{{short description|Gaming-related attribute}} {{Distinguish|Life (video games)}} [[File:Video game health bar.svg|thumb|alt=A light red bar, 39% of which is filled with a darker shade of red|A health bar, a possible representation of the health of a character]] '''Health''' is a video game or [[tabletop game]] quality that determines the maximum amount of damage or fatigue something takes before leaving the main game. In [[role-playing games]], this typically takes the form of '''hit points''' ('''HP'''), a [[Attribute (role-playing games)|numerical attribute]] representing the health of a character or object.{{Sfn|Fullerton|2014|pp=79, 130}}{{Sfn|Moore|2011|p=91}} The game character can be a [[player character]], a [[Boss (video games)|boss]], or a [[Mob (video games)|mob]]. Health can also be attributed to [[Destructible environment|destructible elements of the game environment]] or inanimate objects such as vehicles and their individual parts. In video games, health is often represented by visual elements such as a numerical [[fraction]], a health bar or a series of small icons, though it may also be represented acoustically, such as through a character's heartbeat.
==Mechanics== In video games, as in tabletop role-playing games, an object usually loses health as a result of being attacked.{{Sfn|Fullerton|2014|p=130}}{{Sfn|Brathwaite|Schreiber|2009|p=225}} Protection points or armor help them to reduce the damage taken.{{Sfn|Fullerton|2014|p=130}} Characters acting as [[Tank (video games)|tanks]] usually have more health and armor.{{Sfn|Moore|2011|p=91}}{{Sfn|Schwab|2009|p=85}} In many games, particularly role-playing video games, the player starts with a small number of health and defense points,{{Sfn|Adams|2010|p=408}} but can increase them by gaining the required number of [[experience point]]s and raising the character's level.{{Sfn|Kremers|2009|p=378}}{{Sfn|Moore|2011|p=142}}
In [[game design]], it is considered important to clearly show that the player's character (or other object that they control) is losing health. In his book ''Level Up!: The Guide to Great Video Game Design'', game designer Scott Rogers wrote that "health should deplete in an obvious manner, because with every hit, a player is closer to losing their life". As examples of visualizing health loss, Rogers cited [[Arthur (Ghosts 'n Goblins)|Arthur]] of ''[[Ghosts 'n Goblins (video game)|Ghosts 'n Goblins]]'', who loses a piece of armor with each sustained hit, as well as the cars in the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' series, in which smoke begins to flow from the hood after the car takes a significant amount of damage.{{Sfn|Rogers|2010|pp=276–277}} Historian Jon Peterson explained that "hit points introduce uncertainty and variance", so "in ''Dungeons & Dragons'', even when the prospects of a hit are near certain, the damage dice provide another potential survival mechanism via endurance, another way of forestalling death and increasing the drama of combat".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Macgregor |first=Jody |date=August 2016 <!-- Republished in 2018 --> |title=The history of hit points |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-history-of-hit-points/ |access-date=May 19, 2026 |work=[[PC Gamer]] |language=en}}</ref>
The use of health points simplifies the game development process (since developers do not need to create complex damage systems), allows computers to simplify calculations associated with the game, and makes it easier for the player to understand the game.{{Sfn|Adams|Dormans|2012|p=290}} However, more complex and realistic damage systems are used in a number of games. In ''[[Dwarf Fortress]]'', instead of health points, dwarves have separate body parts, each of which can be damaged.<ref>{{Cite interview |last=Adams |first=Tarn |subject-link=Tarn Adams |interviewer=Josh Harris |title=Interview: The Making Of Dwarf Fortress |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131954/interview_the_making_of_dwarf_.php?print=1 |access-date=17 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112052256/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131954/interview_the_making_of_dwarf_.php?print=1 |archive-date=2013-11-12 |url-status=dead |work=Gamasutra |date=27 February 2008}}</ref> The ''[[Fallout (franchise)|Fallout]]'' games use health points, but allow characters to inflict damage to different parts of the enemy's body, which affects gameplay.