5 Most Ambitious Game Crossovers in History

With so many games in existence touching various topics, it’s rarely ever necessary to take risks and try to merge one franchise with another. Especially when they’re well known. However, there are some cases where this is not only a good idea, but also a gold mine. Naturally, when discussing game crossovers, there’s a ton of red tape and various licensing negotiations that must take place before even talking about development. But when the deal is done, masterpieces are often the result.

Due to their nature, some crossover ideas, such as pairing a violent game for adults with a family-friendly title, wouldn’t work. But in those cases where two different universes are combined and complement each other, the chemistry is immediately visible. Here are some of the most ambitious game crossovers.

5 The Kingdom Hearts Series

Final Fantasy And Disney Characters Work Together

• The Kingdom Hearts franchise has been around for several years
• The games have featured Disney characters like Woody, Donald Duck, and Mickey Mouse

The Kingdom Hearts franchise has been around for a very long time, and throughout its lifespan, it has managed to amass a considerable number of followers and devoted players. One of the main things that make the franchise and its games stand out is how it combines characters from the Final Fantasy universe, with a few from the Disney universe.

While this combination seems odd and sounds like something that would never work, for some reason it does, and the franchise’s success is a testament to that.

Two Enormous Companies Deliver A Great Fighting Game

• Players can pit the most powerful Marvel characters against classic Capcom fighters
• This franchise’s history has been a little bumpy due to licensing issues here and there

There’s no denying that the Marvel franchise is full of amazing superheroes who have formidable powers and are great at fighting battles against both Earthlings and aliens. Pitting them against some of the best fighters in the Capcom universe just makes sense, and it’s a way to discover, once and for all, who has the strongest brawlers. This is where the Marvel vs. Capcom series comes in.

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With characters like Wolverine, Magneto, Akuma, Cable, Dhalsim, and Spider-Man, as well as many more, there’s no shortage of options for players to try and answer their most burning questions regarding who would win in a battle. Although over the years this crossover has been the inspiration for the development of several titles around it, there have also been some licensing issues here and there that have delayed a few processes and likely killed some other similar games.

3 LEGO Dimensions

An All-Out LEGO Multiverse Adventure

• Characters from the DC universe, The Lord of the Rings, and The Lego Movie work together
• Fun gameplay and a decent story

While the LEGO universe has been doing collaborative work with many franchises for a considerable number of years, many of the titles involved can’t really be called crossovers. Titles like LEGO Star Wars are not a crossover, but rather a game of the franchise with LEGO elements. LEGO Dimensions, on the other hand, is another story. This game gets together members of the DC universe, The LEGO Movie, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

This unlikely combination should not work on paper, but somehow, it does. Players will have to complete various levels as famous characters from each universe to progress through the story and eventually complete the game. Perhaps this title wouldn’t work in a different concept or art style, and maybe it’s the LEGO appearance that helps these bumping concepts fit together.

2 The Mortal Kombat Series

Mortal Kombat Has Had Some Incredible Guests Over The Years

• The Mortal Kombat franchise is well known for introducing guest characters from other franchises into their rosters
• Kratos, Homelander, and Omniman are just a few of the guest appearances the game has seen over the years

The Mortal Kombat franchise has been around for more than three decades, and throughout its history, it has been the home of some of the most brutal and merciless Fatalities, as well as a good number of relentless fighters. While the game didn’t always have guest fighters in its roster, it’s undeniable that their addition is a welcome one, and almost always works very well.

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Over the years, the Mortal Kombat franchise has featured characters like Kratos from the God of War franchise, and in more modern times, the ruthless Homelander from the hit series The Boys, as well as Omniman, from the animated series Invincible. And while many of the non-guest fighters in Mortal Kombat games’ rosters are already strong and interesting enough, it never hurts to see a beloved character from another franchise enter the fighting arena.

1 The Super Smash Bros. Series

Probably The Most Ambitious Nintendo Crossover In History

• 89 playable characters are available in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
• Players can pit characters from various Nintendo franchises against each other

The Super Smash Bros. series is probably one of the most complete and successful that Nintendo has ever released, and it’s been around for a very long time. Every installment in the franchise has its own unique thing that makes it great, and there are always new arenas to fight in and items to use. With 89 characters from different Nintendo franchises, such as The Legend of Zelda, Fire Emblem, the Kirby Universe, the Star Fox Universe, and many, many more, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate takes the cake in terms of variety and choices offered to players.

While every character available is part of the Nintendo universe and IP, it’s really amazing to see so many characters that would normally not meet, fighting against each other. It’s unlikely that any future Super Smash Bros. title will implement fighters from another company or IP, but in the meantime, players have no shortage of options in this ambitious crossover.

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