Bull's-Eye Bill: Difference between revisions

From the Super Mario Wiki, the Mario encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
mNo edit summary
No edit summary
Tag: Mobile edit
 
(391 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{species-infobox
{{species infobox
|image= [[Image:torpedo.jpeg|100px]]
|image=[[File:Bull's-Eye Bill SMR.png|170px]]<br>In-game artwork from ''[[Super Mario Run]]''
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''
|caption=A Bull's-Eye Bill as seen in ''Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker''.
|latest_appearance=''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' (2009)
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' ([[List of games by date#1988|1988]])
|species_origin=[[Bullet Bill]]
|latest_appearance=''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]'' ([[List of games by date#2019|2019]])
|affiliation=[[Koopa Troop]]
|variant_of=[[Bullet Bill]]
|variants=[[Bull's-Eye Banzai]]<br>[[Renketsu Search Killer]]<br>[[Targeting Ted]]
|relatives=[[Bull's-Eye Blaster]]<br>[[Cat Bullet Bill]]
}}
}}
'''Missile Bills''', are red [[Bullet Bill]] variants that have heat-seeking visuals.  
'''Bull's-Eye Bills''', formerly known as '''Missile Bills'''<ref>{{cite|title=''Nintendo Power'' Volume 13|page=9|date=June 1990|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{cite|author=Bueno, Fernando|title=''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' PRIMA Official Game Guide|page=16|date=November 15, 2009|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|isbn=978-0-307-46592-4|language=en-us}}</ref> or '''Guided Missile Bills''',<ref>{{cite|date=Spring 1991|title=''NES Game Atlas''|page=36|quote=Red Guided Missile Bills move back and forth in search of their target.|language=en-us|publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref> are heat-seeking variants of [[Bullet Bill]]s typically fired from [[Bull's-Eye Blaster]]s. They attack by homing in on the player. Prior to ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' introducing the current '''Search Killer''' (サーチキラー), which eventually became known in English as Bull's-Eye Bill, earlier games gave the homing abilities to normal Bullet Bills or their behavioral or color variations, as various sources treat them as.<ref name=SMCE>{{cite|title=「スーパーマリオ{{ruby|全百科|オールひゃっか}}」 (''Super Mario Zen Hyakka'', or "''Super Mario Complete Encyclopedia''")|page=192|quote=「おなじみの{{ruby|砲弾|ほうだん}}。{{ruby|普通|ふつう}}のキラーは、1{{ruby|方向|ほうこう}}にまっすぐ{{ruby|進|すす}}むだけ、『マリオ3』{{ruby|新登場|しんとうじょう}}の「{{ruby|往復|おうふく}}キラー」は、いったん{{ruby|発射|はっしゃ}}されると、{{ruby|左右|さゆう}}にいったりきたりを{{ruby|繰|く}}り{{ruby|返|かえ}}す。」}}</ref><ref name=SMBHp36>{{cite|quote=「キラー砲台から発射され、まっすぐに飛んでくる。Uターンするタイプもいる。」 ("Fired from Killer Cannons, they fly straight ahead. There is also a U-turning type.")|author=Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit) et al.|language=ja|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|date=October 19, 2015|title=''Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook'', ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' section|page=36|isbn=978-4-09-106569-8}}</ref><ref name=SMA3>{{cite|quote=「{{ruby|緑|みどり}}と{{ruby|赤|あか}}の{{ruby|砲台|ほうだい}}は{{ruby|固定式|こていしき}}で、{{ruby|黄色|きいろ}}の{{ruby|砲台|ほうだい}}は{{ruby|回転式|かいてんしき}}。{{ruby|赤|あか}}いキラーは ヨッシーを{{ruby|追|お}}いかけ、{{ruby|黄色|きいろ}}いキ ラーはかべに{{ruby|当|あ}}たるとはね{{ruby|返|かえ}}る。{{ruby|砲台|ほうだい}}を{{ruby|倒|たお}}すならアイス{{ruby|攻撃|こうげき}}で。」 ("''Green and red cannons are a fixed type, while yellow cannons are a rotatable type. Red Killers pursue Yoshi, and yellow Killers bounce off walls. The cannons can be defeated by an ice attack.''")|title=「スーパーマリオアドバンス3任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (''Super Mario Advance 3 Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook'')|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|date=2002|language=ja|page={{file link|Advance 3 Shogakukan P15.png|15}}}}</ref> In some games, there are also regular Bullet Bills that perform similar functions to Bull's-Eye Bills, as seen in ''[[Super Mario 64]]'', ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'', ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]'', Smash Run in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'', and sometimes in ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]''.


