To have all of the abilities, equipment, powerups, etc, removed from a character in a videogame. Often happens at the start, or just before the start, of the
game. Occasionally happens in the mid-to-late stages, but usually doesn'
t last for long. The term comes from the
game, Metroid, where a player is usually stripped of all powers just before the
game starts, forcing a long and difficult (though actually enjoyable) journey though the planet/
space-station to recollect the various abilities you had at the beginning, so that you might destroy the final boss.