Category Archives: Monster Hunter

Introducing the Monster Hunter 10th Anniversary Community Game-Along!

As another month comes to a close, it’s time to start thinking about next month’s Community Game-Along! March is a bit of a toughie, considering some big releases are coming such as Dark Souls II, Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD, and Deception IV: Blood Ties (okay, that last one’s for me). As such, it was rather difficult to come up with a good theme that people could participate in while still having time to play all the exciting new releases.

After much deliberation and considering your suggestions, I’ve decided to dub March… MonMonth! As you’ve probably already guessed from the title, March will be dedicated to all things Monster Hunter and its clones. Let’s face it, Monster Hunter has proved to be so popular, particularly in Japan, that it has pretty much become its own genre of games. Rather than limit the month to specifically Monster Hunter games, especially considering how notoriously difficult the series is for newcomers, I’ve decided the best way to celebrate would be with any Monster Hunter-like titles. And did you know March 11th also happens to be the 10th anniversary of the original Monster Hunter for the PlayStation 2? Good timing, eh? (I swear it was all according to plan)

If you’re scratching your head for ideas of what to play, here are a few places to get started:

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (3DS, Wii U) – The most obvious pick, Monster Hunter 3U is the latest Monster Hunter game to come out in English, and the Wii U version even supports online play for hunting with friends all over the world. Whether you’re new to the series or looking to raise your hunter rank a few levels, this is a great place to start. Those who speak Japanese and/or want to be on the cutting edge should definitely check out Monster Hunter 4, as it’s the first portable Monster Hunter game to have solid online connectivity. If you’ve always wanted to try a Monster Hunter game but have always been too intimidated to dive in, I highly suggest picking up Culty’s Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide!

Don’t forget to check out MyFairHunter.com for some great gameplay videos and tips!
(source)

Toukiden: The Age of Demons (PS Vita) – If you want to be on the cutting edge of the English release side of the gaming spectrum, look no further than Toukiden. This feudal Japanese monster hunting game only just came out on February 11th and has been met with a very positive reception so far. If Monster Hunter is too intimidating, this would be a great place to start, especially considering the online multiplayer should still be bustling throughout March. It’s also worth noting that the game has a robust demo available, and save data transfers over to the full version, so it’s a great way to check the game out before committing to a purchase.

Soul Sacrifice (PS Vita) – Soul Sacrifice is Keiji Inafune’s attempt to get a piece of the Monster Hunter pie, but it manages to set itself apart in a number of ways. The game’s aesthetic is much darker than its hunting brethren, and it has both a unique magic system and a save vs. sacrifice mechanic that effects your character’s growth as well as appearance. Like Toukiden, Soul Sacrifice has a free demo available that provides a good 5+ hours of gameplay, and save data is compatible with the full version of the game. If you’re lucky and have a PS+ account, you may even already have a copy of this one! In addition, the game’s sequel, Soul Sacrifice Delta, will be launching in Japan during MonMonth, making a it a timely release to pick up if you want the latest and greatest.

Ragnarok Odyssey (PS Vita) – Without a doubt, Ragnarok Odyssey is the anime-ified cousin of the Monster Hunter series. While Toukiden is steeped in Japanese lore and Soul Sacrifice goes for a dark, almost gruesome look, Ragnarok Odyssey is all about bright, colorful, fantasy anime worlds. It also happens to be on sale on the North American PSN store until Monday, March 3rd, so for $20 or less you too could jump in on the MonMonth festivities. The only thing to keep in mind with this one is that an updated version, Ragnarok Odyssey ACE, will be coming out on April 1st, but luckily save data from Ragnarok Odyssey does transfer over to ACE. Fans of colorful games and juggling enemies may want to check this one out.

The great thing about Monster Hunter games and their brethren is that you really don’t have to “complete” them to get the full experience, which is why I think they’ll be great for such a busy gaming month. This will also be the first month where participants can actually play the Game-Along titles with one another, which should make it even more fun than previous Community Game-Alongs!