<ref name="KotakuFallout">{{cite web |last=Burford |first=G. B. |date=August 21, 2015 |title=''Fallout 3'' Isn't Really an RPG |url=https://kotaku.com/fallout-3-isnt-really-an-rpg-1725444327 |access-date=August 25, 2020 |website=[[Kotaku]] |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030200506/https://kotaku.com/fallout-3-isnt-really-an-rpg-1725444327 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Stapleton |first=Dan |date=July 2, 2010 |title=Exclusive ''Fallout: New Vegas'' trait revealed |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/exclusive-fallout-new-vegas-trait-revealed/ |magazine=[[PC Gamer]] |access-date=August 25, 2020 |archive-date=April 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425135756/https://www.pcgamer.com/exclusive-fallout-new-vegas-trait-revealed/ |url-status=live }}</ref> For example, if a leg is injured, the character can get a [[Bone fracture|fracture]], which will reduce their movement speed,<ref>{{cite web |last=Hernandez |first=Patricia |date=January 4, 2016 |title=''Fallout 3'' Beaten in Under 15 Minutes, A New World Record |url=https://kotaku.com/fallout-3-beaten-in-14-minutes-a-new-world-record-1750895912 |access-date=August 25, 2020 |website=[[Kotaku]] |archive-date=August 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823210224/https://kotaku.com/fallout-3-beaten-in-14-minutes-a-new-world-record-1750895912 |url-status=live }}</ref> and if their arm is injured, the character can drop their weapon.<ref name="KotakuFallout" /> Health can also serve as a plot element. In ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', if the protagonist takes too much damage, thus departing from the "correct" route, the game ends and returns the player to the nearest checkpoint.{{Sfn|Rogers|2010|p=172}}
In some games such as ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' and ''[[Monster Hunter]]'', only the player's health points are visible. This is done so that the player does not know how many blows still need to be delivered, which makes the game less predictable.<ref>{{cite web |last=Martindale |first=Jon |date=October 3, 2012 |title=Let's Kill off Health Bars |url=http://games.kitguru.net/featured/jon-martindale/lets-kill-off-health-bars/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528024316/http://games.kitguru.net/featured/jon-martindale/lets-kill-off-health-bars/ |archive-date=May 28, 2015 |access-date=November 21, 2014 |website=Kit Guru Gaming}}</ref> Contrariwise, other games such as the ''[[Street Fighter]]'' series have both the player's and the opponent's health meters clearly visible, which allows the player to understand how successful their combat strategy is and how many remaining blows need to be inflicted on the enemy.{{Sfn|Novak|2013|p=31}}
===Restoration=== Players can often restore a character's health by using various [[item (gaming)|items]] such as potions, [[food in video games|food]] or first-aid kits.{{Sfn|Moore|2011|pp=151, 194}} In role-playing video games, the player often can also restore a character's health by visiting a doctor or resting at an [[inn]].{{Sfn|Duggan|2011|pp=109, 141}} A number of games incorporate a mechanic known as "life steal" or "life leech", which allows a character to restore health by siphoning it from an enemy.<ref>{{cite web |last=Tan |first=Maurice |date=January 13, 2012 |title=A starter's guide to Robot Entertainment's ''Hero Academy'' |url=https://www.destructoid.com/a-starter-s-guide-to-robot-entertainment-s-hero-academy-219562.phtml |access-date=August 25, 2012 |website=[[Destructoid]] |archive-date=August 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825052545/http://www.destructoid.com/a-starter-s-guide-to-robot-entertainment-s-hero-academy-219562.phtml |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Onyett |first=Charles |date=June 19, 2012 |title=''Dota 2'': Playing the Phantom Assassin |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/20/dota-2-playing-the-phantom-assassin |access-date=August 25, 2012 |website=[[IGN]] |archive-date=June 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622212111/http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/20/dota-2-playing-the-phantom-assassin |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Carter |first=Chris |date=June 17, 2013 |title=Impressions: ''League of Legends'': Aatrox |url=https://www.destructoid.com/impressions-league-of-legends-aatrox-256394.phtml |access-date=August 25, 2020 |website=[[Destructoid]] |archive-date=October 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029195620/https://www.destructoid.com/impressions-league-of-legends-aatrox-256394.phtml |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Goldfarb |first=Andrew |date=September 14, 2012 |title=''Diablo III'' Reducing Inferno Difficulty |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/14/diablo-iii-reducing-inferno-difficulty |access-date=August 25, 2020 |website=[[IGN]] |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101024108/https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/14/diablo-iii-reducing-inferno-difficulty |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hancock |first=Patrick |date=June 