History Main / MutuallyExclusivePowerups

** Samus can only have either the Ice Beam or the Wave Beam at once in the original ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}''. It was ''technically'' possible to have both at once by cheating or mucking with the password system, most notably by inputting the NARPAS SWORD code, but this only resulted in an Ice Beam with a different bullet[[note]]Actually the bullet sprite from the Wave Beam colored blue[[/note]].
** The same principle applied in [[VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus the sequel]], where there were Ice, Wave, Plasma, and Spazer Beams available to Samus, but she could still only have one at once.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwords'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwordsAdventures'' only allow each player to have one item other than their sword at a time. If you pick up another one, the first item is dropped in its place

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in ''VideoGame/{{Control}}: The Board only gives you access to one powerup in The Foundation DLC: You have to choose between the ability to psychically grow crystal formations ("Self") or to destroy them with your gun ("Weapon"). However, you are later given the other power by an entity called FORMER. The Board isn't happy about it, but they let you keep it once they realizes that they messed up by not letting you have both powers in the first place.

* When it comes to pistol rounds, armor-piercing and hollow-point bullets both offer an advantage over standard "ball" ammo, but "[[BulletsDoNotWorkThatWay armor-piercing, hollow point bullets" are an oxymoron]]; it's impossible for a single round to do the work of both. Armor-piercing bullets penetrate very well, but pass through a target without doing much extra damage, while hollow-points open up and cause bigger wounds, but are a whole lot more likely to be stopped by even a lightweight bulletproof vest. This dichotomy is less pronounced in more powerful handgun and rifle cartridges, which are usually throwing a heavier chunk of lead at a high enough speed to beat many types of body armor anyway.

Compare InventoryManagementPuzzle and LimitedLoadout. Subtrope of DiscardAndDraw.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' downplays this with beam upgrades; the Spazer Beam and Plasma Beam cannot be equipped at the same time without glitching the game irrevocably, although the Ice and Wave Beams work together with either of the two and with each other. Later side-scrolling iterations in the ''Metroid'' series, including the original's remake ''[[VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission Zero Mission]]'', just allow Samus to equip all beams at once.

* ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} VI'' has a handful. The first is the first tier Encampment district buildings, where the player can either choose a Barracks[[note]]increased experience for melee, ranged, and anti-cavalry units[[/note]] and Stables[[note]]increased experience for cavalry units[[/note]]. The second expansion, Gathering Storm adds a fourth tier of buildings to the Industrial Zone, Power Plants, each which use a different resource[[note]]Coal, Oil, or Uranium[[/note]] to power nearby cities. Luckily, you can change which Power Plant you have if one ends up straining your resources, but it takes up precious Production in a city to do so.
** The first expansion, Rise & Fall adds a new district adds a double layer of Mutally Exclusive Power Ups with the Government Plaza. The first is once you reach a new tier of governments and started using one of them, you can build a new tier set of buildings in a constructed Government Plaza, each with their own unique and powerful bonuses. In addition, you get a legacy Policy Card based on whichever government you had when the finishing construction on the building.

* ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} VI'' has a handful. The first is the first tier Encampment district buildings, where the player can either choose a Barracks[[note:increased experience for melee, ranged, and anti-cavalry units]] and Stables[[note:increased experience for cavalry units]]. The second expansion, Gathering Storm adds a fourth tier of buildings to the Industrial Zone, Power Plants, each which use a different resource[[note:Coal, Oil, or Uranium]] to power nearby cities. Luckily, you can change which Power Plant you have if one ends up straining your resources, but it takes up precious Production in a city to do so.

