The Bullet Bill Express (theme)

"The Bullet Bill Express"
"The Bullet Bill Express" in Super Mario 3D World
Image from Nintendo Music
Composed by: Mahito Yokota^{[citation needed]}
Key	C Dorian
First appearance	Super Mario 3D World (2013)
Latest appearance	Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021)

“Orchestras also feature on the game's soundtrack. Here's an example, accompanying a battle with Bowser's henchmen on top of a train. The full-blown orchestral arrangement serves to heighten the tension.”

—Liner notes in the Super Mario 3D World Original Soundtrack

"The Bullet Bill Express"^[1]^[2] is an orchestral musical theme composed by Mahito Yokota for Super Mario 3D World, where it plays in the levels The Bullet Bill Express and The Bowser Express.

HistoryEdit

Super Mario seriesEdit

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

Super Mario 3D World marks the first appearance of "The Bullet Bill Express", and it returns in the Nintendo Switch port, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, for the same purposes. It is also included in the official Super Mario 3D World Original Soundtrack album.

Super Mario Maker 2Edit

In Super Mario Maker 2, the original version of "The Bullet Bill Express" plays in Super Mario 3D World-style airship-themed levels.

An ambient, funk-styled arrangement of "The Bullet Bill Express" plays while editing Super Mario 3D World-style airship-themed levels in the Course Maker. This arrangement uses eight tracks that fade in and out randomly to create a dynamic mix.

Airship Theme (Edit) - Super Mario 3D World - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker 2	File info 0:30

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Captain Toad: Treasure TrackerEdit

In Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and its Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS ports, a synthetic arrangement of "The Bullet Bill Express" plays in Blizzard on the Star Express and Fright Train Flight. In the Special Episode exclusive to the Nintendo Switch version, this arrangement also plays in Boo Spotting on the Fright Train. It is titled "Blizzard on the Star Express" in the Nintendo Music app.

Blizzard on the Star Express - The arrangement heard in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker	File info 0:30

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GalleryEdit

Image for "Blizzard on the Star Express" from Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker on Nintendo Music

List of Super Mario appearancesEdit

GamesEdit

Work	System	Year	Type	Title	Credits
Super Mario 3D World	Wii U	2013	Original	"The Bullet Bill Express"^[2]	Mahito Yokota
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker	Wii U	2014	Arrangement	"Blizzard on the Star Express"^[3]
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker	Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch	2018	Past arrangement (Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker [Wii U])	"Blizzard on the Star Express"^[3]
Super Mario Maker 2	Nintendo Switch	2019	Original		Mahito Yokota
Super Mario Maker 2	Nintendo Switch	2019	Arrangement
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury	Nintendo Switch	2021	Original	"The Bullet Bill Express"^[2]	Mahito Yokota

AlbumsEdit

Work	Year	Type	Title	Credits
Super Mario 3D World Original Soundtrack	2013	Original	"The Bullet Bill Express"	Mahito Yokota
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo Music)	2025	Past arrangement (Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker [Wii U])	"Blizzard on the Star Express"
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (Nintendo Music)	2026	Original	"The Bullet Bill Express"	Mahito Yokota

Names in other languagesEdit

"The Bullet Bill Express"Edit

Language	Name	Meaning	Note(s)	Ref.
Japanese	キラーエクスプレス Kirāekusupuresu	Killer Express		^[1]

"Blizzard on the Star Express"Edit

Language	Name	Meaning	Note(s)	Ref.
Japanese	吹雪のスターエクスプレス Fubuki no Sutā Ekusupuresu	Star Express in the Blizzard		^[3]

ReferencesEdit

^ ^a ^b Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (Nintendo Music)
^ ^a ^b ^c Super Mario 3D World Original Soundtrack
^ ^a ^b ^c Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo Music)