27, 2013 |title=Review: Rogue Legacy |url=http://www.destructoid.com/review-rogue-legacy-256914.phtml |access-date=July 5, 2013 |website=[[Destructoid]] |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305010734/http://www.destructoid.com/review-rogue-legacy-256914.phtml |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Carter |first=Chris |date=March 14, 2013 |title=''God of War: Ascension'' single and multiplayer guide |url=https://www.destructoid.com/god-of-war-ascension-single-and-multiplayer-guide-248655.phtml |access-date=August 25, 2020 |website=[[Destructoid]] |archive-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021015638/https://www.destructoid.com/god-of-war-ascension-single-and-multiplayer-guide-248655.phtml |url-status=live }}</ref> Methods for replenishing health differ from each other and are dependent on the game's genre. In more dynamic [[action game]]s, it is important to quickly restore a character's health, while role-playing games feature slower-paced methods of health restoration to achieve realism.{{Sfn|Fullerton|2014|p=79}}
A number of games incorporate a regeneration system that automatically replenishes health if the character does not take damage. This makes the game easier to play by giving the player the opportunity to restore the character's health after a difficult battle. This system may allow the player to safely run through dangerous parts of the game without consequence.<ref>{{cite web |last=Moriarty |first=Jonathan |date=December 2, 2010 |title=Video Game Basics: The Health Bar |url=http://www.baltimoregamer.com/posts/video-game-basics-the-health-bar |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428232851/http://www.baltimoregamer.com/posts/video-game-basics-the-health-bar |archive-date=28 April 2012 |access-date=November 21, 2014 |website=Baltimoregamer.com}}</ref>
[[Tag team]] games often regenerate part of the health of a resting character.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://game.capcom.com/manual/sfxtk/en-UK/page-32.html | title=CAPCOM: STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN | Official Web Manual }}</ref>
=== Armor class === In some role-playing games, '''armor class''' (abbreviated '''AC'''; also known as '''defense''') is a [[derived statistic]] that indicates how difficult it is to land a successful blow on a character with an attack; it can also indicate damage reduction to a character's health. AC is typically a representation of a character's physical defenses such as their ability to dodge attacks and their protective equipment.{{sfn|Adams|2010|p=466}}<ref>{{Cite web|last=Howley|first=Greg|date=2019-04-26|title=Beyond Hit Points: The Evolution of RPG Combat Mechanics|url=https://geekdad.com/2019/04/beyond-hit-points-the-evolution-of-rpg-combat-mechanics/|access-date=2022-02-23|website=GeekDad|language=en-US|archive-date=2022-02-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223192446/https://geekdad.com/2019/04/beyond-hit-points-the-evolution-of-rpg-combat-mechanics/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Mackay|first=Daniel|title=The Fantasy Role-Playing Game: A New Performing Art|publisher=McFarland|year=2017|isbn=9780786450473|pages=173}}</ref> Armor class is a mechanic that can be used as part of health and combat [[game balancing]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Schreiber|first1=Ian|title=Game Balance|last2=Romero|first2=Brenda|publisher=CRC Press|year=2021|isbn=9781351643412}}</ref> AC "is roughly equivalent to ''defensive dodging'' in war games".{{sfn|Adams|2010|p=466}}
==Presentation== [[File:Lifebar-hearts.png|thumb|alt=Eleven pixelated hearts are displayed, seven and a half of which are filled|A heart-based health point indicator similar to the one in ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'']]
The health indicator can be represented in various ways.{{Sfn|Rogers|2010|p=172}} The most basic forms are fractions and health bars,{{Sfn|Moore|2011|p=46}} as well as various icons such as hearts or shields.{{Sfn|Rogers|2010|pp=172, 276}} More recent games can use a nonlinear health bar, where earlier hits take off more damage than later ones, in order to make the game appear more exciting.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thegamer.com/guilty-gear-strive-damage-scaling-explained/ | title=Guilty Gear Strive: Damage Scaling Explained | date=17 June 2021 }}</ref>
