Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls has plenty to recommend it, including energetic 4v4 tag battles and a story mode presented through motion comics. The PC version also appears to have settled after players spent several days reporting problems getting the game to run properly.
Yet the new fighter is missing one of the most recognisable parts of superhero design: meaningful costume variety.
Anime-inspired designs are only the beginning
Arc System Works has brought its distinctive anime influence to Marvel Tokon, an approach that attracted attention when the game was revealed last summer. The results are often striking. Iron Man’s armour has the imposing presence of a human-sized Gundam, while the rest of the roster gains fresh visual identities without completely abandoning its established designs.
That visual direction is one of the game’s strengths. The disappointment is that, for most characters, the initial design is effectively the only proper outfit available.
Colour swaps cannot replace comic-book costumes
Ms. Marvel is a clear example. Rather than offering versions based on her original comics look or the costume from Saladin Ahmed’s run, the game provides several palette changes. Purple, yellow and white variations are available, but they do not particularly resemble outfits associated with the character.
Some colour options do at least suggest familiar alternatives. Mutant characters can use yellow-and-blue combinations, Wolverine can approximate his classic brown-and-tan costume or an X-Force-style black-and-white look, and one Green Goblin palette effectively evokes Hobgoblin.
Other obvious possibilities are absent. Spider-Man’s classic black symbiote suit, Magneto’s white Krakoa-era design and Magik’s New Mutants appearance are not available at present.
The best alternate outfits cost extra
A small selection of genuine alternate costumes does exist, but access is tied to the more expensive editions. Captain America, Iron Man, Storm, Spider-Man and Doctor Doom receive alternate outfits in the Digital Deluxe Edition, priced at $84.99, or the Ultimate Edition, priced at $99.99.
The standard edition costs $59.99. Players who choose it do not receive those alternate costumes and must make do with the game’s green, blue and other palette swaps.
That pricing makes the limited wardrobe more frustrating. Building new outfits that preserve accurate hitboxes in a 2D fighter is more involved than changing the appearance of a character in a 3D arena fighter such as Dragon Ball Sparking Zero. However, the argument is harder to accept when the only proper alternatives are reserved for editions that cost more.
A recurring fighting-game shortcoming
Marvel Tokon is not alone in treating costume changes as an afterthought. Invincible VS, another 2026 tag fighter, also launched with a noticeable lack of outfits. That limitation is somewhat easier to understand because its characters generally have fewer established costume variations. Even so, putting one cosmetic behind a pizza paywall attracted understandable criticism.
Dragon Ball FighterZ, another Arc System Works tag fighter, followed a similar pattern. Goku could not change his gi, although players could apply colours such as green or pink, neither of which is strongly associated with the character.
The issue also recalls Injustice 2. Instead of offering a broad set of alternate costumes for its DC heroes and villains, NetherRealm Studios centred the game’s customisation around gear pieces and colour shaders. Players could try to recreate familiar looks, but the randomised gear system made specific results dependent on chance.
Green Arrow was a particularly frustrating case: a player could spend considerable time with the character and still fail to obtain the hood gear piece associated with the Emerald Archer.
There were positives in that system. Injustice 2 and its predecessor included skins that changed the characters themselves, including Bizarro as an alternative Superman and Reverse-Flash as an alternative Flash. The first game also featured a Green Arrow skin based on the television series Arrow, with the character voiced by lead actor Stephen Amell.
NetherRealm has since moved away from that gear-heavy approach. Mortal Kombat 1 offers a stronger selection of costumes and added several outfits inspired by the 2026 film Mortal Kombat 2.
Marvel has no shortage of inspiration
The missed opportunity is especially obvious with Spider-Man. After watching Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it is easy to imagine how well a suit inspired by that film could fit Marvel Tokon. Tom Holland providing Spider-Man’s pre-match and post-match lines would also have been a natural bonus.
Spider-Man alone has decades of costumes to draw from, and Marvel’s wider catalogue is just as deep. Designs from the Marvel Cinematic Universe would provide enough material for a substantial range of alternatives, alongside the many looks established in comics.
For players building a home setup around fighting games, presentation matters almost as much as the match itself. A good arcade cabinet, dependable controls and a clear display can make a roster’s visual identity part of the experience. The right arcade parts are just as important when a joystick or button needs replacing after serious play.
Marvel Tokon’s striking anime reinterpretations are a strong foundation. The game simply needs to build on them with costumes that reflect why these heroes have remained visually memorable for so long. At present, the roster’s palette swaps feel like substitutes for the real thing rather than a celebration of Marvel’s design history.
For more coverage, explore the RETROCADE arcade blog or browse the arcade video collection.
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