Bullet Bill

Bullet Bills are anthropomorphic, bullet-like projectiles with arms in the Super Mario franchise, acting as common enemies. They are horizontally shot out of Bill Blasters, coupled with a firing sound effect to indicate their prescence, and fly in a straight line, going through walls. Some Bullet Bills additionally approach from off-screen without the prescence of a Bill Blaster, though a firing sound effect is still heard. Bullet Bills are immune to fireballs; in most games, Bullet Bills can be defeated by jumping on them. Ever since Super Mario 64, some Bullet Bills have the ability to home in on Mario as a missile, similar to Bull's-Eye Bills. In some series, mostly in the Mario Kart series, Bullet Bills have been portrayed as items, either as projectiles themselves or are used to take advantage of their speed by either riding on them or transforming into one. While they have been primarily portrayed as obstacles, some games depict them as individual characters.

Super Mario Bros. / Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Bullet Bills first appear in World 5-1 of Super Mario Bros. They are usually shot from a Turtle Cannon, though are sometimes shot from off-screen, and fly in a straight line, through walls. To defeat a Bullet Bill, the player has to either jump on them or use a Starman. A kicked Koopa Troopa or Buzzy Beetle shell can defeat Bullet Bills that come from off-screen but harmlessly goes through ones shot from the Turtle Cannons. They are immune to fireballs from Fiery Mario. Since Bullet Bills do not stop moving while they are still onscreen until they are defeated, if Mario reaches the flagpole while a Bullet Bill is still onscreen and then touches it, the Bullet Bill immediately disappears (this would later inspire how in later games, certain enemies near the end of a level immediately disappear and turn into coins if the level is successfully completed while they are still onscreen). Stomping on a Bullet Bill is always worth 200 points as the "point combo" rule for stomping from one Goomba, Koopa Troopa, or Buzzy Beetle onto another does not apply to Bullet Bills.

Bullet Bills and Piranha Plants are the only two enemies from the original game whose death animations never depict them with their sprites flipped upside-down, the former remaining right side-up and the latter simply disappearing.

In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Bullet Bills behave exactly the same but the Turtle Cannons are more strategically-placed than in its predecessor. In Super Mario All-Stars, a fake Bowser is a Bullet Bill in disguise 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. Turtle Cannons appear in World 9-1; although they do not fire any Bullet Bills, they would theoretically be black with gray details, due to them sharing their palette with Bloopers.

Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
Bullet Bills do not appear as much in Super Mario Bros. 3 as they did in previous games, mainly appearing in later worlds and on the bosses' Airships. They can be defeated with a Jump, Koopa Shell, Starman, Hammer, tail attack, or a Bob-omb (on certain levels). Fire Flowers still do not affect them. A new type of Bullet Bill appears in this game, the Missile Bill, which turns around and flies back towards Mario if it misses him the first time. They also appear in the remakes of this game: Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. In the latter, diagonally-fired Bullet Bills that would later be featured in Super Mario World appear in the World-e level Wild Ride in the Sky.

Super Mario Land
Although the Bullet Bill does not appear in Super Mario Land, a sub-species called Bullet Biff does appear.

Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
Super Mario World introduces Bullet Bills that are fired diagonally from four corners and vertically shot Bullet Bills. Their appearance is near-identical to that of the previous games. Bullet Bills are first encountered in Vanilla Dome 4 where they are fired off-screen. In Cheese Bridge Area, they are encountered in a zone led from a Warp Pipe. Bullet Bills emitted from Turtle Cannons are first encountered in Sunken Ghost Ship, in addition to the only underwater level that features Bullet Bills. In the Special Zone, Outrageous prominently features many Turtle Canons that emit Bullet Bills. Super Mario World also features the debuts of derived Bullet Bill species such as Torpedo Ted, which are Bullet Bills that are launched from Torpedo Bases underwater. The larger Banzai Bills also appear for the first time and appear before regular Bullet Bills. 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 also changed to this design, and they flap their wings rather than maintain a static image like ordinary Bullet Bills.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Bullet Bills are commonly found in the Mario Zone in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. Bullet Bills act much like the previous Bullet Bills in other games. They fly in a straight direction and are shot by Turtle Cannons. Mario can get rid of them by jumping on them or just dodging them, letting them fly off-screen. In this game, they have grinning faces and no arms.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
In their first 3D appearance, Bullet Bills are found in only one location in Super Mario 64: in the level Whomp's Fortress. Their appearance is similar to that of a Banzai Bill. After Mario defeats the Whomp King, a Turtle Cannon appears at the top of the fortress. The Bullet Bills shot out home in on Mario and spin backwards upon contact with him; however, they explode after hitting a wall or reaching their maximum distance. Bullet Bills cannot be defeated in this game, and if Mario gets hit by one, he loses three wedges of health.

