Jordan Jones with eight of the most incredibly satisfying items in video games…
Before I delve into what I consider to be gaming’s greatest power-ups, it may be wise to define the terms. What makes a good item in a video game? In my opinion, a memorable item should fundamentally change the way people play the game. Also, it should be really satisfying to use. Now, I’m being a bit loose with my definition of “item” in this article. In this case, I’ll say that an item can be a power-up, weapon, armor… anything that a player finds, and can put to good use.
Bazooka/Grenade Launcher: Resident Evil
Resident Evil is truly punishing at the start. Though choosing Jill Valentine will give players a slight edge with her increased item inventory, ammo, and lock-pick, the game still provides you with very little resources in its first Act. That is, however, until you find the Grenade Launcher. Once players acquire enough of the weapons three types of rounds (Acid, Explosive, Flame), the game becomes a breeze. Toward Resident Evil’s final stretch, with Grenade Launcher in hand, players can wreak absolute havoc on zombies, hunters, tarantulas, chimera, and whatever else may shamble in your crosshairs. It becomes a refreshing change of pace after playing defensively for most of the game.
Golden Gun: Goldeneye 64
This wasn’t a gun that you could actually obtain in the main campaign of Goldeneye 64, but was actually available as an unlockable item. The gimmick with the Golden Gun was that every single enemy in the game died from a single shot, and this made for absolutely hilarious runs through various levels regardless of difficulty. A perfect example of a game-breaking item: the Golden Gun was fun to toy around with for a while, but completely unsuitable for those moments when you were looking for an actual challenge. Still, it can’t be denied that this gun was endlessly satisfying.
Biggoron Sword: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
It was tempting to include the Master Sword on this list, but as iconic as that weapon may be, the Biggoron Sword is far more powerful and elusive. Before players could pay ridiculous sums of money for in-game items, developers made players do some pretty ridiculous things in order to obtain certain items. In the case of the Biggoron Sword, it was a race against the clock throughout Hyrule, trading multiple items. Once these tasks were finished, player’s then needed to climb to the top of Death Mountain Summit, and would ultimately be gifted the Biggoron Sword. It can’t be stressed enough just how much of a pain this item was to obtain, but once the trial was over, players were in possession of the most powerful weapon in the game. No shield? No problem.
Fire Flower: Super Mario Bros.
You knew this one was coming. How could this list ever be complete without mentioning the granddaddy of all life-saving power ups? There is a good chance that, when you first played the original Super Mario Bros., you were a kid. You may also remember the game feeling pretty challenging. That’s understandable: the original Super Mario Bros. was the first of its kind, and players were still getting used to the mechanics of platforming. Even that 1-1 Goomba could pose a threat if you were new to video games altogether. That’s why it was such an adrenaline rush when you would hit a question brick, and out would come a fire flower. From that moment on, you were unstoppable. You could sprint through levels, dealing absolute carnage. Underwater levels turned into side-scrolling shooters. If you were lucky enough to have one while facing Bowser: even he couldn’t stand up to the almighty flower power.
Originally published April 4, 2017. Updated November 21, 2019.
