Power Ups in Video Games

Today I wanted to talk about Power Ups in Video Games.

Credits

Footage:
LongplayArchive - Contra, Crash 3, Kingdom Hearts 2, Donkey Kong Country, Half-Life,
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Kirby's Adventure, Super Mario Bros. 3,
Super Mario 3D World, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mega Man 2, Metroid,

Music:

#gaming

[ElSenorMrTaco]

My personal favorite power-up would be the invincibility star from Mario, which comes with a catchy jingle that's as iconic as the 1-1 music track from the original SMB.

[DontKnowDontCare.]

One example of powers up gone wrong is Balan Wonderworld.

The best de-power ups are best implemented in Wario Land 2 onwards. Seeing Wario run while he burns will never be unfunny.

[laceylopp]

random but i like listening to your videos in the background while i play modded celeste levels, your vids are so fun and informative, and they help get me thinking about my own game that i want to make too

[tommymaxey]

I also like how Halo CE was so old and still had power-ups in some of its levels. A shield boost to let you take more hits and invisibility to let you sneak past enemies.

[SlyFrye]

All caught up on all your videos again. And it's interesting it took so long for me to find a video that talks in detail about power-ups. Very terrific subject matter to cover here. Glad I saw this!

[GamepadStudios]

Imagine if powerups didnt exist. Where would we be?

[therealseanw.stewart]

This was great. I look forward to seeing more topics spanning across classic to modern games being tackled in the future.

[BrianWhoopWhoop]

Proud of your growth Kiro! Will always be rooting you on!

[Monkiiengineer]

6:16 This came out of left field, but I do like seeing someone talking about Spark cause that game deserves way more popularity than it currently gets

[FedoraKirb]

For a while, I’ve wanted to write a (video) essay on how the design philosophies around Kirby’s Copy Abilities have changed overtime. Maybe some day I’ll get around to it, but I’ve got quite a few projects that could use that time…

[alexanderstilianov]

Ah, yes, the one power-up you can get in real life, GUN.

[Shrapnel]

The biggest reason for power ups would be to spice up the gameplay experience, and temporary power ups do this well. If all Mario could do to defeat enemies was jump on them, it could be boring. Give him a fire flower, and, until he loses it, now he has a new way to play.

Power ups can also be divided into permanent and temporary. Permanent ones, like the guns or backpack in Doom (until you pistol start a level), levels in most RPG, or hearts in The Legend Of Zelda reward exploration and/or puzzle solving (in the case of levels, then the reward is for time spent fighting enemies), and make you feel stronger, or at least have more tools to fight tougher enemies.

Time based power ups, like the invincibility in Doom, Mario, Sonic, or most games where you can gain invincibility, give a fun way to change the play for a short time. If it's something you can pick up when you want, like in Doom, there's the strategy of picking the best time to use it.

Consumable are a type of power up that demand strategy. Most first person shooters use ammo in this regard. Unlike the guns that last until taken by story, or you start a level fresh, ammo constantly is used when you fire a gun. It encourages you to think, "Should I use these shotgun shells to kill the imps, or try to save them and use the chainsaw? I am running low on shells now, but might take damage." The items in Mario Kart function the same way. You can use the banana peel defensively to block shells, or offensively to stop an approaching kart. The P Wing in Mario 3 lasted a whole level, but was still gone after, and wasn't something to be used thoughtlessly.

[cipherfresh]

Great video! I knew in my head the different ways you can get power ups but I’d never seen them articulated, this definitely made me think about it more. Your editing is also fantastic!

[aluzion]

I LOVE this type of videos. Thanks man

[Mankey]

Old school games that have power ups are one of a kind experience that give gamers a awesome experience.

[Yeahhhhthisisgood]

Hey this channel is my favorite hidden gem. I hope you grow because I love your insight.

[SaddieMoon]

2:47
I love that the Chicken is actually a random character from a PlayStation game that the creator was fine to have in Pizza Tower.

[humatrixf]

5:17 in the case of the red mushroom, I would classify it as an augmentive power up. Boosting a character’s physical attributes such as strength, speed and durability.

[BenAstridge]

This video made me think of monster hunter actually. That game has powerups in the form of a meal before a hunt, consumables you take on the hunt and skills that can change large parts of the way you play. They're not conventional power-ups like a mushroom or star but still fit the bill, giving you an extra hit, making your have more i-frames etc...

[thanasaKYS]

Kiro (which I suppose is your nickname, maybe even real name), your videos are bingeworthy. I love you. Keep it up