[Edit] Recurring themes
Donkey Kong franchise	Donkey Kong	"Hammer BGM" • "Round 1 BGM"
	Donkey Kong Jr.	"Round 1 BGM"
	Donkey Kong (NES)	"Title BGM"
	Donkey Kong Jr. (NES)	"Title BGM"
	Donkey Kong Country	"Aquatic Ambiance" • "Bonus Room Blitz" • "Cave Dweller Concert" • "Cranky's Theme" • "The Credits Concerto" • "DK Island Swing" • "Fear Factory" • "Forest Frenzy" • "Funky's Fugue" • "Gang-Plank Galleon" • "Ice Cave Chant" • "Life in the Mines" • "Mine Cart Madness" • "Northern Hemispheres" • "Simian Segue" • "Theme" • "Treetop Rock" • "Voices of the Temple"
	Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest	"Crocodile Cacophony (K. Rool's Theme)" • "Funky the Main Monkey (Funky's Theme)" • "K. Rool Returns (Title Theme)" • "Lockjaw's Saga (Lockjaw's Locker)" • "Run, Rambi! Run! (Parrot Chute Panic)" • "Snakey Chantey (Rattle Battle)" • "Stickerbush Symphony (Bramble Blast)" • "Token Tango (Bonus Level)"
	Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!	"Big Boss Blues"
	Donkey Kong 64	"DK Island" • "DK Rap"
	Donkey Kong Country Returns	"Jungle Hijinxs" • "Mine Menace"
Mario Bros. series	Mario Bros. (NES)	"Title BGM"
Wrecking Crew series	Wrecking Crew	"Bonus Phase" • "Golden Hammer" • "Phase BGM"
Super Mario series	Super Mario Bros.	"Castle BGM" • "Ending" • "Ground BGM" • "Invincibility BGM" • "Underground BGM" • "Underwater BGM"
	VS. Super Mario Bros.	"Gyōmu-yō Mario Namae-ire"
	Super Mario Bros. 2	"Boss BGM" • "Ending" • "Final Boss BGM" • "Ground BGM" • "Please Select Player" • "Title BGM" • "Underground BGM"
	Super Mario Bros. 3	"Airship BGM" • "Athletic BGM" • "Bros. Battle" • "Ending" • "Fortress BGM" • "Fortress Boss" • "Ground BGM" • "King of the Koopas" • "Music Box" • "P Switch BGM / Toad's House" • "Slot Game BGM / Memory Game BGM" • "Throne Room" • "Underwater BGM" • "Warp Zone" • "World 1 Map (Grass Land)" • "World 2 Map (Desert Land)" • "World 3 Map (Water Land)" • "World 4 Map (Giant Land)" • "World 5 Map (Sky Land) - On the Ground" • "World 5 Map (Sky Land) - In the Sky" • "World 6 Map (Ice Land)" • "World 7 Map (Pipe Land)" • "World 8 Map (Dark Land)"
	Super Mario Land	"Birabuto Kingdom BGM" • "Chai Kingdom BGM" • "Easton Kingdom BGM"
	Super Mario World	"Bowser BGM" • "Donut Plains (Map Screen)" • "Ending" • "Forest of Illusion (Map Screen)" • "Ground BGM" ("Athletic BGM" · "Bonus Game BGM" · "Castle BGM" · "Ghost House BGM" · "Underground BGM" · "Underwater BGM") • "Koopalings BGM" • "P Switch BGM" • "Rescuing Princess Peach" • "Special World (Map Screen)" • "Star World (Map Screen)" • "Title BGM" • "Valley of Bowser (Map Screen)" • "Vanilla Dome (Map Screen)" • "Yoshi's Island (Map Screen)"
	Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins	"Main Theme"
