[HTML1]

Crossovers are a rare occurrence in the world of video games. There's a lot of legal mumbo jumbo that takes place between developers when deciding how to best represent the brands involved, but Nintendo has emerged as a company that knows how to get it done. Super Smash Bros., Sonic & Mario at the Olympic Games, and even a handful of Mario-centric sporting titles have all featured big-name third-party characters, and that trend doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Sega and Nintendo in particular have had a very close partnership as of late; so close, in fact, that a deal to bring a grand total of three exclusive Sonic the Hedgehog games to the Wii U and 3DS was announced last year. Sonic Lost World was the second game in this deal to hit store shelves, with the third scheduled to be Sonic Boom, and there's some very special content coming to the aforementioned Lost World.

Confirmed in an exclusive reveal by IGN, Sonic Lost World will be receiving downloadable content based on the beloved Legend of Zelda franchise. Unlike the previously released Yoshi's Island DLC, this content dramatically changes up the formula of the Nintendo-exclusive Sonic title. Gone are the iconic rings and animals that are traditionally so prominent in the franchise, because they've instead been replaced by heart containers and rupees from The Legend of Zelda. Sega even took it one step further by decking out the blue blur in the traditional green attire that the hero of time often finds himself in.

Hyrule has been loving recreated in a homage to several Zelda titles too, with plenty of recognizable characters (such as Link himself) from throughout the franchise's illustrious history appearing during the brief trailer. Fans can look forward to the removal of that pesky time limit, a dungeon to explore, and even more — although they sadly won't be brandishing the Master Sword at any point in the new campaign.

All of this seems interesting, but some gamers may be wondering how much this will cost them. Well, actually, it won't cost fans anything. This content is being made absolutely free to those that already have a copy of Sonic Lost World, which is in line with the price point for the previously mentioned Yoshi's Island content. It's far from a bad deal for Sonic fans or those awaiting the arrival of the new Zelda game on Wii U, and they won't be waiting long either because the content is scheduled to hit the Wii U eShop on March 27, 2014.

What do you think of the new Zelda-themed DLC for Sonic Lost World? Do you think this content is a smart move by Sega and Nintendo?

___

Sonic Lost World is available now, exclusively for Wii U.

Follow Riley on Twitter @TheRileyLittle.

Source: IGN