Last time I thought out a different game that could have been released this fall rather than a crossover fighter, but this time I'm going to speculate on the grounds that a crossover is inevitable. With so many other fighting franchises on the market, aren't there better choices to put the cast of Mortal Kombat against besides the DC superheroes? Of course there are, and I'm going to help you decide which one.

Let's get a few things straight before I begin. Midway is teaming up with DC Comics to make MK vs. DC Universe because there is money to be made. DC is a juggernaut in the comic industry and has plenty of cash to throw around. Midway, being a less than stellar publisher and developer over the past few years, needs something that will pull them out of the rut they've been digging for quite a few years now. Welcome to this match made in hell. Readers may ask how I come up with such ideas, and all I have to do is point toward the loops that Midway is jumping through in order to keep DC happy. A "Teen" rated MK game? No fatalities? The almighty dollar nods in confirmation.

Crossover Possibility – Mortal Kombat vs. Soul Calibur

Mortal Kombat could benefit severely by combining its efforts with a series that is less known for dial-a-combos and well known for extremely smooth gameplay. Not as fast yet far more technical, the Soul Calibur series could easily heed that call. The series already has an established roster of characters that have proven their worth to hardcore Soul Calibur fans, and the gameplay could be simply amazing if a touch of Mortal Kombat's combo system could mesh up with the smooth gameplay and lush animations that the Soul Calibur series is known for.

There could be plenty of dream matches to craft into reality with this crossover. I'm sure plenty of fans would want to see who would win between franchise favorites Scorpion and Voldo. Perhaps a small scrap between Kitana and Ivy would impress the fans? I'd personally like to see a fight between powerhouses Necrid and Kintaro. Pretty much any crossover suggestion I make should be acceptable since Yoda and Darth Vader are suddenly interested in obtaining the Soul Edge. Who needs a light saber anyway?

Crossover Possibility – Mortal Kombat vs. Marvel Universe

I could see a lot of success if Midway was able to team up with Marvel – which I assume is what they tried to do at first and was shown the door. The Marvel cast has had a lot of success in the fighting genre afterall. Look at such greats as X-Men vs Street Fighter, Marvel vs Capcom and Marvel vs Capcom 2. Each character used made the transition perfectly. But some gamers may wonder just how well things would go if things went the way of the three-dimensional fighter that Mortal Kombat has adopted. If anyone remembers it, a game titled Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects was released for all last-gen systems along with the PSP for portable gamers. Though lacking a bit when it came to skilled fighting, the game definitely brought Marvel characters to life in detailed 3D with a very impressive fighting system.

At this point, I have to wonder exactly which direction such a crossover should take. The games that have featured Marvel characters and Mortal Kombat characters in the past are as different as night and day. I personally believe that fans are looking for an experimental game that provides fun and new possibilities, and we are more likely to get such results by using the fighting system from Rise of the Imperfects with a Deadly Alliance-esque combo system. Can you imagine the possibilities considering the use of explosives, crates, cars, and other objects were common in Rise of the Imperfects? This already sounds like something I'd throw sixty bucks down for without question.

Crossover Possibility – Mortal Kombat vs. Ehrgeiz

I'm not certain. You'll have to tell me. Major bonus points to those who know what Ehrgeiz is without using Wikipedia.

Crossover Possibility – Mortal Kombat vs. Killer Instinct

Here's one that would make a world of sense: why not pit MK characters against Killer Instinct characters? Both of these series are published and copyright owned by Midway, both have produced historical fighting games that are still remembered today(100+ Ultra Combo anyone?), and both are considered classics that died with the 90s.

The fighting system for both Killer Instinct and classic MK are dangerously similar, the characters all have special moves, both series feature blood but no so much on the gore factor, and both series feature fatalities – but KI calls their finishers "No Mercy" moves or "Danger" moves. It's pretty much a given that even if this crossover game was 3D, it'd have to be a side-view fighter like the original games. Not only would this be a great title, but it could even spark interest in the resurrection of Killer Instinct. I can't be the only one out there who misses KI badly.

