Level up
In role playing games, a level up is an increase of one or many player attributes, such as strength, intelligence, wisdom, charm, hit points, or mana. It is not known where and when the term level up was first used. The phrase was, however, popularized by Dungeons and Dragons players.
Controversy
Some claim that the term originates from Super Mario Bros., the famous video game of the early eighties, and indeed, sections of the games are called levels. John Sanders, the famous video game champion of the early eighties, and nineties (whose tragic death is chroniciled in the hardcover bestseller: One More Quarter for Sanders) was seen playing the game at an arcade in downtown Brooklyn. Upon winning a green 1-up mushroom, he is reported to have exclaimed: "I've just levelled up".
The term level up today
There is a deep theological divide between supporters of the Mario theory of level up, and the D&D theory. The term is most commonly used in RPG games, and communities. Perhaps we can settle these bad feelings by referring to the Electronica Gamers Dictionary, long regarded as the ultimate source of authority on matters such as these. in the Entry under "level up", Electronica writes:
perhaps we can agree to disagree on this matter. Surely, In a sense levelling up could mean increasing one's lives in a game such as mario. And just as surely, levelling up could refer to the general increase in the fighting strength of a character in an RPG.
The debate does not end there: many video game theorists disagree on the importance of leveling up. It is possible for a video game character to overcome the many difficult challenges that await him on the quest; though this becomes progressively problematic in games based on an RPG engine in which leveling up provides the player with enhancements, special abilities and a noticeable increase in strength. Because of the correlation between skill and speed, many enthusiasts place minimal value on leveling up, all together affirming that it costs valuable time to defeat monsters in order to gain experience points that a more skillful player could manage without.
For yet another possible explanation of the origin of "level up," please consult the entry 1-up.