** In ''VideoGame/MegaManX4'', when playing as X, there are two possible arm upgrades. Either you get the Plasma Shot, a larger than normal Charge Shot that, when it hits enemies, leaves behind spheres that will do damage to enemies on contact, or the Stock Shot, the ability to build up to 4 Charge Shots in one charge, which can be released at will. You can switch whenever you want, by going back to where the capsules are (a little easier said than done, but...), but you can't have both. Interestingly enough, when the [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Fourth/Force Armor]] shows up in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX5 X5]]'', it has the Plasma Shot, but with the Stock Shot's color scheme.
** The later ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series' [[ElementalRockPaperScissors elemental chips]] can only be used one at a time, though it's not as much an issue since changing it out is as simple as going to the pause menu and swapping them. ''Zero 2'' onwards zig-zags this for EX skills, as saber-related skills, usually activated with a button combo or in specific instances, can all be active at once, but buster-related skills, almost always used just by fully-charging a buster shot, are mutually exclusive (they can technically be active all at the same time in ''Zero 2'', but which one you actually use depends on which elemental chip you have equipped). Same for the unique Cyber-Elf in the fourth game: normally, while it has up to seven different levels for each ability, the player can only get one bonus for each ability (e.g. setting it to level 3 for Animal abilities, letting you shoot fire at enemies, doesn't give you level 1's increased running speed or level 2's slower wall-sliding). However, if the player fully raises the Elf and sets one of its abilities to max level, or plays in Ultimate mode, they promptly gain every preceding ability in that line.

Compare InventoryManagementPuzzle and LimitedLoadout.

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* In ''VideoGame/StarcraftIIHeartOfTheSwarm'', several units get a mutation and an evolution but can only select one of each. While you can change which mutation each gets between missions, evolutions are permanent. For example, once you choose whether your Hydralisks can evolve into the anti-armor Impalers or the anti-infantry Lurkers, you're stuck with that choice. But you can change between greater range, more health, or increasing their attack speed any time between missions.

** This is actually a limitation of the ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'' engine. Effects that modify the appearance of a ranged attack's projectile don't stack. [=DotA=] decided to use this trait as a balancing mechanic for items.

* When it comes to pistol rounds, armor-piercing and hollow-point bullets both offer an advantage over standard "ball" ammo, but it's impossible for a single round to do the work of both. Armor-piercing bullets penetrate very well, but pass through a target without doing much extra damage, while hollow-points open up and cause bigger wounds, but are a whole lot more likely to be stopped by even a lightweight bulletproof vest. This dichotomy is less pronounced in more powerful handgun and rifle cartridges, which are usually throwing the lead fast enough to beat many types of body armor anyway.

* When it comes to pistol rounds, armor-piercing and hollow-point bullets both offer an advantage over standard "ball" ammo, but it's impossible for a single round to do the work of both. Armor-piercing bullets penetrate very well, but pass through a target without doing much extra damage, while hollow-points open up and cause bigger wounds, but are a whole lot more likely to be stopped by even a lightweight bulletproof vest. This dichotomy is less pronounced in bigger handgun and rifle cartridges, which are usually throwing the lead fast enough to beat many types of body armor anyway.

* The "Threewave CTF" GameMod for ''VideoGame/QuakeII'' has the Runes[[note]][[/note]]. Players can hold one at a time, and they last until the players toss it, get fragged or commit suicide.
* The Holdable items in ''VideoGame/QuakeIIIArena''[[note]]Personal Teleporter, Medkit[[/note]] and ''[[ExpansionPack Quake III: Team Arena]]''[[note]]Kamikaze, Invulnerability[[/note]] work this way. As their name implies, you can hold them and use it when you need it (provided you don't suicide or get fragged), but you can only hold one of these at a time. The same goes for the ''Team Arena'' Runes[[note]]Ammo Regen, Doubler, Guard, and Scout[[/note]], which work the same as the [=Q2CTF=] Runes.
* The relics added in [[DownloadableContent the first Bonus Pack]] for the original ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'' work this way, requiring you to drop whatever one you have, thus losing its effects, to pick up another one and gain its effects. WordOfGod confirmed that these Relics are inspired by the [=Q2CTF=] Runes.

* The relics added in one of the Bonus Packs for the original ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'' work this way, requiring you to drop whatever one you have, thus losing its effects, to pick up another one and gain its effects.

The case in video games where picking up one weapon or powerup results in losing another. This makes control schemes simpler, but may be more annoying. This is particularly aggravating if the game allows you to increase the level of a weapon or powerup only to lose it later. In some scenarios, if the player is required to posess a certain powerup to proceed, other powerups [[PowerupLetdown must be avoided at all costs]], or else the player will have to backtrack to a previous area to swap for the correct one.

* ''VideoGame/KingsQuestMaskOfEternity'' has a limit of one short-range weapon ([=dagger/axe/sword=]) and one long-range weapon ([=bow/crossbow=]). When you pick up the new weapon you drop the old one. Leave and come back, and the old weapon is still there, in an aversion of EverythingFades. However, there isn't really any functional difference between the different short- and long-range weapons except for their strength - except the warhammer, which takes an annoyingly long time to swing.