The indicator can be combined with other elements of the game interface. ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' uses a character portrait located at the bottom of the screen as such an indicator, in addition to a numerical health percentage display. If the hero takes damage, his face will appear increasingly pained and blood-covered.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Zwiezen |first1=Zack |title=The Weird Story Behind Doom's Rare "Ouch Face" |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/02/the-weird-story-behind-doomsrare-ouch-face/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190318182245/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/02/the-weird-story-behind-doomsrare-ouch-face/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 18, 2019 |website=Kotaku Australia |access-date=12 June 2023 |language=en-AU |date=4 February 2019}}</ref> The health point indicator can also be part of the character. In ''[[Dead Space (video game)|Dead Space]]'', it is located on the main character's costume.<ref name="creative 2">{{cite web |last=Antista |first=Chris |date=August 17, 2010 |title=The 10 most creative life bars. |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/the-10-most-creative-life-bars/?page=2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228123542/http://www.gamesradar.com/the-10-most-creative-life-bars/?page=2 |archive-date=December 28, 2014 |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |page=2}}</ref> In ''[[Trespasser (video game)|Trespasser]]'', it is represented as a tattoo on the main character's chest.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Pearson |first=Craig |date=May 16, 2007 |title=PC Feature Long Play: ''Trespasser'' |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=164062&site=pcg&skip=yes |url-status=dead |magazine=[[PC Gamer|PC Gamer UK]] |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070909121452/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=164062&site=pcg&skip=yes |archive-date=September 9, 2007 |access-date=April 12, 2014}}</ref> In ''[[Half-Life: Alyx]]'', a VR game, the indicator is located on the back of the player's non-dominant hand, requiring the player to physically look at their tracked hand to check their health.<ref name="IGN 2020-03-26">{{cite web |date=2020-03-26 |title=Half-Life: Alyx Wiki Guide, Chapter 2: The Quarantine Zone |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/half-life-alyx/Chapter_2:_The_Quarantine_Zone |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808010726/https://www.ign.com/wikis/half-life-alyx/Chapter_2:_The_Quarantine_Zone |archive-date=2020-08-08 |publisher=IGN}}</ref> The character's condition can be conveyed through sound. In ''[[Dungeons of Daggorath]]'', the frequency of the player character's audible heartbeat is dependent on how much damage has been received.<ref name="Daggorath" /> ''[[Silent Hill (video game)|Silent Hill]]'' uses a similar system, but transmits the heartbeat via vibrations from the [[DualShock]] controller.{{Sfn|Rogers|2010|pp=166–167}}
The player character's health point indicator often occupies a significant position in the game's [[Heads-up display (video games)|heads-up display]]. In ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'', it occupies one third of the HUD.{{Sfn|Schell|2008|p=237}}{{Better citation needed|date=June 2023}} However, a number of games do without such an indicator. In the ''[[Super Mario]]'' series, the player character initially only has one health point, and the character's appearance is used to signify the number of health points; if the character collects a [[Super Mushroom]], they grow in size and gain an additional health point.{{Sfn|Saunders|Novak|2012|p=231}} In a number of [[first-person shooter]]s, such as ''[[Call of Duty]]'' or ''[[Halo (franchise)|Halo]]'', the numerical value of the character's health points is hidden from the player. However, when the player character receives a large amount of damage, the game screen (or the part of the screen to which damage was dealt) is painted red, often including drops of blood, which simulates the effect of real-life injury. As health is restored, these effects gradually disappear.{{Sfn|Rogers|2010|p=173}}
==History== ===Hit points=== The term "hit points" was coined by ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' co-creator [[Dave Arneson]].<ref name="ArnesonInterview">{{cite web |last=Rausch |first=Allen |date=August 19, 2004 |title=Dave Arneson Interview |url=http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/540/540395p1.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040822043947/http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/540/540395p1.html |archive-date=August 22, 2004 |access-date=January 9, 2014 |website=[[GameSpy]]}}</ref>{{Sfn|Carreker|2012|p=334}}{{Sfn|Fannon|1999|p=249}} While developing the [[tabletop role-playing game]] ''Dungeons & Dragons'' with [[Gary Gygax]] based on the latter's previous game ''[[Chainmail (game)|Chainmail]]'', Arneson felt that it was more interesting for players to manage small squads than a large army. This also allowed them to act out the role of each squad member. However, this approach had one drawback: according to the rules of ''Chainmail'', the player rolls the dice during each battle, and depending on the number rolled, the character either kills the enemy or is killed. Because players did not want to lose the characters they had become accustomed to, Arneson created a "hit point" system based on similar mechanics previously used in the wargames ''[[Don't Give Up the Ship (game)|Don't Give Up the Ship]]'' and ''[[Ironclads (board game)|Ironclads]]''.