In Super Mario 64 DS, Bullet Bills can now appear at the new base of Whomp's Fortress, directly opposite of where Mario starts. They also appear in Dire, Dire Docks, where they are seen at the submarine dock until the completion of Bowser in the Fire Sea. They can now be defeated by a well-timed kick or a Mushroom, which sends them spinning backwards to eventually explode. They have also been redesigned to a standardized appearance, featuring arms and no visible mouth. Aside from the arms being colored gray instead of white, this design would become their typical design in following games.

This is the first platforming Super Mario game where Bullet Bills cannot be jumped on.

Super Mario Sunshine
For Super Mario Sunshine, the appearance of Bullet Bills is greatly altered. One of the major changes includes the fact that the Bullet Bills in this game are smiling in a manner akin to Torpedo Teds, as opposed to the ones from Super Mario 64, which have a shark-like row of teeth like Banzai Bills. In addition, the Bullet Bills in this game have an overall more robotic appearance, including a metallic exterior and google-eyes. They constantly make a quick radar beeping 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 instead release eight coins.

Black Bullet Bills are first shown at Pinna Park in Mecha-Bowser Appears!, being fired from four cannons in Mecha-Bowser's chest. They follow the tracks of the roller coaster Mario rides on for the fight, but loosely enough they may miss him by a wide margin on certain turns. They can either approach from the front or the back.

Later in the same course, black, purple, and golden Bullet Bills appear fired by Monty Mole in The Beach Cannon's Secret. 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, which have blinking red nosecones, follow Mario on a horizontal plane if they approach him, similar to the Bullet Bills in Super Mario 64, though with a tight-but-lengthy u-turn if they miss comparable to the Missile Bills in Super Mario Bros. 3. They are used for breaking open the baskets that hold Blue Coins found across the beach. In the game's demo reel, viewable by waiting on the "press start" screen, both black and purple Bullet Bills are shown with blinking red noses as well as solid red eyes with white pupils, suggesting the design was changed slightly very late in development.

In the first episode of Noki Bay, Uncork the Waterfall, a single inactive black Bullet Bill makes a small cameo laying dormant in the platform connecting the cannon to the giant cork.

At the end off the game during the fight against Bowser and Bowser Jr., the latter shoots Bullet Bills that are also known as special Purple Bullet Bills or Guided Bullet Bills, 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, though due to the amount that are launched at once as the fight goes on, each has a fairly short and narrow line-of-sight, and they can also change their altitude to get on his level. These can be defeated by jumping on them, with the blue ones giving a 1-Up Mushroom or Water Bottle if beaten this way. They are also immediately destroyed by Bowser's Fire Breath.

New Super Mario Bros.
In New Super Mario Bros., Bullet Bills appear in various levels, and are shot out of not only Bill Blasters, but also Bill Blaster Turrets. They appear in, World 5-4, World 6-1, (during the Monty Tank boss fight), World 7-5, and World 8-1. If the player jumps on them, they are defeated. They also can be defeated by hitting them with a Shell, or using a Starman or Mega Mushroom, and are again immune to fireballs. Banzai Bills return, and their cannon is introduced. In World 5-4, they fly out from somewhere off-screen rather than being fired from Bill Blasters.