Their first appearance was in ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''. In this game, a Missile Bill would turn around once if it missed its target, but would continue going forward without turning around anymore after missing twice.
==History==
===''Super Mario'' series===
====''Super Mario Bros. 3''====
[[File:SMB3MissileBill.gif|frame]]
Missile Bills are introduced in ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''. In this game, a Missile Bill turns around once if it misses its target, but continues going forward without turning around after missing twice. In the original version, the colors a Missile Bill flashes are dependent on the palette the player character uses, as they cycle between all four palettes currently used on their graphical layer.<ref>[https://www.spriters-resource.com/resources/sheets/23/25685.png The Spriters Resource]</ref> As such, for instance, playing as [[Frog Mario]] or any of the normal-colored versions of [[Luigi]] causes them to flash green. In the remakes, they consistently flash between black, brown, orange, and red. Missile Bills only appear in [[World 4-5 (Super Mario Bros. 3)|World 4-5]].


They make another appearance in ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'' at [[Pinna Park]]'s beach. In this appearance, they are purple and shot from the [[Monty Mole]]'s cannon. They always home in, so there is is no way Mario can easily outrun them. They can destroy the baskets on the beach which hold Blue Coins; this is the only way to open them. Missile Bills explode when they make contact with an object, or if Mario squirts water at them. There is a gold version that will make coins appear if Mario jumps on it. During the final battle, [[Bowser Jr.]] sends some regular ones and also a blue one that will let out a [[1-Up Mushroom]] or a [[Water Bottle]] if stomped on.
====''New Super Mario Bros. Wii''====
[[File:NSMBW World 9-3 Screenshot.png|thumb|250px|Missile Bills from ''New Super Mario Bros Wii'']]
Missile Bills appear in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]''. Despite having the same name of the flashing Bullet Bills of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' in the [[Prima Games]] guide, their Japanese name indicates that this game is the first one to use its modern iteration. They resemble normal Bullet Bills, but when one sees Mario, it will make a beeping noise and start flashing red. Here, they have a similar attack pattern to the one they had in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''; however, in this game, they can change the angle they are flying at and will not stop pursuing the player until they are defeated, or the player has gotten far enough away. They can be defeated the same way as normal Bullet Bills. They only appear in [[World 9-3 (New Super Mario Bros. Wii)|World 9-3]], alongside [[Bull's-Eye Banzai|red, Mario-seeking Banzai Bills]].


They also reappear in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'', though they were referred to as '''Heat-Seeking Bullet Bills''' in the Prima game guide. Here, they have a similar attack pattern to the one they did in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''. However, in this game, they can change the angle they are flying at and will not stop pursuing the player until they are defeated or the player has gotten far enough away. They only appear in [[World 9 (New Super Mario Bros. Wii)|World 9-3]], alongside a new sub-species, [[Missile Banzai Bill]]s.
====''New Super Mario Bros. U'' / ''New Super Luigi U'' / ''New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe''====
In ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'' and ''[[New Super Luigi U]]'', Missile Bills only appear during the [[Roy|Roy Koopa]] battle at [[Rock-Candy Mines]]. When Roy is jumped on at least once, he occasionally fires a Missile Bill out of his Bullet Bill cannon. If these Missile Bills are neither eliminated nor successful in hitting their target within a short amount of time, they eventually detonate. Starting from this game, Missile Bills keep their red coloration instead of being normal Bullet Bills flashing red. A [[Torpedo Ted]] equivalent, the [[Targeting Ted]], homes in on Mario in a slightly different manner, but it also eventually self-destructs when it is onscreen for too long.


