There are a bunch of items in every video game, from staples like healing potions and money to collectibles like audio logs and treasure chests. While the majority of the games add these items as a necessary inclusion without giving them much personality or lore, there are a few games where these very items transcend the usual state of obscurity and end up becominginstantly recognizable, not just in the world of video games, but even among non-gamers.
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Note that this list doesn’t include any collectibles, but only the items that players can use in a game. These seven items are the perfect example of how to create video game items that become unforgettable.
7Nuka-Cola
From the Fallout Series
Players can find bottles scattered throughout the wasteland, with variants like Nuka-Cola Quantum adding further variability to this iconic item. In most titles, Nuka-Cola restores both HP and AP, with Quantum restoring a lot more of it.
6Heart Container
From the Legend of Zelda Games
The Heart Container is a staple of theLegend of Zeldaseries and almost as recognizable as Link himself. Despite it getting slight design changes over the course of the numerous Zelda games that have this item, the fundamentals of the Heart Container have stayed the same: a metal container containing a glowing heart inside.
Often received after defeating bosses or completing challenging puzzles, players are rewarded with this item, permanently increasing Link’s health. Obtaining it is often followed by an alluring chime, which alone is enough to give the player a much-needed dopamine hit after a boss fight.
5Estus Flask
From the Dark Souls Games
In a game as difficult, bleak and depressing asDark Souls, the Estus Flask is no less than a ray of sunshine. The Estus Flask is a healing item inall of the Dark Souls games, but its uses are limited and only replenish after the player rests at a campsite.
Players have to always think twice before taking a sip from the Estus Flask; drink it too early and they could run out of health replenishes when they need them the most, or save it up only to get taken out by a trap or an untimely shot by an enemy, wasting all its uses. This constant back and forth keeps the Estus Flask at the top of players' minds, which is why any Dark Soul fan can instantly recognize it.
4Cardboard Box
From the Metal Gear Solid Franchise
As much an icon of stealth as it is an icon of goofiness and being over-the-top, the Cardboard Box from theMetal Gear Solid gamesis arguably the most iconic item that should have no reason to be iconic.
Upon collection, players can equip the Cardboard box and hide underneath it, which can be the perfect way to stay hidden when they’re inside a storage room with multiple boxes around. But they can also equip it when they’re out in the desert trying to infiltrate an enemy base in Afghanistan in bright daylight, at which point it’s just hilarious and will lead to instant detection. It’s the open-ended nature of the Cardboard Box and the hilarious interactions that come with it that make it a staple of the gaming industry.
31-Up Mushroom
From Mario Games
Mario games are hard, especially when Mario can die with just a single hit, which can come as easily as a mistimed jump. The 1-Up Mushroom is a lifesaver, literally, as it can grant Mario one extra hit and add a few inches to his height too.
For gamers who regularly play Mario games, the 1-Up Mushroom is instantly recognizable, but even the gamers who don’t play have a pretty good idea of what the Mushroom is and what it does thanks to its cheerful design and the iconic sound effect that accompanies it.
From the Sonic the Hedgehog Games
Compared to the green Rupee in Zelda games and the yellow Coins in Mario games, the Rings from Sonic the Hedgehog games hold a much stronger position when it comes to iconicness. Almost as unique as the concept of a super-fast hedgehog collecting Rings andbringing down a mad scientist, the Rings don’t fall under the typical concept of currencies in video games.
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Irrespective of the game, Sonic is always indestructible as long as he has at least one ring on him. Getting hit once by an enemy causes Sonic to lose all his rings, which scatter on the ground around him but can be collected for a few seconds after they’re dropped. So survival in Sonic games is all about making sure that the players have at least one Ring on them, making them always stay at the front of the player’s mind.
1Poke Ball
From Pokemon Games
If there is one item that originated from a video game and is now a worldwide phenomenon, easily recognizable by the young or the old, by gamers and non-gamers, and by anyone who has ever consumed media on a screen, it’s a Poke Ball.
Its sleek red-and-white design is a staple of the franchise, and since it’s so heavily involved in the core gameplay loop of collecting Pokemons, nothing can hold a candle to how iconic it is. Poke Balls also come in other variants such as Ultra Ball or Master Ball which have a higher chance of capturing Pokemon, but it’s the basic Poke Ball that sits in the minds of millions of people.
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