<ref name="ArnesonInterview" />{{Sfn|Fannon|1999|p=249}}{{Sfn|Tresca|2010|p=53-54}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.blackgate.com/2013/03/25/weird-of-oz-huffs-about-hit-points/ | title=Weird of Oz Huffs About Hit Points – Black Gate | date=25 March 2013 }}</ref> According to this system, each character has a certain number of hit points, which decreases with each blow dealt to them. This allows the character to survive several hits from an enemy.<ref name="ArnesonInterview" /> Arneson commented that when they made the shift from players controlling armies to individual characters, players "didn't care if they could kill a monster in one blow, but they didn't want the monster to kill them in one blow".<ref name=":0" />
Jody Macgregor, for ''[[PC Gamer]]'', wrote that "video games inspired by ''D&D'' were the first to copy hit points, as far back as 1975 games [[Pedit5|PEDIT5]] and [[Dnd (1975 video game)|DND]], which were coded for the [[PLATO (computer system)|PLATO system]] designed by the [[University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign|University of Illinois]]".<ref name=":0" /> Some of the first [[home computer games]] to use hit points are ''[[Rogue (video game)|Rogue]]'' (1980),{{Sfn|Costikyan|2013|p=46}} in which health is represented by a fraction,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roguelikedevelopment.org/archive/files/misc/EpyxRogueDOSManual/manual.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731205105/http://www.roguelikedevelopment.org/archive/files/misc/EpyxRogueDOSManual/manual.htm |archive-date=2016-07-31|title=Rogue Instruction Manual © 1985 EPYX, Inc }}</ref> and ''[[Dungeons of Daggorath]]'' (1982), which includes an audible heartbeat influenced by the [[player character]]'s condition.<ref name="Daggorath">{{cite web |last=Barton |first=Matt |date=February 23, 2007 |title=The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part 1: The Early Years (1980–1983) |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20070223a/barton_pfv.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070419212639/http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20070223a/barton_pfv.htm |archive-date=April 19, 2007 |access-date=August 14, 2020 |website=Gamasutra}}</ref> [[Action games]] also began moving away from one-hit deaths to health systems allowing players to take multiple hits, such as [[SNK]]'s arcade [[shoot 'em up]] game ''[[Ozma Wars]]'' (1979) numerically representing an energy supply that depletes when taking hits and [[Mattel]]'s [[Intellivision]] game ''[[Tron: Deadly Discs]]'' (1982) allowing players to take multiple hits at the cost of reducing maneuverability.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ragan |first=Jess |date=June 15, 2006 |title=Playing With Power: Great Ideas That Have Changed Gaming Forever |work=[[1UP.com]] |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3151392 |url-status=dead |access-date=30 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060617050834/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3151392 |archive-date=2006-06-17}}</ref>
===Health meter=== {{Redirect|Health bar|the candy|Heath bar|the cereal bar|Energy bar}} Before the introduction of health meters, [[action video games]] typically used a [[Life (video games)|lives]] system in which the player could only take damage once, but could continue the game at the expense of a life. The introduction of health meters granted players the right to make mistakes and allowed game developers to influence a game's difficulty by adjusting the damage an enemy character inflicts.<ref name="gamesradar">{{cite web |date=October 8, 2010 |title=Gaming's most important evolutions |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/gamings-most-important-evolutions/?page=4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118203108/http://www.gamesradar.com/gamings-most-important-evolutions/?page=4 |archive-date=January 18, 2016 |access-date=August 14, 2020 |website=GamesRadar}}</ref>
