Dutch Bullet Bill[?] -
Finnish Luoti-Lasse[?] Bullet + Lasse, a Finnish given name
French Bill Balle[?] Bullet Bill
La balle menaçante[13][14] The menacing bullet Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Balle menaçante[15] Menacing bullet Super Mario Bros.
German Kugelwilli[16] Bullet Willi; "Willi" being a German given name equivalent to "Wily"
Kugel-Willi[17]
Raketen Willi[18] Rocket Willi
Italian Bullet Bill[?] - Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet
Pallottolo Bill[?] Bullet Bill; from pallottola ("bullet") in masculine form
Pallottolo[?] From pallottola ("bullet")
Pallottola Bill[19] Bullet Bill
Korean 킬러[?]
Killeo
Killer
Portuguese Bill Bala[?] Bullet Bill Also spelled "Bill bala" in the Brazilian Portuguese localization of Super Mario Run
Also spelled "Bill-Bala" in the European Portuguese localization of Super Mario 3D World
Russian Билл-пуля[?]
Bill-pulya
Bill-Bullet
Spanish Bill Bala[?] Bullet Bill Also spelled "Bill bala" in the Latin American Spanish localization from 2012 to 2019, when species names were always written in lowercase.
Koopa Misil[?] Missile Koopa DIC cartoons

Trivia

Bullet Bill in prototype The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening assets

References

  1. ^ a b Hodgson, David S J, Bryan Stratton, and Stephen Stratton (September 3, 2002). Super Mario Sunshine Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 0-7615-3961-1. Page 19.
  2. ^ Bogenn, Tim, and Doug Walsh (2002). Super Mario Sunshine Official Strategy Guide. BradyGAMES (American English). ISBN 0-7440-0180-3. Page 133.
  3. ^ 「VSマッチ専用の敵キャラ、キラー。ヤツが勝敗を決めることも。」Nintendo Official Guidebook of Super Mario Kart. Page 126Media:SMK NOG Killer.png.
  4. ^ Fungus Among Us: Super Mario Bros. Movie Memorabilia Saved from the Set. Nintendo Player (English). Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  5. ^ TCRF. Development:Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island/Sprites#killer.CGX. The Cutting Room Floor (English). Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  6. ^ "Finished second in the world sprint trials." – Bullet Bill (2005). Mario Party Advance. Nintendo (English).
  7. ^ Paper Mario: Sticker Star § Enemies. The Cutting Room Floor (English). Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  8. ^ Yoshi (Game Boy). The Cutting Room Floor (English). Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  9. ^ September 13, 2022. 宮本茂さんに聞く“マリオたちの名前の由来”. Nintendo DREAM WEB (Japanese). Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  10. ^ Super Mario Bros. entry on the official Mario Portal. nintendo.co.jp (English). Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  11. ^ 无敌阿尔宙斯 (August 28, 2013). 神游 超级马力欧世界 敌人官译. Baidu Tieba (Simplified Chinese). Archived February 27, 2017, 15:38:47 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  12. ^ 新 超级马力欧兄弟U 豪华版. Nintendoswitch.com.cn (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  13. ^ Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt Canadian instruction booklet. Page 32.
  14. ^ July 4, 2018. Super Mario Encyclopedia. Soleil Productions (French). ISBN 2302070046. Page 27.
  15. ^ July 4, 2018. Super Mario Encyclopedia. Soleil Productions (French). ISBN 2302070046. Page 19.
  16. ^ Menold, Marcus, Claude M. Moyse, and Andreas G. Kämmerer, editors (1993). Der offizielle Nintendo Spieleberater "Super Mario World". Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 18.
  17. ^ Kraft, John D., Thomas Görg, and Marko Hein, editors (1997). Der offizielle Nintendo 64 Spieleberater "Super Mario 64". Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 7.
  18. ^ Nintendo 64 Yoshi's Story Spieleberater. Page 19Media:Yoshi's Story German Guide Enemies.png.
  19. ^ New Super Mario Bros. Wii - Album ufficiale. Page 7.
  20. ^ TCRF. Development:The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Game Boy)/Early and Unused Graphics. The Cutting Room Floor (English). Retrieved April 12, 2022.