Whether it be movies, television, comic books, or even straight up literature, the crossover is a tried-and-true method of bringing together two disparate fanbases, and video games are certainly no exception. Who can dispute the popularity of the Marvel vs Capcom series, or the Super Smash Bros. franchise? And even when a crossover game doesn’t reach the heights of those examples, they’re still remembered just based on the sheer novelty of the idea — think of Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe or the Mario and Sonic at the Olympics games.
Of course, it’s kind of impossible to talk about the success of crossover games and not talk about one of the most singular, bewildering, and long-lived modern franchises in gaming: Kingdom Hearts. Created back in 2002 for the PlayStation 2, Square Enix’s distinctive fusion of animated Disney worlds with characters and aesthetics from the Final Fantasy series was an instant critical and commercial success, winning numerous awards and becoming one of the best-selling PlayStation games and the best-selling Disney game of all-time. Fourteen games later (with only 3 numbered mainline entries and numerous spinoffs), the Kingdom Hearts series is returning with next year’s Kingdom Hearts 4, and a new trailer for the project teases a world based on one of Disney’s most recent overnight sensations.
