Power-Ups
Game elements that provide instant benefits or advantages when collected.
This pattern is a still a stub.
See also the Wikipedia entry for Power-Ups[1]
Examples
The power pills in Pac-Man allows players to hunt ghosts for a limited amount of time.
The "Quad" damage Power-Ups in the Quake series quadruples the damage caused by the players' weapons for a limited amount of time. Ammunition found in these games, and also in the Half-Life series, are also forms of Power-Ups.
Super Mario Bros: The Super Mushrooms and 1-up Mushrooms
Legend of Zelda: The heart containers
Using the pattern
Time Limits Game Element Insertion Avatars Persistent Game Worlds
The possibilities regarding where the Producers of the Power-Ups are and when Power-Ups appear are similar to those of Pick-Ups. The main differences are that Power-Ups often give the player New Abilities or Privileged Abilities, and one has to determine how long the effect of the Power-Up lasts and if players can Trading them. However, Power-Ups can also provide Improved Abilities such as temporarily raising Skills.
Since the Power-Up typically gives the player an advantage without a matching disadvantage, the use of Power-Ups may cause problems with Player Balance more easily than using plain Pick-Ups.
Diegetic Aspects
Interface Aspects
Narrative Aspects
Consequences
Power-Ups are Pick-Ups that cease to exist when taken, and due to this effect lead to Game Element Removal. They give players Ephemeral Goals of Collecting when they appear; knowing their location and when they are produced allows players to locate Strategic Locations and have Strategic Knowledge. When several players have this getting to the Power-Ups first can create Races.
The Power-Ups that have Time Limits can increase Tension if the usefulness of the Power-Ups depend on the success of other goals; Using the quad damage Power-Ups efficiently in the Quake series, for example, depends on locating and hitting enemies first. Power-Ups that provide New Abilities can for quite natural reasons give rise to Gain Ability goals.
Relations
Can Instantiate
Collecting, Ephemeral Goals, Game Element Removal, Pick-Ups, Races, Strategic Knowledge, Strategic Locations
with New Abilities
with Time Limits
Can Modulate
Can Be Instantiated By
Can Be Modulated By
Possible Closure Effects
Potentially Conflicting With
History
An updated version of the pattern Power-Ups that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design[2].