Super Mario Galaxy
Bullet Bills reappear in Super Mario Galaxy. After they have been fired, if they spot the player, their eyes turn red and they home in on Mario until they hit him, an obstacle, or an enemy. This method can be used to break open cages and destroy fences. In Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor the robotic boss Megaleg is defeated in this way. If they hit Mario, he is knocked down for a few seconds and loses a wedge of health. They are one of the most common enemies in the game, appearing in several galaxies. Torpedo Teds also appear and can be used the same way as Bullet Bills, although Torpedo Teds make a specific radar sound in order to tell the player how close they are. Banzai Bills also appear on Bowser's Galaxy Reactor, shot from Banzai Bill Cannons, but do not home in on the character.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Bullet Bills also appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, with their behavior from New Super Mario Bros. Banzai Bills, Bill Blaster Turrets, and Banzai Bill Cannons also reappear. This game also introduces King Bills, which are indestructible and much bigger than even a Banzai Bill, as well as a homing Banzai Bill. Even though Bullet Bills are still fireproof, 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. Missile Bills also appear in this game, but instead of just turning around when they miss, they home in on Mario, similar to the Bullet Bills from Super Mario Galaxy. They first appear in World 3 and have an important role in World 6 as Enemy Courses. They also appear in several levels of World 7. In World 5-5, Bullet Bills fly out from somewhere off-screen instead of being fired from Bill Blasters.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
Bullet Bills also appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2, the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. Many of them retain their homing capabilities in this game, though some Bullet Bills in Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet and Bowser's Galaxy Generator fly straight and do not follow Mario whatsoever. In certain galaxies, Yoshi can use his tongue to capture an incoming Bullet Bill in his mouth for a short time, and then spit it back out at other incoming enemies or bosses. This plays an important role in the defeat of Megahammer in Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet, as the giant robot continuously fires multiple Bullet Bills at Mario every few seconds. The player must hit Megahammer with Bullet Bills a total of eight times in order to defeat it. Banzai Bills also appear, but Torpedo Teds do not.

Super Mario 3D Land
Bullet Bills reappear as enemies in Super Mario 3D Land. Similar to 2D Super Mario games, stomping on one or hitting one with a boomerang defeats it instantly, making this the first 3D Super Mario game in which this is possible. After Tanooki Mario tail whips a Bullet Bill, it changes its angle after a spin and keeps flying. Some Bullet Bills have striped tails and are called Tail Bullet Bills. Like in the other 2D games, Bullet Bills are impervious to fireballs and only go in one direction.

New Super Mario Bros. 2
Bullet Bills appear in New Super Mario Bros. 2, with the same appearance they have in past games and fly in a straight line. When Mario or Luigi touches a Gold Ring, Bullet Bills become golden (in a similar way to the Bullet Bills in Yoshi's Story, and bearing an appearance slightly similar to the Bombshell Bill sub-species from the Paper Mario series) and leave a trail of coins behind them. Jumping on the Bullet Bills themselves discontinue the production of any more coins. In addition to horizontally flying Bullet Bills, diagonally flying ones from Super Mario World can be found in the Coin Rush-exclusive course packs Coin Challenge Pack B and Platform Panic Pack.

New Super Mario Bros. U
Bullet Bills appear in New Super Mario Bros. U. They act just like they did in past installments. However, the Bullet Bills produce a red smoky flare, similar to their behavior in Super Mario 3D Land. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the Bullet Bills only ejected puffy cloud smoke. Bullet Bills also appear in the battle against Roy Koopa. He holds a Bill Blaster and shoots Bullet Bills at the players as his battle strategy. Torpedo Teds from Super Mario World also reappear. They now have a sub-species under the name Targeting Teds.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Bullet Bills return in Super Mario 3D World and its Nintendo Switch port Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. Similar to the Tail Bullet Bills in Super Mario 3D Land, a Cat Bullet Bill based on the Cat Mario transformation also appear. They feature black and white cat ears and a tail, as well as being colored black on top and white on the bottom. These Bullet Bills chase after Mario, similar to a Missile Bill.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Bullet Bills reappear in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS as enemies. However, they are not standalone enemies, and can only come out of Bill Blasters. Bull's-Eye Bills also reappear, and they are fired from Bull's-Eye Blasters.

Super Mario Run
Bullet Bills reappear in Super Mario Run, in the levels Sky-High Lifts and Leaps! and Bullet Bill Barrage. They are fired from offscreen, and they have the same behavior as they do in other Super Mario titles. Bull's-Eye Bills also appear.