UPDATE: I’ve made a Google Doc for folks to add their Friend Codes and IDs to to facilitate multiplayer sessions, so be sure to add yours to that if you’d like to participate!

As always, the aim of the Game-Along is to play games within the theme and talk/write about them, so be sure to utilize #MonMonth on whatever social media (Twitter, Instagram) you like to use! We’ll also be using #MonMonth to organize multiplayer gaming sessions, and I hope to see a lot of folks trying out some games for the first time and writing about their experiences! I’ll be doing two roundup posts of articles and content created over the month, so be sure to put your contributions where I can see it if you want it included. If anyone is interested in helping me with a NeoGAF thread for the month, please get in touch with me in the comments.

So what are you waiting for? Pick out a title or two and get ready – the hunt commences March 1st!

Plush Felyne Slipper Review

Today I’m going to try something a little different… A slipper review! But these aren’t just any slippers, of course, as they feature the very adorable kitty mascot of the Monster Hunter series, Felyne!
I guarantee by the end of this post those soulless eyes will start freaking
you out (if they don’t already)

I received these as a Christmas present from my mom, and I have to say, even though it’s the middle of the summer here in Australia, I can’t help but want to wear them around the apartment. They’re just so cute!

But cuteness if only half of a premium slipper package. And, in the case of character merchandise like this, there’s always the possibility of bootleg items. Let’s take a closer look: 
First, can I say that the little tail on the back is the most adorable detail? Anyway, the label looks legit, even though it’s sewn on rather crookedly. 
The tag, however, makes it clear that this is definitely official Capcom merchandise with that fancy gold Capcom seal. You know you’ve got something special when you can’t even throw the tag away! That, or you’re me.
Aside from being made from a very soft, fluffy fabric, the slippers come with an anti-slip bottom. My house is fully carpeted so I don’t really have to worry about this, but it’s nice to have if you live in a place with lots of wood floors or other slippery surfaces!  
Here’s what they look like on. I don’t think I’ll be able to stop looking at my feet! The felyne heads are extremely well sewn, and it really feels like I’m stomping around on a pair of plush toys with how cushy they are. Of course, they are built with Japanese feet in mind, so if you have larger feet they unfortunately probably won’t fit. I generally run about a size 8 (25 centimeters), and my heel is just at the very back of the slipper. 
One last thing: check out how big the front of these are! They’re not called plush slippers for nothing. Using the universal measurement of the PSP case, they are a little more than half a PSP case tall. 
The only aspect I wasn’t able to “test” was their durability – I haven’t worn them all that much, so I can’t speak to how well they hold up over time. But they’ll only set you back $10 at Jlist.com, and for that price, they’re definitely a steal for Monster Hunter fans! They even have Felyne’s black kitty buddy, Melynx, for those who prefer the pink x black color scheme. 
How can you say no to that face
Finally, for those of you who are bummed that you won’t be able to fit into these tiny Japanese slippers, they also have Felyne and Melynx earmuffs! If it actually got cold enough where I live to necessitate owning earmuffs, I would’ve definitely picked up a pair by now.

Hopefully my Felnye slippers will keep me happy and my feet warm for years to come! 

Venturing into the Unknown with Culty’s Monster Hunter Gunner’s Guides

After giving Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on the 3DS a whirl and even dipping my toe into the recently-released Monster Hunter 4, I can confidently say I’m a converted, albeit casual, fan of the Monster Hunter series. I say casual because, well, I haven’t been able to put more than 20 hours into either (which is peanuts compared to the hundreds of hours one can spend on these games) and I haven’t actually had time to play one since the first week of Monster Hunter 4‘s release! For shame, I know. 

