Top 10 Invaluable Gaming Items & Abilities

Many games give you tons of weapons or endow you with more abilities than Inspector Gadget. But there are a few potent abilities and items that stand out from the pack. From shape-shifting vampire powers to the common bottle, these are ten items and abilities that permanently change the way you play the game.

10. Bike – Pokémon  

The Pokémon universe is filled with little critters that could be easily trampled underfoot, so we understand why trainers want to tread carefully. The pace of your average Pokétrainer, however, is infuriating. Slogging through the fields between towns in the Pokémon series takes forever – until you get your bike. Finally earning your bicycle enables you to blast down hills while listening to a catchy jingle. Who cares if you run over a couple pocket monsters on the way? You just did a sweet jump!

9. Space Jump – Metroid series

Samus is like a Swiss Army Knife. She can morph into a tiny ball, blast open doors, and freeze enemies in their tracks. Flying without her spaceship isn’t in her bag of tricks, however. Thankfully, her space jump move allows her to do the next best thing and rocket untold distances into the sky. This move opens up new worlds and power-ups to her. The space jump is one of the definitive moves in Samus’s arsenal that makes exploring with her even more empowering.

8. Magnum – Resident Evil Series

Guns are more than just flashy boomsticks in the classic Resident Evil games – they’re the currency you trade for life. Each bullet can be used to temporarily extend your fragile existence. No ammo type matches the sheer stopping power and value of the magnum. Finding these rounds, and the corresponding gun, offers players a sense of security not easily found in the cruel world of survival horror. The magnum quickly dispatches standard foes and brings bosses to their knees before it clicks empty. It’s more than a gun; it’s the light at the end of the tunnel.

7. Sub Tank – Mega Man X series

E-tanks are precious, single-use commodities in the original Mega Man series. In the X series, Mega Man X and Zero can find refillable reserve tanks to make battling deadly mavericks a touch easier. Up to four canteens become permanent fixtures in your inventory, but nothing matches the relief of finding your first one. Being able to continuously farm energy and refill these tanks makes defeating troublesome bosses the gratifying experience it is. And without all four, the final boss is a huge pain.

6. Gun Powder – Civilization Series

Plenty of items in games make you feel powerful, but few match the feeling of literally bringing a gun to a knife fight. Upgrading your troops to musket men in the Civilization series grants you the insane sense of superiority that can only come with harnessing the explosive potential of black powder. Unloading on your melee-minded enemies from a distance would give any leader the confidence to take over the world, and in this case you can.

5. Bullet-proof Vest – Grand Theft Auto series

Death is commonplace in any Grand Theft Auto game. Not only for the countless pedestrians you kill, but for the anti-heroes themselves. One of the most annoying things about dying is losing all your hard-won weapons. Few things are as aggravating as driving back to your favorite Ammu-nation to restock. Thankfully, if you collect enough hidden items in GTA games you can have weapons dropped off at your safe house for quick access. Better yet, you can gain access to your very own bullet-proof vest, which makes death a little less common. Now if you could only have a live-in escort for a temporary “health boost.”

4. Empty Bottle – The Legend of Zelda Series

Link gets his hands on ancient weapons, time-shifting instruments, and magical powers. But one of the most important items in his inventory is a simply glass bottle. No legendary sword or hidden trinket matches the pure versatility of an empty bottle. Players can fill it with health and magic potions, giving them a leg up during harrowing boss battles. But the most potent item to store within is a stray fairy, which will automatically resurrect Link upon death. Unfortunately, for being an everyday object these bottles are very rare.

3. Power of Mist – Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Grates litter Dracula’s castle in Symphony of the Night. In true Metroid fashion, players pass a number of these taunting openings throughout their adventure, wondering how they’ll be able to pass them. Alucard eventually earns his mist form, which allows players to phase through the barred passageways. Even better, Alucard can earn the power of mist to pass unaffected through huge rooms packed with high-level monsters. Invulnerability is a great way to reward players for enduring the castle’s myriad hazards. 

2. Airship – Final Fantasy Series

Most Final Fantasy games start out the same: You travel around on foot, battling monsters as you explore the world, town to town. There usually comes a time when you meet a very important person who leads you to a flying ship. You may have to fight a tough boss, endure a dungeon, or perform other favors to earn the right to fly the airship, but it’s always worth it. Soaring far above areas you previously trekked over on foot is a satisfying experience. You can also visit previously inaccessible areas like islands or blockaded fortresses. Plus, once the airship is yours, it’s generally yours to keep. Who hasn’t always wanted their own flying ship to adventure in?

1. Gravity Gun – Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 isn’t a survival horror adventure, but Gordan Freeman does occasionally run out of ammo for his favorite weapon. Alyx Vance gives Freeman a tool that allows him to effortless pick up and manipulate heavy objects. Before long, Freeman’s  weapons are holstered and he’s ripping zombies in half by tossing saw blades at them. The gravity gun is a useful tool throughout the game, not just for launching projectiles but also for solving physics puzzles. Freeman’s final trek up the towering Citadel overpowers the gravity gun to deadly results, making it one of the strongest tools in gaming history.