7 Great Team Ups We All Need, But Sadly Don’t Have (Yet)

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We all have our favourite types of drinks and our beloved pieces of food, and we love it even better when we combine these things to make one heck of a delicious team up! Well, the same can be said for our favourite games and more – we all have that favourite character from that certain action game or that Indie adventure that is our dark little guilty pleasure, and sometimes we just love the thought of these being brought together to make a delightful little masterpiece for us to enjoy and cherish.

Sticking with the culinary theme, we all recognise that some combinations are best left in our weird and wonderful imaginations and not actually brought to life into the real world. Let’s face it – as interesting and fun as it could be, a crossover between the brooding Batman and the joyful Mrs Doubtfire from the film of the same name would probably not be a workable mashup (although I certainly wouldn’t object to DC Comics trying to prove me wrong, if by some small chance they’re taking any notice of this!). However, there are those little gems that with a bit of work could be an amazing and tasty idea to try, and quite possibly end up being your favourite yet!

Therefore, and without further ado, here is our playful list of 7 great team-ups that could redefine the gaming industry as we know it… or at the very least give us some cherished moments of joy and ways to pass the time.

7. Gordon Ramsay and Zombies Mode from the Call of Duty Videogames

Starting with an admittedly strange entry on this list, the thought of our loveable hot-headed chef going toe-to-toe against a horde of zombies from one of the best-loved franchises is definitely a fun idea to toy with. Who wouldn’t want to see Gordon – or Chef Ramsay to the likes of you and I – lob a grenade at a group of zombies, only to realise that it’s the non-stick variety, or to hear him critique his fellow survivors whilst they’re being mauled by the undead?

Chef Ramsay has been blessing audiences worldwide with his talents for the past few decades, whether it be from your TV screen or you trying out one of his dishes at his many restaurants situated across the globe. Not only has he put our homemade meals to shame with his fancy dish-making techniques, but he has also provided us with moments of sheer entertainment with his ‘no holds barred’ approach to dealing with culinary and other such disasters. He also has experience with writing books and appearing in video games, making him the perfect food artist to cross the great unknown and face the frightening hordes of flesh-eaters that threaten our gaming consoles.

Moving over to the zombies themselves, it’s hard to imagine – or dare I say, near impossible to imagine – a Call of Duty player who hasn’t spent hours on end of their free time killing zombies, hoping to get to the next wave or weapon upgrade alive.

Indeed, since first appearing in the game Call of Duty: World at War back in 2008, the Zombies mode has been a favourite of both video game enthusiasts and casual players the world over, with its winning formula of a group of survivors – made up of interesting and varied characters – pitted against increasingly difficult waves upon waves of the undead. This mode, through its various different iterations, has already welcomed real-world celebrities from the likes of the butt-kicking Sarah Michelle Gellar to the badass Ving Rhames, so it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to see our man Gordon have a go as well!

6. Earthworm Jim and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Earthworm Jim is a 90’s icon who has sadly faded into relative obscurity in the subsequent decades, however, that doesn’t mean he isn’t an exciting and fun character to have when fighting against the forces of evil! This loveable protagonist first came to our attention all the way back in 1994, when after discovering a ‘super suit’ he gained the abilities of speech, gun-wielding and whip mastery (by using his head) which he used to fight against evil-doers and rescue Princess What’s-Her-Name – yes, that is her name.

Jim would go on to appear in several more games – in both his own series and in other franchises such as the Clay Fighter games – and even had his own (albeit short-lived) animated TV series, but after the wonderful decade that was the 90’s came to an end, this loveable anthropomorphic hero took a bit of a back seat.

Rewind time back to the decade prior, the one cunningly referred to as the 80’s, and the world was greeted with the arrival of four very special turtles. To be more precise, these turtles are collectively known as the ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’. Along with this rather catchy team name, these turtles are each named after famous Italian artists – namely Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello – and are each highly trained in the Japanese martial art of ninjutsu… by a sensei who is an anthropomorphic rat.

When they aren’t residing in their home situated within the sewers of New York City, their adventures see them deal with the likes of evil ninjas, low-life criminals and even aliens. This has allowed the turtles to enjoy popular success in the decades since.

With their fighting skills and experience dealing with a variety of enemies, they would be the perfect partners to Earthworm Jim when dealing with the forces of evil – particularly if they were threatening gardens and sewers everywhere! I think we can all agree… bring back Jim!

5. Monkey Island and Broken Sword

Sticking with the earlier decades – specifically the 90’s – we have another video game series that consists of some delightfully weird characters. First appearing in the year 1990, our hero Guybrush Threepwood (a legendary name if I say so myself) did battle with the evil undead pirate LeChuck and his crew of, well, equally undead pirates to rescue the beautiful Elaine Marley, who LeChuck sought to make his wife.

