One of the few remaining NES all-stars - Bill “Mad Dog” Rizer for Smash (and maybe Lance Bean as an echo/alt).

[Mr. Stevenson]

Bill Rizer nukes up the competition!

You mean Arnold Schwarzenegger, right?​

No (although, that’s who the character was heavily based on), this is Bill Rizer, one of the two main protagonists of the Contra series, along with fellow commando and brother-in-arms, Lance Bean.
In his series, he is one of the most renowned members of the "Contra" task force —an elite group of soldiers specializing in guerrilla warfare— and considered one of the greatest soldiers that ever lived.
Both combatants alone are known for repeling numerous invasion attempts on Earth by extraterrestrial forces, mainly carried on by the evil Red falcon army, and are known as heroes worldwide after successfully defeating them completely during the Alien Wars.

Why would he go to Smash Brothers, considering that there are already three Konami characters in the roster?​

Bill Rizer is a very popular character amongst Retro fans, and he comes from Contra, one of the most iconic and memorable franchises of the arcade/NES era, that popularized the run’n’gun genre, and even gave birth to the legendary Konami code.
The series also has a really healthy history with Nintendo, and would arguably be the last of the great NES classics to have a character in the roster, much like Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden) and arguably Sir Arthur (Ghosts ‘n Goblins).

And I mean come on, how awesome would it be to have a stage (maybe the jungle), full of explosions in the background, with one of its kickass soundtracks playing. It’ll be quite a missed opportunity to not have it, I’ll tell you that.

What exactly would he do?​

Finally some action! Bill’s main tool would obviously be his rifle(s), and his moveset could be based around various powerups from the series, such as the lazer gun, the fire gun, machine gun, crush gun, and last but not least, the spread gun, which would allow you to fire multiple projectiles per shot, that could maybe be his final smash.

I know that there’s been a bit of a controversy around the inclusion of guns in Smash over the years, but with characters like Bayonetta and specially Joker, that’s probably been extincted.

​

Also the gunfire from Contra’s guns are clearly no less cartoony than Megaman’s plasma shots, so I don’t think there’ll really be a problem with that.

Supporters:
Mr. Stevenson
Morgana J. Cat
Arcadenik
Guybrush20X6
Tetrin
ErenJager
Oddball
Crap-Zapper
Wonder Smash
tonygameman
SharkLord
Janx_uwu
shinhed-echi
toonito
DanganZilla5
ninjahmos ​

 

[Morgana J. Cat]

Man, I always got my butt kicked whenever I played Contra, it's easily one of the hardest games on the NES (without the code, that is).
Still there's no denying that the game is super fun, has really memorable soundtrack that aged really well, and Bill would easily make a really unique fighter.

I can already see most people arguing that he'd be too much like Snake, just by the appearance alone (specially the bandanna), when that'd be far from the truth since one only uses all kinds of bullets, and the other ones uses all kinds of explosives (in Smash, that is)
Plus, he's practically the complete opposite of , I mean:

Contra: Shoot everything in sight, don't let any bad guy live!
Metal Gear Solid: Get through this area without making as much noise and without killing as many enemies as possible!


Well, with that out of the way, I certainly support the Mad Dog, for the reasons I mentioned above, and also because I'm a Schwarzenegger fan

Also shame on you Nintendo for not including Contra on the NES classic mini!!!

 

[Arcadenik]

I support. Always liked the NES and SNES games. I played them with my brother.

If Bill Rizer gets in, what would his series icon be? The “C” in the Contra logo? But that’s in the American version... we need something international. Maybe the falcon badge items?

 

[Guybrush20X6]

What I wish for Bill if he gets in is the full Game and watch treatment. Use his NES sprites with the PAL robot character as an alt.

 

[Tetrin]

Support. I always thought he'd be an interesting addition.

 

[ErenJager]

Bill Rizer from Contra will always be a based choice.
& I support.

 

[Oddball]

I feel this topic could use a bit more artwork of the guy.



They seem to want to give him a shirt in more modern appearances but I prefer the Rambo look myself.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

I support. Always liked the NES and SNES games. I played them with my brother.

