Many people love to play fighting games that bring together different characters from various franchises. These kinds of crossovers between series can draw a lot of attention from everyone, especially when two highly popular series meet in an interesting and exciting way. Franchises like Marvel vs Capcom and the Super Smash Bros. games are both prime examples of how this can be done right. But even in specific games, having a guest character show up as a playable fighter is always fun to see. How well they mesh with the rest of the roster and what makes them stand out can always lead to fun and tantalizing results.
And yet, there are some crossovers that have yet to take place, even though the audience has a strong desire to see them happen. Sometimes, players can get a small taste of what is possible with a specific character showing up as a guest fighter in a series, even though everybody wants to see a major clash between the two franchises. Akuma showing up in Tekken 7 is a great example of how this can get fighting game players excited, and ultimately be received positively by everyone. Here are three guest character appearances in fighting games that need to happen sometime soon, because everybody wants them to.
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Scorpion and Sub-Zero in Street Fighter
Two titans that have yet to clash
There are very few fighting game series that are bigger or more popular than the Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat series. Both have done monumental things for the fighting game genre and impacted video game history in ways that no other franchise can do today. Capcom’s Street Fighter helped create the competitive fighting game scene that we know today, while Netherrealm’s Mortal Kombat pushed the boundaries of mature content and how games are viewed as media. And yet, these two franchises have never truly crossed over or collaborated with one another. Discussions have been made over the years about it, but nothing truly materialized from them.
This is why so many people want this to happen, especially with some of the most popular characters from each series meeting in the ring. Scorpion and Sub-Zero are the marquee fighters from Mortal Kombat, while Ryu and Ken are the headline heroes from Street Fighter. At some point, one is going to have to cross over to the other, and the way this could best play out is if Scorpion and Sub-Zero are dropped into the Street Fighter series. As much as players will love to see Ryu and Ken on the receiving end of brutal finishers in a Mortal Kombat game, the truth is that such a thing will never happen. But that doesn’t mean the two ninjas can’t still bring their fierce and brutal styles to the Street Fighter universe, especially with how both fighters were rendered in Netherealm’s DC Universe fighting games like Injustice 2.
Source: Midway Games
While either one of these fighters could be a massive deal, having both as a pair take on the tag-team from the Street Fighter series would be monumental for fighting game fans. Both are polar opposites of one another, just like their Capcom counterparts, and both have flashy, yet devastating moves that can translate well into a Capcom fighter. If there was ever a tag-team match that the fighting game community wants to see, it would definitely be this one.
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Sol Badguy in BlazBlue
Battle of the bad boys
Source: ArcSystem Works
There is a very strong sense of style and flair that one gets when playing an Arc System Works fighting game. Whether it’s the phenomenal soundtrack, the over-the-top special moves, or the gorgeous animations for each fighter, their games are moving works of art. But while the company has released multiple titles that have spun into their own separate series, there is very little crossover between them. Games like BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle have brought together titles like BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, and Under Night In-Birth to mix up their rosters, but there’s one very big omission. None of Arc System Works’ later titles have had any crossover with the Guilty Gear series, arguably the most beloved of their franchises.
It’s because of this that fans of these games have wondered if there would ever be a versus-style game for something like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue. Two specific characters that fans have wanted to see meet in a match-up are Ragna the Blood Edge from BlazBlue, and Sol Badguy from the Guilty Gear games. And if a big mashup between the series isn’t quite possible, it would make a lot of sense for Sol Badguy to make an appearance in a new BlazBlue title, especially if there’s only one main character that can be chosen to do so. Both franchises have similar controls and button layouts, with very little differences in the gameplay between them. Having either character show up in the other’s game would work regardless, but it would be more interesting to see Sol Badguy interact with the BlazBlue setting more.
Source: Arc System Works
Both Ragna and Sol have similar characteristics to them, despite having very different fighting abilities and powers. But fans love the edgy and aggressive attitudes that they display in their respective games, with each of them often being central figures in the plot of their own franchises. But if there was ever a point where the Grim Reaper of BlazBlue could meet the Badguy of Guilty Gear, fighting game fans would be seated for it.
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Heihachi in Virtua Fighter
A war of iron fists
With 3D fighting games, fans have many options to choose from. But the dominating series within this part of the fighting game genre are Virtua Fighter and Tekken. Sega’s 3D series was the first to usher in the genre into the third-dimension, while Namco’s series took it mainstream and made it a mainstay subgenre of video games. Luckily, both franchises are no strangers to crossovers and guest appearances in other series, with a wide range of results that fighting game fans have enjoyed. Virtua Fighter characters have shown up in multiple games across different genres, including titles like Dead or Alive 5 and Project X Zone. The Tekken series has done something similar by having some of their main characters show up in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Soulcalibur 2, as well as Project X Zone and PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale.
But never have the two series ever met in the ring on either side. But if there’s one way to do it that would be interesting, it’s having Heihachi Mishima show up in a Virtua Fighter game. Although the Tekken series has brought in a variety of guest characters in more recent releases, seeing Heihachi fight in the Virtua Fighter engine would be very intriguing. As a master of hand-to-hand combat, Heihachi could mesh very well with the entire roster of Virtua Fighter characters, and can offer a different kind of fighting style that could be complex using the VF button layout. A fight between Heihachi and Akira could be the headline reason to pick up a brand-new Virtua Fighter game, if not see Heihachi take on the entire roster of fighters. Could the king of iron fists truly stand up against the martial arts masters that Sega has? It’s something I think everybody would like to see play out.
Here comes some new challengers
Fighting games are incredibly and exciting experiences that are fun to play, and deep to master. They can become hype-inducing games that blend together competitiveness with over-the-top visuals that are great to watch. Seeing multiple fighting series crossover in ways that can create new outcomes and what-if scenarios are something that fans really enjoy, and hope to see happen more often. If a beloved character makes a surprise appearance in another game, you can bet that it will get everyone talking. And with more games becoming open to the idea of guest characters showing up, we can bear witness to some truly special interactions and dream fights that we’ve always wanted to see.