Ok, ok, I get it: Monster Hunter is Godzilla-huge in Glorious Nippon. They can’t get enough of the stuff. For the past month or so, it seems like that’s all I ever hear about — we get tips about it all the time, and I can’t seem to escape the TV commercials for the recently-released Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. Up until now, I’ve been resolutely refusing to be interested in the game because a.) if it’s popular, it’s the law that I have to dislike it, or I’ll lose my street cred and b.) I honestly don’t know that much about the franchise.
Well, stupid old Capcom broke me down with a brand new trailer for Monster Hunter Tri (that’s the Wii-exclusive one). It looks cool, and not just “for a Wii game.” It looks cool in the way that says that three million Japanese people must be on to something.
If the title of the franchise doesn’t make it obvious, Monster Hunter is kind of like MMO Pokémon for “adults”: there’s no Pokedex, but the goal is to guide your up-and-coming hunter to glory by battling monsters and completing quests. All of the Monster Hunter games (Tri included) feature online multiplayer, allowing you to team up to tackle the biggest monsters.
I use quotations around the word “adults” because, while Monster Hunter seems to be a deep, fully-fleshed action-RPG (with the trailer to match), everyone knows that only children play videogames, and that only the most childish children play them on the Wii. Waggle is kids’ stuff, amirite?
Monster Hunter Tri will be out in Japan at the end of the month, but publisher/developer Capcom has been tightlipped about a North American or European release.
Assuming it does make it over here, are you guys willing to pay monthly fees to play it? Hit the jump, watch the trailer, and then let me know in the comments.
[Via Gamekyo]