Super Mario Odyssey
Bullet Bills and Bill Blasters reappear in Super Mario Odyssey. They appear in the Metro Kingdom and the Sand Kingdom, where they can be seen wearing visors. They also appear in the Underground Caverns in the Moon Kingdom, where they wear white top hats. Mario can throw Cappy at a Bullet Bill to knock its hat off, allowing it to be captured. When they are fired from a Bill Blaster, they chase after Mario, exploding after a little while. When a Bullet Bill is captured with Cappy, Mario is able to fly across pits, though the Bullet Bill explodes if it hits a wall or if Mario controls it for too long. Bullet Bills that use their sprites from Super Mario Bros. can be found in two-dimensional parts through murals, where they are fired from Bill Blasters. These Bullet Bills travel in straight lines instead of following Mario. If a two-dimensional part ends before the wall it is on does so, a Bullet Bill which has not been defeated leaves the mural, transforms into its three-dimensional counterpart and starts chasing Mario.

Super Mario Maker 2
In Super Mario Maker 2, Bullet Bills appear in a similar capacity as the game's predecessor. In the Super Mario 3D World style, Bullet Bills can defeat enemies that they run into, and are defeated when they hit a wall. In version 3.0.0, a new wearable item exclusively for the Super Mario 3D World style based on the Bullet Bills was introduced called the Bullet Bill Mask.

Alleyway
In Alleyway, a multitude of breakable blocks are manipulated to shape a Bullet Bill sprite. The construction is found in the fifteenth stage of the game. The players are given 80 in-game time units to destroy the blocks that form the Bullet Bill, using the ball that bounces off their capsule.

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Bullet Bills make only one appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, in the series finale of the show, "Robo Koopa", although Bullet Bill-like projectiles with faces are fired by a Snifit in the earlier episode "On Her Majesty's Sewer Service". They have gray bodies with peach-colored arms and toothy grins.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
In The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, Bullet Bills make two small appearances in the episodes "Reptiles in the Rose Garden and "Mush-Rumors", where they are fired from the Doomship. In the latter they are fired alongside other munitions during the Koopa family's attack on a group of "aliens", who are actually a human family made up of Norman, his wife, and their children Missy and Bud.

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
In the Mario Kart series, Bullet Bills appear as both obstacles and items.

Super Mario Kart
Bullet Bills appear in Super Mario Kart's Match Race, where they act 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. They only appear from the front, similar to in Yoshi's Safari.

Mario Kart DS
In Mario Kart DS, Bullet Bills appear as obstacles on the Airship Fortress race course. When a racer hits one, they are knocked over, dropping any item they are carrying.

Bullet Bills also appear as an item that can be received by players in 6th-8th place. Upon activating, the player's entire kart transforms into a Bullet Bill, which rockets down the track on auto-pilot at very high speeds (although the player still has a very small degree of steering control). The Bullet Bill is invincible, which allows the player to knock over any course obstacles and other drivers in the way, similar to the Chain Chomp from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; players damaged by a collision with the Bullet Bill also lose any item in their possession. Players under the effects of a Star or a Boo are not be damaged if a Bullet Bill runs into them, although the former does get nudged out of the way. The duration of the Bullet Bill depends on the player's current position, with it lasting longer if the player is near or at last place, and it lasting only a few seconds if the player is leading the race. Upon expiring, the player reverts to their normal kart. The main downside of the Bullet Bill is that it can sometimes expire at the wrong moment, such as before a sharp bend, or while the auto-pilot is steering the player on the edge of the track, which can result in the player falling off the course right after reverting to their normal kart. In addition, the player cannot receive any items while they are transformed into a Bullet Bill.

Mario Kart Wii
Bullet Bills reappear as an item in Mario Kart Wii. They can only be received by players in 8th-12th place in this game. The best chance of getting this item is in 12th place, with a 25 percent (10 out of 40) chance of getting it in said position. They behave the same way as they do in Mario Kart DS. Players under the effects of a Mega Mushroom can be knocked back by this item. It is one of six items wherein only one can be in play at a time (the other five being the Thunder Cloud, Spiny Shell, Blooper, POW Block, and Lightning). Once a Bullet Bill is used, another Bullet Bill cannot be obtained until the current one is exhausted.