But I haven’t been completely divorced from Monster Hunter during my time away, as the fine duo behind Culty have once again come out with some handy goodies for both hard-working and slacker hunters such as myself. 
While Culty’s Beginner’s Guide was perfect for those just stepping forth into the world of Monster Hunter, their latest books focus on helping savvy players become even bigger experts at hunting down all manner of monster by uncovering the mysteries of the gunner classes. 
I’ll admit I’ve never actually tried a gunner weapon, as not only do you need to be much more careful with your positioning on the field and fiddily things such as aiming, but you have to manage your ammo, as well. Sounds like too tall an order for a budding hunter, if you ask me! But Culty’s attention to detail and thorough, straightforward explanations mean that even inept players like me can learn to use bowguns and bows! Pretty neat, right? 
The format of the books, which have been split into bow and bowgun editions, is very similar to the Beginner’s Guide, and nearly every page contains a delightful illustration, making the whole package feel cohesive and professional. Why hasn’t Capcom hired these two yet? 
Due to the more in-depth nature of these guides compared to the Beginner’s Guide, they’ve added systematic exercises, making it easy to try out each weapon class without being overwhelmed. This is by far my favorite aspect of the guides, as it really spells out the steps to getting your head around using bows and bowguns in the field, as opposed to just teaching you the nuts and bolts.  
As an added bonus, those who purchase both guides will receive bonus instructional videos and audio books! I was able to give the audio versions of the guides a listen (click the link for a sample), and though it’s a nice touch, I personally feel that I’d more likely turn to the written guide when I actually go to apply the skills in-game. Since you can get a single guide by itself for $9 and both for $18, which includes the additional videos and audio versions, I’d suggest springing for both so that you’ll always have the extra goodies if you want them. 
More than anything, Culty’s Gunner Guides have gotten me itching to get back to Monster Hunter and put my newfound knowledge of the gunner classes to use. Of course, getting the hang of bowguns and bows won’t be easy, but I have a feeling it will feel like a completely new game after sticking to the switch axe for so long! If you’re like me and wanting to switch up your hunts but too intimidated to make the jump, why not let Culty’s Gunner Guides give you the push you need? 

Anne in Japan 2013: Arcades and Gatchapon

One thing I adore about Japan is the fact that, unlike the United States and Australia (and many other countries, I assume), it still has a very active arcade scene. Every large city, and even many of the smaller ones, have at least one or two arcades equipped with all the latest machines, ranging from titles westerners might know of such as Time Crisis to more obscure Japan-only interactive card strategy games, rhythm games, and crazy immersive Gundam games that look like something taken straight out of a sci-fi film.* While the rest of the world seems content to game at home, I was happy to see that even in 2013, the arcade business still appears to be booming in Osaka. The Taito Game Station in Nipponbashi above, for example, has multiple floors, each dedicated to a different genre of game, making it easy to find your favorites.

My absolute favorite arcade game!

As such, I made sure to hit up as many arcades as possible during my two weeks in Japan! Of course, the first thing I did was make a beeline for my favorite arcade machine: Pop’n Music. The series has gone through quite a few iterations, but all of the machines I saw during my stay were of the Sunny Park variety, which is the most recent machine in the series, having been launched in 2012. I don’t have time to discuss how the game plays at length here, but if you’re interested in learning more, check out the beginning of this post.

Card on left is from Pop’n Music Sunny Park, cards on right are from a strategy
card game called Sengoku Taisen (grabbed for free from the discard pile)

Some of the Sunny Park machines actually had a card slot at the bottom, which meant you could select the option to play one song and get a random character card for 100 yen (approximately $1) instead of the usual 4 songs for 100 yen. I decided to try my luck at getting a cute card, and I wasn’t disappointed! Well, all of the character designs in Pop’n Music are drop-dead adorable, so it wasn’t much of a gamble…

My husband and I also spotted this Rhythm Heaven machine, which, from what I gather, features the same rhythm games as the GBA title by the same name. The only difference here is that the whole package is bigger and louder, and there’s an option for a two-player mode.

one of Amane Nishiki’s victory poses from BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma

I don’t mention BlazBlue all that often on this blog, but I’m what I’d call an “advanced casual fan.” Okay, that doesn’t mean much of anything, but though I like the look of the games and enjoy watching skilled fighters play, I’ve never been compelled to learn how to play it outside of some lighthearted button-mashing. But, when I heard a cross-dressing male character by the name of Amane was going to be in Chrono Phantasma, the latest game in the series, I just had to see him in action in the arcade. Luckily, the arcade version has a cheater’s mode that enables you to mash buttons and pull off all kinds of neat combos that shouldn’t normally be possible, so my husband and I were able to make it all the way to the end of arcade mode with only one credit. I’m definitely going to pick up a copy of Chrono Phantasma when it comes to PS3 – Amane is just too fabulous!

