Pokémon Fan Imagines Mario, Sonic, and Link as Pokémon Starters

Some fantastic Pokémon fan art transforms Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, and The Legend of Zelda‘s Link into three imaginative starters. All four video game franchises have become staples of the industry since their debuts, with each of them growing and changing to survive into the modern age of gaming. Many monster collection fans have created artistic tributes over the years, with Pokémon fan art crossovers combining the Nintendo franchise’s creatures with other unrelated series.

Currently, the Pokémon franchise features 898 unique monsters to collect, with the number no doubt surpassing 900 in the near future. Each Pokémon features their own unique design, lore, and abilities for players to learn, and fan art adds even more variety to the franchise’s roster. Many fans also love to design their own original Pokémon, with other pieces of fan art transforming characters from different franchises into brand-new pocket monsters. Some notable fan crossovers have turned beloved Pokémon into heroes from the pages of Marvel Comics, while others match Final Fantasy characters with fitting creature companions. An extensive crossover between Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda, which introduced several superpowered creatures into Hyrule, was created by one truly talented fan.

In a creative combination of gaming icons, Twitter user Casey’s Guts has transformed Sonic, Mario, and Link into starter Pokémon for a theoretical crossover title. Great thought has been put into each monster and its evolutions, with each serving as a love letter to the associated character’s history. The Water-type Hoggy learns to form a bubble shield when it evolves into Gagofast, while the final form Sonigo can create electricity with its speed. The Fire-type Tanuee can fly once it evolves into Manuo, a creature inspired by Super Mario Bros. 3’s Tanooki Suit, while Omari gains the mascot’s iconic mustache as a final evolution. Finally, Rokikiri takes inspiration from Ocarina of Time‘s Kokiri, while Yriki and Hyliki can both form Link’s iconic sword and shield with their arms.

Pokémon fan artists certainly love to create crossovers with other franchises, but fusing together creatures from within the series is also a time-honored tradition. Pokémon fusion fan art takes two different pocket monsters and combines them into one, often with bizarre or unexpected results. For example, Mega Charizard X and Primal Groudon become a terrifying winged demon, with flames spewing from its head and tail. Meanwhile, Cubone and Rayquaza join into a massive skeletal snake that would terrify even the most experienced Pokémon trainers.

Bringing together some of gaming’s most beloved icons, Casey’s Guts’ crossover Pokémon are extremely faithful and imaginative. The evolutionary lines of Hoggy, Tanuee, and Rokikiri all reflect the long gaming histories of Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario, and The Legend of Zelda franchise. The three creations also manage to form a believable trio of starter Pokémon, representing the three basic elements and evolving into increasingly more powerful fighters. By crafting three amazing designs and original evolutions, Casey’s Guts will have gamers wishing for an actual Pokémon crossover game.

Source: Casey’s Guts/Twitter

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