[[Data East]]'s ''Flash Boy'' (1981) for the arcade [[DECO Cassette System]], a [[scrolling]] action game based on the [[manga]] and [[anime]] series ''[[Astro Boy]]'' (1952–1968), has an energy bar that gradually depletes over time and some of which can be sacrificed for temporary invincibility.<ref>{{Cite AV media |title=The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers |date=2014 |last=John Szczepaniak |language=English, Japanese |publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101 |time=1:34:00 |chapter=Flash Boy |medium=DVD}}</ref> ''[[Punch-Out!! (arcade game)|Punch-Out!!]]'' (1983), an arcade [[List of boxing video games|boxing game]] developed by [[Nintendo]], has a stamina meter that replenishes every time the player successfully strikes the opponent and decreases if the player fails to dodge the opponent's blow; if the meter is fully depleted, the player character loses consciousness.<ref name="CVG">{{Cite magazine |date=August 1984 |title=Glass Joe Boxes Clever |url=http://www.solvalou.com/subpage/arcade_reviews/190/544/punch-out!!_review.html |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games|Computer + Video Games]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |page=47 |access-date=2015-01-02 |archive-date=2017-10-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022193644/http://www.solvalou.com/subpage/arcade_reviews/190/544/punch-out!!_review.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
''[[Yie Ar Kung-Fu]]'' (1984), an arcade [[fighting game]] developed by [[Konami]], replaced the point-scoring system of ''[[Karate Champ]]'' (1984) with a health meter system. Each fighter has a health meter, which depletes as they take hits; once a fighter's health meter is fully depleted, it leads to a [[knockout]]. ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' established health meters as a standard feature in fighting games.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Good |first=Owen S. |date=24 November 2019 |title=Yie Ar Kung Fu, one of the earliest fighting games, comes to Switch and PS4 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/24/20980867/yie-ar-kung-fu-ps4-nintendo-switch-konami-arcade-classics |access-date=10 May 2021 |archive-date=10 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510054644/https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/24/20980867/yie-ar-kung-fu-ps4-nintendo-switch-konami-arcade-classics |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Kung-Fu Master (video game)|Kung-Fu Master]]'' (1984), an arcade [[beat 'em up]] developed by [[Irem]], uses a health meter to represent player health, with the bar depleting when taking damage. In addition to the player character having a health meter, the bosses also have health meters, which leads to the game temporarily becoming a one-on-one fighting game during boss battles.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lendino |first=Jamie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d6wCEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA289 |title=Attract Mode: The Rise and Fall of Coin-Op Arcade Games |date=27 September 2020 |publisher=Steel Gear Press |pages=289–290 |quote=Like Thomas, the end bosses all had health meters, so the game would momentarily become a one-on-one fighter |access-date=26 April 2021 |archive-date=14 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214174039/https://books.google.com/books?id=d6wCEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA289 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Williams">{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=Andrew |title=History of Digital Games: Developments in Art, Design and Interaction |date=16 March 2017 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-1-317-50381-1 |pages=143–146}}</ref> ''Kung-Fu Master'' established health meters as a standard feature in [[side-scrolling]] action games such as beat 'em ups.<ref name="Williams" />
Health meters also began being used to represent hit points in [[role-playing video games]], starting with ''[[The Black Onyx]]'' (1984), developed by [[Bullet-Proof Software]]. This inspired the use of a health bar in ''[[Hydlide]]'' (1984), an [[action role-playing game]] by [[T&E Soft]], which took it a step further with a regenerating health bar.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Szczepaniak |first=John |title=The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers |date=November 2015 |publisher=S.M.G Szczepaniak |isbn=978-1518818745 |edition=First |volume=2 |pages=32}}</ref> [[Namco]]'s arcade action role-playing title ''[[Dragon Buster]]'' (1984) further popularized the use of a health bar in role-playing games.<ref name="gamesradar"/>
