Discussion: On feeling overpowered or underpowered in video games

The idea of adjusting difficulty in video games is an interesting one to me, because oftentimes it goes far beyond just selecting a difficulty level at the start of a game. Every time we level up, or deploy a new weapon or armor or power-up, or change an
in-game setting, or make a decision to play a game in a different style, or even consult a walkthrough, it has the potential to change our attitude about whether in that moment we feel overpowered, underpowered, or somewhere in the middle.

For this discussion, feel free to answer one or both of the following questions:

1. When finding yourself underpowered, three general approaches to take are: finding a way to overcome it based on your current constraints, finding a way to power yourself up to a "fair fight" and then overcoming it, or finding a way to become overpowered
and breezing through it. (Some games may be more likely to allow for all of these approaches, while others may deliberately push a player toward a specific approach here.). Which of these approaches generally appeals the most or least to you, and why?

2. What's a game or game level/section that you've enjoyed while playing in a way such that you were knowingly underpowered or overpowered compared to a "standard" playthrough? What did you enjoy most about playing the game or level/section that way?

:)