The Bullet Bike, which is a bike designed for small-sized characters, is based off the design of the Bullet Bill.

Mario Kart 7
Bullet Bills reappear as an item in Mario Kart 7, behaving similarly to the way they do in Mario Kart Wii. In addition, the Bullet Bill now slows down when it is about to expire, thus reducing the likelihood of players falling off the course if it expires at an awkward location on the track. The warning sound from Mario Kart Wii can be heard when a Bullet Bill appears on the Touch Screen. Like Mario Kart DS, Bullet Bills in this game can only be received by players in 6th, 7th, or 8th place.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Bullet Bills reappear as an item in Mario Kart 8 and its port. In these games, Bullet Bill's eyes glow in the dark, as seen in courses without light, such as Twisted Mansion. Additionally, in Mario Kart 8 and early versions of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it is impossible to use the rear-view mirror while using a Bullet Bill; however, as of version 2.3.0 of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, this is no longer the case.

Bullet Bills can be received by players that are far enough away from the leader due to the new item system introduced in these games. Unlike the previous Mario Kart games, up to three players can use a Bullet Bill at the same time.

Bullet Bills also have a sponsor in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe named after them, Bullet Bill Speed Trial.

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 Tour
Bullet Bills reappear as an item 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 when it hits 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.

Super Mario Bros. 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".

Mario's Time Machine
In the PC release of Mario's Time Machine, Bullet Bills appear if Mario makes a mistake when setting the Timulator's date. He is then sent to the far-flung past, in which he must catch eggs that are being dropped by a pterodactyl while Bullet Bills fly towards Mario from off-screen. Mario loses one of his caught eggs if he is hit by a Bullet Bill, and he can dodge them by walking towards them, causing him to automatically jump over them.

Yoshi
Hidden within the data of the Game Boy version of Yoshi is an unused Bullet Bill which would've functioned similar to the Goombas, Bloopers, Boos, and Piranha Plants in both that game and the NES version. It is fully functional, though it turns into garbage graphics when it settles on a plate.

Yoshi's Safari
Bullet Bills are an enemy in Yoshi's Safari. They are present in a few levels. They come at Mario head on and are shot down with one hit from the Super Scope. The Turtle Cannons are not visible, the bill's come from somewhere off screen. In this game the Bills come at the player head on, a perspective rarely seen of them.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Bullet Bills appear as enemies in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where they are colored green instead of black, and feature facial expressions as well. This game also introduces Bouncing Bullet Bills, which bounce and ricochet off walls after being fired. The Game Boy Advance version also adds Missile Bills that home in on Yoshi while biting upon being shot out of their cannons.

Any of the Bullet Bills in this game can be defeated by the way most enemies can be defeated. 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 development, the Bullet Bill was colored its usual black and was intended to bite as it moved.

Yoshi's Story
In Yoshi's Story, Bullet Bills follow the same pattern as in other games. However, this game introduces tongues for the mechanical irritants. The Turtle Cannons of this game are slightly different in appearance and the Bullet Bills are golden in color.

Yoshi's Island DS
Bullet Bills reappear in Yoshi's Island DS. They are similar to their appearance in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, but they are black instead of green just like in the previous Super Mario games.

Yoshi's New Island
Bullet Bills reappear in Yoshi's New Island. They do the same thing like the past games and they look the same as in present games.

Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
Bullet Bills, along with Bill Blasters, make an appearance in Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, adopting a knitted appearance rather than the usual metallic look. A new type of Bullet Bill known as Woollet Bills also appear. While the artwork depicts them nearly identical to their Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island appearance, they take their main series design in-game.

Yoshi's Crafted World
Bullet Bills return in Yoshi's Crafted World with their modern appearance in the level Spinwheel Shuffle.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Snifits, Blasters, and Big Berthas use Bullet Bills as a way to attack. Usually, touching one in the overworld prompts a battle with Blasters or Big Berthas, 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 Berthas to defeat a party member in one hit and cannot be blocked. Smithy uses a similar variety called Magnums.

Paper Mario
Normal Bullet Bills reappear in Paper Mario 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.