Though not directly related to arcades (though often found at or around them), toy capsule machines, or gatchapon, are another favorite way for me to spend a few of my extra coins in Japan. Many shopping centers have walls of different machines filled with everything from Pretty Cure toys to Alien figurines!

I grabbed a few of these Animal Crossing: New Leaf snow globes as souvenirs – they were quite the hit.

On hindsight, I probably should’ve grabbed one of these adorable Pikachu toys. I love the one wrapping a leaf around his head on the left!

Yes, Funghi really is as popular in Japan as the various campaigns and merchandise lead one to believe. I was amazed to hear that even my host mother knew who Funghi (aka Nameko) was! The machine above is related to the toy gatchapon, but instead of spitting out a capsule, it distributes a sticker sheet out of a slot for the fine price of 100 yen. I couldn’t pass it up!

Of course, we couldn’t pass up a Rilakkuma sticker sheet, as well. Please excuse the blurry photo, but it’s the only one I got of the machine in action!

Here are the fruits of our labor! The Rilakkuma and Funghi sticker sheets were quite extensive, but unfortunately the Hunter X Hunter one pales in comparison. I could barely stop myself from trying to get all the different sheets!

Now, these aren’t exactly gatchapon either, but when you buy one of these special boxed figurines (generally sold at hobby stores and in the candy isle at grocery stores), you have no idea which figure will be inside. There’s something fun about the excitement of opening a toy and not knowing what you’re going to get, but it’s always disappointing when you get one you don’t really like! Luckily, these Monster Hunter Felynes are all kinds of adorable.

The shop that was selling the boxed Felyne figurines was having a promotion where you’d get one free sticker for every Felyne product purchased!

Finally, let me relate a fun arcade experience from my last day in Japan: in an attempt to kill some time and get rid of our extra 100 yen coins, my husband and I headed to a local arcade to try our hand at the crane games. Now, let it be known that I’ve never won anything from a crane game. This time, I was trying for the particular Funghi plush pictured above… the hand of the crane plummeted downwards towards the toy, barely scraping the one I was aiming for. Suddenly, a voice on a loudspeaker exclaimed (in Japanese, of course), “So close!!”

It turns out the arcade had a woman going around helping customers while chattering loudly about their successes into her microphone as a sort of promotional thing. She asked which one I was aiming for and promptly opened up the machine to put it in such an easy to reach spot that I’d have to be totally inept not to get it on my next try. Well, knowing me, that’d be possible… but as you can see from the picture above, I got it!

While I was never expecting to get anything from the crane machines, especially on my last day, it was a sweet gesture and a pleasant surprise. Have you had any memorable arcade experiences in Japan or your home country?

*technically Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senjō no Kizuna is available outside Japan, as it has been made available in a couple of Asian countries, but it was never brought over to the US

Japan Envy: “MonQlo” Monster Hunter 4 x Uniqlo Apparel

I’m going to go out on a limb and say this recent influx of “Japan Envy” posts is somehow correlated to my upcoming trip to Japan in mid-June. Perhaps that’s because every time I see something to be envious about, I actually get to say to myself “Don’t worry, Anne, you’ll be able to buy/eat/do that in June!”… I’m not sure how healthy this mentality will be for my wallet or my suitcase! Well, I hope you all don’t mind a few more “Japan Envy” posts than normal while I’ve got Japan on the brain.