==Trivia==
====''Super Mario Maker'' series====
*Although Missile Bills do not appear in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'', Bullet Bills in that game act the same way by homing in on Mario. This is also true with the Bullet Bills fired in ''[[Super Mario 64]]''.
[[File:SMM Bull's Eye Bill.png|thumb|left|200px|A Bull's-Eye Bill]]
Bull's-Eye Bills reappear in ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'', ''[[Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS]]'', and ''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]''. As they did not appear in the original ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' and ''[[Super Mario World]]'', new sprites were created for those two game styles.


==Screenshots==
While they do operate similar to their appearances in ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'', the Bull's-Eye Bills in these games do not turn as sharply, and they will only chase after Mario for a limited time period, instead of relentlessly pursuing him.
 
In ''Super Mario Maker 2'', they are replaced by [[Cat Bullet Bill]]s in the ''Super Mario 3D World'' game style.
 
====''Super Mario Run''====
Bull's-Eye Bills appear in ''[[Super Mario Run]]'', exclusively in [[Bullet Bill Barrage]]. Bull's-Eye Bills appear from the left of the screen, then slightly adjust up or down to position themselves behind the player. After a few seconds they will charge forward and off the right side of the screen, whether or not the player is in front of them. While [[Bullet Bill]]s can be [[Vaulting|vaulted]] over, Bull's-Eye Bills cannot.
 
====''Super Mario Bros. Wonder''====
Although no normal Bull's-Eye Bills appear in ''[[Super Mario Bros. Wonder]]'', a [[Renketsu Search Killer|new variant]] consisting of multiple segments and dorsal fins does.
 
===''Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3''===
[[File:BitingBulletBill SMW2.png|thumb]]
Red Bullet Bills appear in ''[[Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3]]'' in the final secret level, [[Endless World of Yoshis]]. They are fired from [[Bull's-Eye Blaster#Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3|red Turtle Cannon]]s and appear to make a biting motion as they fly. Red Bullet Bills slow gradually before eventually shrinking away in light blue and vanishing with a pop. They can be defeated by simply [[stomp]]ing or [[swallow]]ing them; they look like regular Bullet Bills if spat back out, but they fly downwards. This is the first game where Red Bullet Bills can follow players at any angle, due to the ones in ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' being restricted to lateral movement, though they still make abrupt u-turns after slowing down when they miss, whereas later games have them keep a smoother trajectory.
 
===''Mario Party 9''===
Missile Bills from ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' make a comeback in ''[[Mario Party 9]]'' in the minigame, [[Billistics]], where they appear alongside Bullet Bills. In this game, Missile Bills make beeping radar noises. This is a way to tell if a Missile Bill is coming. Like in other appearances, Missile Bills will home in on the player, but when a Missile Bill misses, it will not turn around, similar to ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' when a Missile Bill misses twice.
 
===''Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker''===
[[File:Bull's-Eye Bill CTTT.png|thumb|A Bull's-Eye Bill, as seen in ''Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker''.]]
Bull's-Eye Bills first appear under their current name in ''[[Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker]]'' and reappear in its Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS [[Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo Switch / Nintendo 3DS)|ports]]. Unlike standard Bullet Bills, Bull's-Eye Bills are fired from [[Bull's-Eye Blaster#Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker|red Bill Blaster]]s. They behave like in past games and similarly to the [[Cat Bullet Bill]]s in ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'', homing in on [[Captain Toad]] or [[Toadette]] and chasing them.
 