** ''Arkanoid II: Revenge of [=DoH=]'' showed why this was in effect. The game loosened up by dividing power-ups into two types - ones that are active on the Vaus (the paddle), and ones that are active on the ball. This trope was still in effect within each type (e.g. you couldn't combine Laser and Extend), but you could have one of each active - having Dispersion (the ball splits into 8) and Laser (can fire lasers from the Vaus) active at the same time turns many levels into a cakewalk.

* In ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' and ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'', you can only carry one weapon and item of each type - one primary weapon, one secondary weapon (or [[GunsAkimbo two]], in one case), one grenade, one kit of some variety, and one extra healing item. Picking up a different one results in your old items being dropped on the ground in case another teammate needed it, or for you to take back once you've used the new one (such as dropping your medkit to give the team fire bullets, then taking the medkit back).

* ''VideoGame/{{Spelunky}}'' features both a literal version of this trope - you can't equip the [[IWantMyJetPack jetpack]] and the [[BadassCape cape]] simultaneously; picking up one causes you to drop the other - and a more figurative version: the Spelunker can only carry one item in his hands. Deciding whether you want to carry a pick or a pistol is challenging enough, but it can be a real [[InventoryManagementPuzzle pain in the ass]] when you're trying to carry around a DistressedDamsel and a [[DarknessEqualsDeath flare]] as well.

** Arceus and Silvally can change types with specific items, but this comes at the cost of them being unable to use other hold items. This also applies to certain Pokémon with alternate formes (i.e. Giratina, Kyogre and Groudon) or Mega Evolutions, the one exception being Rayquaza (and even then, giving it a Z-Crystal stops it from being able to Mega Evolve, so it can't do that ''and'' use a Z-Move).

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* Several occurrences in ''WorldOfWarcraft'':

** Samus can only have either the Ice Beam or the Wave Beam at once in the original ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}''. The same principle applied in [[VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus the sequel]], where there were Ice, Wave, Plasma, and Spazer Beams available to Samus, but she could still only have one at once.

* The hats of ''KidChameleon''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Bug}}!'' had the four kinds of Spit Wads. One was a regular shot, one was a double shot, one gave a shot that bounced along the floor, and the last was rapid fire. You could only have one at a time.

** Likewise, the Spazer Beam and Plasma Beam in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' cannot be equipped at the same time without glitching the game irrevocably. Later side-scrolling iterations in the ''Metroid'' series, including the original's remake ''[[VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission Zero Mission]]'', just allow Samus to equip all beams at once.

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' games allows carrying two different weapons and no more[[note]]The first game allows three, but one of them is always a pistol, and after the American campaign you don't always have one. Stuff like C4, Claymore mines, killstreak rewards, and, in very rare circumstances, specific types of weapons like RPG's or assault shields don't count against that limit.[[/note]]. You can exchange a weapon in your hand with one that's on the ground, but you can switch them back if you regret your decision (assuming it's still there). The decision of whether or not to pick up certain weapons at any given time can seriously affect the rest of the mission, though in most cases what you need for any given situation is what you started the mission with (such as a sniper rifle for intercepting enemies at long range) or something you can find a stash of right when it becomes necessary (like rocket-propelled grenades when heavy armor arrives).

* In ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' and ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'', you can only carry one weapon and item of each type. Picking up a different one results in your old items being dropped on the ground in case another teammate needed it, or for you to take back once you've used the new one (such as dropping your medkit to give the team fire bullets, then taking the medkit back).

* Two examples from the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series:

** The later ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series zig-zags this for EX skills: saber-related skills, usually activated with a button combo or in specific instances, can all be active at once, but buster-related skills, almost always used by fully-charging a buster shot, are mutually exclusive[[note]]only technically so in ''Zero 2''; they can be active all at once, but which one you actually use with any given shot depends on which elemental chip you have equipped, and you can only have one of the three chips equipped at a time[[/note]]. Same for the unique Cyber-Elf in the fourth game: normally, while it has up to seven different levels for each ability, the player can only get one bonus for each ability. However, if the player fully raises the Elf and sets one of its abilities to max level, or plays in Ultimate mode, they promptly gain every preceding ability.