Where would video games be without health bars? They've been an essential part of most games for decades. Many titles have a very standard one at the top of the screen, and those get the job done just fine. However, it's always nice to see developers go the extra mile to create unique and creative health bars and life meters.
Adding some pizzazz to a game's health bar can go a long way in making the experience more charming and memorable. The best health bars and life meters reflect the game's tone, make sense within the universe, or have catchy designs that make for delectable eye candy while you play.
10 SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bott🌳om Has A Silly Health Bar
Here's an example of a 1🌟68澳洲幸运5开奖网:video game based on a TV🍃 show done right. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom is a beloved 3D platformer from the GameCube and PSꦍ2 era.
It gained a strong cult following over the year💝s largely thanks to its effort to preserve the humor and quirkiness of the cartoon, which is reflected in its health bar.
So how do you refill health? By collecting underwear. That's right, SpongeBob's life meter is measured in tighty-whities.
Who knew wea🔯r༒ing multiple layers of undies could protect you from robot attacks?
9 Cryostasis: Sleep of 𓆉Reason Offers A Unique Health System
No one would blame you if you missed Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason. It's a psychological horror PC game from 2008, and it's pretty hard to find today.
If you do manage to snag a copy, you'll get to experience one of the most unique health bars in video games.
You play as a meteorologist trapped in the artic during an exp🌸edition to the North Pole. The goal is to stay warm as much as p𝓀ossible.
The health bar is a thermometer that keeps track of your body temperature. Staying near a heat source replౠenishes your healthဣ while being out in the cold will steadily lower it.
It's the perfect way to reflect the game's unique health system.
8 🌸 🤪 Banjo-Kazooie Delivers A Charming Health Bar
Maybe the graphics have aged a bit, but this classic N64 adventure 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:still packs a lot of charm today. If you like retro platformers, you'll undoubtedly remember 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Banjo-Kazooie.
The game is brimming with personality and silliness, and its health bar is no except♏ion.
Banjo's health meter is measured in honeycombs, which is pretty suitable for a bear. What makes it one of the best health bars is its inclusion of Banjo and Kazooie's facial expressions.
The more health you 🦩have, the happier the duo looks. The more damage you take, the grimmer their expressions becomꦛe.
It's a fun and quirky way to keep track of your energy level.
7 Star Wars: Master Of The Teras Kasi Has A 🐟Cool Life Meter ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ
Even the most dedicated 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Star Wars fans might not recognize this one. Star Wars: Masteꦜr Of The Teras Kasi is a fighting 𓆉game for the PS1.
It takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi and sees Luke being pursue🅺d by a mysterious assassin sent by Emperor Palpatine.
While it's not the greatest fighting game in the world, it stands out thanks to its creative health bar. Each life meter is represented by a red lightsaber.
When you take a hit, the lightsaber will retract a little into its hilt. It would've been cool if the good guys had blue or green lightsabers, but it's a nice touch nonetheless.
6 Super Mario Sunshine's Health Bar Nails The Game's Tone
Often considered the black sheep of the Mario series, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Super Mario Sunshine still has a lot of meꦿrit. Nintendo usually likes to base every element of a game around its core൩ concept, including the UI.
Sushine's health bar nails the game's tone and blends nicely with the world.
When you play through the game, you'll notice the life bar looks like a sun. Each ray equals one bar of health.
When you get hit, the sun will get dimmer. It's a creative idea that perfectly reflects the game's summery environment, making it the best health bar in the Mario series.
5 Conker's Bad Fur Day Offers A Surprising, Yet Memorable Health Bar
Conker's Bad Fur Day is a dirty, naughty game. It's also 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:one of Rare's best. You play as a drunken, excessively violent, foul-mouthed sq♋ꦚuirrel trying to find his way home after a rowdy night on the town.
You'd expect the game's health bar to reflect its mature tone, right? You may be surprised. Conker's life meter is represented by a chocolate bar, and taking damage will break off a piece.
It's an unexpectedly wholesome way to display health in an otherwise graphic experience, proving that Rare never runs out of surprises.
4 ꦿ Resident Evil Features A Grounded Health Meter
Dark, gritty, and scary as heck. Those are the elements that make 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Resident Evil special. This survival horror series from Capcom delivers horrifying frights, endless suspense, and some of the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:scariest levels in video games.
The developers were wise to include a creative health bar that reflects the series' tone.
For many Resident Evil titles, the health bar is represented by an EKG that displays the character's heart rate. It even changes color based on your condition.
Green means you're okay, yellow means proceed with caution, and red means you're in trouble. It's more grounded than most video game health bars, making it all the more special.
3 Guitar Hero's Health Bar Keeps Track Of Your Performance
If you kept up with video games in the mid-2000s, you probably remember what a massive hit 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Guitar Hero was when it launched. The game came with a guitar-shaped controller that you'd use to play rhythm-based levels featuring famous rock songs.
It also came with an equally unique health meter.
On the botto꧙m right-hand corner of the screen is a Rock Meter that measures how well you play. Play the correct notes in time, and the dꦇial goes up.
If you play off-key or out of time, the meter drops, and you get booed off the stage. Oucꦕh. What a harsh w🌄ay to get a game over.
2 ꦺ Dead Space Has The Most Unique Health Bar In Video Games
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dead Space is a Sci-Fi survival horror game widely considered the pinnacle of its genre. Engineer Isaac Clarke is trapped on a spaceship that’s beဣen taken over by a species of vicious monsters.
His only goal is to survive and maintain his sani𝕴ty.
Dead Space has arguably the most unique health bar in video games. In most games, the l💃ife bar is usually at the top of the screen.
In Dead Space, it's part of Isaac's character model. A tube runs up the back of his suit, displaying his energy level with a blue fluorescent light.
It's incredibly rare to see a health meter that's part of the game's world like this one.
1 The Legend Of Zelda Has The Best Health Bar In Gaming𝓡
When 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The Legend Of Zelda launched for the NES, it 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:changed gaming forever. Not only was the gameplay revolutionary.
The health bar would become so influential that it would stay for the rest of the series. Link's life bar is measured in hearts, a design so iconic that it's almost become synonymous with video game health bars.
You can extend Link's life meter by collecting heart containers in most titles or completing shrines in Breath Of The Wild and Tears Of The Kingdom. This design has been replicated countless times and remains the best health bar in video games.