	Super Mario 64	"Big Boo's Haunt" • "Bowser's Road" • "Bowser's Theme" • "Dire, Dire Docks" • "File Select" • "The Final Battle" • "Hazy Maze Cave" • "Lethal Lava Land" • "Main Theme" ("Cool, Cool Mountain" · "Opening" · "Slider") • "The Merry-Go-Round" • "Metal Mario" • "Peach's Castle" • "Piranha Plant's Lullaby" • "Staff Roll" • "Stage Boss" • "Title Theme"
	Super Mario Sunshine	"Boss Battle" • "Isle Delfino" ("Bianco Hills" · "Ricco Harbor" · "Staff Credits") • "Secret Course"
	New Super Mario Bros.	"Castle Theme" • "Ground Theme" ("Athletic Theme") • "Mario Vs. Luigi - Final Results" • "Mega Mario" • "Switch On!" • "Tower Theme" • "Volcano Theme"
	Super Mario Galaxy	"A-wa-wa-wa!" • "Aquatic Race" • "Attack of the Airships" • "Battlerock Galaxy" • "Beach Bowl Galaxy" • "Buoy Base Galaxy" • "Catastrophe" • "Cosmic Comet" • "Deep Dark Galaxy" • "Dino Piranha" • "Egg Planet" • "Enter Bowser Jr.!" • "Enter the Galaxy" • "Final Battle with Bowser" • "The Galaxy Reactor" • "Gateway Galaxy" • "Gusty Garden Galaxy" • "Help!" • "The Honeyhive" • "Ice Mario" • "Ice Mountain" • "King Bowser" • "King Kaliente" • "Kingfin" • "Luma" • "Major Burrows" • "Megaleg" • "Melty Molten Galaxy" • "Overture" • "Peach's Castle Stolen" • "Purple Comet" • "Rosalina in the Observatory" ("Family") • "Space Athletic" • "Space Junk Road" • "Speedy Comet" • "Star Ball" • "The Star Festival" • "Super Mario 2007" • "Super Mario Galaxy" • "A Tense Moment" • "The Toad Brigade" • "Waltz of the Boos"
	New Super Mario Bros. Wii	"Airship Theme" • "Bonus Area" • "Bowser Jr. Battle" • "Castle Theme" • "Coast Theme" • "Desert Theme" • "Forest Theme" • "Ghost House Theme" • "Koopaling Battle" • "Lava Cave / Underground Ruins Theme" • "Lava Theme" • "Title Theme" • "Toad House Minigame" • "Underground Theme" • "Underwater Theme"
	Super Mario Galaxy 2	"Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla" • "Bowser's Galaxy Generator" • "Cloudy Court Galaxy" • "Digga-Leg" • "Fated Battle" • "Melty Monster Galaxy" • "Puzzle Plank Galaxy" • "Slimy Spring Galaxy" • "Starship Mario" • "The Starship's Journey" • "Super Mario Galaxy 2 Trailer Theme" ("Sky Station Galaxy" · "Wild Glide Galaxy") • "Teleporter Melody" • "Yoshi Star Galaxy"
	Super Mario 3D Land	"Beach Theme" • Castle Theme^{[conjectural]} • "Main Theme" • "Snow Course" • "Victory Parade" • World 2-3's theme^{[conjectural]}
	New Super Mario Bros. U	"Ground Theme" ("Athletic Theme")
	Super Mario 3D World	"A Boss Approaches" • "Beep Block Skyway" • "The Bullet Bill Express" • "Captain Toad Goes Forth" • "Chainlink Charge" • "Double Cherry Pass" • "Piranha Creeper Creek" • "Sprawling Savanna" • "Super Bell Hill"
	Super Mario Maker	"Flying Battleship Theme" • "Title"
	Super Mario Odyssey	"Fossil Falls" • "Jump Up, Super Star!" • "New Donk City" • "Peronza Plaza" • "Steam Gardens" • "Tostarena Ruins"