===''Yoshi's Woolly World'' / ''Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World''===
[[File:WoollyBull's-EyeBillHQ.png|thumb|left|A Bull's-Eye Bill in ''Yoshi's Woolly World'']]
Bull's-Eye Bills make their non-[[reissue]] debut in the [[Yoshi (franchise)|''Yoshi'' franchise]] in ''[[Yoshi's Woolly World]]'' and ''[[Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World]]''. They are made out of red wool which can be turned into [[yarn ball]]s if Yoshi eats them. They can only be found in [[Knot-Wing the Koopa's Sky Fort]], where they are launched from [[Bull's-Eye Blaster#Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World|red Bill Blaster]]s in the level itself, as well as during the boss fight with [[Knot-Wing the Koopa]], where they are launched from the boss's Bill Blaster in addition to Bullet Bills.
{{br|left}}
 
===Unused appearances===
====''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island''====
Though they appear in the [[Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3|Game Boy Advance version]], Red Bullet Bills capable of following the player went [[List of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island pre-release and unused content|unused]] in ''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]''.
 
==Profiles==
===''Super Mario Run''===
*'''Notebook bio:''' ''"A friend of [[Bullet Bill]], this foe will try to seek you out from behind. You can jump over it with careful timing."''
 
==List of appearances==
{|class="wikitable sortable"width=100%
|-
!width=50%|Title
!width=20%|Description
!width=20%|Release Date
!width=10%|System/Format
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''
|Enemy
|1988
|[[Family Computer]]/[[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]''
|Enemy
|1993
|[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World]]''
|Enemy
|1994
|[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]
|-
|''[[Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3]]''
|Enemy
|2003
|[[Game Boy Advance|GBA]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]''
|Enemy
|2003
|[[Game Boy Advance|GBA]]
|-
|''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]''
|Enemy
|2009
|[[Wii]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition]]''
|Enemy
|2010
|[[Wii]]
|-
|''[[Mario Party 9]]''
|Enemy
|2012
|[[Wii]]
|-
|''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]''
|Enemy
|2012
|[[Wii U]]
|-
|''[[New Super Luigi U]]''
|Enemy
|2013
|[[Wii U]]
|-
|''[[Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker]]''
|Enemy
|2014
|[[Wii U]]
|-
|''[[Yoshi's Woolly World]]''
|Enemy
|2015
|[[Wii U]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario Maker]]''
|Enemy
|2015
|[[Wii U]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS]]''
|Enemy
|2016
|[[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario Run]]''
|Enemy
|2016
|iOS / Android
|-
|''[[Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World]]''
|Enemy
|2017
|[[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]]
|-
|''[[Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo Switch / Nintendo 3DS)|Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker]]''
|Enemy
|2018
|[[Nintendo Switch|Switch]] / [[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]]
|-
|''[[New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe]]''
|Enemy
|2019
|[[Nintendo Switch|Switch]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]''
|Enemy
|2019
|[[Nintendo Switch|Switch]]
|}
 
==Gallery==
===Sprites===
<gallery widths="90px"heights="14px"class="graybg"style="display:inline-block">
SMB3 Missile Bill b.gif|''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''
SMB3 Missile Bill c.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3''
SMB3 Missile Bill d.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3''
SMB3 Missile Bill e.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3''
SMASMissileBill.gif|''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]''
</gallery>
<gallery widths="90px"heights="24px"class="graybg" style="display:inline-block">
SMA3 Missile Bill.png|''[[Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3]]''
</gallery>
<gallery widths="102px"heights="14px"class="graybg"style="display:inline-block">
SMA4MissileBill.gif|''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]''
SMM-SMB-MissileBill.png|''[[Super Mario Maker]]'' (''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' style)
SMM-SMB3-MissileBill.png|''Super Mario Maker'' (''Super Mario Bros. 3'' style)
SMM-SMW-MissileBill.png|''Super Mario Maker'' (''[[Super Mario World]]'' style)
</gallery>
<gallery widths="102px"heights="64px"class="graybg"style="display:inline-block">
SMM-NSMBU-MissileBill.png|''Super Mario Maker'' (''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'' style)
</gallery>
 
===Models===
<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:SMSunshine_MissileBill.jpg|A purple Missile Bill in ''Super Mario Sunshine''.
NSMBW Asset Model Bull's-Eye Bill.png|''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]''
Image:torpedo.jpeg|Missile Bill close-up.
NSMBU Asset Model Bull's-Eye Bill.png|''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]''
Image:MissileBill_SMB3.png|A Missile Bill as seen in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''.
</gallery>
</gallery>
<br clear=all>
 
