Over the years, we’ve seen a number of interesting crossovers between franchises. Some of them turned out to be huge successes whilst some turned out to be huge flops. Either way, we’re looking at both as we take a closer look at some of the weirdest video game crossovers to ever take place.
Some of them may be familiar to you and some you may have never heard of before (it could be a blessing or a curse, really).
Mario: Rabbids Kingdom Battle
The Super Mario and Rabbids crossover was chaotic, to say the least. The Raving Rabbids from the Rayman franchise were transported into the Super Mario world after putting on a VR headset. As they are now stuck in Mario’s world, they’re teaming up with Mario’s gang to fight through the various challenges presented by some evil Rabbids invading the Mushroom Kingdom.
Mario: Rabbids Kingdom Battle is probably the best introduction to tactical squad-based games for beginners, as it was done in a stress-free and easy-to-follow way. Plus, Rabbids dressing up as Mario characters was a cute and nice touch to the game. It was a hit, with a sequel planned for release in 2022 titled ‘Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope’.
Poker Night at the Inventory
A little on the fence about this one, but we’re leaning towards being okay with it. Poker Night At The Inventory by Telltale Games is a crossover between four franchises. There are four characters from different franchises that you can play poker with.
It’s a pretty straightforward game of Texas Hold’em poker, so there’s really nothing new except for the characters. The one thing that made people stick around for the game was the deep conversations the characters would have with each other.
Players could also get access to in-game items from the four characters’ respective franchises, as well as unlock some artwork to customize their game. It’s a game that is simple with natural relationships. The dialogues don’t seem forced, so the bonds you form don’t seem forced either.
Sure, it sounds like a boring game up front, but this is one poker night that could change your mind.
Nicktoons MLB
Want to see something somewhat disturbing? Look up Nicktoons MLB. Not sure what it is, perhaps the deadpan stare of Spongebob’s bulging 3D eyes, but this game rubs me (and a whole lot of people) the wrong way.
We all know baseball games are a niche that is hard for any other player to get into, they’re just not that popular. This was MLB’s idea of trying to make baseball more appealing to the masses, by including 3D Nickelodeon characters into the game since they’re quite a hit.
So many people love Spongebob for various reasons, but the way this game was built; I doubt they’ll start loving baseball the same way. A good effort? Sure, but perhaps making the characters more animated would grant more appeal to the game. Everyone looks so deadpan that it’s haunting.
NBA Street V3
Whoever pitched this concept… we need to talk. It’s jarring and weird to see Super Mario characters side to side in a basketball court with super tall NBA players. NBA Street V3 was and is a prime example of crossovers that don’t work out just because it’s two successful franchises placed together.
NBA Street was known for its gritty, down-to-earth side of the basketball world and it was doing well on its own. To be paired up in this weird mashup with the Mario characters seems like a bit of overkill.
Not to mention the height differences between characters, and how the contrast between video game characters and real-life NBA players seem rather jarring and offputting.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne X Resident Evil
This one was a limited-time crossover between two franchises that seemed highly unlikely to have worked together in the first place. Yet, it happened. Resident Evil characters were placed into the tropical forest of the Monster Hunter world, complete with their own full outfits and weapons to unlock.
There was also a ‘zombified’ effect set in place to slow down movement and healing effects for your characters, so it provided a whole new challenge for players to overcome. Yes, seeing Leon and Claire fight with oversized monsters is weird, but seeing zombies in the Monster Hunter World is weirder.
It just doesn’t match up to the world’s setting and environment that we’re all familiar with. Also, if you’ve watched the trailer for the crossover, the whole zombie dancing thing is not something I ever want to experience ever again.
Lego Rock Band
Lego… and Rock Band? Knowing Lego, it has pretty much thrown itself into everything and anything at this point, so does it really come as a surprise that this crossover exists? Well, it shouldn’t.
The tracklist was the saving grace of this game, you just have to get past the Lego versions of your favorite musicians jamming out with Lego people dancing in the background. It’s not a terrible game, but it just seems tailored to a different audience than its usual fans.
Lego Rock Band garnered quite the number of contempt and distaste amongst Rock Band fans as the overall aesthetic and difficulty levels were significantly lowered to accommodate the younger audience flocking to it. There’s a good and bad to the crossover, I suppose.
Pokemon Conquest
You’re looking at Pokemon x Nobunaga’s Ambition here, basically a reimagining of Pokemon if it was released in the feudal era. You and your Pokemon are to travel and unite the region’s warlords and warriors. Contrary to the usual Pokemon, the Pokemon in this game can only use one move which is according to the trademark move of each species.
Players would have their own abilities in the game, so when it comes to battle, their Pokemon’s attack can only be used once. Another difference is that the game plays like a turn-based tactical RPG, and there are so many changes made to the game which somewhat deters Pokemon players from wanting to try it out.
It’s just a weird mash of gameplay mechanics. There’s even a minigame where you try to connect with a wild Pokemon by pressing buttons that coordinate with the ones being displayed. It’s a mechanic similar to that of Dance Dance Revolution, in a Pokemon game set in the feudal era. Weird.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
An example of a successful crossover, Smash Bros Ultimate went on to win over the hearts of thousands of people worldwide. For those unfamiliar with the game, it is a crossover of Nintendo and several popular gaming franchises into one fighting game. You get to witness Kirby getting totaled by Sephiroth from Final Fantasy; what’s not to love?
There are different stages/environments for you to play in, and each of the characters brings along their own special moves from their original franchises. You can get Pikachu to Volt Tackle an Animal Crossing Villager in Luigi’s Mansion with no remorse. So weird to say that in a sentence, but it’s true!
You can even play it with your friends and family, for a fun little competitive time. Many controllers have been broken in the course of playing this game, don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Kingdom Hearts
It comes off as a miracle that Disney would ever license its characters away like this, and this was one of those times we are glad that they did. Let’s just thank Shinji Hashimoto for pitching the idea and winning over Walt Disney. Kingdom Hearts spawned many sequels that continue on the legacy of this crossover to this very day.
In Kingdom Hearts, you play Sora as he traverses the fictional universe meeting characters from Disney, Pixar, Final Fantasy, The World Ends With You, and more along the way. It is weird to see Mickey beating Shan Yu with a key, but hey, if it works, it works… right?
A lot of versions of the game have been released for gamers to enjoy, it seems like the world of Kingdom Hearts is endless and will probably continue for a little while longer.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #Fe
Originally known as Tokyo Mirage Sessions x Fire Emblem, this is a combination of two of some of the hardest Japanese games to ever be released. It is an interesting mashup of genres that resulted in a dungeon crawler with J-Pop elements to it. Somehow the devs managed to mashup the games while somewhat retaining the essence of both, so kudos to them.
The story sees a group of teenagers that befriend friendly Mirages and they merge together to become Mirage Masters. This is to protect innocent humans from being attacked by evil Mirages as well as uncover the villain behind the attacks.
Although there were fans who are unhappy with the lack of more Fire Emblem-related gameplay mechanics, the game did relatively well and is considered a success when it comes to crossovers.
Final Words
That’s some of the weirdest game crossovers we’ve come across so far! There’s definitely more out there and many of the crossover game options we didn’t mention are equally as weird. Would you try out some of the weirder ones on this list? We’re definitely steering away from them for now.