Bullet Bills are not hard to defeat at all, however, 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
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Bullet Bills appear as enemies in the 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
Bullet Bills only appear once in The Bitlands at Bowser's castle in Super Paper Mario. 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
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 are one of the few enemies to have a similar appearance to the first three Paper Mario games. They were originally able to be battled, as evidenced by the text dump.

Paper Mario: Color Splash
While regular Bullet Bills from previous Paper Mario games do not appear in Paper Mario: Color Splash, they appear in their sprite forms in an underground area based on Super Mario Bros. 3, in the Green Energy Plant level. They are blasted from a Bill Blaster and drop multi-colored paint when stomped on.

Paper Mario: The Origami King
Bullet Bills do not appear as enemies in Paper Mario: The Origami King, though they make brief appearances. 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.

Game & Watch Gallery 3
Bullet Bills make an appearance in the Modern mode of Donkey Kong Jr. They attempt to stop Donkey Kong Jr. as he attempts to free his father.

Game & Watch Gallery 4
Bullet Bills maintain their role in Donkey Kong Jr. They also appear in the Modern mode of Fire Attack, where they attempt to destroy a statue, which belongs to Wario.

Mario Party 2
In Mario Party 2, Bullet Bills appear in the minigame Bombs Away (minigame) where a Bowser ship fires them.

Mario Party 3
In Mario Party 3, Bullet Bills are featured in the minigame Crazy Cogs. The solo player must rotate the cog the three players are standing on so they hit the three players as they continuously bombard the cog. They also make a cameo in Pump, Pump and Away. The minigame Ridiculous Relay also features Bullet Bills as obstacles alongside Paragaloombas, and also features a Bullet Bill-like boat. Aces High has the players riding gliders with Bullet Bills attached to the underside, with them also being usable to attack the other players.

Mario Party 5
Bullet Bills appear in Mario Party 5 in the form of the Bullet Bill Capsule. It can either be thrown on a space or used for five coins. When used, the player continues their turn as normal, but riding a Bullet Bill. Any opponents they pass during this time have 30 coins stolen from them.

Bullet Bills also appears in the minigame Bill Blasters. The minigame involves players shooting the bullets at each other in order to eliminate the other players.

Mario Party 6
In Mario Party 6, the Bullet Bill Orb returns with the same effect. However, the user only steals 20 coins from opponents. They are also featured in the minigame Jump the Gun, which involves one player shooting Bullet Bills at targets to form a platform for their partner. Bullet Bills are also used in Shoot Yer Mouth Off; saying 4, 8, or 9 causes the solo player to shoot a Bullet Bill to try and eliminate the other three. Additionally, the "Bullet Bill" voice command for the minigame Verbal Assault can be bought at the Star Bank; using it fires a Bullet Bill that homes in on one of the three players. The Magma Flow path in Star Sprint also has Bullet Bills being shot at the player.

Mario Party Advance


A Bullet Bill appears in Mario Party Advance as a track and field athlete at the Mushroom Stadium. The Bullet Bill's quest involves challenging him to a race. He is also a huge fan of the Kamek Krew, owning all of their albums and even letting them perform at his stadium.

When he is first met in Mushroom Stadium, the player challenges him to a race for a Gaddget, and once beaten he will hand over the Mini Soccer Gaddget. Sometime after, the Kamek Krew asks the player to find a stadium where they can perform; the player can ask Bullet Bill if he'll rent out his stadium. At first he is hesitant, but once the player mentions that the Kamek Krew made the request, he eagerly obliges and mentions that they can perform in his stadium free of charge. He then goes off to make the preparations, but not before telling the player to tell the Kamek Krew he said "howdy". By the end of the game, it is mentioned that he finished second in the world sprint trials.

Bullet Bills also appear in the minigame Bill Bounce. The minigame involves the player attempting to jump on Bullet Bills to earn enough points in the allotted time. Hitting one temporarily stuns the player, and jumping on several consecutively earns the player more points.

