The 10 Best Fighting Game Cameos

Image via Complex Original

There are plenty of fighting games with rosters worth remembering, and we all love a good crossover title that mixes things up, but there's something truly special about the fighting game cameo that gets me excited. Whether it's the non-canon explanations on how they got there, or the fish out of water quality that they bring to the aesthetic, there's something about bizarre characters showing up to beat down genre veterans that just can't be topped. There have been plenty over the years (heck, you could make a full game out of all cameos in Soul Calibur), but there are a few that stand out for being just a little more awesome than the rest. Whether they're better suited for the scenario, or just too cool to ignore, these are the best fighting game cameos.

10. Mega Man

Where He Belongs: Mega Man (NES)

Where He Wound Up: Street Fighter X Tekken (PS3 / Xbox 360)

Mega Man has appeared in plenty of fighting games before, but never quite like this. Modeled after the terrible box art for the first Mega Man game, this fat and creepy looking version of the blue bomber is one part funny and two parts unsettling.

He's like the Tron Guy but with a bigger gut and knee pads. Sure, it makes him proportional with the rest of the cast, but there's still something weird about watching what looks like a grown man cosplaying prance about your screen. *shudder*

9. Solid Snake

Where He Belongs: Metal Gear Solid (PS2)

Where He Wound Up: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

When Nintendo and SEGA announced that Sonic the Hedgehog would be added to Super Smash Bros. Brawl part of me was ready to hear it. He'd been a fan request for a long time coming, and his long-time vendetta against Mario made him a perfect fit.

Solid Snake on the other hand came out of nowhere. Supposedly Hideo Kojima was a huge fan of the fighting game and sought out Nintendo to get Snake included in the game. It's uncommon and surprising considering Metal Gear Solid's history with Playstation, but sometimes the best things are unexpected.

8. Cole MacGrath

Where He Belongs: Infamous (PS3)

Where He Wound Up: Street Fighter X Tekken (PS Vita)

I'm not a huge fan of console-exclusive characters, particularly if they're on a handheld, but Infamous' Cole MacGrath certainly electrifies the Playstation Vita version of Street Fighter X Tekken. He's like a cross between Cody and Blanka, mixing street brawling tactics with tesla-level electrical mastery for a deadly combination.

He's a good fit here, but his comicbook style cutscenes would make him an even better fit in Marvel vs Capcom. Is it too much to hope Capcom will make him a DLC character?

7. Ezio Auditore

Where He Belongs: Assassin's Creed (PS3 / Xbox 360)

Where He Wound Up: Soul Calibur V (PS3 / Xbox 360)

Ezio Auditore da Firenze is a bit of a womanizer, so it makes sense that he'd show up in one of the most hyper-sexualized fighting games. Whether he's there to claim the Soul Edge for himself, or just chat up Ivy and Cassandra is up for him to decide.

It's surprising how well he fights into Soul Calibur's weapon-focused combat too. With his wrist daggers and experience with martial weapons, he's one Italian with the skills to go toe-to-toe with the best of them.

6. Earthworm Jim

Where He Belongs: Earthworm Jim (SNES / Genesis)

Where He Wound Up: Clayfighter 63 1/3 (N64)

When it comes to the bizarre, Clayfighter 63 1/3 has it in droves, which is why Earthworm Jim made such a good cameo character. With trademark attacks like his Indiana Jones-like headwhip and his trusty ray gun, Jim fit right in with the rest of the cast.

It was an absolute joy discovering him too, because as an N64 game Clayfighter predated the glut of information that's available on the internet now, making his appearance a complete surprise to long-time fans.

5. Spartan-458

Where She Belongs: Halo Series (Xbox)

Where She Wound Up: Dead or Alive 4 (Xbox 360)

The explanation of how a Spartan from Halo managed to make her way into the fighting game, but Bungie and Tomonobu Itagaki have attributed it to a freak slipstream "bubble" that sent her back from the future and kept her stuck in the 21st century. Why her first thought was to join an international fighting tournament is anyone's mystery.

It's also important to note that Spartan-458 is the only playable female Spartan in a singleplayer campaign, which makes sense considering that Dead or Alive has always been about the ladies.

4. Norimaro

Where He Belongs: Noritake Kinashi (Comedian)

Where He Wound Up: Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter (Arcade, Japan)

Not a lot of people have seen Norimaro in Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter, as he was a hidden character released only in the Japanese version of the game. Created by Japanese comedian Noritake Kinashi, the goofy schoolboy character was wacky enough to give Dan a run for his money.

With a bookbag full of school supplies and a really big expressive face, he may not be the most impressive character, but he wins points for his relative obscurity. There's also something intensely hilarious about taking down Spider-Man and M. Bison with what amounts to a joke character that can't be ignored.

3. Spawn

Where He Belongs: Spawn (Comic)

Where He Wound Up: Soul Calibur II (Xbox)

Of the three console-exclusive cameos that made their way into Soul Caliber II, Todd McFarlane's vengeful demonic antihero was by far the most fearsome. Mind you, it's not hard to be more menacing than a goofy fairy boy and an old man with a penchant for punching.

Spawn not only fit the game very well in terms of play style, but he also fit well thematically. In addition to designing his trademark character, McFarlane also contributed the beast Necrid which went on to become a series staple character.

2. Freddy Krueger

Where He Belongs: A Nightmare on Elm St. (Movie)

Where He Wound Up: Mortal Kombat (DLC)

He may be the stuff of nightmares, but he's also the character of fighting fan's dreams. Fast attacks, razor sharp claws, and squirm-worthy fatalities; Freddy Krueger belongs in Mortal Kombat.

As long-time horror fans, the developers at NetherRealm Studios sought out the rights to get the Freddy character and actor Robert Englund's likeness for the game. The result is one of the most badass characters ever to fight in the tournament.

Now, if only they could get Jason Voorhees and LeathNoerface, things would be perfect.

1. Kratos

Where He Belongs: God of War (PS3)

Where He Wound Up: Mortal Kombat (PS3), Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny (PSP)

Ah yes, the god of war. Kratos is a force to be reckoned with and it was an absolute shock to see him appear in Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny back in 2009. His brutal melee style and reliance on his unique chained blades made him a fantastic fit for the Soul Calibur universe.

But Kratos is a busy man, and no one game can contain him, which is why he broke his way out of the PSP and made it into the Playstation 3 version of last year's Mortal Kombat reboot. Again proving that his outright commitment to savagery makes him a king amongst fighters, Kratos tore his way through the Netherrealm leaving bits and pieces of Kung Lao and Sub-Zero in his wake.