If Bill Rizer gets in, what would his series icon be? The “C” in the Contra logo? But that’s in the American version... we need something international. Maybe the falcon badge items?

I don’t think the “C” would be that much of a problem, since Metroid’s simbole is a distinctive shape of an S.
But since we’re on it, the best thing that came to my mind is an extra life medal from the original game.

What I wish for Bill if he gets in is the full Game and watch treatment. Use his NES sprites with the PAL robot character as an alt.

So you’re in favor of seeing a full incarnation of an NES character, that would be kind of sick, but weird at the same time.
I’m pretty sure he’d be just like Simon Belmont tho.

I feel this topic could use a bit more artwork of the guy.

View attachment 239303View attachment 239304View attachment 239305View attachment 239306View attachment 239307

They seem to want to give him a shirt in more modern appearances but I prefer the Rambo look myself.

I understand, tho I believe people know him better from his original games, and find him more appealing that way.
I also kind of think those designs make him look a little bit too generic.

 

[Oddball]

While I love the guy, I do wonder how he'd work. Just about every attack the guy has is a ranged weapon.

For his Final Smash, I'd love it if they took the scene from Contra 3 where the plane flies in and bombs the entire stage.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

While I love the guy, I do wonder how he'd work. Just about every attack the guy has is a ranged weapon.

For his Final Smash, I'd love it if they took the scene from Contra 3 where the plane flies in and bombs the entire stage.

If they made Megaman work, then I’m pretty sure they could do an awesome job with Bill Rizer as well.

And hey, that’s an awesome idea for a Final Smash!!!

Damn, I really wish Nintendo could bring Bill Rizer with the old magic of the Contra series, to remind us how good it used to be (kind of like how they did with Simon Belmont).

 

[Morgana J. Cat]

I wonder if any of the Ninja Gaiden supporters would be willing to support him, after Ryu H. gets in, that'd be sweet!

 

[Crap-Zapper]

I'm actually quite surprised this character is getting this little attention. It's a NES classic.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

I'm actually quite surprised this character is getting this little attention. It's a NES classic.

Right? I compeletely agree! He´s easily up there with Simon Belmont and Ryu Hayabusa.
I'm just assuming it's because people aren't expecting there to be a 3rd Konami IP getting a playable character.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

I'm actually quite surprised this character is getting this little attention. It's a NES classic.

Right? I compeletely agree! He´s easily up there with Simon Belmont and Ryu Hayabusa.
I'm just assuming it's because people aren't expecting there to be a 3rd Konami IP getting a playable character.

Edit: I don't know what the hell happened, but suddenly a copy of my message appeared. Don't report me please!

 

[Crap-Zapper]

Right? I compeletely agree! He´s easily up there with Simon Belmont and Ryu Hayabusa.
I'm just assuming it's because people aren't expecting there to be a 3rd Konami IP getting a playable character.

That's true, and with Simon making it into the game I did hear some sound for a Contra character. However I guess that Doom Guy or DoomSlayer could be the biggest point of little attention at this point. Both being viewed as violent classics.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

That's true, and with Simon making it into the game I did hear some sound for a Contra character. However I guess that Doom Guy or DoomSlayer could be the biggest point of little attention at this point. Both being viewed as violent classics.

Yeah, but I really don't see any connection that both Bill Rizer and Doomguy have, besides being shooters. I don't see how Doomguy's inclusion would affect any of Bill/Lance´s chances.
Besides, I never saw Contra as a violent game, it's an NES game afterall. Sure you shoot things, but it's very cartoony and doesn't feature any blood/gore, unlike Doom.

 

[Crap-Zapper]

I don't think it affect his chances either with or without the inclusion of Doom Guy, but at this point people speculate in patterns. Retro, Modern, Genre, Moves, Representatives. It's the same thing all over. All I was thinking is how one classic shooters attention overshadows another classic shooter.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

I don't think it affect his chances either with or without the inclusion of Doom Guy, but at this point people speculate in patterns. Retro, Modern, Genre, Moves, Representatives. It's the same thing all over. All I was thinking is how one classic shooters attention overshadows another classic shooter.

