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Nintendo is not the only company capable of combining different franchises into one complete game. Here are our picks of the 10 video game crossovers we want to see happen.
The gaming community has always dreamed of combining franchises to make the video game equivalent of super groups. Every so often, this happens, and it has resulted in some hugely successful games. Perhaps the most well-known crossover example comes from Nintendo, when the company threw together several of its most popular properties, including Mario, Zelda, and Kirby, to make the immensely popular Super Smash Bros. games.
No matter how many of these combination games appear, however, fans of certain franchises will still longingly hope for more. Here’s our pick of the 10 Video Game Crossovers we wish would happen.
10 Super Smash Bros. / DotA 2
We previously mentioned Super Smash Bros. as a prime example of a video game crossover done right. Nintendo presses all the right buttons with the franchise, delivering frantic fighting gameplay with a huge variety of playable characters. As it stands, though, the fighting game genre is far from the only place where this could work out well.
Nintendo could easily transpose its iconic characters into the increasingly-popular world of the MOBA, and where else to start but DotA 2? The Valve-created multiplayer battle arena title is a great example of a MOBA done right, and throwing Nintendo characters into the mix could create the kind of multiplayer title that could last for decades. After all, who wouldn’t want to see Mario and his cohorts facing off against Bowser and company in a battle arena setting?
9 Grand Theft Auto / Batman
When it comes to video games, the last few years have been kind to Batman fans. The Caped Crusader has not always had the best of luck with video game adaptations, but Rocksteady Studios did a stellar job with the Batman: Arkham franchise – albeit with a few bumps along the way. Although Batman’s next outing will be a more story-driven affair from Telltale Games, Batman could – and perhaps should – be taken in a very different direction in future.
By combining the characters and setting of Batman with Grand Theft Auto’s acclaimed open world gameplay, fans of the hero could finally have a brilliant simulator of exactly what it means to be the Batman. Traversing Gotham City trying to stop a wide variety of villains, but stopping off to tackle low-level crime along the way, players could have to not only watch out for aggressive thugs, but also Gotham PD after the scalp of a famous vigilante.
8 The Elder Scrolls / Assassin’s Creed
Part of the joy of Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls series is the amount of freedom that the player has over their own choices. Alongside main quests of suitably epic proportions, there are also a wide variety of factions to follow, including the stealth-focused Thieves’ Guild and Dark Brotherhood. However, gamers may be forgiven for thinking that the gameplay of the series does not necessarily fit with those two quest lines.
That’s where a crossover with the Assassin’s Creed series could really come to the fore. Combining the Ubisoft-published series’ fluid parkour and assassination-based gameplay with the rich and compelling lore of the Elder Scrolls universe, fans of both franchises could truly play something special. What’s more, it could also give players a chance to see exactly what a Dark Brotherhood assassin is made of.
7 Mario / Sonic
Yes, the famous Italian plumber and the rapid Hedgehog have shared the screen more than once before. Both Mario and Sonic have faced off against other acclaimed video game mascots in the Super Smash Bros. series, while the duo also went head-to-head in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. However, none of the prior examples have delivered upon the promise of just what a Mario versus Sonic game could entail.
After all, both franchises were built upon compelling and groundbreaking platforming fun. A crossover game between the two, with Sonic taking on Bowser’s castles and Mario speeding through the Chemical Plant Zone, could be exactly the kind of game that 90s kids dreamed about. We would even accept Sonic making an appearance in the Mario Kart series – after all, given his immense foot speed, the hedgehog should not even need a go-kart of his own, in spite of what previous kart racers have suggested.
6 Tomb Raider / Uncharted
In recent years, these two franchises have become perhaps the most acclaimed action-adventure properties on the market. Tomb Raider dominated the 1990s, before Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series took up the mantle, wowing players with thrilling set pieces. With Tomb Raider back on the map with an impressively strong reboot, it could be perfect timing to combine the two.
