Power-ups seem a thing of the past in video games, and with the decreased impact they are having on the industry I thought I would count down my 10 favorites. 10 entries that I feel really changed the shape of the game for the better.
#10 Rings (Sonic The Hedgehog)
Only a twat would collect rings to make themselves better than everyone else, but luckily for this franchise 'Sonic' is a grade-a douchebag. The simple logic behind this one is that if you collect 100 of these spinning discs then you will be rewarded with an extra life, simple yet effective. It also makes the game a hell of a lot easier, after all you are bound to run too fast into a spike pit on every single level, so in the long run it becomes a game changer.
#9 Running Shoes (Pokemon Red/Blue)
Another simple pleasure, this one is more of a convenience than anything else. It's just an item given to you in the story that allows you to travel faster, which is a good thing as walking is painfully slow, so this at least makes traveling between cities bearable. Again, these are vital components of a classic franchise, and I really don't think you could catch them all if it wasn't for these bad boys. Just looking at a picture of them is like staring at a 1990's wet dream. I just hope they have flashing lights in them, only the coolest kids have flashing lights in their shoes.
#8 Fire (NBA Jam)
This is a little reward you get for just being plain awesome, and it does this by making you even more awesome. It's pretty self explanatory, you quite literally are 'on fire', meaning you become this overpowered dunking machine that can score from pretty much anywhere on the court. All it needs is three shots in a row by the same player, and you're then rewarded with one of the greatest sound effects in the history of gaming. You just knew that as soon as you heard that iconic "he's on fire!" line, business would soon pick up.
#7 Tactical Nuke (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)
I chose the killstreak from 'Modern Warfare 2', although it could quite easily be the version from zombies, but in both cases they fucking own. When a player racks up 25 kills without dying they are rewarded with a nuclear blast that kills everyone, including yourself. It's so awesome that the game has to be stopped as a result. The only bad thing about it is the fact that it's usually used by that immature camping bellend, who only got it because he got lucky in a chopper gunner on wasteland. But as long as you sent him hatemail afterwards it was okay.
#6 Metal Blade (Megaman 2)
In a series that was defined by its innovative use of power-ups comes these bad boys. They are quite simply spinning metal blades of death that cut through absolutely everything. The projectiles are both numerous and accurate, meaning you can cut through every single enemy with immense ease. And the best bit about it, the fact that it uses very little energy, so little that it's effectively infinite. How awesome is that?
#5 Spread Gun (Contra)
In terms of ownage this would easily be number one, it's just such a fucking brilliant weapon. It's almost necessary in what is one of the hardest games of all time, as you start with a pathetic pea shooter that hands out barely any damage. But with the spread gun you can just mow down wave after wave of well equipped enemies, often better than you. It really is a lifeline in one of the harshest and most unforgiving games ever. Still very good fun though.
#4 Bullet Bill (MarioKart 64)
The lifeline of any shit MarioKart player. I will admit that I have abused this ridiculously overpowered boost on more than one occasion, but come on, how else am I going to overtake anyone on Rainbow Road. It is quite a sad day when the game 'rewards' you with this, it's sort of the admittance that you're a shit player, and using it almost feels like cheating. The speed and power you get to in this thing is unbelievable, and it will blitz anyone in its way, and hopefully that person will be that annoying little wanker, Toad.
#3 Screw Attack (Metroid)
This is the power-up is so awesome that it even has a whole community named after it. It is such a brilliant move, a spinning plasma ball of death that not only makes you temporarily invincible, but also a ball of pure destruction. It might just be the most overpowered move on this list, and being rewarded with it is a complete game changer. It really becomes your primary weapon, the energy ball is so much better than actually shooting, and so in the end it sort of defeats the point of the whole game. Still fucking awesome though.
#2 Power Pellets (Pac-Man)
It really says a lot for a power-up when it ends up defining the whole game, it's almost needed to succeed, and anyone going for a high score must use these to their advantage. It's also the original, everything you see on this list is derived from these bad boys, and games would end up copying this style and basing their games around power-ups as well. Of course that was long ago, and so that innovation seems slightly unnecessary, but this game is still an absolute classic.
After all, it results in you being able to eat ghosts. Yes I said eat ghosts, does that not excite you? The mere thought of eating ghosts whole gives me a sort of childish rush, it's almost addictive. It's not as if these items are rare, they're littered all over the place, and so you can chew up as many ghosts as you wish, and I would recommend that, as they're absolute bastards. I'm not really sure on the science behind this whole digestion process, but who cares when it's as fun as this.
#1 Mushroom (Super Mario Bros.)
If there was anything that was going to beat Pac-man it was this, which is arguably the most iconic power-up, in the most iconic video game, in the history of gaming. It could've easily been the star, but that lasts about 20 seconds, this is theoretically endless. Headbutting bricks became part of the game looking for these things, and when you were rewarded with one you would get this amazing sound effect that is synonymous with the sudden growth of small Italian plumbers. It's a universally recognized symbol in the video game industry, and a staple of the biggest video game franchise. How could this not be number one?
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