From the Super Mario series’ coins to Pokemon’s Poke Balls and Sonic the Hedgehog’s rings, these iconic items have been must-haves for decades.
In some of the most iconic video games of all time, you play as a character up against great hordes of enemies. With a small probability of victory, you face these terrible odds to (maybe) earn a colorful badge, or to save somebody whose gratitude doesn’t quite equate to the lengths you went to in rescuing them.
Nonetheless, items tend to play a crucial role in bringing you to victory. They operate as tools to help you reach your goal. These items in particular have earned renown over the years, sometimes crossing genres and series and earning a legendary status along the way.
You don’t know hardship until you’re face-to-face with a formidable roaming Legendary Pokemon, successfully get their health gauge down to 10 percent, then look in your inventory and realize you’re fresh out of Poke Balls. These invaluable items are small, spherical devices that capture Pokemon and seal them until Trainers are ready to use them in battle.
To add to your Pokemon collection or build that perfect competitive team, you need Poke Balls to make it happen. You cannot be a Pokemon Trainer without a range of different types of Poke Ball. The series literally wouldn't be the same without it. Since Pokemon’s initial launch in 1996, Poke Balls have been a crucial element of gameplay. Over two decades later, this is as true as ever as fans venture through the Hisui region in Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
The Mushroom, also known as the Super Mushroom, is what separates Super Mario from plain old can't-take-a-hit-from-enemies Mario. This is a recurring item found in almost every mainline Super Mario game. Its purpose changes to fit the design of the Mushroom Kingdom series in question. Made iconic by that classic 'growth' sound effect and for saving our hero from instant doom countless times in the classic platformers, he'd be nowhere without the Mushroom.
This tiny toadstool will give you just the right boost, no matter which Super Mario title you're playing. In other installments, you’ll find that it’ll give you extra speed (Mario Kart series) or give you more spaces for your character to move (Mario Party series).
Game designers have long represented health with heart icons in the UI. If you are hit, a piece of a heart, a full heart or more is often be depleted. In turn, when you defeat an enemy, you might earn a loose heart fragment to replenish your health.
This iconic item was made popular in the Legend of Zelda titles and was first seen in The Legend of Zelda (1986). Many other titles have followed the pioneer's lead, games as varied as Minecraft, Spelunky, and Enter the Gungeon. After fighting a couple of difficult enemies, you come to appreciate finding these hearts, however they're depicted. Lucky adventurers may even be able to find Pieces of Heart or Heart Containers to extend their overall health gauge.
Many RPG players will know the feeling of venturing too deep into a region where the enemies are a little overpowered, having completely forgotten to save. Party members are getting knocked out left and right. In these situations, the only hope of survival can be to reach into your inventory and grab the Phoenix Down.
This iconic item is typically depicted by a reddish-orange feather. This item has earned popularity because of its direct inspiration from the mythical bird known as the Phoenix. In keeping with the legends, the Phoenix Down's most common use in games is to revive your characters. You’ll find such an item in titles such as the Final Fantasy and Bravely Default series. When it comes to MMOs, such as Mabinogi, you'll also need these to revive your friends to make it to the end of a dungeon. This item has led to various pop culture creations: books, bands, and very beautiful accessories reference and depict it.
Across the many entries in the Legend of Zelda series, the ocarina has earned a special place in the hearts of audiences. The ocarina holds the power to transport you to different locations or different times. But it’s not the ocarina’s incredible abilities that captivate you, it’s the beautiful melodies it makes.
To travel through time and complete less exciting tasks alike, you have to play a specific melody. After playing them multiple times, little melodies such as Song of Storms become iconic in their own right. The instrument itself has become so revered that it has given rise to several musicians who play music (including the game’s soundtrack, naturally) solely on an ocarina.
If you’re out of MP with no access to healing skills and your health is low, one way to refrain from entirely fumbling that battle you’ve worked so hard on is to grab a potion. Most commonly seen in RPGs, this iconic item has been appeared in countless titles and has become the go-to healing item. What exactly is in these concoctions that keeps everyone coming back? It's a mystery, but they're very effective.
These items are iconic because of the sheer amount of them we've seen. There are health potions, mana potions, stamina potions, strength potions, dexterity potions, speed potions, lucky potions and so many more varieties. The item and its endless variations have even inspired games themselves, such as the indie title Potion Permit, in which the player takes the role of a chemist and uses potions to help bring healing to the town of Moonbury.
Bling, Bling, Bling, Bling, Bling. There's just no beating the satisfying sound of running through a line of coins while evading a legion of Koopa Paratroopas. In addition to the Super Mario games, coins have been a recurring item in many platform games. Their popularity invites you to question just whose saving they were, a question often unanswered. Regardless, there is something about that sweet, rewarding sound of coins jingling as you obtain them, which is far more important than worrying about the intricacies of the Mushroom Kingdom's economy.
Coins, like mushrooms, serve various purposes depending on the game. For example, in Super Mario Odyssey you use Coins to purchase clothes and some Moons, while in the Mario Party series you collect Coins to buy items to get ahead of your opponents.
Known specifically for its appearance in the archetypal Pac-Man, the Cherry is an item that gives the player 100 bonus points for their high score. This is one of the first fruits to appear in the very first level. No wonder movies like Wreck-It Ralph make use of this iconic reference.
The Cherry’s functionality simply supports the game's social design, as Pac-Man was created to compete for the highest score. Once you’ve snagged that high score, you were able to input 3 special letters that represented you, rather like a signature. A simple item, but one that has staked a claim for gaming immortality.
The Question Mark Block has appeared in dozens of Super Mario titles over the years. In a multiplayer experience, like Super Mario 3D World, it's especially exciting to find one of these. Where would Mario Kart be without its take on them?
In the platformers, this simple yellow block is important to your progression. Since the very first title, these boxes have held important power-ups, some of which are necessary items to complete the level or find secrets. They’re strategically placed throughout levels by developers, who seem to be saying that there's a tricky section ahead and they're here to help.
Rings are very similar to coins. You will mainly find them in platform games, specifically in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Rings have a rather different function, though. Traditionally, they work as a padded defense for Sonic. This means that if you are hit by an enemy while out of rings then Sonic loses a life. Collecting rings is in your best interest, and becomes the crux of the high-speed gameplay.
Being so synonymous with the Sonic the Hedgehog games, it's no surprise that these legendary items made an appearance in the movie adaptations.
From jewelry to lollipops, these items are the best you can find in Bayonetta
Da’Sheek is a passionate and versatile writer, pianist, and game designer. He has expertise in copywriting, digital marketing, character design, and creative writing. With a Bachelor’s in English and a concentration in writing and persuasion, he loves to deconstruct and analyze any given subject in order to find greater meaning. As a video game enthusiast, he enjoys building video game frameworks himself as he aspires to construct an up – and – coming role playing game.
