Umbrella

During the 1990s, developers integrated this item to expand player traversal and survival mechanics. In the 1993 Game Boy adaptation of Milon's Secret Castle, players acquire the item to alter projectile physics, which is essential for defeating late-game bosses. That same year, the side-scrolling shooter B.O.B. incorporated the item as a high-tech, limited-use utility that players must manage alongside their weaponry.

By the end of the decade, the item transitioned into simulation and strategy roles. In Harvest Moon (1999), it serves as a vital accessory for farm management, protecting the player character from stamina loss during rainy weather. In the 1999 Game Boy Color release of Spy vs. Spy, the item functions within the game's trap-and-escape loop, allowing players to bypass specific environmental hazards set by their opponent. The item's platforming utility culminated in Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights (2002), where it is unlocked as part of the "Invention" progression system, granting access to previously unreachable areas of the haunted mansion. This progression highlights the item's evolution from a basic arcade-style upgrade to a key progression gatekeeper.