===Regeneration=== The 1982 Apple II platform game ''[[Crisis Mountain]]'' displays health as a number from 3 (full) to 0 (dead), which gradually heals one point at a time.<ref>{{cite web |date=1982 |title=Crisis Mountain Apple II Manual |url=https://mirrors.apple2.org.za/ftp.apple.asimov.net/documentation/games/misc/Crisis%20Mountain%20Manual.pdf |access-date=2021-02-06 |archive-date=2022-06-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626035156/https://mirrors.apple2.org.za/ftp.apple.asimov.net/documentation/games/misc/Crisis%20Mountain%20Manual.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In Nintendo's arcade game ''[[Punch-Out!! (arcade game)|Punch-Out!!]]'' (1983), a stamina meter replenishes every time the player successfully strikes the opponent.<ref name="CVG"/> In ''[[Hydlide]]'' (1984) and the ''[[Ys (series)|Ys]]'' series,<ref name="gamesradar history">{{cite web |last=Dunn |first=Jeff |date=November 15, 2012 |title=Stop, Drop, and Heal: The history of regenerating health |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/stop-drop-and-heal-history-regenerating-health/ |access-date=January 8, 2015 |website=[[GamesRadar]] |archive-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108084811/http://www.gamesradar.com/stop-drop-and-heal-history-regenerating-health/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sulliven |first=Lucas |date=March 10, 2014 |title=Top 7… Games you didn't know did it first |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/top-7-games-you-didnt-know-did-it-first/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108084643/http://www.gamesradar.com/top-7-games-you-didnt-know-did-it-first/ |archive-date=January 8, 2015 |access-date=January 8, 2015 |website=[[GamesRadar+]]}}</ref> the character's health (represented as both hit points and a health meter) is gradually restored when the character does not move.<ref>{{cite web |last=Greene |first=Robert |date=August 1, 2017 |title=''Hydlide'' |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/hydlide-article/ |access-date=August 25, 2020 |website=Hardcore Gaming 101 |archive-date=August 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200826011017/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/hydlide-article/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="gtm_falcom">{{Cite journal |last=Szczepaniak |first=John |date=July 7, 2011 |title=Falcom: Legacy of Ys |url=http://i.imgur.com/2zxSNb2.jpg |journal=[[GamesTM|Games<sup>TM</sup>]] |issue=111 |pages=152–159 [153] |access-date=April 7, 2016 |archive-date=April 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423053727/http://i.imgur.com/2zxSNb2.jpg |url-status=live }}([[cf.]] {{cite web |last=Szczepaniak |first=John |date=July 8, 2011 |title=History of Ys interviews |url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html |access-date=6 September 2011 |website=Hardcore Gaming 101 |archive-date=16 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190516171423/http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html |url-status=live }})</ref> ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' (2001) is credited with popularizing the use of regeneration in [[first-person shooter]]s.{{Sfn|Rogers|2010|p=277}} However, according to [[GamesRadar+]]'s Jeff Dunn, regeneration in its current form was introduced in ''[[The Getaway (video game)|The Getaway]]'' (2002), as ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' only used shield regeneration.<ref name="gamesradar history" />
=== Defense === Arneson is also credited for the term "armor class" which was used in ''Chainmail'' and then ''Dungeons & Dragons'';<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rogers|first=Scott|title=Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=2014|isbn=9781118877197|edition=2nd|pages=237}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=August 26, 2019|title=Dungeons & Deceptions: The First D&D Players Push Back On The Legend Of Gary Gygax|url=https://kotaku.com/dungeons-deceptions-the-first-d-d-players-push-back-1837516834|access-date=2022-02-23|website=Kotaku|language=en-us|archive-date=2020-06-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629155353/https://kotaku.com/dungeons-deceptions-the-first-d-d-players-push-back-1837516834|url-status=live}}</ref> "although armor class might have been inspired by the rules in ''Don't Give Up the Ship!'', there is not an explicit attribute with that name in the game's rules. [...] It seems more likely that Arneson's house rules for armor class never made it into the final published version of the wargame".{{Sfn|Tresca|2010|p=53-54}} However, many role-playing games that followed ''Dungeons & Dragons'' moved away from the term "armor class" and simply replaced the term with "defense".{{Sfn|Tresca|2010|p=53-54}}
==See also== *[[Magic (game terminology)]] *[[Experience point]] *[[Medical state]], a real-world indicator of health status for hospital patients *[[Permadeath]] *[[Food in video games]]
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
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==External links== * {{Commons category-inline|HP bar}}
{{video game gameplay}}
[[Category:Role-playing game terminology]] [[Category:Video game terminology]]