EVO Japan was a big event that happened over this past weekend. There were many ups and downs during the various tournaments, and like every EVO event it really was a nice conflux of the various different cultures in the fighting game community both between different games and different nations. But that’s not what you’re here for, you’re here for the trailers! EVO had a couple of those too, with the one making the most waves being, by far, the reveal trailer for Hulk and Shuri for Arc System Works’ next fighting game, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls.
Hulk and Shuri are part of Captain America and Iron Man’s Avengers team, as expected. While Hulk is an obvious pick Shuri is a surprise over Thor or, as social media has erupted over, her brother T’Challa the Black Panther. But Arc System Works has gone out of their way to say they want some less represented characters in the game, which is how we’ve arrived to Peni Parker, Danger, and now Shuri.
Hulk is, amazingly, not a grappler like Potemkin. While he does appear to have a hit grab that recreates the iconic smash scene from Avengers, Hulk seems to be more of the armored brawler type, similar to how he played in Capcom’s Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. His long buttons with armor properties as well as his various charge moves will make him a hard hitting character with a lot of options to power through enemy attempts to keep him out.
Shuri is a faster character, and her extensive usage of a spear means that her buttons will likely mean she can dominate at neutral, and it appears that Shuri has a few options in the air to delay or change her air tragectory altogether, making her hard to anti-air.
A big reveal for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and while some of ArcSys’ choices have been controversial so far nobody can accuse them of not taking risks with the roster! Now all that’s left are Ghost Rider’s team which will likely take inspiration from Marvel’s Midnight Suns, as well as Dr. Doom’s team which will obviously be all villains.