Succeeding in his endeavour, our man Guybrush would go onto further adventures also involving the aforementioned characters across several video games of the Monkey Island series, relying on his wits, bartering, and item-searching skills to get him out of dangerous (and at times humorous) situations. Disney purchased the game series’ developer LucasArts back in 2012 and since then there have been no confirmed plans for any futures outings for our band of misfit pirates.

Another wonderful video game series to have originated in the 90’s is the Broken Sword series. Developed by the British company Revolution Software, these games follow the adventures of the wise-cracking George Stobbart and the daring Nico Collard, who travel around the globe solving mysteries and battling secret societies & organizations… freemasons, you have been warned.

With George working in the legal profession and Nico being a journalist, these pair of brave and handsome do-gooders use their detective and puzzle-solving skills to save the day, saving the world from the likes of murderous clowns, ancient cults and even a dragon to name but a few – not your typical role requirements when signing up to be a lawyer or solicitor!

With the similar humour of both game series combined with the talents of all the protagonists included within each of them, Guybrush would be lucky to team up with the likes of George and Nico to solve the mysteries and face the dangers that could possibly lie before them in a joint adventure. Maybe a strange artefact could transport George and Nico to the time of cutthroat pirates, or perhaps some voodoo magic and push our mild-mannered pirate into the future? We will let the developers work that one out for us!

4. Stargate and Halo

When it comes down to good ol’ science fiction franchises, a classic one that you should all know about is the Stargate family of film, television programmes and games. Not only did the original film – the one that kicked off the franchise – star the incredibly awesome and talented Kurt Russell, but the subsequent TV shows saw teams of US military personnel use advanced alien technology called (not so surprisingly) Stargates to travel around the galaxy to both explore and take on the might of the ruthless Goa’uld empire.

Having to rely on their tactics and teamwork when facing the technologically superior aforementioned bad guys, the teams of Stargate Command helped to successfully defend the Earth whilst expanding humankind’s knowledge of the final frontier and beyond. Along with this great bit of multi-tasking, the personnel of Stargate Command even discovered the lost city of Atlantis and helped advance human technology to greater levels – so all in all, if you ever need to find those lost socks or missing batteries you’d be hard-pressed to get better help from anyone else!

Moving on over to a more futuristic sci-fi setting, the Halo series is one of the biggest franchises on the Xbox gaming systems and has even expanded into movies and comic books. Though the main protagonist may hide his face behind his futuristic helmet, the soldier referred to as “Master Chief” is fairly well known in pop culture today and has played a pivotal role in defending the Earth and other planets from both the menacing Covenant and the gruesome Flood.

Set in the 26th century, Master Chief’s adventures have seen him save the galaxy as we know it countless times and proving that it usually pays off to have a strong, silent type on your team. Indeed, it doesn’t hurt (at least for his allies) that this towering SPARTAN-II super soldier is encased within highly advanced power armour and has a mastery over various forms of weaponry, allowing him to leave his enemies with one heck of a headache.

With their military backgrounds and experience in saving us humans from extra-terrestrial threats, the protagonists from these two separate franchises would make well-suited partners in the fight against typical sci-fi bad guys – pesky aliens and overzealous humans. Perhaps bringing the Flood into conflict with the Goa’uld would produce interesting results in their battle to see who would come out on top… I’ll leave it to the writers to see how they wish to proceed with this marvelous idea!

3. Wolfenstein and Doom

Whilst writing this next entry I can already feel the glaring eyes of the most faithful fans of these two beloved franchises, so hear me out on this one. Yes, I know that there have been some connections mentioned between the two – particularly in the game Wolfenstein RPG – but we haven’t seen the two titans from these different game series stand side-by-side against some of the most evil creatures the universe has to offer.

Indeed, the hero of the Wolfenstein series – our man B.J. Blazkowicz – does his part to help keep the free world safe by battling vile Nazi forces, undead monstrosities, evil robots and demonic creatures… possibly showing that he perhaps drew the short straw when it came to selecting his job role. Through various incarnations and alternate timelines, B.J. has braved the occult and even Adolf Hitler himself in his quest to rid the globe of tyrants and keep the free spirit alive.

Facing similar challenges with equally grisly looking and ferocious foes, the protagonist of the Doom series – known by various names including Doomslayer – is a mostly silent brute of a man who wades headfirst in danger wherever he may find it. His adventures have taken him across the stars and even into Hell itself, facing more dangerous (and in some cases more disgusting) creatures in every outing. With his powerful armour and mastery of all things that cause havoc and destruction, this dedicated man has saved the Earth from a very dark fate time and time again in numerous video games that have delighted fans the world over.                

With all this in mind, having these two bad boys team up to take on the deadliest demon or most maniacal tyrant – or both – will be a pleasure for all to see and perhaps give us an adventure reminiscent of the action films from the 80’s we have come to know and love. It certainly helps that the current publisher for both franchises is one and the same, and with all the dimension-hopping and alternate timelines here, there and everywhere, in theory this team up may not be so difficult to conjure up after all.

