10 Overpowered Items That Broke Video Games

7. Invincibility Leaf - Super Mario 3D Land

No matter how hard a game might be, getting a free pass never seems like the best option. You play to have fun, but part of that fun comes through overcoming the challenges put in your way. That didn’t seem to be Nintendo’s priority when implementing the Invincibility Leaf into Super Mario 3D Land.

The Invincibility Leaf is an amalgamation of the tanooki suit and the super star – it grants Mario the powers of invulnerability for an entire level, effectively removing any and all challenge from the game. It appears after the player dies five times in a single level too, meaning it’s thrown out as an option after very few attempts. You can still die from falling down pits, but enemies and physical hazards won’t be able to touch you.

If you can blast through a level unimpeded by purposely offing yourself five times, you’re not really playing a game anymore, you’re just existing within it.

One might argue that Mario games are for ‘kids’, but that seems like an unfair disservice to children around the world. They’re better than the Invincibility Leaf. We’re all better than the Invincibility Leaf.