Sadly that's true, but I still think those two belong to different categories. I think it's more fitting to say that Doomguy overshadows Duke Nukem or Wolfenstein.
I'd say that in Contra's case, he's more overshadowed by someone like Ryu Hayabusa maybe, since he's also an NES all star and most people (including myself, not gonna lie) find him far more likely. I'd totally be down for either one of them, but I wish Bill Rizer/Lance Bean could get a little more support.

Also regarding your question, don't forget how popular and relevant the Doom franchise still manages to be today, and how close to Nintendo, Bethesda is. That's mostly where people get the idea that he´s likely, and maybe it's true given that a credible leak of Cacodemon and Mallow mii costumes have appeared.

 

[Crap-Zapper]

That's absolutely true. I do as well think Hayabusa would be quite likely at some point, but I don't think we should forget Bill Rizer just yet, and is without a doubt an all-star NES classic.

Yeah. I don't mind Doom, and I think it could still exist and be pretty epic. If the Mii costume leak is true then it could be possible. However, Doom Guy could easily be a Sans type of situation as well. Only time will tell for sure.

 

[Oddball]

I'm with you, I'm really surprised how little support this guy seems to be getting.

So what would you think his stage should be? Jungle? Ruined City? Inside a giant alien?


Here's a few bits of music I'd like if he gets included.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tifv7qh_hmY
https://youtu.be/KG6yCHgwkbk
https://youtu.be/yQxqYLlN7yY
https://youtu.be/a4XHxipyj9E

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

I'm with you, I'm really surprised how little support this guy seems to be getting.

So what would you think his stage should be? Jungle? Ruined City? Inside a giant alien?


Here's a few bits of music I'd like if he gets included.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tifv7qh_hmY
https://youtu.be/KG6yCHgwkbk
https://youtu.be/yQxqYLlN7yY
https://youtu.be/a4XHxipyj9E

Man, there are just so many great options for a Contra stage that it’s really hard to choose only one.
Hmm maybe I’d go with the jungle since it’s one of the most iconic areas, not just from the NES game, but also from the franchise as a whole.
The devastated city would also be really awesome, same goes for the alien’s inside, but I’m not sure if that one would be a little bit disturbing. That’s just me, what about you?

Anyways, those are definitely a must have in Contra’s playlist.
I’d also love to see a remix or maybe a medley for these ones:

 

[Oddball]

I went ahead and made some color options for the guy.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

I went ahead and made some color options for the guy.
View attachment 249426

It’s fantastic! Love the design and the color alt ideas. You even made one for Lance.
The only thing I would have added is an armor or a shirt to at least one of the alts (the third one would probably go best with it) to reference his post-NES appearances, but other than that, love it!

 

[DarthEnderX]

One of my 5 most wanted characters! Supported!

I went ahead and made some color options for the guy.
View attachment 249426

Looks like only one of those is Lance Bean, who should be taking up half the alt slots(unless he ends up an Echo, which, honestly, he doesn't need to be).

What I wish for Bill if he gets in is the full Game and watch treatment. Use his NES sprites with the PAL robot character as an alt.

Ew, no thanks. Half the fun of Smash is seeing classic characters get glorious new models.

I wonder if any of the Ninja Gaiden supporters would be willing to support him, after Ryu H. gets in, that'd be sweet!

He's my #2 pick after Ryu, so I absolutely would!

Gotta complete that Super Mario Crossover roster!

 

[ninjahmos]

Count me in! I'd love to see a Contra character get into Smash, with their own stage that has music from the Contra series. Both originals and new remixes. I’d love to hear a Smash Remix of the Jungle theme from Contra 1.

 

[Oddball]

Looks like only one of those is Lance Bean, who should be taking up half the alt slots(unless he ends up an Echo, which, honestly, he doesn't need to be).

Honestly, having Lance isn't a deal breaker for me. I could take him or leave him. As long as we have "Contra guy" as a playable character.

 

[DarthEnderX]

I can't imagine they wouldn't split the character slot, given how iconic coop play is for the series.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

He's my #2 pick after Ryu, so I absolutely would!

Gotta complete that Super Mario Crossover roster!

