There’s nothing like seeing iconic characters come together to get the hype levels through the roof and blow the collective minds of the gaming community. Whether it’s seeing characters collide in combat or fight alongside one another to defeat a multi-world threat — crossovers provide some of the best fan fiction to come alive. It’s legitimately the reason that every time there’s a new character announcement for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate the internet floods with character speculations and the announcement overshadows any other news that comes out that day. So, as we eagerly await and wonder how Super Smash Bros. can continue to blow our minds and imagine other series coming together to create the ultimate crossover, it’s the perfect time to delve into the top five crossover series in gaming.
Before we get to that, let’s establish some ground rules. This list specifically delves into crossover series that bring characters that wouldn’t normally coexist into each other’s world. Meaning that games like Injustice that bring DC characters together or Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance don’t count. Also, they need to be crossover games at their base. Meaning that games that just include guest characters, like Soulcalibur IV including Darth Vader and Yoda, or feature DLC with characters from other franchises, like Mortal Kombat 11 having Rambo and Terminator join their roster, don’t count either. It’s also worth mentioning that these games are ranked beyond just the quality of play and also judged on the “epicness” and impact of their crossover. Now, with all that out of way, let’s check the best games where worlds collided.
Nicktoons Unite!
Crossovers in cartoons are always something special and THQ’s 2005 game Nicktoons Unite! is the pinnacle of cartoon worlds colliding. With their villains coming together for multi-world domination, iconic Nickelodeon heroes Spongebob Squarepants, Danny Phantom, Jimmy Neutron, and Timmy Turner team up to save their worlds. Offering great drop-in/drop-out co-op and having each character use moves and items from their respective series, Nicktoons Unite! is that dream come true crossover. Exploring iconic locations like Bikini Bottom and Walker’s Ghost Prison, having Timmy suit up as Cleft the Boy Chin Wonder and Spongebob pull out Doodle-Bob to distract enemies, and interacting with well-known friends and foes made the game such an epic crossover for fans to enjoy. Not to mention, the game brings together the voices that make these characters so iconic, so it’s really an epic crossover both in the game and behind the scenes.
Sure, there have been plenty of Nickelodeon karting racers, party games, and even a stint with Nicktoons characters playing ball against the MLB, but Nicktoons Unite! is a playable cartoon crossover special – kind of like those incredible Jimmy/Timmy Power Hour Special that brings Danny Phantom and Spongebob along for the ride. It’s a genuine THQ classic that spawned plenty of forgotten sequels but could be something that THQ Nordic could revamp for a modern audience.
Jump Force
When Jump Force, a tag-team fighter meant to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Shonen Jump, it didn’t necessarily hit the marks it should’ve. There were certain aspects within its story structure and set-up that didn’t necessarily live up its potential, but when it came to its robust roster, eye-dazzling anime match-ups, and world blending stages, Jump Force really was a Shonen Jump crossover like never before.
Although the size of its roster might be a few short of what J Stars Victory VS offers, it certainly makes up for its quality with its generation spanning roster of iconic manga characters. With the game featuring legacy characters like Kenshiro (Fist of the North Star) and Ryo Saeba (City Hunter) alongside more modern characters like Yugi Moto (Yu-Gi-Oh!), Asta (Black Clover), and Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia) as well as manga icons like Goku (Dragon Ball), Naruto (Naruto), and Luffy (One Piece), it’s truly a roster worthy of celebrating the most iconic manga magazine in the world. Even within its stages blending iconic manga vehicles with real world locations along with great move sets that let players perform their favorite attacks, Jump Force offers plenty of nostalgia to lift the heart of any fan. Even with its faults, there’s no doubt that Jump Force is a crossover of epic proportions that brings together multi-generational manga fans for the fight of their lives.
Kingdom Hearts
One of the strangest crossover series in gaming, Kingdom Hearts brings together two factions that are absolute titans in their respective mediums – Square Enix and Disney. Although the series contains its own set of characters and story, it allows players to interact with various Disney characters and worlds as well as characters from Square Enix’s Final Fantasy series. Truthfully, there’s no reason for these two things to crossover, but it’s amazing that they do.