Today I was browsing Roy Blakely’s blog Kotowari (go check it out!), and I came across his recent post about the newly-announced Uniqlo Monster Hunter 4 shirts and boxer briefs. As a recently-converted Monster Hunter aficionado, there’s no way I could pass up the chance to get one (or more) of these fashionable designs:

I would kill for this shirt.

These are just a few of my favorite designs – there are a whopping 19 different shirts in total along with a bunch of different boxer brief designs, so definitely go check them out for yourself! Also, if you buy two or more shirts and/or briefs, you’ll get one of these t-shirt wearing Felyne keychains:

Adorable! The “MonQlo” series will be available at Uniqlo stores worldwide from May 31st. I hope they aren’t sold out by the time I go to Japan!

Mad for Monster Hunter + Culty x Chic Pixel Giveaway!

Monster Hunter may be a series I’ve always found myself interested in, but I never expected to fall for it so hard. I’m eating, drinking, and sleeping Monster Hunter – for the first time in ages, I actually find myself thinking about playing the game between sessions, pining away for the next hunt!

I’ve been trying over the last week to pin down exactly why I enjoy Monster Hunter so much, as at first glance it doesn’t really seem like the kind of game I’d enjoy. Obtuse systems, steep learning curve, and a large emphasis on grinding? Normally, descriptors like these would make me turn up my nose in disgust, but so far (I say this because I’ve only put in about 10 hours, and I’m positive I still haven’t gotten to the real meat of the game) Monster Hunter has been the right mixture of charming ambience, thrilling battles with dinosaur-like monsters, and mindless, yet relaxing, gathering sessions.

First, to clarify, I’m playing the 3DS version of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and since I don’t have a Wii U to connect to the online multiplayer features of the game, my adventures so far have been 100% solo. I also don’t have a Circle Pad Pro, so I’m using the notoriously-frustrating single-stick control scheme… which I haven’t had all that many issues with, surprisingly!

I know many are wary of giving Monster Hunter a shot due to the game’s reputation, so as someone completely fresh to the series, I thought it might be helpful for me to go over my experience with the game so far. Keep in mind that I am no way an authority on Monster Hunter, and I really have only scratched the surface of the game! But, if you’ve always been on the fence, perhaps my impressions will be of some use to you.

Of course, when talking about Monster Hunter, it’s hard to skirt around the supposed difficulty curve and the game’s penchant for sucking literally hundreds of hours away from players’ lives. Why, just the other day my friend and fellow games writer Brad Gallaway declared that he had finished up his review of Monster Hunter 3U, lamenting that he had only put in 75 hours at the time of writing (read it here!). Let me tell you, I can’t even think of a game outside of an MMO that you can put 75 hours into and still not have accessed the majority of its content!

But do you need to put 75 hours in before the game is enjoyable? One thing’s for sure, if the first 10 hours are supposed to be the slow part of the game, then I think I’m going to be in for a real treat from here on out. It cannot be denied that the beginning of the game is a little on the overwhelming side, but a deliberate, systematic approach to learning how the game functions is all that is necessary for learning the ropes (i.e don’t jump into online multiplayer straight away and expect to know what you’re doing!). Oh, and taking some advice from fellow hunters doesn’t hurt!

So, in a nutshell, both of the above statements are true: Monster Hunter can be quite the time sink and it does take a while to get the hang of. But, for me, at least, herein lies the game’s charm. So far, I’ve loved the communal aspect of the game: everyone who plays Monster Hunter is extremely eager to coach newcomers and swap stories with one another to figure out the best way to tackle the game’s many monsters or determine the best armor layout. Moreover, I dare say the Monster Hunter community is one of the best game communities I’ve encountered yet – everyone is so friendly and just overflowing with love for the game, which, unfortunately, seems all too rare these days. Add this to what I believe to be the closest a game has ever come to presenting my ideal fantasy world, and Monster Hunter is a game I am happily looking forward to spending tens, if not hundreds, of hours with.

