Super Smash Bros: 10 Game Franchises We NEED To See

Back in the 1990s, each of the three major console manufacturers had a different platforming hero as their mascot. Nintendo’s was Mario, Sega, though a fading entity by the decade’s midpoint, clung to the strength of Sonic The Hedgehog and Sony managed to attract a huge audience with Naughty Dog’s Crash Bandicoot.

Both Sonic and Crash went multiplatform in 2001, Sonic on the back of the Dreamcast’s failure (and Sega’s resulting demise as a first party developer) and Crash on the back of Naughty Dog withdrawing from the series (continuing their relationship with Sony by making Jak and Daxter instead), with Universal opting to maximise their potential audience. Mario seemingly won out, remaining an exclusive Nintendo property to this day.

Mario and Sonic crossovers have become relatively commonplace over the intervening years, with the spiky blue hedgehog having been part of the last three Super Smash Bros rosters. Crash has never appeared with either of the pair, though after years in the doldrums the character is currently riding on a huge wave of popularity stemming from the remasters of both his original platforming trilogy and kart racer.

Given that Crash has now been a presence on Nintendo systems for almost twenty years, it seems bizarre that he hasn’t been brought into the Super Smash Bros arena already. Players around the world would be chomping at the bit to see the three icons do battle together and it definitely needs to happen going forwards.