Image via Edge
Throughout fighting game history, numerous developers have mixed together separate franchises in huge, fan-enticing crossovers. Marvel vs. Capcom, Capcom vs. SNK, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe…the list goes on and on. But what if someone were to step in and broker an insane mash-up of series from multiple studios as a call-back to the genre’s roots in the 80s and 90s?
If Bandai Namco Games’ Katsuhiro Harada has his way, this sort of fighter may actually see the light of day.
During his conversation with Polygon as part of their Life in Japan feature, the director described such a title when asked about what he has on his developer bucket list. Instead of grabbing two of Bandai’s own franchises and calling it a day, Harada wants to bring together old-school characters created by Capcom, Sega, Koei Tecmo, SNK, Warner Bros., and even Data East for a crossover of monumental proportions.
Ryu facing off against Ryu Hayabusa? Wolf Hawkfield grappling with Clark Still? The possibilities are endless.
Since many of the potential cast members would be too obscure for the general gaming community, the focus would obviously be on those players who have been enjoying fighters for much of their lives. “I’d want to have, ‘Not for casual users. Only for hardcore gamers,’” Harada said.
But there’s nothing new under the sun. Many of you may remember that King of Fighters started off as such a venture, bringing together characters from SNK properties like Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Ikari Warriors, and Psycho Soldier as a testament to the company’s many popular titles. That being said, Harada’s dream is a much different because of the work necessary to license characters from so many developers.
So, what do you think? Is this nothing but an overambitious developer’s pipe dream or could this mega-crossover one day grace our scene?
Source: Polygon