Ahh damn, I have such fond memories of playing that game.
Seriously it’s a masterpiece, and I can’t even believe it’s fan-made.
First time I played it, I was more blown away than the first time I got to play Mario Maker (which I’m pretty sure Nintendo took some notes from it when adding Link in the Mario Maker sequel).

And yeah, that’s one of the many reasons why I want Ryu Hayabusa and Bill Rizer in Smash, so badly.

The Blaster Master chaps were also part of it, they would be an interesting addition as well, but all in all, I guess I can live without those two (Jason and Sophie, the tank).

 

[DarthEnderX]

The Blaster Master chaps were also part of it, they would be an interesting addition as well, but all in all, I guess I can live without those two (Jason and Sophie, the tank).

I want Sophia as either an Assist Trophy or a Spirit.

If we're getting a playable tank, I'd want it to be the SV-001 Metal Slug.

 

[Oddball]

I can't imagine they wouldn't split the character slot, given how iconic coop play is for the series.

You do have a point on that one. I still don't feel Lance is nessisary but I see where you're coming from.

 

[DarthEnderX]

Bill without Lance feels like Billy Lee without Jimmy Lee. Or Bub without Bob.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

How about Bill and Lance tag team a la Ice Climbers. Not really something I’d personally be in favor of seeing, but hey it’s just a thought.

 

[DarthEnderX]

Please no. I hate that gimmick and it doesn't represent how the games play.

 

[MacDaddyNook]

I'm all in. Contra is a great series and Bill would bring both a gameplay style visual appearance that is distinct. I can see him as being a strong zoing character who struggles when opponents get too close, much in the way Contra is all about shooting and you only have one hit per life.

As for Lance, I'm a little doubtful of DLC Echoes at this point, so I could see him being fine as four of Bill's alts or just not in at all. Contra does have co-op, but it's equally known for its single-player game as well.

 

[Oddball]

I'm not going to do any more colors for Lance, but if I were to give him half the slots, his design would still be mostly the same as Bills.

I'd just give him long Rambo-style hair and mirror the rest of his gear. Maybe I'd also give him a bit more of a five o'clock shadow as well.

The Purple pants/Blue hair colors here would defintely be one of the options too.

 

[Wonder Smash]

I also support Bill Rizer. With the kind of series he comes from (with platforming elements, making him a natural fit) and the history it has on Nintendo consoles, Bill (along with Lance) would be perfect for Smash. Plus, the games got some awesome music to fight to.

Also, RIP Kazuhisa Hashimoto, the creator of the Konami code.

 

[Oddball]

I had an idea for an intro trailer.

Simon and Snake are fighting an army of possessed monsterous characters and really not doing that well. Snake manages to crawl behind some rumble and calls someone on his codec. Mei possibly. He tells her "we're getting torn apart out here. What can you send me for back up?" And he's told "relax, I'm sending a guy."

A helicopter appears in the distance. Once it gets close, Bill dropps down from it gun in both hands blazing. Then we cut to game play footage.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

I had an idea for an intro trailer.

Simon and Snake are fighting an army of possessed monsterous characters and really not doing that well. Snake manages to crawl behind some rumble and calls someone on his codec. Mei possibly. He tells her "we're getting torn apart out here. What can you send me for back up?" And he's told "relax, I'm sending a guy."

A helicopter appears in the distance. Once it gets close, Bill dropps down from it gun in both hands blazing. Then we cut to game play footage.

Very cool concept! I only think that what’s missing in the trailer is at least one Nintendo character... so I’m picking Samus.

 

[Wonder Smash]

Very cool concept! I only think that what’s missing in the trailer is at least one Nintendo character... so I’m picking Samus.

Which is actually pretty fitting. I can picture Bill being sent to help Snake and Samus fight against an enemy like Ridley.

 

[Oddball]

Very cool concept! I only think that what’s missing in the trailer is at least one Nintendo character... so I’m picking Samus.

My thought originally was to keep it Konami, but you do have a point. It doesn't quite feel like Smash without a Nintendo character.

Which is actually pretty fitting. I can picture Bill being sent to help Snake and Samus fight against an enemy like Ridley.

You want a soldier to sneak around the enemy base, you get Snake. You want a soldier to kick down the front door and blow the place up, you get Bill.