One of the best things about video games is that the impossible sometimes can be made possible.
Unlike in real life where, say, a Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight always is teased but never comes to fruition, video games can provide the perfect platforms for characters from varying backgrounds to crossover and duke it out.
Sure, “Tekken,” “Mortal Kombat” and “Street Fighter” always will be the most popular fighting franchises, but we feel crossover games are where the real fun exists. And although some of these games wind up being too ridiculous for their own good, others hit all the right notes.
Here are our favorite crossover fighting games that feature rosters built for pay-per-view:
“Super Smash Bros. for Wii U” Â (2014)
The gold standard of crossover fighting games, “Super Smash Bros. for Wii U” — which also was released on Nintendo 3DS — features the wildest roster in the “Super Smash Bros” series. If you really wanted to, you could throw Pac-Man, Charizard, Sonic, Ryu, Link, Mario, Little Mac and Mr. Game & Watch into an arena together and let total mayhem ensue.
“M.U.G.E.N” (1999)
This one’s a bit tricky, but it has to be on this list. “M.U.G.E.N” is a fan-made fighting game engine which features characters and stages designed by members of its loyal community. Because the game is totally free, developers pay no mind to copyright laws and allow players to fight with characters such as Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin and the entire cast of “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
“Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3” (2011)
This game features over-the-top gameplay that’s more frantic than any fighting game we can think of. It might be difficult to master, but “Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3” is rewarding, and its roster is nothing short of amazing.
Featuring obscure Marvel characters such as Dormammu and Capcom legends such Ryu and Nemesis, “3” is the best entry in the series, and probably the best superhero fighting game ever made.
“Street Fighter X Tekken” (2012)
Once crossover fighting games started becoming more and more common, seeing a game pitting “Tekken” and “Street Fighter” characters against each other felt like a matter of when, not if. Yet again, Ryu is at the center of a great crossover title, but with characters such as Yoshimitsu, “Tekken’s” roster is equally star-studded.
“Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe” (2008)
“Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe” isn’t quite as good as we hoped it would be, but being able to take on Scorpion with the Joker is just too awesome to dismiss the game entirely. Each DC Comics character essentially controls like a “Mortal Kombat” character, which is a bit of a shame. Still, this mashup is pretty addicting, and always gruesome.
Thumbnail photo via Flicker/Farley Santos
