Until recently I always believed a "clone" was a game that was almost identical to another, right down to the level design. For example I would consider Mole Kart on IOS to be a Mario Kart clone, or Cartoon Land 3D Safari to be a clone of Super Mario 3D Land. Or i would consider Super Mario Brothers 2 to be a Doki Doki Panic clone, or how Farmsville is a clone of Farmtown (Apparently. I've never played either so i don't know for sure)

But recently the term seems to be getting used a lot more, especially with games like Playstation All Stars and LBP Karting. But what makes these games clones that doesn't also make Diddy Kong Racing a clone of Mario Kart? Or Mortal Kombat a clone of Street Fighter? 

Basically how much can a game get away with copying before it's considered a clone?

According to some people, a game is a clone of the biggest game in it's genre. Doesn't matter how different it plays.

so true.

A clone (IMO) is completely copying the aesthetic and feel of another game but failing to replicate the soul the

made the original game what it was, if you can immediately can draw similarities between the two games without

playing them one of them is a clone. PASBR and LBK fall in this category IMHO

Here's how to tell.

Could you take the newer game, switch out the sprites or character designs, make a few minor gameplay tweaks (and level redesigns, if applicable), and have a game practically identical to the old game? Then it's a clone.

Take Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale - if you switched out the Sony characters for Nintendo characters and switched the damage meter to percentage rather than HP, you'd think you were playing Smash Bros. That makes it a clone.

Note that implementation issues aren't factored in. A clone can be far better or far worse than the original in terms of gaming experience. "Clone" isn't necessarily a negative term, although many will use it negatively. As an example, many would probably call the original Metroid a Kid Icarus clone.

if gameloft releases it, it's a clone

I think the strict definition of clone is good enough and that LBPK/PSASBR don't fit it at all. I would call them something like style emulation, since they clearly loaded up Mario Kart/SSB respectively to base it on but did set out to make their own game.

lol nice one.  Atleast they are well made.

Sharing details other than genre mechanics that dont "need" to be shared. Dante's Inferno is clone of God of War. Period. There are alot of details in that game that could have been changed but stayed.

"if you can immediately can draw similarities between the two games without playing them one of them is a clone"

This is also agreeable. Means you did not do a good cover job.

This thread is clearly just made as damage control over the fact that Sony makes immitation brands.