In the crossover, Nathan Drake and Lara Croft could end up hunting after the same rare artefact, but eventually be forced to join forces to stop a nefarious group from getting its hands on the prize in question. One hurdle could be the fate of Nathan Drake after the events of Uncharted 4, but more will be known when the game gets released. Should Nathan survive, then a team-up of Lara and Nathan could be a wonderful addition to both franchises – after all, the Uncharted series may be coming to an end, but that does not mean that Nathan Drake’s appearances in gaming should as well.
5 Halo / Dead Space
Both Halo and Dead Space are fantastic examples of sci-fi gaming series. The Bungie-created Halo games delivered incredible first-person gameplay to consoles, with the franchise continuing to go strong to this day. Meanwhile, the Dead Space series began with taught, claustrophobic scares and some of the most terrifying monsters the world has ever seen.
Given the success of both franchises, the idea of combining both together certainly has merit. After all, both Master Chief and Isaac Clarke have experience dealing with some of the most disgusting video game viruses ever seen. Whether combating the Necromorph threat, or taking on the Flood, there would no doubt be thrills aplenty should this duo team up.
4 Bloodborne / Thief
Even though Sony thought Bloodborne was a major gamble to pick as a PS4 exclusive, the From Software title proved to be a huge success when it was released last year. The game is notorious for its challenging, combat-based gameplay, which perhaps may make some gamers overlook some of the title’s other qualities. Bloodborne may be tough, but it also creates a compelling game world, filled with fantastically designed monsters and a dark and dangerous atmosphere.
The pseudo-Victorian setting of the game ties up perfectly with another series, in the form of the Thief games. The stealth-focused franchise has seen better days after the disappointing release of 2014’s Thief reboot, but a crossover with the similarly designed world of Bloodborne could create a wonderful game, particularly with a focus on avoiding fights against the horrifying enemies of the foreboding city of Yharnam.
3 World of Warcraft / Pokemon
Fans of the Pokemon series have always wondered about how an expansive, multiplayer version of the game would function. Although mobile title Pokemon GO aims to take the adorable (or sometimes terrifying) creatures out into the big, bad, world, it still does not answer the cries of fans for a huge, open game where players could roam free. Should the game receive a crossover with World of Warcraft, however, that could solve that issue once and for all.
Although World of Warcraft may not seem like an obvious choice, the two franchises could actually fit together very well. Both revolve around a vibrant, colorful world with a thrilling variety of species and factions. Meanwhile, World of Warcraft’s pet battling could still allow Pokemon trainers to stick to their previously solid tactics.
2 Final Fantasy / Fire Emblem
Final Fantasy and Fire Emblem are two of the most long-lasting and beloved RPG franchises in video game history. That said, the two games play in very different ways, with Fire Emblem’s tactical nuances and traditional ties to permadeath mechanics missing from the story-driven gameplay of the Square Enix RPG series. In spite of this, spin-off title Final Fantasy Tactics is still held up by fans as one of the best games in the series.
With that in mind, combining these two games into an enthralling tactical RPG crossover makes more and more sense. With both series holding their own in terms of memorable characters and long-lasting legacies, a combined Final Fantasy and Fire Emblem game could be exactly what ticks the boxes for a number of JRPG fans.
1 Mortal Kombat / Street Fighter
When it comes to fighting games, it’s hard to look past Street Fighter as the top fighting franchise in the world. If the Capcom series does have a competitor, however, it comes in the form of the extremely violent Mortal Kombat series. The pair had a major rivalry going on in the 1990s, with both franchises delivering exciting combat and iconic characters.
It may be but a pipedream to see these two worlds collide, but both Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter have already shown that they play well with others. Mortal Kombat teamed up with DC Comics through Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and Injustice: Gods Among Us, while Street Fighter has seen a number of crossovers, most noticeably in the Marvel vs. Capcom games and Street Fighter X Tekken. However, nothing would compare to seeing Ryu face off against Sub Zero. By combining these two fantastic franchises, this could perhaps be the fighting game to end all fighting games.
This was an incredibly tough list to narrow down, with the likes of a Mass Effect / Star Citizen or a Mirror’s Edge / Portal crossover just missing the cut. As such, there are bound to be some combinations that you might prefer. What video game crossover would you most like to happen? Do you agree with our choices? Let us know in the comments below.