Crossover Disaster – Mortal Kombat vs. Dark Rift

All I normally hear when people talk about the new generation of MK is how awful it is since the transition to 3D. If you mention one of the 3D titles to the average gamer, it's like a public lynching. I think it would be interesting to mix MK with a rather bad 3D fighter that I remember and enjoy: Dark Rift on the Nintendo 64.

Dark Rift was known for being a game of style and no substance. It offered plenty of "done before" characters that were graphically impressive, lush stages that were absolute eye-candy for the time of the N64, and gameplay slow enough to fall asleep on. But I did enjoy the game. The fighting system was fairly impressive, and it took skill to be any good at the game. Kinda like the new generation of MK games, right?

Both Mortal Kombat and Dark Rift could easily blend together to create a match made in hell because they both somewhat slow – dare I say boring – gameplay that was overall solid despite speed. Button mashers easily get pwnd in both games, so therer's another trait that would easily find a home in this crossover idea. However, I honestly don't believe that any of this would create a true blockbuster of a game. As much as I enjoy Dark Rift, it belongs in the casket where it lies.

Crossover Possibility – Mortal Kombat vs. Bio F.R.E.A.K.S.

A series that shares MK's lust for blood and gore would happen to be another fighter title published by Midway: Bio F.R.E.A.K.S. – which is being called FREAKS for the rest of this article due to the dead obvious. FREAKS was crazy enough to include blood, gore, the loss of limbs, death traps, and flying. It shares more traits with that of Mortal Kombat 4 in characters' ability to sidestep during a fight, and it quickly reminds one of Time Killers in the limb severing feature. Receiving fairly decent reception but never able to draw a following, FREAKS was actually a solid ass game.

I truly believe that these two franchises could mend together and make an unforgettable title that would keep people talking for a long time. Mortal Kombat is known for its intense violence for certain, but it's not known for taking limbs off in the middle of a fight and flying around while spraying blood from a wound where said limb used to be. These are levels of violence that MK turns to only when the fight is over. But wait! The awesome doesn't end there! FREAKS also had its own fatality system, so this crossover title could blend in violent finishers of the new and old age. Damn, that'd be one hell of a game.

Crossover Disaster – Mortal Kombat vs Primal Rage

What I don't understand is the desire for a MK vs. Primal Rage crossover. I've seen quite a few different names mention this idea, and yet it still doesn't clique for me. I understand that they were both published by Midway and that they both have characters with special moves, but that's about where the similarities end. One series has fighting Shaolin monks, ninjas, a guy with a metal plate on his face, and a dude who can morph into other people, while the other has oversized beasts that vomit, burp, and fart – yeah, these are actually special moves in the Primal Rage world. Did I mention the urination? Dear god, the urination…

Rage did offer the feel of a fighting game at least, but I feel that its style is so odd and different from Mortal Kombat's that a crossover would be about as horrible as making a sequel to Revolution X. Sorry, folks, but I don't see how it can be done. Using Primal Rage as a crossover would be about as bad as using King of the Monsters. Oh wait…

Crossover Possibility – Mortal Kombat vs. King of the Monsters

NO. The end.

Crossover Possibility for Teen Boys – Mortal Kombat vs. Dead or Alive

Aside from being a fighting game that has passed the test of time, Dead or Alive really doesn't make one think of fighting these days. A Mortal Kombat vs. DOA crossover would more than likely result in various DOA ladies and MK ninja chicks playing volleyball on an unknown beach for absolutely no reason.

Break out the Cheetos and tissues, this would definitely go down as the biggest waste of time in gaming history. Doesn't the Internet exist anyway?