{{Bullet Bill}}
==Names in other languages==
{{Super Mario Bros. 3}}
{{foreign names
{{SMSS}}
|Jap=サーチキラー<ref>{{cite|language=ja|author=Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit) et al.|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|date=October 19, 2015|title=''Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook'', ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' section|page=145|isbn=978-4-09-106569-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite|url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSrk4JIW47U&t=3m41s|author=アルス(liaoallen)|timestamp=03:41|title=Omoide Theatre, ''Yoshi Wool World''|publisher=YouTube|language=ja|accessdate=September 2, 2017}}</ref>
{{NSMB Wii}}
|JapR=Sāchi Kirā
|JapM=Search Bullet Bill
|Jap2=キラー<ref name=SMBHp36/><ref name=SMA3/>
|Jap2R=Kirā
|Jap2M=[[Bullet Bill#Names in other languages|Bullet Bill]]
|Jap2N=''Super Mario Bros. 3'', ''Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3''
|Jap3=リターンキラー<ref>{{cite|title=''スーパーマリオブラザーズ3 テクニカルマニュアル 3'', supplement of ''Famicom Tsushin'' November 1988 issue|page=34|publisher=Famicom Tshusin|date=November 1988|language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite|publisher=Shogakukan|date=1993|title=''Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook - Super Mario Collection''|page=216|language=ja}}</ref>
|Jap3R=Ritān Kirā
|Jap3M=Return Bullet Bill
|Jap3N=''Super Mario Bros. 3''
|Jap4={{ruby|往復|おうふく}}キラー<ref name=SMCE/>
|Jap4R=Ōfuku Kirā
|Jap4M=Roundtrip Bullet Bill
|Jap4N=''Super Mario Bros. 3''
|Chi=跟蹤炮彈刺客
|ChiR=Gēnzōng Pàodàn Cìkè
|ChiM=Tracking Bullet Bill
|Dut=Bull's-Eye Bill
|Fre=Auto Bill Balle
|FreM=Automatic Bullet Bill
|Ger=Vefolgungs-Willi
|Ger2=Treffer-Willi
|GerM=Pursuit Bill
|Ger2M=Hit Bill
|Ita=Pallottolo Segugio
|ItaM=Tracker Bullet
|ItaN=''Yoshi's Woolly World'', ''Super Mario Run'', ''Super Mario Maker 2''
|Ita2=Segugio Bill
|Ita2M=Tracker Bill
|Ita2C=<ref>{{cite|date=2018|title=''[[Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia|Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia]]''|publisher=Magazzini Salani|language=it|isbn=889367436X|page=145}}</ref>
|Ita2N=''Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia''; shared with [[Bull's-Eye Banzai]] in the ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' enemy section (possible copy-paste)
|Ita3=Pallottolo Segugio Bill
|Ita3M=Tracker Bullet Bill
|Ita3C=<ref>{{cite|date=2018|title=''[[Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia|Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia]]''|publisher=Magazzini Salani|language=it|isbn=889367436X|page=149}}</ref>
|Ita3N=''Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia''; in the description of [[World 9-3 (New Super Mario Bros. Wii)|9-3]]
|Kor=추적킬러
|KorR=Chujeok Killeo
|KorM=Tracking Bullet Bill
|PorA=Busca Bill
|PorAM=Search Bill
|Rus=Билл-яблочко
|RusR=Bill-yablochko
|RusM=Bull's-Eye Bill
|SpaA=Bill buscablancos
|SpaAM=Target searcher Bill
|SpaE=Bill Bala Buscador
|SpaEM=Searcher Bullet Bill
}}
 
