Monster Hunter

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This article is about the series. For the first video game in the series, see Monster Hunter (video game).
Monster Hunter
Genres Action role-playing video game
Open world
Developers Capcom
Publishers Capcom
Platforms PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Windows, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, iOS, Nintendo 2DS
Official website http://www.capcom.com/monsterhunter/
Promotion of Monster Hunter at the Tokyo Game Show 2010

The Monster Hunter (モンスターハンター Monsutā Hantā) franchise is a series of fantasy video games that started with the game Monster Hunter for PlayStation 2. The series is developed and published by Capcom. As the title suggests, the player takes the role of a hunter in a fantasy environment and completes quests by hunting out specific kinds of monsters to kill or capture. The series has branched out into PlayStation Portable games and a massively multiplayer online game. In Japan, the Monster Hunter series is immensely popular, and it has gained a cult following in the United States, with the port Monster Hunter Freedom (known in Japan as Monster Hunter Portable) and its sequels, Monster Hunter Freedom 2 / Monster Hunter Portable 2nd, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite / Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd and an online game called Monster Hunter Frontier Online selling millions of copies, and Monster Hunter Tri becoming the highest-selling third-party Wii game in Japan.[1] Since the series debuted, it has sold 26.8 million units as of December [2] There is also an anime based on the spin-off game Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airu Village and a book called Monster Hunter EPISODE (モンスターハンター　EPISODE~).[3]

Gameplay

Games

Below is a list of games in the Monster Hunter main series. Each generation has a number of entries that are derivative of the original release.

Main series

First generation

Title Details
Monster Hunter

Original release date(s):
  • JP March 11, 2004
  • NA September 21, 2004
  • PAL May 27, 2005
 Release years by system:
2004 – PlayStation 2
Notes:
  • First game in the Monster Hunter series
Monster Hunter G

Original release date(s):
  • JP January 20, 2005 (PS2)
  • JP April 23, 2009 (Wii)
 Release years by system:
2005 – PlayStation 2
2009 – Wii
Notes:
  • Released only in Japan
  • An expansion of the original title
Monster Hunter Freedom

Original release date(s):
  • JP December 1, 2005
  • NA May 23, 2006
  • PAL May 12, 2006
 Release years by system:
2005 – PlayStation Portable
Notes:
  • Released in Japan as Monster Hunter Portable
  • First game in the series to appear on a Handheld Console
  • Based on Monster Hunter G

Second generation

Title Details
Monster Hunter 2

Original release date(s):
  • JP February 16, 2006
 Release years by system:
2006 – PlayStation 2
Notes:
  • Released only in Japan
  • First game in the series to add the use of gems.
Monster Hunter Freedom 2

Original release date(s):
  • JP February 22, 2007
  • NA August 29, 2007
  • PAL September 7, 2007
 Release years by system:
2007 – PlayStation Portable
Notes:
  • Released in Japan as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd
  • Based on Monster Hunter 2
  • New weapon classes include Long Sword, Gunlance, Hunting Horn, and Bow
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

Original release date(s):
  • JP March 27, 2008
  • NA June 23, 2009
  • PAL June 26, 2009
 Release years by system:
2008 – PlayStation Portable
Notes:
  • Released in Japan as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G
  • An expansion of Monster Hunter Freedom 2

Third generation

Title Details
Monster Hunter Tri

Original release date(s):
  • JP August 1, 2009
  • NA April 20, 2010
  • PAL April 23, 2010
 Release years by system:
2009 – Wii
Notes:
  • Released in Japan as Monster Hunter 3 (tri-)
  • First game in the series to include underwater battles
  • New weapon classes include Switch Axe and Medium Bowgun
  • Weapon classes Dual Swords, Gunlance, Bow and Hunting Horn were removed
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd

Original release date(s):
  • JP December 1, 2010
 Release years by system:
2010 – PlayStation Portable
2011 – PlayStation 3
Notes:
  • Has an overall more eastern setting compared to previous games in the series.
  • Released only in Japan
  • Missing weapon classes returned (Dual Swords, Gunlance, Bow, Hunting Horn)
  • PS3 Edition is high definition remastering of PSP Edition.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

