The Marvel vs. Capcom series is never really out of the minds or the hearts of the fighting game community. Even with no new entry in the legendary collaborative franchise on the market, games such as Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 continue to have an extremely loyal fan-base and competitive presence.
With the recent news that Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will be a main stage Evo 2023 title, fans and players alike will undoubtedly be revisiting the 2011 game to practice up before the big show. With that in mind, we decided to take a closer look at an aspect of the game that doesn’t really get a lot of attention — but absolutely should. Here are the best alternate costumes in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
In Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, characters come equipped with six base colors to choose from. Each fighter also has a DLC alternate costume that they can pick up and use, with the exception of Magneto who was given an alternate outfit, but had it pulled due to a bit of controversy.
The list we have here isn’t in any particular order, but I have limited the choices to just 10 as there are so many great costumes to choose from and talk about. At the end of the list, you’ll also find a handful of honorable mentions.
It isn’t often that Capcom pulls from the original Street Fighter title when it comes to additional content. Street Fighter 2 is known as the grandfather of competitive fighting games, and though Street Fighter 1’s importance cannot be denied, it usually isn’t talked about much more than for it being the debut of several of the iconic world warriors we know and love today.
That being said, Capcom went all the way back with Ryu’s alternate costume in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, making the poster boy look a lot like he did back when he first debuted on August 12, 1987. It’s a more simplistic look (which is the motif of some of the other costumes on this list), but it looks great, and Ryu even gets his old karate shoes back with this outfit.
Next up we have big brain M.O.D.O.K., or “Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing” if you prefer. Years before he starred in Marvel Studios’ latest film Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, M.O.D.O.K. was a playable character in the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 series, and his DLC costume is too awesome not to make this list.
With this alternate outfit, M.O.D.O.K. does his best impersonation of Elvis Presley rocking slicked back hair, big sunglasses, and the joystick on his chair even changes to look like a microphone. This costume is actually a reference to his look in comic book series “Nextwave,” specifically issue #11, and this version of M.O.D.O.K. is nicknamed “M.E.M.P.H.I.S.” likely due to the city’s connection with Presley.
The zombie-killing protagonist of Capcom’s Dead Rising Series, Frank West, is no stranger to wearing ridiculous and over the top outfits. In his own series of games, West is capable of finding and equipping all kinds of different clothing, armor, and more, and he even once dressed up as Cammy from Street Fighter.
Among the different outfits you can find and assemble in the game, a full-fledged Mega Man outfit can be equipped by Frank in the original 2006 Dead Rising title. In Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Frank gets this same Mega Man outfit, and though Mega Man isn’t playable in the game, it’s always fun to dress up other fighters in his armor. Oh, and Frank’s Mega Man getup looks even better than it originally did back in Dead Rising too.
Morrigan first made her big splash on the scene in Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors back in 1994, and today, she is one of Capcom’s most popular and recognizable characters. This sensual succubus, by default, has an elaborate costume that she wears in battle, with large wings, stockings with tiny bats on them, and a low-cut bodysuit rounding it all out.
Yes, it’s not often that we get to see Morrigan don her “Casual Friday” look in a fight, but Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 grants players the opportunity. Morrigan looks just as sexy in her billowy white shirt and red leather pants, and while this outfit is usually relegated to win animations, it’s a real treat that we can actually use it in combat here.
This costume happens to be one of my personal favorites on the list. Wolverine is one of the X-Men’s most savage team members, and the short ball of rage is easily one of the most popular and recognizable mutants Marvel Comics has ever created.
Those familiar with Wolverine’s origins at all know that he was put through the Weapon X program in which his skeleton was bonded with adamantium making him even more of a threat than he usually is. This Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 costume takes after Wolverine’s great escape from the Weapon X facility in the 1991 comic book story arc, and his iconic look featuring his helmet connected to various medical and research devices translates over to UMvC3 exceptionally well.
Though Frank West’s alternate outfit already adds a Mega Man costume to this list, there’s another one that is even better looking and far more infamous to talk about. Zero is one of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3’s playable fighters, and one of his looks sees him pretty much transform into Mega Man X.
This costume looks so much like X that when it was first revealed, some fans thought that he was also being revealed as a playable character in the game. But alas, he was not, and instead we have this totally awesome looking Zero alternate costume that made us all dream of what it would be like to see Mega Man in a Marvel vs. Capcom game again — ya know, before Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite dropped.
Storm is the majestic and powerful weather goddess of the X-Men, and though she is elegant in the way she presents and conducts herself, ol’ Ororo Munroe also had a rebellious side at one point. There once was a time where Storm defeated Callisto in combat and became the ruler of a large community of mutants who hid away from the world as outcasts called the Morlocks.
With this new leadership position, Marvel Comics gave Storm one of the best designs the X-Men has ever seen in her killer mohawk look. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 brings this costume to life in the game as Storm’s DLC costume, and the black leather not only looks completely badass on her here, but it also makes her white mohawk absolutely pop.
I, like plenty of other folks out there, am a sucker for the retro style content in fighting games. When the developers pay tribute to past versions of characters and iconic moments in their history, it is always a real treat.
That’s why this 90s-style Dormammu makes the list here as it is not only an amazing design, but Capcom and Marvel did an excellent job putting it together for the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 series. This one looks great in action, and what makes it even cooler is that the overall design feels more like something we’d see out of the 60s rather than the 90s, which I am a big fan of.
Speaking of the 90s, is there any X-Men era that is more iconic than Jim Lee’s 90s mutants? Don’t get me wrong, there are some absolutely remarkable X-Men sagas and series, but it often feels like fans think of those amazing 90s X-Men designs when they think of the standard for the X-Men.
That having been said, Phoenix’s alternate costume sees her ditch her green and gold bodysuit for her full-on 90s getup. With this iconic outfit, Phoenix becomes Jean Grey, and the yellow and blue costume just looks incredible in UMvC3.
Last, but not least, we have the magic that is “Cablepool.” Those of us who played Marvel vs. Capcom 2 know that its sequel brought about a very important omission — there is no Cable anywhere to be found.
Well… if you’re really itching to represent Cable when you play Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, you can do so with Deadpool’s “Cablepool” alternate costume. This design is pulled from the Deadpool & Cable Vol 1 comic book series, specifically issue #26, and though it’s definitely more on the silly side, it’s an awesome nod to one of the most prominent characters in Marvel vs. Capcom history.
• Akuma — Cyber-Akuma
• Amaterasu — Darkstalkers’ Talbain
• Chun-Li — Street Fighter Alpha Chun-Li
• Haggar — Final Fight 3 Haggar
• She-Hulk — Lawyer
• Tron Bonne — Servbot
Which are your favorite Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 alternate costumes? Let us know in the comments below.
Costume screenshots via Marvel vs. Capcom Wiki.
