Platform fighting fans have been spending the last couple of weeks battling it out in Warner Brothers' new crossover fighting game MultiVersus. The title has brought some of the world's most iconic characters under the same roof to battle each other for victory. It finally answers questions that not many were asking, like if Iron Giant is stronger than Arya Stark, does Finn the Human stand a chance against the powerful Superman, and would Bugs Bunny be able to go toe-to-toe with Morty Smith. It has created one of the wildest rosters of characters for a fighting game, and Player First Games is just getting started.
The concept of MultiVersus is heavily inspired by the likes of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which saw some of gaming's most iconic characters duke it out for ultimate glory. Characters like Mario and Sonic could do battle against Solid Snake, Samus, and even Minecraft's Steve. Warner Brothers is hoping to replicate that level of success and popularity with MultiVersus, but there is another Nintendo crossover game of sorts that could fit Warner's large catalog of IPs. While it just recently began to pull in characters from outside the Mario franchise, Mario Kart offers another type of crossover game that could work really well with Warner Brothers' characters.
Mario Kart Clones are Everywhere
So many studios seem to want to jump on the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate train with their own characters. Games like MultiVersus, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, Brawlhalla, and Rivals of Aether have all tried to replicate the success of Super Smash Bros. crossover fighting model, but that is not the only Nintendo game that studios want to copy. Over the years, the gaming industry has spawned many Mario Kart clones that have brought together all sorts of IPs into the racing genre. These have all ranged in quality and almost none of them have been able to reach the heights of Nintendo's kart racing title, but they have all tried to put their own spin on its fun-filled gameplay.
Kart racing fans have been able to race as characters like SpongeBob in the Nickelodeon Kart Racers series or race against the Sonic roster in Team Sonic Racing. The Crash Bandicoot characters have had some racing fun through Crash Team Racing, and even Disney has gotten into the fun with Disney Speedstorm. While not every one of these games has been a hit, they have all shown that the industry and the players seem to really like the Mario Kart formula.
Mario Kart's immense appeal can be seen in the sales numbers for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe alone. These games seem to be far easier to pick up and play than a Smash Bros. clone can be, as the gameplay is just more approachable. Players just have to learn how to drive the car, and they can stand a fighting chance against those that have been playing far longer. The courses are also a lot of fun to navigate through, and the gameplay can get very wild very fast. On top of all that, the game offers a colorful cast of iconic characters that players have grown to love, and that is something that the Mario Kart clones have tried to deliver.
Mario Kart is a Great Next Step for Warner Bros
MultiVersus has brought together all sorts of Warner Brothers characters, and a Mario Kart clone could do the same exact thing. Putting players in control of characters such as Harry Potter, Superman, Rick Sanchez, or Velma and letting them race across crazy courses. They could drive through the streets of Gotham City, across the lands of Middle-Earth, inside the halls of Hogwarts, and even above the Citadel of Ricks. A developer could throw in some items, wild looking karts, as well as fun sound effects, and it could make for a decent Mario Kart title.
The player count of MultiVersus shows that players are interested in a game filled with Warner Brothers' IPs, and that may be able to carry over to a crossover kart racer. The new genre could pull in even more players that aren't interested in the fighting genre, and it could put even more eyes on some of WB's lesser known franchises. It could also help fill the Mario Kart-shaped hole that exists outside the Switch, as long as it maintains the same level of quality that MultiVersus has.
MultiVersus is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
