Power-up

This article deals with the term from computer games, for the Amiga system see PowerUP .

Power-up is a term from the world of computer games , both in the PC sector and on game consoles and arcade machines . The power-up refers to an object that the character can usually pick up by simply touching them and that provides them with special abilities for a limited or unlimited period of time; for example, the player character runs faster, jumps higher or shoots more accurately. Power-ups appear in many computer game genres , especially in action games and jump 'n' runs .

Examples

Jump 'n' run

An example of power-ups is the Super Mushroom from the Super Mario games from Nintendo , after which the character Mario changes into a larger and stronger form.

The extra life (common in the genre Jump 'n' Run), which gives the player an extra life when recording, can also be viewed as a special power-up. Often, however, this is also awarded when certain points ( high scores ) are reached.

Action games

Power-ups also play a role in the first person shooter , especially in multiplayer mode . Power-ups that multiply damage occur in many games (quad damage in the Quake series, double damage in the Unreal series), invisibility, increased running speed and regeneration of life energy are also common forms.

A special form of power-ups in first person shooters are so-called runes (also called techs , relics or artefacts , depending on the game ). Runes last until the wearer dies, at which point another player can pick up the dropped rune. In some game modes (e.g. Threewave Classic CTF for Quake III Arena ), players can also hand over their runes to team members at any time in order to enable flexible tactical use. The different runes create a differentiation that, in a milder form, resembles the concept of different classes in games like Team Fortress . Runes are mainly used in classic CTF game modes.