8 Video Game Items That Pranked Players

Vanity items may not give players a tactical advantage in combat, but it wouldn't be fair to call them useless, because who among us doesn't want to head into battle with some quality drip? That's what the kids call it these days, right?

Well, even with that in mind, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night really takes the piss with the idea of cosmetic enhancements in a manner that feels wildly ahead of its time.

Any player who picks up the enticingly named "Secret Boots" will discover that the secret of its name is actually outrageously, infuriatingly banal.

If the item's description, simply declaring "Discreetly increases height!," admittedly doesn't set the grandest expectations, players will nevertheless be dumbfounded by just how discrete that height increase truly is.

Indeed, Alucard grows a mere number of pixels with the boots equipped, ensuring they're nothing more than a throwaway joke as Konami's finest laugh hysterically at you from upon high.

While in fairness the marginal - and we mean marginal - height increase does allow you to access a few out-of-reach items, it's more likely that the overwhelming majority of players instantly de-equipped the boots in disgust and never even considered they might be in any way helpful.