Players being able to explore worlds based on classic Disney films like Mulan, Hercules, Cinderella, and even older Mickey Mouse cartoons like Steamboat Willie as well as more modern hits like Frozen and Tangled would be pretty awesome on its own, but the series enhances the experience with Final Fantasy characters. From fighting against and alongside characters like Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII), Zack Fair (Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII) and Auron (Final Fantasy X) in Olympus Coliseum to helping a team of Final Fantasy icons led by Squall/Leon (Final Fantasy VIII) and Yuffie (Final Fantasy VII) fight against the malevolent Maleficent, the series excellently blends these two iconic entities. Even the surprising boss fights between Chernabog (Fantasia) on Bald Mountain and Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII) really makes these two entities come together in unexpected ways.
This crossover is what makes the hype around Kingdom Hearts news so exciting, almost on Smash Bros. levels, with how fans speculate which Final Fantasy characters and Disney worlds could show up in the future. The Kingdom Hearts series is amazing in its own right, but it also being a place where Final Fantasy and Disney come together makes it something truly unique.
Marvel vs. Capcom
There’s no way any list talking about epic crossovers in gaming would be complete without Marvel vs. Capcom. The series pits Marvel Comics and Capcom characters against each other to create one of the best fighting game series of all-time. Not only is the Marvel roster filled with a strong variety of Marvel heroes and villains with no studio limitations keeping from appearing, aside from the last game, but Capcom’s side is far from weak as it contains characters from games like Mega-Man, Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Devil May Cry, and many more. The series allows battlelines to be crossed, so players can create their dream team of Marvel and Capcom characters to dominate fights. While it’s always great to see stage mashups and to get those nostalgically epic moments when performing iconic character moves, the one thing that’s set Marvel vs. Capcom apart is the impact the series has had on the gaming community.
The Marvel vs. Capcom series has a legacy for being one of the most pivotal fighting game series of all-time with how it’s spanned so many different generations of gaming – from arcade cabinets to modern game consoles. It’s built an incredibly vibrant community within the professional fighting game circuit with Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and specifically played a major role in the creation of the biggest fighting game tournament – EVO. It’s become a staple name in the fighting game genre for good reason with how it brings so many iconic characters together. Marvel vs. Capcom defines what it takes to create an iconic crossover and remain the best crossover series in gaming history.
Super Smash Bros.
Let’s be real, did you really expect the best crossover series to be anything but Super Smash Bros. – the series that continues to deliver fan-fiction crossover surprises like it’s nothing. Even in its early iterations, Nintendo’s big crossover fighting series provided some of the most mind-blowing interactions that set the stage for the absolute madness the series has become. It brought together big Nintendo icons like Mario and Link while also bringing lesser-known characters and franchises like Captain Falcon (F-Zero) and Ness (Earthbound) into the public consciousness. Honestly, if it wasn’t for characters like Roy and Marth appearing in Melee, it’s hard to believe that Fire Emblem would’ve made its way to Western audiences like it has recently. Not to mention, with it being at the forefront of influence in the same vein as Marvel vs. Capcom for the fighting game community, it has a legacy that spans beyond great gameplay.
In recent history though, Super Smash Bros. has become something more than just a Nintendo crossover as it’s really a piece of gaming history. With the roster now including some of the most impactful and influential icons in gaming history, like Pac-Man, Mega-Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mr. Game & Watch, Simon Belmont (Castlevania), Ryu (Street Fighter), and an ever-growing list that continues to shock the gaming world, Super Smash Bros. is a genuine celebration of gaming history.
With each new character, assist trophy, piece of music, and stage that gets added, the series becomes the pinnacle of passion for gaming. Super Smash Bros. is the definition of ambition as it continues to defy expectations and bring the entire gaming world into its crazy crossover mix. With so many speculations as to who is next to join the Smash ranks, the future is vast and endless for what the best crossover series in gaming can offer. Masahiro Sakurai, you truly are a mad genius.