==References==
<references/>
 
{{navboxes|
{{Bullet Bills}}
{{SMB3}}
{{YI}}
{{NSMBW}}
{{MP9}}
{{NSMBU}}
{{CTTT}}
{{YWW}}
{{SMM}}
{{SMR}}
{{SMM2}}}}
[[Category:Bullet Bills]]
[[Category:Bullet Bills]]
[[Category:Traps and Obstacles]]
[[Category:Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker enemies]]
[[Category:Enemies]]
[[Category:Mario Party 9]]
[[Category:Sub-Species]]
[[Category:New Super Luigi U enemies]]
[[Category:Explosives]]
[[Category:New Super Mario Bros. U enemies]]
[[Category:Koopa Troop]]
[[Category:New Super Mario Bros. Wii enemies]]
[[Category:Super Mario Sunshine]]
[[Category:Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 enemies]]
[[Category:New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. 3 enemies]]
[[Category:Super Mario Maker enemies]]
[[Category:Super Mario Maker 2 enemies]]
[[Category:Super Mario Run enemies]]
[[Category:Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 enemies]]
[[Category:Yoshi's Woolly World enemies]]
[[de:Treffer-Willi]]
[[it:Pallottolo Segugio]]

Latest revision as of 22:56, December 17, 2024

Bull's-Eye Bill
A Bull's-Eye Bill in Super Mario Run.
In-game artwork from Super Mario Run
First appearance Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
Latest appearance Super Mario Maker 2 (2019)
Variant of Bullet Bill
Variants
Relatives

Bull's-Eye Bills, formerly known as Missile Bills[1][2] or Guided Missile Bills,[3] are heat-seeking variants of Bullet Bills typically fired from Bull's-Eye Blasters. They attack by homing in on the player. Prior to New Super Mario Bros. Wii introducing the current Search Killer (サーチキラー), which eventually became known in English as Bull's-Eye Bill, earlier games gave the homing abilities to normal Bullet Bills or their behavioral or color variations, as various sources treat them as.[4][5][6] In some games, there are also regular Bullet Bills that perform similar functions to Bull's-Eye Bills, as seen in Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Odyssey, Smash Run in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, and sometimes in Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy 2.

History[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

Missile Bill

Missile Bills are introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3. In this game, a Missile Bill turns around once if it misses its target, but continues going forward without turning around after missing twice. In the original version, the colors a Missile Bill flashes are dependent on the palette the player character uses, as they cycle between all four palettes currently used on their graphical layer.[7] As such, for instance, playing as Frog Mario or any of the normal-colored versions of Luigi causes them to flash green. In the remakes, they consistently flash between black, brown, orange, and red. Missile Bills only appear in World 4-5.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]

World 9-3 in New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Missile Bills from New Super Mario Bros Wii

Missile Bills appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Despite having the same name of the flashing Bullet Bills of Super Mario Bros. 3 in the Prima Games guide, their Japanese name indicates that this game is the first one to use its modern iteration. They resemble normal Bullet Bills, but when one sees Mario, it will make a beeping noise and start flashing red. Here, they have a similar attack pattern to the one they had in Super Mario Bros. 3; however, in this game, they can change the angle they are flying at and will not stop pursuing the player until they are defeated, or the player has gotten far enough away. They can be defeated the same way as normal Bullet Bills. They only appear in World 9-3, alongside red, Mario-seeking Banzai Bills.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]

In New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U, Missile Bills only appear during the Roy Koopa battle at Rock-Candy Mines. When Roy is jumped on at least once, he occasionally fires a Missile Bill out of his Bullet Bill cannon. If these Missile Bills are neither eliminated nor successful in hitting their target within a short amount of time, they eventually detonate. Starting from this game, Missile Bills keep their red coloration instead of being normal Bullet Bills flashing red. A Torpedo Ted equivalent, the Targeting Ted, homes in on Mario in a slightly different manner, but it also eventually self-destructs when it is onscreen for too long.

Super Mario Maker series[edit]

A Bull's-Eye Bill
A Bull's-Eye Bill

Bull's-Eye Bills reappear in Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, and Super Mario Maker 2. As they did not appear in the original Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario World, new sprites were created for those two game styles.

While they do operate similar to their appearances in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the Bull's-Eye Bills in these games do not turn as sharply, and they will only chase after Mario for a limited time period, instead of relentlessly pursuing him.

