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Key Takeaways
- Nintendo IPs innovate through crossovers, allowing for diverse gameplay styles and engaging experiences.
- Each collaboration brings unique mechanics and challenges, such as rhythm-based gameplay or tactical strategy elements.
- The success of combining popular series showcases the versatility and creativity of Nintendo’s first-party franchises.
Nintendo IPs have powerful influences across the industry. Countless fans have fallen in love with the world of Mario, Fire Emblem, The Legend of Zelda, and many more. Their first-party series is the main priority within each console generation, whether through innovative games or merchandise.
Nintendo’s care for its long-lasting series is thanks to its high standards. At times, and for the sake of creativity and keeping things fresh, they allow other trustworthy developers to innovate within their series. While some games include a few costumes and IP-inspired levels, some Nintendo IPs would fully crossover with another series or series’ gameplay style.
Super Smash Bros.
technically qualifies since Bandai Namco Studios handled the most recent entries. That said, the franchise will be omitted in favor of highlighting other series.
11 Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games
Life-Long Rivalry In The Cold
Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games is the second entry for the most fan-requested collaboration between two popular series. It was a continuation of the series that allowed Super Mario and Sonic characters to compete in several sportsmanlike events.
What’s special about the series is how each event is separated between normal and dream modes. Dream events change the games to become more challenging with different obstacles. The series would switch between the summer and winter Olympic Games to give various events, becoming the best choice for a party of players.
10 Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
The One Mario Rhythm Game
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix was a unique moment for Mario to overcome his challenges by keeping the rhythm. Not just Mario, but everyone else like Wario, Waluigi, and even Bowser would show their style off against the Italian plumber. Since it’s Dance Dance Revolution, it required a dance pad.
Each level featured different Mario OST remixed uniquely for this entry, including Donkey Kong, Mario Party, Super Mario Bros, Paper Mario, and more. There are even special mini-games like Chain Chomp Chase and Whack-a-Goomba to provide their diverse fun.
9 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
Pokemon Team To The Rescue
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a remake package of the GBA versions of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team. The original games were a collaboration of Game Freaks Pokemon exploring the depths of Spike Chunsoft’s Mystery Dungeon series. The gameplay is based off of Mystery Dungeon, but with Pokemon, Pokemon Moves, and items.
Spike Chunsoft started the Mystery Dungeon series with Torneko’s Great Adventure in 1993. The series grew popular in Japan with Shiren The Wanderer, giving only a few Mystery Dungeon entries out to the West. Since Pokemon was a popular IP, it was a chance for Mystery Dungeon to gain the West interest through a crossover. This would greatly succeed as a series for many players wanting to explore the dark dungeons to save the trapped Pokemon from fatal harm.
8 Pokemon Conquest
Being The Best Conquerer
Pokemon Conquest brought Game Freak’s Pokemon over to a very long-lasting series of Koei, Nobunaga Ambition. The series gained its traction back in 1983, allowing players to experience feudal Japan as Nobunaga Oda. His main goal was to unify Japan, which involved overtaking different areas of Japan. The battles have various victory conditions, whether to take down the commander or defend an attack long enough for reinforcements.
Pokemon Conquest plays similarly to Koei’s source, letting players control a Pokemon army to conquer the seventeen kingdoms of Ransei. It’s recommended to bring the most suitable units for each battle to showcase the ideal strengths while exposing the enemy’s weaknesses and resistances. Pokemon do get stronger through connected links, which could evolve them to heighten their stats and abilities for battle.
7 Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
Alternate Reality Of Three Houses
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is the best implementation of Fire Emblem in a Musou Warriors franchise structure. The gameplay style perfectly fits the Fire Emblem setting, making the war combat more action-based. Strategy is still necessary when putting out the ideal army to handle the enemies. Commanding the army during battle is essential to accomplish any important tasks simultaneously without wasting too much time.
Familiar mechanics from Fire Emblem: Three Houses are brought into its lite version, including classes, adjacent, blacksmithing, items, Hero’s Relics, and more. Its expansive dialogue helps to build the plot as players can choose essential decisions that can change the protagonist’s fate.
