Lethal Lava Land is a stress test. For a lot of us playing Super Mario 64 back in the nineties, it was the first time the game truly felt like it was trying to kill us. Between the sinking platforms and the constant threat of a fire-singed backside, the stakes felt high. But nothing in Course 7 captures that chaotic energy quite like the mission bully the bullies mario 64 enthusiasts still rank as one of the most satisfying—and annoying—stars in the game.
It’s the second star of the level. It sounds simple. You just knock some spheres into lava. Easy, right?
Well, no. Because the physics in Super Mario 64 are slippery. Mario doesn’t just stop on a dime. When you’re standing on a platform that is barely larger than a dinner table, surrounded by instant-damage magma, that momentum becomes your worst enemy. You aren't just fighting enemies here; you’re fighting the friction of the N64’s ground-breaking, but occasionally treacherous, 3D movement engine.
The Mechanics of the Big Bully Fight
To get this star, you have to navigate to the far corner of the map. You’ll see a large platform with three smaller Bullies. These guys are iconic. They’re basically metallic spheres with horns and yellow eyes, and they have one singular goal: shove you off.
Physics is everything here. When you collide with a Bully, there is a specific calculation for knockback. Mario's weight and speed at the moment of impact determine how far the Bully moves, but it also determines how far Mario bounces back. If you run at them full tilt and miss your punch, you’re likely going into the drink. Most players find that jumping and diving—the classic "B" button dive—is the most reliable way to create enough force to move them without losing control of Mario’s positioning.
Once you clear the three small ones, a Big Bully drops from the sky. This is the real test of bully the bullies mario 64 mechanics. He’s heavier. He’s faster. He doesn't take much knockback from a standard punch. You really have to time your hits to catch him near the edge. If you get pinned against the corner of the platform, it’s basically game over unless you can pull off a frame-perfect wall jump or a triple jump to clear his hitbox.
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Why This Star Is a Speedrun Filter
If you watch high-level speedrunners like Cheese or Puncayshun, they make this look like a joke. They use a technique called "Bully pushing" where they manipulate Mario's speed to chain hits together so fast the Bully never has a chance to recover.
But for the rest of us? It’s a mess.
One of the biggest misconceptions about this mission is that you have to be aggressive. Actually, being passive is often better. If you stand near the center and let the Bullies come to you, you can use their own momentum against them. The "Small Bullies" phase is technically a prerequisite for the Big Bully to appear. If even one small Bully stays on the platform, the boss won't spawn. This creates a high-pressure environment where you're constantly checking your periphery so you don't get blindsided while focusing on a single target.
The platform itself is a factor. It’s not static. It tilts. Or at least, it feels like it does when you’re dealing with the camera angles of 1996. The Lakitu camera is notoriously finicky in Lethal Lava Land. If you’re trying to line up a shot to knock a Bully off, the camera might suddenly decide to swing 45 degrees to the left, causing you to walk Mario straight into the lava. Honestly, the camera is the real final boss of this mission.
Technical Breakdown of the Bully AI
The Bullies don't have complex pathfinding. They operate on a simple "seek and destroy" logic.
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- Detection Range: They trigger once Mario enters a specific radius.
- Attack State: They charge in a straight line toward Mario's current coordinates.
- Recoil: They have a brief "stun" period after being hit where they cannot move.
Understanding that stun period is key. In the bully the bullies mario 64 sequence, the three small Bullies can be grouped up. If you manage to hit two at once, you’ve basically halved the difficulty of the first phase. The Big Bully has a much shorter stun window. You hit him, he bounces, and he almost immediately starts his charge again. This is why players often get stuck in a "ping-pong" match where they hit the Bully, get knocked back, and then get hit again before they can regain their footing.
Common Mistakes That Ruin Your Run
Most people die here because they try to use the ground pound. Don't.
While the ground pound (A + Z in mid-air) is powerful, it leaves Mario stationary for a second upon landing. In a fight where positioning is everything, being stuck in a landing animation is a death sentence. The Big Bully will just wait for you to land and shove you into the lava before you can move again.
Another issue is the "fire bounce." If you touch the lava, Mario does a massive vertical leap while holding his rear end. This can actually be used to save yourself, but more often than not, it leads to a "double dip" where you land right back in the lava because you couldn't steer Mario back to the platform in time.
The DS Version vs. The Original
It's worth mentioning that if you're playing Super Mario 64 DS, the strategy changes. Using Yoshi is a nightmare because he lacks the physical "heft" to move Bullies easily. You really want to be Wario for this star. Wario’s punch has significantly more knockback, making the bully the bullies mario 64 challenge significantly trivialized. He can essentially one-shot the small Bullies off the edge.
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In the original N64 version, you only have Mario. You have to rely on raw physics and timing.
Mastering the Big Bully Strategy
To consistently beat the Big Bully without losing health, follow this specific rhythm:
- Clear the small fry: Knock the three small Bullies off by baiting them to the edge and using a dive (Run + B).
- Center yourself: Don't stand where the Big Bully drops. He deals contact damage the moment he lands.
- The "Three-Hit" Rule: It usually takes about three solid hits to move the Big Bully from the center to the edge.
- Angle your punches: Don't hit him head-on if you're close to the edge. Angle your movement so that even if you bounce back, you're bouncing toward the middle of the platform.
The reward is a Power Star that appears on a separate, nearby platform. Don't celebrate too early—you still have to jump across a narrow path to grab it. Many a controller has been thrown because a player beat the boss only to fall into the lava while trying to claim the prize.
The bully the bullies mario 64 mission remains a masterclass in early 3D platforming design. It uses basic physics to create difficulty rather than complex enemy patterns. It’s about you, a platform, and the law of inertia.
Next Steps for Players:
- Practice the Dive-Recover: Master the art of diving and immediately pressing "A" to recover into a run. This is the fastest way to reposition during the fight.
- Watch the Shadow: The Big Bully’s shadow appears before he does. Use those two seconds to get to the exact opposite side of the platform to give yourself the most runway.
- Check your health: Remember that being in the "Red" (2 wedges or less) changes Mario's movement slightly. If you’re low on health, find a coin or spin a heart before engaging the Bullies.
- Toggle the Camera: Use the C-buttons to zoom out (C-Down) before the fight starts. A wider field of view prevents the small Bullies from sneaking up on your blind side.
By focusing on momentum management rather than just "attacking," you turn one of the most frustrating stars in the game into a predictable win.