In Super Mario Maker 2, they are replaced by Cat Bullet Bills in the Super Mario 3D World game style.

Super Mario Run[edit]

Bull's-Eye Bills appear in Super Mario Run, exclusively in Bullet Bill Barrage. Bull's-Eye Bills appear from the left of the screen, then slightly adjust up or down to position themselves behind the player. After a few seconds they will charge forward and off the right side of the screen, whether or not the player is in front of them. While Bullet Bills can be vaulted over, Bull's-Eye Bills cannot.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]

Although no normal Bull's-Eye Bills appear in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a new variant consisting of multiple segments and dorsal fins does.

Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3[edit]

Unused red Bullet Bill from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (used in Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3)

Red Bullet Bills appear in Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 in the final secret level, Endless World of Yoshis. They are fired from red Turtle Cannons and appear to make a biting motion as they fly. Red Bullet Bills slow gradually before eventually shrinking away in light blue and vanishing with a pop. They can be defeated by simply stomping or swallowing them; they look like regular Bullet Bills if spat back out, but they fly downwards. This is the first game where Red Bullet Bills can follow players at any angle, due to the ones in Super Mario Bros. 3 being restricted to lateral movement, though they still make abrupt u-turns after slowing down when they miss, whereas later games have them keep a smoother trajectory.

Mario Party 9[edit]

Missile Bills from New Super Mario Bros. Wii make a comeback in Mario Party 9 in the minigame, Billistics, where they appear alongside Bullet Bills. In this game, Missile Bills make beeping radar noises. This is a way to tell if a Missile Bill is coming. Like in other appearances, Missile Bills will home in on the player, but when a Missile Bill misses, it will not turn around, similar to Super Mario Bros. 3 when a Missile Bill misses twice.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[edit]

Bull's-Eye Bill
A Bull's-Eye Bill, as seen in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.

Bull's-Eye Bills first appear under their current name in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and reappear in its Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS ports. Unlike standard Bullet Bills, Bull's-Eye Bills are fired from red Bill Blasters. They behave like in past games and similarly to the Cat Bullet Bills in Super Mario 3D World, homing in on Captain Toad or Toadette and chasing them.

Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World[edit]

A Bull's-Eye Bill in the Scrapbook Theater
A Bull's-Eye Bill in Yoshi's Woolly World

Bull's-Eye Bills make their non-reissue debut in the Yoshi franchise in Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World. They are made out of red wool which can be turned into yarn balls if Yoshi eats them. They can only be found in Knot-Wing the Koopa's Sky Fort, where they are launched from red Bill Blasters in the level itself, as well as during the boss fight with Knot-Wing the Koopa, where they are launched from the boss's Bill Blaster in addition to Bullet Bills.

Unused appearances[edit]

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[edit]

Though they appear in the Game Boy Advance version, Red Bullet Bills capable of following the player went unused in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.

Profiles[edit]

Super Mario Run[edit]

  • Notebook bio: "A friend of Bullet Bill, this foe will try to seek you out from behind. You can jump over it with careful timing."

List of appearances[edit]

Title Description Release Date System/Format
Super Mario Bros. 3 Enemy 1988 Family Computer/NES
Super Mario All-Stars Enemy 1993 SNES
Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World Enemy 1994 SNES
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 Enemy 2003 GBA
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Enemy 2003 GBA
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Enemy 2009 Wii
Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition Enemy 2010 Wii
Mario Party 9 Enemy 2012 Wii
New Super Mario Bros. U Enemy 2012 Wii U
New Super Luigi U Enemy 2013 Wii U
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Enemy 2014 Wii U
Yoshi's Woolly World Enemy 2015 Wii U
Super Mario Maker Enemy 2015 Wii U
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS Enemy 2016 3DS
Super Mario Run Enemy 2016 iOS / Android
Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World Enemy 2017 3DS
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Enemy 2018 Switch / 3DS
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Enemy 2019 Switch
Super Mario Maker 2 Enemy 2019 Switch

Gallery[edit]

Sprites[edit]

