one-up

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1-up (or “1UP”, 1-UP” etc.), pronounced "one up", is a term in console video gaming that commonly refers to an item that gives the player an extra chance to complete the game.

History

No one knows where the term "1-up" came from. The term appeared in American Pinball games in at least the 1970s, perhaps earlier. These games often gave players multiple chances. When a ball was lost in the gutter, the next ball was loaded and the game continued. If a player met certain conditions (such as a high score), they received an "extra ball," or "extra life." Later, this concept was applied to arcade games. The inclusion of extra lives was very common in video games from the 1980s on, even in otherwise 'realistic' combat-themed games.

"1-up" was first seen in multi-player pinball and other arcade games. In these games, "1UP" meant that it was player one's turn. Likewise, "2UP" meant it was player two's turn, and so on. In some cases, arcade games also used this terminology to designate which score was whose. "1UP" followed by a score indicated it was player one's score, for example. It is believed in some circles to be short-hand for "player 1, step up to the machine," since a standard pinball table only has enough space and control mechanisms for one player to operate at a time.

The term "1-up" to designate an extra life first appeared in Super Mario Bros., where the player could collect 100 coins to get an extra life, or find a green mushroom.

Modern usage

In current console gaming jargon, a 1-up refers to an item that gives the player an extra chance to complete the game. Often, 1-ups are obtained by completing in-game challenges such as collecting specific items. For example, if the player collects one hundred coins in Super Mario Bros., a 1-up is awarded. (A variant of this incorporates pickups worth multiple life-giving items.) 1-up items are often hidden in dangerous or hard to reach areas which force the player to put their character in peril or devote extra time to the game to collect them.

Some games feature items that award more than one life at a time. They are usually referred to as 2-ups, 3-ups, 5-ups, etc., and are often represented by different colored 1-up items or text.

A few games may award items in addition to or in place of an extra life if the player earns a 1-up. For instance, in Rise of the Triad, if the player has less than 75% of their maximum health, a 1-up item heals the player to full health instead of granting an extra life, and a 3-up item heals the player and gives 2 extra lives instead of 3. In Wolfenstein 3D, a 1-up item gives the player an extra life, full health, and an extra 25 bullets..

References

• Thomas, David; Orland, Kyle; Steinberg, Scott. Scott Jones and Shana Hertz. ed (PDF). The Videogame Style Guide and Reference Manual. Power Play Publishing. pp. 11. ISBN 978-1-4303-1305-2. http://www.gamestyleguide.com/VideoGameStyleGuideeBook.pdf. Retrieved 2007-08-11.