Growing up in the 90s, I loved superheroes, comic books, and general fantasy. My two favorite heroes, which still claim the same title to this day, are Batman and Spawn. As a wily 9-year-old who consumed dark-themed comic books with rigor, and probably against my parents’ better judgment, I lived for these shadowy vigilantes. Batman: The Animated Series was my after-school routine, and I knew it like the back of my hand. I had later picked up an issue of Spawn out of curiosity and became absolutely mesmerized by the hellacious nature of his sinister world. So, can you imagine my delight in 1994 when the Dark Knight and Spawn came together in a one-shot crossover issue written by the legendary Frank Miller? With no internet and comic shop visits a rarity due to my location, I discovered this issue on the shelf months after its release. Upon seeing the cover with Batman and Spawn vaulting in the air, I did a double-take as I couldn’t believe my eyes. Instantly, it was an issue I had to own. It was the greatest crossover of two worlds I could have asked for.
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Nowadays, crossovers in comic books are a dime a dozen. Just about every superhero partnership you can imagine under the sun has occurred if you look hard enough. But video game crossovers aren’t quite as common. Never mind the licensing chaos of Fortnite, a game that feels like it was built around the idea of enmeshing all licensed universes in a Ready Player One fashion. But there is something special about one defining IP meeting another. It’s what made the Marvel vs. Capcom games so thrilling when they emerged in the late 90s. Spider-Man going toe-to-toe with Mega Man felt like a fever dream. With that said, let’s take a gander at a few interesting, strange, and notable crossovers in video game history.
6. Final Fantasy VII x PowerWash Simulator
Two of the most unlikely properties collide in this strange, yet delightful amalgamation of Midgardian urban living and high-powered cleansing. Players of the strangely addictive PowerWash Simulator can acquire the Midgar Special Pack, which was released in the Spring of 2023. With this pack, you can power wash your way through five different jobs related to the world of Final Fantasy VII. Let’s get the obvious out of the way. We’re going to need to polish that slick two-wheeled ride Cloud nabbed for his Shinra escape: the Hardy Daytona.
You can also power-wash one of the iconic enemies from the game, the Scorpion Sentinel. Instead of taking the Buster Sword to it, give it a little bit of TLC. Maybe it’ll play fetch with you next time instead of trying to murder your entire team. Remember Tifa’s classy joint? Well, it’s not so classy now. Seventh Heaven is a hot spot that is ripe for cleansing. If food and drink are going to continue to be served at this establishment, you’ve got to remove the muck and filth. It’s a weirdly charming way to reintegrate with the world of Final Fantasy VII. If you haven’t given PowerWash Simulator a go, you might consider it. If you’re like many, the hours will zip by.
5. Link x Soulcaliber II
This is one cameo that came as a bit of a surprise to fans during the GameCube generation. Soulcalibur II, a 2002 sequel to the 1998 original, is a fighting game in which each of the fighters uses a mixture of hand-to-hand and weapon-based attacks. At the time, weaponry was ultimately what set Soulcalibur apart from Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and other fighting games. The series maintains a roster of wild, colorful characters in a world with a not-so-deep plot. The sequel became available on PS2, Xbox, and GameCube. Strikingly, the Xbox version featured Spawn as an exclusive fighter on the platform, much to my delight. The PS2 version offered players Heihachi Mishima from Tekken. But the most interesting edition was the GameCube version, which featured everyone’s favorite Hyrulean.
Link’s crossover with Soulcalibur was the most exciting of the three for multiple reasons. Aside from some educational PC games from the 90s and earlier and Rare partnerships, a Nintendo character like Link being shared with a third-party was a historic watershed moment. And while Spawn and Heihachi Mishima are characters built for an arcadey one-on-one fighter, Link didn’t exactly fit the bill on paper. Sure, he had battled the rest of Nintendo in Super Smash Bros. But there’s clearly a massive difference between traditional fighters and Nintendo’s platform-style fighter. Despite GameCube’s third-place standing in the console battle with PS2 and Xbox, the GameCube version of Soulcalibur II outsold the PS2 and Xbox versions because of Link’s overwhelming popularity. This was a truly surprising crossover.