Mario Party 7
Bullet Bills appear in Mario Party 7 in the minigame Wheel of Woe. By saying their name, two Bullet Bills are shot out of blasters on each side of the room in an attempt to eliminate the other three players. Bullet Bills also appear in StratosFEAR! serving as obstacles to three players while the remaining one moves a mushroom up and down by commanding it. Bullet Bills appear in the minigame Helipopper to hamper with a player's progress.

Mario Party 8
In Mario Party 8, there is an item called Bullet Candy that appears only in Bowser's Warped Orbit. It transforms the player's bottom half into the end of a Bullet Bill and allows them to hit three Dice Blocks (similar to Thrice Candy). For every opponent the player runs in to, one Star is stolen from them.

Bullet Bills appear as obstacles in the Sick and Twisted and Thrash 'n' Crash minigames as obstacles that must be avoided; any player who touches a Bullet Bill is eliminated even if, in the case of Sick and Twisted, they jump on the Bullet Bill. During the second stage of the final minigame Superstar Showdown, two cannons attach themselves to Bowser's Clown Car; these cannons fire black Bullet Bills during the second stage and red Bullet Bills during the third stage, which both slightly steer themselves at the player character. Also, a helicopter which resembles a Bullet Bill appears in the mini-game Gun the Runner; it holds the three players trying to eliminate the solo player. Finally, the duel minigame Cardiators features a card with a trio of Bullet Bills on it; selecting this card fires three Bullet Bills at the opposing player and inflicts nine damage upon them.

Mario Party 9
In Mario Party 9, Bullet Bills, along with Missile Bills, appear in the minigame Billistics, the name being a pun on their name and "ballistics". The game involves the players attempting to dodge several Bullet Bills. The players also pilot Bullet Bills along a path in the minigame Speeding Bullets.

Bullet Bills also have a constellation that can be bought in the Museum, named "Straight Shot."

Mario Party: Island Tour
Bullet Bills appear in a few minigames in Mario Party: Island Tour. As well, they appear as items in the Perilous Palace Path board where they are known as Backwards Bills. When used it knocks a selected player back five spaces.

Mario Party 10
There's a Bullet Bill attraction in Mario Party 10 on Mushroom Park, in which the players can collect Mini Stars by jumping. Also, Bullet Bills are used as projectiles to take down Bowser's Airship on Airship Central. They and Banzai Bills are also used as ammunition by Kamek in Kamek's Rocket Rampage. Bullet Bills are also in the minigames Meanie Match, Hop, Drop, and Roll, and Bullet Bill Bullies.

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

Super Smash Bros. Melee
In earlier revisions of Super Smash Bros. Melee, the trophy of the Banzai Bill enemy from Princess Peach's Castle is identified 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.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Bullet Bills appear in a few stages of the Subspace Emissary, the adventure mode. They are seen flying straight from right to left, as they traditionally did in Mario platformers. Their size has been increased as well. Bullet Bills are affiliated with Bowser's forces and the Subspace Army. They cannot be stomped on like in the other games. In a cutscene, silver Bullet Bills are seen pursuing Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong, which explode after being defeated by the Kongs' attacks. Bullet Bills do sometimes home in on the character, and can be temporarily deflected.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Bullet Bills appear in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U in two capacities: one as an item, and another as an enemy in the 3DS-exclusive mode, Smash Run. In the former case, once picked up and attempted to be used like any other item, players instead turn into a Bullet Bill themselves and attack by ramming into opponents at full speed. Players explode if they hit a solid wall, including ceilings and floors. The resulting explosion deals even further damage to players and has a blast radius. In Smash Run, the Bullet Bill enemies attack by slowly flying toward the player and running into them to deal damage. Bullet Bills appear as an enemy in an event that deals with defeating as much enemies as players can. Here, they do not home into an opponent.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, in addition to reprising their role as items, a Bullet Bill appears as one of the drawings drawn by Nikki, an Assist Trophy. 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 Golf series
Bullet Bills appear in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour being shot out of Bill Blasters resembling the Monty Mole's tanks from Super Mario Sunshine atop towers. They land into the water but are purely for aesthetic purposes. In Mario Golf: World Tour, Bullet Bills can be used as item shots; they increase the player's maximum driving distance and also cause the ball to travel in a straight line, ignoring wind and player stats. In Mario Golf: Super Rush, Bowser Jr. rides a Bullet Bill for his special dash in a similar fashion to Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, Bill Blasters in Stardust Fields fire Bullet Bills at Mario and Luigi to attack, which can be dodged or countered with a jump. Mecha-Bloopers, which are found in Oho Ocean 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 Game Boy Advance game, landing on the Sniper Bill after jumping causes no damage.

