5 crossovers I want to see in fighting games

The fighting game genre is filled with many crossovers. Characters from popular and iconic game series are often pitted against one another in exciting and interesting mashups that get fans very excited. Some of the best fighting game experiences have come from this, and have even led to the creation of new ongoing franchises. However, with as many crossovers we see within the genre, there are those few dream matches that we continue to think about seeing become a reality.

There are crossovers between franchises that I have yet to see happen in fighting games. Some of the biggest names in the genre, or the most popular characters from iconic franchises, have yet to be brought into the same ring to duke it out. As a big fighting game fan, I feel it's long past due that we see some of the dream mashups that have long been denied. And with thinner lines and less red tape separating companies from one another, now may be the best time to see these crossovers finally realized. Here are five crossovers that I want to see done in fighting games.

5 Mortal Kombat vs Street Fighter

The contest of icons

Two of the biggest fighting game franchises of the 1990s have never faced each other in battle. One is responsible for single-handedly creating the fighting games community and competitive scene as we know it today, while the other changed the way violent video games were perceived by the public forever. Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat are the two most iconic series in gaming history for the fighting game genre, with nearly every other franchise trailing behind them. Although both series approach fighting very differently with their unique gameplay designs and presentations, the two of them have been at the top of the mountain for fighters ever since they arrived in the 90s. It simply does not get any bigger for fighting game fans than either Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat.

One of the biggest reasons why these two franchises never mashed up for one game is because of how it would approach the level of violence needed to satisfy audiences. How can you tone down the grit and violence of Mortal Kombat while still respecting its legacy? Or, how can you increase the gore of a Street Fighter game without abandoning aspects that made it so popular? It's a nearly impossible task that neither Capcom nor NetherRealm Studios has been able to figure out, despite statements from both companies over the years expressing some interest in making this crossover happen. Fans want to see Scorpion and Sub-Zero square off against Ryu and Ken, or even Chun-Li cross fists with Sonya Blade in a match. Or what about a battle of the most evil characters from both series? Could Shang Tsung and his magic stand against M. Bison and his Psycho Power? These are the questions that beg for this crossover to happen sometime in the future.

4 Virtua Fighter vs Tekken

A clash of 3D fighters

While the Virtua Fighter series was the pioneer of 3D fighting games, it was Tekken that took the concept to new heights and garnered all the glory. Both series have an amazing ensemble of fighters battling it out for supremacy in the third dimension, whether in the arcades or at home on the original PlayStation. And while Sega has done a crossover with Virtua Fighter in other 3D fighting games before, specifically the Dead or Alive series, we never saw one with the fighting game series developed by Bandai Namco. What's interesting is that both series have enough characters between them to make for a fascinating crossover.

Tekken and Virtua Fighter have a lot of their combat rooted in real-world martial arts, with some inspirations being taken directly from them. Fighting styles for characters like Akira Yuki, Forest Law, Eddy Gordo, and Pai Chan have connections to real fighting styles, while others use them as the basis for more creative and fantastical approaches to combat. The two series are similar in almost every way, except for how their games are controlled and how uniquely they approach their presentation. With many characters on both sides feeling like they were cut from the same cloth, it's about time fans got to see how a clash between them would turn out. Who is the better master of Jeet Kun Do, Forest Law, or Jacky Bryant? Sega and Bandai Namco should definitely consider looking into it.

3 DC Universe vs Marvel

Battle of the superheroes

In the world of comic books, there are no bigger companies with heroes larger than life than DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Their rivalry in the comics industry spans decades, with fans constantly debating who would best the other in a fight, or who are the greatest heroes of all time. In the comic books, both companies have collaborated on multiple crossovers that saw heroes like Superman and Batman standing with the Hulk and Captain America. But nothing on that level has ever been done by Marvel and DC in video games, which feels like a gargantuan missed opportunity. And yet, fighting game releases based on the characters of both companies make this seem like a real possibility in the future.

Games like Injustice: Gods Among Us have showcased how DC heroes can do well in fighting games with great success. On the other hand, multiple crossover games featuring Marvel superheroes have been released over the years, with some of the biggest being the Marvel vs Capcom series. Whether done in a hyper-realistic way or in a stylized approach, a fighting game featuring heroes from both companies can be a great project to get comic fans excited. But would either Marvel Comics or DC Comics show interest in making that happen? Neither one has been open to crossing over with the other since they did so in comics years ago. And with many video games based on Marvel or DC heroes being developed to varying degrees of success, it doesn't seem like either one is in a rush to do so. Hopefully, the chatter among fans who play multiple fighting games with these comic characters will entice people on both sides to get the two of them talking again, and find a way to make a universe crossover like this a reality.

Combining worlds and heroes

Capcom is notorious for releasing games that have their large roster of characters crossover with other companies, often to a very positive reception from fans. One would think that Capcom has done big crossovers with nearly every company in the industry. However, despite having many games released on their platforms, Capcom hasn't really done a big crossover with everybody's favorite console maker, Nintendo. Characters from Street Fighter may have appeared in games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as guest fighters, but it's about time we see the universe of Capcom mash up with the many worlds from Nintendo franchises.

What would make this crossover so interesting is how Capcom has many more franchises and fun characters beyond their fighting game series. Iconic heroes like Mega Man, Dante, and Captain Commando could find themselves in the same room as Nintendo characters like Mario, Marth, and Samus Aran. There are enough franchises on both sides to pull new faces into a mashup between the companies and make it feel as interesting and fantastical as the games they are originally from. I can imagine heroes like Link from The Legend of Zelda and Arthur from Ghost 'n Goblins clashing blades, while Issac from Golden Sun and Ryu from Breath of Fire stand at odds against one another.

1 PlayStation vs Nintendo

When worlds finally collide

If there's one crossover I've wanted to see happen ever since the release of Super Smash Bros. on consoles, it was PlayStation characters and Nintendo characters. The two giant game companies have both released multiple games with iconic and beloved characters, which have gone on to become massive franchises for many people. For every mascot like Mario for Nintendo, there is one like Crash Bandicoot for PlayStation.

Seeing characters like these interact with each other is what many gamers have dreamed of throughout the years. And yet, it feels like this kind of crossover gets more and more possible as time goes on. With games like PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale taking a lot of inspiration from the Super Smash Bros. series, it becomes easier to think about what a PlayStation vs Nintendo game would be like. What helps nurture this even more is seeing PlayStation titles make their way onto platforms like the Nintendo Switch, showing that it's possible to see some sort of collaboration between the two companies. But would it ever be enough to see a bout between Mario and Kratos at some point? Probably not, but that won't deter many people from thinking about a massive crossover from happening. After all, crazy things have happened with Nintendo before, such as Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII showing up in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. So something like this is not entirely impossible.

Dreaming of dream matches

With a lot of the lines between companies becoming blurrier, many crossovers fans initially thought were not possible have at times become real. Some game companies recognize the level of excitement and renewed interest that a big crossover can attract, especially for ones that are unexpected. These five crossovers are ones I believe are now more possible than ever, given how often and loudly fans of various series have spoken about them. With any luck, in the coming years, some of these dream matches can finally become a reality and give people the matches they really want to see in fighting games. It just comes down to who is willing to take the first step, or make the first move to make it real.