4. The Predator x Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands
If you told me that the Predator would one day crossover with a Tom Clancy game, I would’ve thought you were living in a fantasy world. On March 7, 2017, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands brought the series to its first open-world experience. Previously, Ghost Recon games were very linear and mission-segregated. Players were given free rein in the jungles and environments throughout Bolivia as they took on cartels and gathered evidence. Later that year, the game received the Jungle Storm update, which pitted the team against the cinematic monster.
Truthfully, it was a match made in heaven. Aside from the modern setting, this moment took players back to the 1987 film Predator as they follow a trail of carnage and skinned corpses to track down the beast. Once found, you must work with your team to defeat the Predator. It’s your turn to hunt the hunter in this cool semi-recreation of Dutch’s experience in the film. Once defeated, the ghosts debate reporting the alien hunter through the proper channels, but decide against it. It’s an excellent narrative tie-in to one of Ubisoft’s great Tom Clancy properties. In 2020, the Predator DLC was removed due to an expired license agreement. However, the Predator mission was reinstated in August of this year. So if you were sad to have missed the original release, you’re in luck!
3. Aloy x Monster Hunter: World
Speaking of matches made in heaven, PlayStation’s Aloy joining the ranks of Monster Hunter: World is one crossover that felt like destiny. The machine-hunting warrior of Horizon: Zero Dawn fame not only made an appearance in Capcom’s monstrous series, but is also playable. In 2018, a crossover event occurred in which players could engage in quests to forge themed gear. Once you obtained all of the gear, you could unlock Aloy as a playable character.
Let’s be fair, the mechanical beasts in Horizon are basically giant monsters. Like the Thunderjaws stalking the plains and mountains in Horizon, Aloy has the opportunity to hunt a large Anjanath in this update to Monster Hunter: World. Upon defeating the Anjanath, you can gain access to crafting an Aloy armor set and Bow. With the collaboration also came the opportunity to craft Watcher-themed Palico gear, which truly completes the ensemble. Just pretend that Aloy turned a Watcher into an ally as you hunt down the fleshy Thunderjaw. Aloy is a natural fit for the world of Monster Hunter.
2. Spider-Man x Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater became a gaming phenomenon upon its release in the late 90s. Players everywhere loved the thrill of virtually pulling off a 900 while embodying the titular pro skater. It was a genuinely fun game that challenged players to not only perform zany tricks and ridiculous combos, but also to find secrets, complete objectives, and explore the comical world around you while you wreak havoc with your four wheels and board. When Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 launched in 2000, it came with a notable surprise character that could be unlocked. Hot off the Spider-Man game released by developer Neversoft in the same year, the developer thought it’d be fun to cross-pollinate with its other big skateboarding release.
Spider-Man in Tony Hawk’s world is another crossover that actually makes a lot of sense. Just like Aloy fighting giant monsters, Spider-Man’s clear aerial and acrobatic ability makes toying with a skateboard in half pipes seem completely natural. Spider-Man wasn’t just a skin that did the same moves other skaters could. He also came with his own special maneuvers that made use of his Spidey abilities, including his webbing. Once unlocked, Spider-Man easily became the “main” of many players, and for good reason.
1. Kratos x Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat has been an ongoing tournament that has been eviscerating and dismembering fighters since the early 90s. Unlike other fighters in the same genre, Mortal Kombat leveraged over-the-top violence as a stylistic means of setting itself apart from the pack. Because of the brutality levels in Mortal Kombat, the ESRB was created as a rating system to inform parents and potential buyers of video game content. So, when you think of another video game character that is constantly drenching himself in the blood of his enemies and shows no mercy, you might think of Kratos of God of War fame. No, not the softer, daddy-do-right we’ve gotten with the 2018 release. I’m talking about the Greek-era Kratos who couldn’t even be bothered to help a harmless ship captain climb out of the Hydra’s throat while claiming the key around the captain’s neck.
Kratos was absolutely made for Mortal Kombat. He’s a no-holds-barred fighter who puts everything and anything on the table to accomplish his goals and remove threats. The soft reboot of Mortal Kombat in 2011 offered Kratos a narrative for his entrance into the tournament, explaining this crossover as a rift between worlds. Of course, the Ghost of Sparta came with his own set of brutal maneuvers and fatalities. Players could even fight in a God of War III-themed stage: the very same place where Kratos confronts Zeus. Since this moment, Mortal Kombat has only amplified its crossover agenda, with several horror, action, and comic book characters emerging to add their own footnote to the Mortal Kombat legacy.
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Courtesy of Interplay Productions