Models[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese サーチキラー[8][9]
Sāchi Kirā
Search Bullet Bill
キラー[5][6]
Kirā
Bullet Bill Super Mario Bros. 3, Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
リターンキラー[10][11]
Ritān Kirā
Return Bullet Bill Super Mario Bros. 3
往復おうふくキラー[4]
Ōfuku Kirā
Roundtrip Bullet Bill Super Mario Bros. 3
Chinese 跟蹤炮彈刺客[?]
Gēnzōng Pàodàn Cìkè
Tracking Bullet Bill
Dutch Bull's-Eye Bill[?] -
French Auto Bill Balle[?] Automatic Bullet Bill
German Vefolgungs-Willi[?] Pursuit Bill
Treffer-Willi[?] Hit Bill
Italian Pallottolo Segugio[?] Tracker Bullet Yoshi's Woolly World, Super Mario Run, Super Mario Maker 2
Segugio Bill[12] Tracker Bill Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia; shared with Bull's-Eye Banzai in the New Super Mario Bros. Wii enemy section (possible copy-paste)
Pallottolo Segugio Bill[13] Tracker Bullet Bill Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia; in the description of 9-3
Korean 추적킬러[?]
Chujeok Killeo
Tracking Bullet Bill
Portuguese (NOA) Busca Bill[?] Search Bill
Russian Билл-яблочко[?]
Bill-yablochko
Bull's-Eye Bill
Spanish (NOA) Bill buscablancos[?] Target searcher Bill
Spanish (NOE) Bill Bala Buscador[?] Searcher Bullet Bill

References[edit]

  1. ^ June 1990. Nintendo Power Volume 13. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 9.
  2. ^ Bueno, Fernando (November 15, 2009). New Super Mario Bros. Wii PRIMA Official Game Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 978-0-307-46592-4. Page 16.
  3. ^ "Red Guided Missile Bills move back and forth in search of their target." – Spring 1991. NES Game Atlas. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 36.
  4. ^ a b 「おなじみの砲弾ほうだん普通ふつうのキラーは、1方向ほうこうにまっすぐすすむだけ、『マリオ3』新登場しんとうじょうの「往復おうふくキラー」は、いったん発射はっしゃされると、左右さゆうにいったりきたりをかえす。」 – 「スーパーマリオ全百科オールひゃっか」 (Super Mario Zen Hyakka, or "Super Mario Complete Encyclopedia"). Page 192.
  5. ^ a b 「キラー砲台から発射され、まっすぐに飛んでくる。Uターンするタイプもいる。」 ("Fired from Killer Cannons, they fly straight ahead. There is also a U-turning type.") – Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit) et al. (October 19, 2015). Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario Bros. 3 section. Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8. Page 36.
  6. ^ a b みどりあか砲台ほうだい固定式こていしきで、黄色きいろ砲台ほうだい回転式かいてんしきあかいキラーは ヨッシーをいかけ、黄色きいろいキ ラーはかべにたるとはねかえる。砲台ほうだいたおすならアイス攻撃こうげきで。」 ("Green and red cannons are a fixed type, while yellow cannons are a rotatable type. Red Killers pursue Yoshi, and yellow Killers bounce off walls. The cannons can be defeated by an ice attack.") – 2002. 「スーパーマリオアドバンス3任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Super Mario Advance 3 Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook). Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 15Media:Advance 3 Shogakukan P15.png.
  7. ^ The Spriters Resource
  8. ^ Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit) et al. (October 19, 2015). Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, New Super Mario Bros. Wii section. Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8. Page 145.
  9. ^ アルス(liaoallen). Omoide Theatre, Yoshi Wool World (03:41). YouTube (Japanese). Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  10. ^ November 1988. スーパーマリオブラザーズ3 テクニカルマニュアル 3, supplement of Famicom Tsushin November 1988 issue. Famicom Tshusin (Japanese). Page 34.
  11. ^ 1993. Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook - Super Mario Collection. Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 216.
  12. ^ 2018. Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X. Page 145.
  13. ^ 2018. Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X. Page 149.