Now that I’ve gotten my first impressions out of the way, it’s time to move on to the juicy part of this very special blog post: I’m extremely excited to announce that I’ve teamed up with the lovely Sarah and Roy of Culty to give away not one, but two digital copies of their amazing Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide!

You may recall that I wrote about the Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide once before, and now that I’ve spent some time with Monster Hunter 3U, I just can’t stress enough how helpful it’s been. It’s done wonders for enabling me to quickly grasp the various systems presented in the game, and all the information is presented in an interesting, easy-to-understand format. The input they received from different Monster Hunter players is also a great introduction to the wealth of knowledge the community holds, and everyone’s excitement and love for the series is contagious!

So, have I sold you on the game and Culty’s amazing guide yet? Well, I guess you’d like to know how you can win one, right? All you have to do is comment on this post with what interests you most about Monster Hunter (if you’re already playing, just tell me your favorite aspect of the game) before Saturday, April 6th at 9 pm EST to enter! I’ll decide the lucky winners using a random number generator and announce the winners on Sunday. The a PDF of the guide will be emailed to the winners for viewing on your computer or tablet of choice.

Good luck, and happy hunting!

Nutty for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Localization Notes

First, I have a confession to make: I bought Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. On launch day. The eShop version. If you’ve listened to latest episode of The Nichiest Podcast Ever, you’re probably wondering why the sudden change regarding digital 3DS game purchases – to make a long story short, it really does end up a lot cheaper for me, considering I need to import North American games, and I honestly can’t think of a better game to have on you at all times than Monster Hunter. Needless to say, so far I’m loving it!

(source)

While my new-found obsession with Monster Hunter might be a good discussion for a future post, that’s not what I’ve decided to focus on today. Instead, I’d like to talk about a series of blog posts by the localization director of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, appropriately titled “Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate – Localization Notes.”

As someone who’s been involved in translation work and harbors a deep interest in game localization, it’s always a treat to gain some insight into how different companies go about localizing my favorite games. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is particularly intriguing because of all the various monster names –– though not quite as colorful as some of the stranger Pokémon nomenclature out there, localizers like Andrew Alfonso at Capcom have to consider both the Japanese name and the characters of the monster in order to come up with the perfect fit for the English version.

Take this fellow who was featured in the rather obtuse demo Capcom released for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate earlier in the month (seriously, if you’ve never played Monster Hunter before, I really wouldn’t advise trying the demo, as it paints a very poor picture of the game). Its Japanese name is Urukususu, but for the localized versions, the team settled on Lagombi. Their logic was to base the name off the Greek word for hare, “lagos,” and add the “-mbi” at the end to evoke a Bambi-like cuteness. I wouldn’t say Lagombi is particularly cute, but I actually like how the cute name is juxtaposed with its tubby, ferocious, albiet rabbit-inspired exterior.

Andrew discusses this fearsome-looking fellow in the second localization note post for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. The Japanese name, Doboruberuku, is apparently based off words from a number of different languages, so the team decided to follow that theme for the localized name, Duramboros. Andrew explains that the name is based off of three different words from three different languages: Duro (“hard” in Italian), Ambulat (“walk” in Latin), and Oros (“mountain” in Greek). He adds that they were also able to incorporate “ram” to emphasize its massive horns, which I think is a really great touch.

Finally, naming this creepy purple guy took some debating before the Monster Hunter developers agreed. In the final post of the series, Andrew discusses how this Gigginox subspecies was originally going to be the “Copper Gigginox” due to its normal color, but the dev team wanted a name that highlighted how this monster can paralyze hunters with its lightning attack. After some back-and-forth, they finally settled on “baleful,” as the word not only conjures up the color yellow and paralysis, but also has a unique sound to it. Given that their other choices were “Volten” and “Dread,” I think Baleful Gigginox was a great choice!

There are plenty more examples of different names the team had to localize at the blog links I provided, so if you found these descriptions interesting, I highly recommend checking them out! And Monster Hunter fans: what are your favorite monster names? I’m new to the series, but I’d love to hear the names that people find particularly interesting or evocative of the monster they describe.