Dr. Mario series	Dr. Mario	"Chill" • "Fever" • "Game Over" • "Selection Screen" • "Title Screen" • "Vs. Game Over"
Mario Kart series	Super Mario Kart	"Awards Ceremony (1st – 3rd Place)" • "Battle Mode" • "Bowser Castle" • "Donut Plains" • "Ghost Valley" • "Koopa Beach" • "Mario Circuit" • "Rainbow Road" • "Super Mario Kart Title Screen"
	Mario Kart 64	"Banshee Boardwalk" • "Battle Arenas" • "Choco Mountain" • "D.K.'s Jungle Parkway" • "Frappe Snowland" • "Kalimari Desert" • "Koopa Troopa Beach" • "Luigi Raceway" • "Mario Kart 64 Title Screen" • "Moo Moo Farm" • "Rainbow Road" • "Results (1st – 4th Place)" • "Staff Credits" • "Toad's Turnpike"
	Mario Kart: Super Circuit	"Bowser Castle" • "Peach Circuit"
	Mario Kart: Double Dash!!	"Baby Park" • "Bowser's Castle" • "GCN DK Mountain" • "Dry Dry Desert" • "Luigi Circuit" • "Peach Beach"
	Mario Kart DS	"Cheep Cheep Beach" • "Figure-8 Circuit" • "Luigi's Mansion" • "Peach Gardens" • "Tick-Tock Clock" • "Waluigi Pinball"
	Mario Kart Wii	"Coconut Mall" • "Daisy Circuit" • "Grumble Volcano" • "Luigi Circuit" • "Wii Maple Treeway" • "Moo Moo Meadows" • "Mushroom Gorge" • "Rainbow Road" • "Wario's Gold Mine"
	Mario Kart 7	"DK Jungle" • "Music Park" • "Neo Bowser City" • "Piranha Plant Slide" • "Rainbow Road" • "Toad Circuit"
	Mario Kart 8	"Bowser's Castle" • "Cloudtop Cruise" • "Mario Circuit" ("Mario Kart Stadium") • "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" • "Rainbow Road" • "Twisted Mansion"
Mario Party series	Mario Party 9	"Good Job!"
Yoshi franchise	Yoshi	"Mushroom BGM"
	Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island	"Athletic BGM" • "Bowser" • "Flower Field BGM" • "Goal!" • "Opening Melody" • "Powerful Mario" • "Yoshi's Island"
	Yoshi's Story	"Yoshi's Song" ("Yoshis on the Beach") • "Yoshi's Story!" • "Yoshi's Tale"
Wario franchise	Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3	"Main Theme"
	Wario Land 3	"Out of the Woods"^{[conjectural]}
	WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!	"Pyoro: Stage" • "Sci-Fi (Dribble & Spitz) - Drifting Away" • "Title" ("Reality (Dr. Crygor) - Stage")
	WarioWare: Twisted!	"Mona Pizza"
	WarioWare: Touched!	"Ashley's Theme"
Luigi's Mansion series	Luigi's Mansion	"Title Theme (Humming)" ("Professor E. Gadd's Lab")
Mario vs. Donkey Kong series	Mario vs. Donkey Kong	"Mini Mario Stage"^{[conjectural]} • "Title Theme"
Super Smash Bros. series	Super Smash Bros. Melee	"Rainbow Cruise"
Other	The Legend of Zelda	"Magic Whistle Melody" • "Overworld Theme"
	Mario Paint	"Drawing Board 1" • "Gnat Attack: Level 1" • "Save & Load"
	Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars	"Beware of Forest Mushrooms" • "Bowser's Keep" • "Hello, Happy Kingdom" • "Super Mario House"
	Miscellaneous	"Galop infernal" • "The Mario Drawing Song" • "Mute City" • "Title BGM" (Excitebike) • "Totakeke's theme"