Crossover Possibility – Mortal Kombat vs. Virtua Fighter

As one of my all-time favorite fighting franchises, I'd love to see a MK vs VF hit the shelves in the future. Daring to go in a direction that no other fighting game had ventured toward at the time, Virtua Fighter was declared to be truly revolutionary for its time. Over time, Virtua Fighter has become so polished and fluid in motion that one could call it nothing less than poetry.

So what actions would need to be taken if Mortal Kombat were to blend with the Virtua Fighter world? First and foremost, the art team at Midway really needs to take a moment and look into what Sega does with the Virtua Fighter character models. Virtua Fighter 4 and MK: Deception came from the same generation of technology, and one is definitely far superior than the other. So we could argue that the gameplay will be better with MK because VF relies so heavily on graphics, right? Wrong. Virtua Fighter still ends up having a better fighting engine with more fliud movements and superior combos. Just hand the Virtua Fighter crew some special moves and fatalities, and watch the sheer awesome unfold before us all in a lush 3D environment.

Crossover Possibility Mortal Kombat vs. Tekken

Like Mortal Kombat, Tekken has definitely left its mark on the gaming industry. It has a huge fanbase, and various Tekken characters have even appeared in other fighting games.

Though not as fluid as the latest Virtua Fighter titles, Tekken is still polished compared to the latest MK title: Armageddon. Tekken boasts a large roster of characters that tend to feel unique when played rather than MK's dated policy of creating clones of certain characters. However, I personally feel that Tekken lacks when it comes to combos. MK: Armageddon's combo and fighting stance system may not be perfect, but I believe that Tekken could definitely thrive from such a system if it were implemented.

Tekken does have its own ideas when it comes to special moves, but they're awfully stale compared to the incredible moves that MK characters pull off. Perhaps the addition of some wild, sweet projectiles or other various actions to open up fast combos are what the Tekken crew needs.

Crossover Disaster – Mortal Kombat vs. War Gods

Created by Midway and released upon us all like the black plague, War Gods is possibly one of the most horrid fighters I've ever witnessed. So why would I suggest that a crossover be created with the Mortal Kombat series? War Gods tried so hard to be Mortal Kombat mainly because it was a trial and error run with the new technology that would be grounds for Mortal Kombat 4 – because actual trial and error testing at the office is obviously silly. War Gods had everything to make MK fans hate the hell out of it: fatalities(actually announced as fatalities), an announcer with a horrid Asian accent, moves that sucked, and characters that sucked even more with their god awful frame-motion.

Okay, I can't do this anymore. It's too easy to point and laugh at the very idea of MK and War Gods coming together. It's like watching TechTV and G4 come together – a very awful mess.

Now that I've mentioned all of these crossover possibilities, I can say that this has been yet another great Mortal Monday and … wait, I missed the most important one. This entire article would be a waste of everyone's time if I forgot to mention this!

Best Crossover Possibility – Mortal Kombat vs. Street Fighter

Absolutely the most anticipated crossover in the history of fighting games and possibly even the history of gaming itself, MK vs Street Fighter would be enough to shake the very foundation of the gaming industry. People have been dying to see this throwdown for well over ten years.

Both of these franchises are known for fast-paced, side-scrolling action that features memorable characters with special moves that make each one something to remember. Each character from both franchises could co-exist in the same reality without much issue since the foundation for both classic MK and classic SF was built in side-scrolling fighting with animated or hand-drawn backgrounds with plenty of detail to appease any art buff. Special moves would be nothing to worry about, and I strongly believe that any g1 reading this article could easily dream up great fatalities for every character on the Street Fighter roster.

Considering we haven't seen the final product that will be Street Fighter IV, I believe it's safe to say that the original 2D version of each franchise is the better product. Add in online Vs. play and I'm sure that we would have the best crossover game in the history of gaming. You can quote me on that.

We've gone back in time to look over several old fighter titles to see which ones would be the good, the bad, and the sheer awesome. Thanks for spending some time with me and looking back to the days when arcade fighters ruled the gaming industry.