#1
The Picto Box from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker – Though not very powerful or practical compared to most of Link’s other tools, the Picto Box nevertheless creates moments far more enjoyable than its more mundane counterparts. Allowing you to take pictures of enemies and bosses that can be turned in to create a figurine collection, the Picto Box provides much-appreciated endgame content. Plus, it lets you take selfies with Ganon.
Errmagerd Ganondork y u mad. Image courtesy of Tumblr user Muranette.
#2
The Swerve Star from Kirby Air Ride – Unlike the majority of warp stars, which allow you to turn and swerve from side to side with ease, the Swerve Star (contrary to its name) does not swerve at all. It goes straight forward at max speed at all times. You can still turn, but you’ll have to stop completely to do so. This leads to one of the most erratic yet effective playstyles in the entire game – by tapping the A button and holding the control stick in the desired direction, you can turn by making a few choppy, sharp twists. It looks bizarre, but it’s also hilarious, and that’s why I love it.
The majestic Swerve Star. Bask in its angular glory. Image courtesy of the Kirby Wiki.
#3
White Pikmin from Pikmin 2 – I’ve always rooted for the underdog. Though weak and fragile compared to the other pikmin, they make up for it with their mastery of poison. They can walk through poisonous clouds, destroy poison pipes and, if eaten by a monster, they will harm and usually kill it with the poison in their bodies. Thanks to their large red eyes, they can even locate buried treasure.
It’s staring into your soul. Image courtesy of the Pikmin Wiki.
#4
The Lasso from Red Dead Redemption – By far the most fun item in the game, it’s a shame the lasso wasn’t added to multiplayer servers (but I can see why doing so would’ve been a bad idea). Allowing players to tie up and kidnap NPCs, tame horses, or catch bounties alive adds a new dimension to an otherwise bloody game. Rather than kill everything in your path, you can simply tie them up instead and put them on the back of your horse before returning to the nearest police station – or, if you’re feeling nefarious, the nearest pair of train tracks.
I guess this is one of the more “tame” uses of the lasso… Image courtesy of Rockstar Games.
#5
The Zz’Rot Portal from League of Legends – Minion wave control is a key component of playing League. Without proper sidelane control, the enemy can manipulate waves to create slow pushes of their own that may wreck your towers if left unchecked. Thanks to the Zz’rot Portal, players can better manage sidewaves using the little purple voidlings that spawn from the stationary portal and walk towards the nearest lane. With the Zz’Rot Portal, you can even hold super minions at bay (if only for a short time) and set up aggressive pushes of your own.
Now you’re thinking with Portals. Image courtesy of Surrender at 20.
#6
F.L.U.D.D. from Super Mario Sunshine – One of the most interesting tools (and companions) in the entire Mario franchise, F.L.U.D.D. allows players to enhance their acrobatics, hover above the ground with the jetpack mode, spray graffiti off nearby surfaces, and much more. Plus, it offers handy tips and advice unlike another Nintendo companion (I’m looking at you, Navi). Not gonna lie, I cried when F.L.U.D.D. died.
Finally, a plumber with portable plumbing. Image courtesy of GameZone.
#7
Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker from World of Warcraft – Did someone say, [Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker]??? Half meme and half legendary weapon, Thunderfury brings back fond memories of harmless trade chat trolls and Barrens’ general chat. All memes aside, Thunderfury took tremendous effort to acquire and in most cases, only the most hardcore Warrior players in hardcore guilds ever held it in their hands. Thunderfury may be a relic of the past, but if you still want to see one for yourself, vanilla private servers offer a glimpse of the past, even in 2017.
Murlocs OP. Image courtesy of Blizzard Watch.
#8
The Sling from Chivalry: Medieval Warfare – I can’t go a month without mentioning Chivalry at least once and I’m okay with that. Of all the ridiculous mechanics and items in Chivalry, the sling is by far my favorite even though I rarely use it. Offering weak damage, substantial projectile drop-off, and a slow projectile speed, the sling makes it hard to land hits and harder to score kills. But, with infinite ammo and surprising damage on headshots, the sling lets you relive the story of David and Goliath. Only, the enemy has a dozen Goliaths and they all want to kill you first because ranged weapons are so goddamn annoying to play against. Good luck!
The nightmare of melee players everywhere. Image courtesy of SimHQ.
#9
The Altar of Spellmaking from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – The Elder Scrolls franchise is at its strongest when player freedom is embraced. Thanks to the Altar of Spellmaking, Oblivion players were free to create their own spells and push the magic system to its limits. Although plenty of exploits and shenanigans resulted – such as allowing players to buff their bartering skill to max level for a couple seconds, thereby allowing them to get high discounts at merchants everywhere – it also allowed players to create custom spells suitable for all situations. The cornerstone of RPGs is individual freedom, and even if it was exploitable, the Altar of Spellmaking enhanced the game immensely.
Altar of Spellmaking or Altar of Exploiting? Image courtesy of The Elder Scrolls Wiki.
#10
Zarya’s Particle Cannon from Overwatch – Most weapons in games encourage a linear playstyle. A typical sword might encourage players to get into close range and hack away whereas a sniper rifle will teach players to stay far away and take potshots from behind cover. Zarya’s particle cannon, on the other hand, allows players to adapt to various situations. You can stay at close range and unleash a beam at nearby foes for continuous damage or stay behind the safety of cover and launch explosive charges over their shields. With the added benefit of her barriers, Zarya can also play up close and protect herself while still having the flexibility to shield her teammates with her projected barrier. Best of all, absorbing damage with these shields makes her weapon even stronger. Freedom, choice, and the ability to turn damage into a benefit for herself makes Zarya an example of excellent game design.
I’M A’ FIRIN’ MAH LAZER. Image courtesy of PCGamesN.
Aimbotting Analysis 