2. Bioshock and Fallout

Now we come onto two of my favourite video game series of all time – Bioshock and Fallout. These two majestic gems both possess fantastical stories of adventure and excitement, and herein lies the potential of a fabulous crossover. Starting with the former, this series of games focuses on the underwater environment of Rapture and the aerial city of Columbia, taking the players on an adventure packed with mystery and action through interesting but dangerous locales.

The player characters are forced to take on the deranged and frightening residents of both cities, relying on conventional (and not so conventional) weaponry along with fantastic superhuman powers gained through the use of powerful tonics and drugs – just a gentle reminder that these games are fictional, so apologies for bursting anyone’s bubble there. These games also help us to explore the potential consequences of loose morals and corrupt values, so a truly fun and educational outing for all.

Another series that tackles both bleak and exciting locations all at once is the Fallout franchise. Set in a post-apocalyptic, futuristic Earth that succumbed to the destruction brought forth by nuclear weapons, this series sees the player characters attempt to survive in a harsh world whilst participating in numerous quests to prove who the most dangerous inhabitant of Earth really is. Combining weaponry ranging from automatic pistols to plasma rifles to junk jets, players face the various and seemingly limitless threats of the world that include deranged raiders, vicious ghouls and menacing super mutants – just the usual day to day life of post-apocalyptic, bleak and dark futures that lie ahead.

If you are in the mood for a fantastic adventure that involves exotic locations and dangerous enemies that require weird and wonderful ways of defeating, then why not combine these two series into one glorious adventure. With the technology and science available, anything is possible for protagonists from both franchises which means all the more excitement for the likes of you and me!

1. Tomb Raider and… Tomb Raider?

With our last entry in this list, I thought I would go for something a bit different. Instead of getting characters from completely separate franchises and mediums to interact with one another, why not consider trying different incarnations of one of the most famous heroines in the video game industry to work alongside one another? Lara Croft, also known as the Tomb Raider, is a lady who is as beautiful as she is deadly and has proved to be a wonderful British treasure with regular appearances since first appearing on our screens all the way back in 1996. To keep things relatively simple, for this fantastic idea we will focus on the three ‘main’ Lara Crofts that have mostly appeared within the various video games of the Tomb Raider franchise.

We will cleverly begin with the first Lara Croft to appear in games, the feisty lady who first appeared in Tomb Raider and last appeared in Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness. This particular raider of the tombs started it all, using her historical knowledge and acrobatic skills to fight hordes of strange and deadly enemies whilst also making some pretty noteworthy discoveries, including Atlantis and the Spear of Destiny to name but a few. This Lara is perhaps considered the most promiscuous of the tomb raiders, considering that a lot of the marketing surrounding her adventures involve her in scantily clad clothing or some raunchy poses. However, do not let this fool you into thinking that she can’t get the job done, as this Tomb Raider is also perhaps the most ruthless as she has little qualms with dispatching foes when required.

The next Tomb Raider to grace us has gone through a few changes compared to the former Lara. First appearing in the game Tomb Raider: Legend in 2006, the promiscuity factor for this adventurer has been toned down and has opened her up to a wider audience, with her adventures taking on a more personal touch that ties in with her family history and more specifically her missing mother. This Lara has also seen her fair share of character development, starting off as an explorer who initially resists taking human life before becoming a more seasoned and deadly adventurer. She has even discovered the legendary sword Excalibur amongst other incredible finds, proving that this lady still has what it takes in coming out on top.

Last and certainly not least, we come to the Lara Croft that is the current ‘main’ Tomb Raider of the world. Rebooting the series with style and flair with her first appearance in the 2013 game Tomb Raider, the adventures of ‘Lara 3.0’ focus on the origin and subsequent moulding of this young and less experienced raider. With phenomenal survival skills combined with her indomitable willpower, Lara takes on not only the creepiest and nastiest ancient enemies the globe has to offer, but frequently finds herself going toe-to-toe with shadowy secret organisations and their numerous minions. She too also has a personal interest in her world-encompassing quests, as they often tie back into her family history and fairly tragic childhood.

Each of these globe-trotting, butt-kicking, history-loving adventurers have their own unique traits whilst also sharing many similarities, and with their adventures involving mystical and mysterious artifacts so powerful that perhaps they should be left forgotten and undiscovered, it is not entirely out of the realm of possibility that these three women can meet up and combine their archaeological efforts. Let’s face it, the thought of the current Tomb Raider joining forces with the OG Tomb Raider of the 90’s is a cool one indeed, giving us all the exciting opportunity to see how each one views the other, whilst also finding the time to kick some unholy buttocks and save the modern world from the truly terrifying dangers that history has to offer.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article, and if so why not check out some of our other lists covering all the interesting, curious and downright awesome features of the gaming world.

Tom Slater
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