Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is the best tag fighter out there right now

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For years, fighting game fans have been waiting for an arcade fighter such as Marvel vs Capcom. In the ‘90s, it was known for its screen-filling special effects as a variety of X-men and Marvel characters beat each other up. It was fun to both play and watch, as you crowded around the arcade machine.

For the longest time it seemed to be a pipe dream and the first reveal of Marvel Tōkon seemed too good to be true. Arc System Works not only brought in signature spectator spectacle aspects, but also made it a surprisingly accessible, technically proficient and challenging tag-based fighter that packs an enormous punch. Enough to punch up and beyond the already crowded market for fighting games.

The story is quite Mortal Kombat -esque, with that signature premise of fighters chosen to balance the fate of the universe. A mysterious entity known as The Champion moves world to world, seeking challengers to defend their planet from annihilation. With Earth as its next target, challengers have been chosen in the form of the Avengers, X-men, Guardians and even a team-up of our favourite villains under the banner of The Knights of Doom, led by Dr. Doom with Magneto, Green Goblin and others.

There is also a rogue team, featuring everyone’s favourites, Deadpool and Loki. With these teams assembled, they take on The Champion.

This is told in a cool sequence of comic panels, which are closer in aesthetic to manga given Tōkon ’s deep Japanese influence that Arc System Works has brought to the table. The story itself was thoroughly enjoyable, mixing in a healthy amount of science mumbo-jumbo, infused with the combined powers of our heroes.

This results in quite a Marvel fan outing, providing an adequate excuse to team up and pummel the other team. Think of the story mode as your warm-up to find your favourite team-ups so you can take the fight online or on the couch with all your friends watching.

If you have seen Avengers , there are several points where the team works together. One is Thor and Hulk bringing down a leviathan together — the point where the crowd goes wild in theatres. That is the effect Tōkon tries to bring to this genre and succeeds.

Tōkon takes the usual one-on-one fighting game format, but adds in a four vs four tag mechanism. During the fight, you have a dedicated button to call in your other teammates for a co-move that you can execute together. As a result, some organic super moves positively fill the screen, and the best part is, the system is so fluid that it works all the time.

You not only have tag moves, but you can also call in your other teammates in the middle of the fight. While the game is easy to get into, to master the game, is to master your team selection.