6 Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition
Celebration Of Legend Of Zelda
Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition introduced the Legend of Zelda into Koei’s Musou Warriors setting. The series is completely separate from the canonical franchise, becoming Koei Tecmo’s vision of the troubled Hyrule. It referenced many characters across the series, including brand-new characters like Cia and Lana. It’s played like a Musou Warriors game as characters can use specials and magic to take down armies of enemies. Each character can equip their preferred weapons, even having multiple options like Link and Lana.
The original version had years of DLC support that included costumes and playable levels inspired by different The Legend of Zelda games, like The Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask and The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker. The definitive edition included every DLC pack, making its release very massive in content for players to invest in.
5 Cadence of Hyrule
Heart-Pounding Quest Of Hyrule
Cadence of Hyrule was an indie project that incorporated the land of Hyrule in a grand heart-thumping adventure. It is a 2D Legend of Zelda game with the gameplay style of Brace Yourself Games’ Crypt of the Necrodancer. The original indie game was a roguelike rhythm journey taking place within the depths of the mysterious crypt. The events resulted in the protagonist getting cursed to move in rhythm with her heart stolen, forcing her to retrieve it by beat.
Cadence of Hyrule’s predicament is similar to its plot as all of Hyrule is cursed, including Link and Zelda. This scenario encourages the two to team up with the protagonist, Cadence, to lift the musical curse controlling the land of Hyrule. The OST includes over 20 different Legend of Zelda tracks remixed for the game, including some ost sung by Crypt of the Necrodancer Shopkeeper.
4 Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity
Personalized Past Of Breath Of The Wild
Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity was a necessary release to reveal a major event referenced in Breath of the Wild, The Great Calamity. The Musou Warriors’ structure was compatible with experiencing the Link that destroyed countless monsters to stop the Great Calamity or attempted.
Koei Tecmo perfectly incorporated the event to reveal everyone’s strengths during battle before the great catastrophe. Each character is designed with unique fighting styles and relic usage to take on hordes of enemies. Not only is its combat more expansive and diverse than Hyrule Warriors, but each character has a spotlight for engaging dialogue. Even Link expressed more personality when spending time with Zelda and her champions. This also gives a rare moment to play as a canonical Zelda.
3 FE Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore
Duet Of Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore brought the beloved Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei into one musical crossover. Nintendo and Atlus worked together to create a unique RPG adventure taking place in Japan.
Players will explore between two realms to quell the hostile mirages with magic and attacks. The gameplay is very similar to Shin Megami Tensei through its exploration and combat. Weaknesses and resistances are vital to utilize for battle advantage, including Zio, Bufu, Agi, and more.
The game also focuses on socialization and bonds. Managing affinity is very important to properly synchronize a party with attacks, similar to Fire Emblem. Party members can deal great damage together with duo and session attacks, which pleases the cheering crowd during battle.
2 Pokken Tournament DX
Pokemon X Tekken
Pokkén Tournament DX was an interesting crossover between Game Freak’s Pokemon and Bandai Namco’s legacy fighting system, Tekken. The combination of the two factors created a unique fighting game that’s both welcoming for newcomers and investing for veterans.
Each Pokemon is designed with one of a few classes: power, standard, speed, and technique. Playstyles range from balanced all-around characters like Pikachu, aggressive risky rush down like Blaziken, or the tricky Gengar. It was also one of the few Nintendo games that gained developer support competitively, making the tournament scene prosper for its moment.
1 Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Super Mario Rabbids Xcom
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was the launch title for the Nintendo Switch with a surprising crossover. Mario and his team join with Ubisoft’s Rabbids to battle the disturbance of peace with the mushroom kingdom. This journey will include humorous interactions, cosplays, and the usual insanity from the Rabbids.
What makes this game unique from other Mario titles is the tactical strategy. It’s the first game for Mario to strategize his movement and shoot his foes similar to XCOM. Every character can equip a primary and secondary weapon that offers different effects like burn, freeze, poison, and more. Each character excels at certain abilities, like Mario’s higher jumps or Rabbid Luigi’s vampiric dash attack. It’s the best option for anyone to try a humorous engaging SPRG that earned its own expansive DLC and galactic sequel.