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
Bullet Bills make yet another appearance in the game 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. When shot, the Bullet Bills may turn invisible and attack one of the Mario Brothers. The player has to know when to dodge it when this happens.

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
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 Power Tennis / New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis
In Mario Power Tennis, in the minigame Mecha-Bowser Mayhem, Bullet Bills are launched by Mecha-Bowser.

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, which strikes Wario and Waluigi.

Mario Tennis Aces
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 Superstar Baseball
Bullet Bills are a special item in the Challenge Mode of Mario Superstar Baseball. When bought, it allows Bowser to use his Power Shot, the Killer Ball, in a Challenge Mode game. The Bullet Bill is also Bowser and Bowser Jr.'s Power Shot. While pitching, when fired, a Bullet Bill is launched at the batter. It goes slow at first, but when it gets close to the batter, it flies in a loop, then zoom pass the batter. It can still be hit, however. While batting, when Bowser or Bowser Jr. hit the ball, they launch a Bullet Bill across the field which, if caught, pushes the catcher far back. It stops working when it hits the ground. Bowser Jr.'s Bullet Bill wears a bandanna.

Mario Super Sluggers
Bullet Bills make a prominent appearance in Mario Super Sluggers. Bowser uses it as his pitching special. In the last of the four cinematics, Wario and Waluigi sabotage a cannon that is being used for a Bob-omb Derby contest at Mario Stadium by inserting a Bullet Bill into the cannon, which launches prematurely and aims directly toward Mario. Bowser emerges out of nowhere and uses his own bat to hit the Bullet Bill, which takes Wario and Waluigi with it, sending the duo blasting off before setting off a chain reaction of fireworks.

Super Princess Peach
Bullet Bills appear in Super Princess Peach as enemies that come from off-screen. They can be defeated by stomping on them 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 makes an appearance in Mario Strikers Charged. It appears as the Skillshot of Shy Guy known as Bullet Bill Blast. Upon fully 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 and possibly score.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
In the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Bullet Bills appear as enemies in Airship.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
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 in Cubyrinth.

In the Wii version, Bullet Bills appear in 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. Big Bullet Bill returns as a rival in Skeleton in Single Festival, and Bobsleigh in Team Festival.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
A Bullet Bill appears in the Story Mode of the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, where Bowser Jr. uses it to travel from place to place. A badge of a Bullet Bill can also be obtained from the badge machine.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
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.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Bullet Bills appear as an item in Boxing Plus in the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where they deplete the opponent's Guard Gauge. They also make an appearance in Rhythmic Gymnastics Plus, where they occasionally fire from offscreen to show upcoming buttons for the player to input.

Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move
Bullet Bills appear in Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move, in the minigame Elevation Station. In the minigame, Bullet Bills fly in from either side of the screen and attempt to hit the Mini Mario on the platform. They may appear in one of three sizes, being small, larger, and very large.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Bullet Bills return to Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and its Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS ports acting exactly as they did in Super Mario 3D World. They can now be taken out with Turnip and redirected with spinwheels or moving blocks. This is often used to break Rock Blocks. Bull's-Eye Bills return as well.

Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition
Bullet Bills make an appearance as enemies in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. Their main attribute is Dark.

As enemies, Bullet Bills sometime deliver first strike blows, and tend to attack every single 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.

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, they are featured exclusively in the Nintendo versions of the game.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
The Rocket Bullenator in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is modeled after a Bullet Bill.

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 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.

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 that operates the cannon at Lake Hylia.

Kirby series
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
In , 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.

Characteristics and traits
Bullet Bills are black anthropomorphic -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 on fighter planes 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 Banzai 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
Most Bullet Bill bios highlight their trademark habit of soaring through the air and the Bill Blaster which they are shot out of.

Trivia

 * In The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening development assets, a Bullet Bill sprite can be found around the game's cameos.