[Edit] Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury / Bowser's Fury
Playable characters		Mario • Luigi • Princess Peach • Toad • Rosalina • Captain Toad • Blue Toad^b • Green Toad^b • Yellow Toad^b • Bowser Jr.^c
Forms		Small Mario • Mario (form) • Cat Mario • Double Mario • Tanooki Mario • Fire Mario • Boomerang Mario • Mega Mario • Invincible Mario • White Tanooki Mario • Lucky Cat Mario • White Cat Mario^b • Giga Cat Mario^c
Non-playable characters		Sprixie Princesses • Sprixies • Rabbits • Mega Rabbit • Toads • Plessie • Lumas • Ghost Miis^a • Toadette^c • Kittens^c • Cats^c
Enemies		Ant Trooper • Banzai Bill • Biddybud • Big Ant Trooper • Big Boo • Big Galoomba • Blockstepper • Blooper • Blurker • Bob-omb • Boo • Boomerang Bro • Brolder • Bullet Bill • Bully • Cat Banzai Bill • Cat Bullet Bill • Cat Goomba • Chargin' Chuck • Charvaargh • Cheep Cheep • Coin Coffer • Conkdor • Fighter Fly^d • Fire Bro • Fire Piranha Plant • Fireball^d • Fizzlit • Flopter • Freezie^d • Fury Shadow^c • Fuzzler • Fuzzy • Galoomba • Goomba • Goomba Tower • Grumblump • Hammer Bro • Hisstocrat's underlings • Hop-Chop • Horned Ant Trooper • Ka-thunk • Innertube Goomba • Lava Bubble • Madpole • Magikoopa • Mega Piranha Plant • Mini Goomba • Octoomba • Para-Biddybud • Parabones • Peepa • Piranha Creeper • Piranha Plant • Porcupuffer • Rammerhead • Ring Burner • Shellcreeper^d • Sidestepper^d • Skating Goomba • Skipsqueak • Small Rammerhead • Snow Pokey • Spike • Spiny • Spiny Skipsqueak • Splorch • Splounder • Stingby • Thwomp • Ty-foo • Unshelled Koopa • Walleye
Obstacles		Baddie Box • Bill Blaster • Cannon • Dark • Fire Bar • Fury Sun^c • Fuzzy Horde • Ink Bomb^c • Lava • Poison • Poison fog • Quicksand • Spike ball • Spike Block • Spike Trap • Spiked roller • Volcanic debris
Bosses		Bowser • Boom Boom • Pom Pom • Hisstocrat and Hisstocrat (pink) • Boss Brolder • King Ka-thunk • Prince Bully • Motley Bossblob • Meowser • Fury Bowser^c • Giant Bowser^c
Items and power-ups		+ Clock • 1-Up Mushroom • Baseball • Blue Coin • Bomb • Boomerang Flower • Cannon Box • Cat Shine^c • Cat Shine Shard^c • Coin • Coin Box • Coin pile • Crown • Double Cherry • Fire Flower • Giga Bell^c • Gold Shell • Goomba Mask • Green Shell • Green Star Coin • Green Star • Hidden Coin • Ice Skate • Invincibility Bell^b • Invincibility Leaf • Key^c • Key Coin • Light Box • Lucky Bell • Mega Mushroom • Plessie Medal^c • Potted Piranha Plant • Propeller Box • Red Coin • Snowball • Springboard • Stamp • Super Bell • Super Leaf • Super Mushroom • Super Star
Objects		? Block • ? Block tower • Arrow platform • Arrow Sign • Assist Block • Beep Block • Big Block • Big Goal Pole • Binoculars • Bowser Board • Bowser Statue • Brick Block • Bubble • Cactus • Cage^c • Cat Wheel • Chain-Link • Character Switch • Checkpoint Flag • Clear Pipe • Clear Pipe Cannon • Cloud Cannon • Cloud Lift • Cog • Color Panel • Conveyor Belt • Crab • Crate • Crystal Block • Dash Panel • Death Pressure • Donut Block • Empty Block • Falling spike^c • Fish • Fling Pole^c • Floating couch • Floor^d • Flower • Fluff • Fury Block^c • Gift Box • Glowing spot • Gold P Switch • Goal Pole • Goal Pole (flying) • Gold Ring • Gong • Graffiti^c • Green Star Ring • Ground-Pound Switch^c • Hexagon • Hidden Block • Illusion • Invisible walkway • Jump Panel • Kick Bomb • Lift • Lighthouse^c • Long ? Block • Magic brush^c • Multi-Vator • Mushroom Trampoline • Mystery Box • P Panel • P Switch • Pipe • Pixel Luigi • Propeller Platform^a • Red POW Block • Red Ring • Red-Blue Panel • Rising pillar • Rock Block • Rocket • Rotating Panel • Roulette Block • Sand statue • Seagull^c • Searchlight • Seesaw • Sliding door • Slot Block • Small bird • Splotchy goop^c • Super Jump Panel^c • Swing • Switch Block • Switch Panel • Switchboard • Super POW Block • Tank • Timer Gate^c • Torch • Touchstone • Trample Switch • Trapeze • Tree • Turning Floor • Warp Box • Warp Box (With Key) • Warp Door • World Warp Pipe • Zipline lift
Locations	Normal worlds	World 1 • World 2 • World 3 • World 4 • World 5 • World 6 • World Castle • World Bowser
	Special worlds	World Star • World Mushroom • World Flower • World Crown
	Lake Lapcat^c	Fur Step Island • Scamper Shores • Pounce Bounce Isle • Fort Flaptrap • Slipskate Slope • Clawswipe Colosseum • Trickity Tower • Crisp Climb Castle • Risky Whisker Island • Pipe Path Tower • Roiling Roller Isle • Mount Magmeow • Lucky Isle
	Other	Sprixie Kingdom • Mushroom Kingdom • Sprixie Houses • Toad Houses • Mystery Houses • Lucky Houses
Moves		Crawl • Crouch • Crouch Jump • Dash • Dive^b • Floating Jump • Ground Pound • Ground Pound Jump^b • Jump • Long Jump • Roll • Scuttle • Shell dash • Side Somersault • Slide • Spin • Spin Jump • Swim • Synchro ground-pound • Tail attack • Wall Jump
Gameplay elements		amiibo^b • Captain Toad's Adventures • Completion • Enemy Battle • Luigi Bros. • List of Cat Shine names in other languages^c • List of Pixel Luigi sightings • List of stamps • Miiverse^a • Points • Snapshot Mode^b • Toad Brigade^b
Music		"Beep Block Skyway" • "Blockade" • "A Boss Approaches" • "The Bullet Bill Express" • "Captain Toad Goes Forth" • "Captain Toad Plays Peek-a-Boo" • "Chainlink Charge" • "Conkdor Canyon" • "Double Cherry Pass" • "Fort Fire Bros." • "Fury Bowser Attacks!"^c • "The Great Tower Showdown 1" • "The Great Tower Showdown 2" • "Hands-On Hall" • "Hisstocrat" • "Lake Lapcat"^c • "Motley Bossblob" • "Mystery House Entrance" • "Piranha Creeper Creek" • "Shifty Boo Mansion" • "Sprawling Savanna" • "Sprixie Princess Theme" • "Super Bell Hill" ("Course Clear!") • "World 1"
Further info		Emblem • Gallery (SM3DW+BF · BF) • Glitches (SM3DW+BF) • Iwata Asks • Multimedia (SM3DW+BF) • "Nintendo - Happy Valentine's Day!" • Nintendo Music (soundtrack) • Original soundtrack • Playable characters' statistics (SM3DW+BF) • Pre-release and unused content • Snap World • Staff (SM3DW+BF) • Super Mario 3D Daibōken • Super Mario 3D World Puzzle Ramune Collection • "SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD - Shadow Puppet Theatre (Wii U)"
^a Exclusive to the Super Mario 3D World campaign in the Wii U version ^b Exclusive to Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury ^c Exclusive to Bowser's Fury ^d Exclusive to Luigi Bros.
Related Play Nintendo activities Can’t-miss games • What does THAT thing do? • Cute-throat enemies • Power-up trivia quiz! • Power-up personality quiz! • Colorful cat-tastrophe!