Original release date(s):
  • JP December 10, 2011
  • NA March 19, 2013
  • PAL March 22, 2013
 Release years by system:
2013 – Nintendo 3DS/Nintendo 2DS
2013 – Wii U
Notes:
  • Released in Japan as Monster Hunter 3 (tri-) G
  • An expansion of Monster Hunter Tri
  • Features new monsters and locations
  • Weapons brought back in Portable 3rd remain.
  • Bowgun customization returned to second generation mechanics
  • Wii U Edition is high definition remastering of 3DS Edition
  • 3DS edition has 3D graphics
  • Cross-platform play between both versions

Fourth generation

Title Details
Monster Hunter 4

Original release date(s):
  • JP September 14, 2013
 Release years by system:
2013 - Nintendo 3DS/Nintendo 2DS
Notes:
  • Announced on "Nintendo 3DS Conference 2011" (September 2011)
  • Released only in Japan and South Korea.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

Original release date(s):
  • JP Fall 2014
  • NA Early 2015
  • EU Early 2015
 Release years by system:
2014 - Nintendo 3DS/Nintendo 2DS
Notes:
  • Announced on "Monster Hunter Festa 13" (January 2014)[4]

Spin-offs

Title Details
Monster Hunter Frontier Online

Original release date(s):
  • JP June 21, 2007
 Release years by system:
2007 – Microsoft Windows
2010 – Xbox 360
Notes:
  • Differs from other games in the series by being a full-fledged Multi-player Online Game.
  • Released only in Japan and South Korea
Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airu Village

Original release date(s):
  • JP August 26, 2010
 Release years by system:
2010 – PlayStation Portable
Notes:
  • Released only in Japan.
Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airu Village G

Original release date(s):
  • JP August 10, 2011
 Release years by system:
2011 – PlayStation Portable
Notes:
  • Based on and expanded from Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airu Village
Monster Hunter Dynamic Hunting

Original release date(s):
  • JP June 1, 2011
  • NA June 1, 2011
  • PAL June 1, 2011
 Release years by system:
2011 - iOS
Notes:
  • First game in the series to be on the iOS systems
Monster Hunter Online

Original release date(s):
 Release years by system:
2013 - PC
Notes:
  • Second Monster Hunter, Multi-player Online Game in cooperation with Tencent and Capcom
  • uses Crytek's CryEngine 3
  • Free-to-play business model
  • Beta in China will begin on July 6, 2013
  • Currently planned to be released only for PC
  • Announced by Crytek to be released worldwide but later removed their statement from their blog for reason unknown
Monster Hunter: Frontier G

Original release date(s):
  • JP April 17, 2013
 Release years by system:
2013 - PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U
2014 - PlayStation Vita[5]
Notes:
  • Not yet announced to be released outside Japan.
Monster Hunter Frontier G2

Original release date(s):
  • JP July 10, 2013
 Release years by system:
2013 - PC, Xbox 360
Notes:
  • Not yet announced to be released outside Japan.

Related media

Anime

A series of anime shorts titled MonHun Nikki Girigiri Airū-mura Airū Kiki Ippatsu was broadcast beginning August 10, 2010. A sequel, MonHun Nikki Girigiri Airū-mura G, is currently in production.[6]

Monster Hunter: Frontier G contains armor and weapons from the anime Fate/stay night's Saber and Archer.

Monster Hunter: Frontier G contains armor and weapons from the anime Sengoku Basara's Masamune Date and Yukimura Sanada.

Monster Hunter: Frontier G contains a Hatsune Miku hairstyle, armor, and weapon.

An anime titled "Haganai" features people playing Monster Hunter on PlayingStates Portable, an obvious stand-in for the PlayStation Portable.

An anime titled "Haiyore! Nyaruko-san" depicts Monster Hunter related stuffs.

An anime titled "Ixion Saga DT" based on Capcom's online game features many Monster Hunter references.

An anime titled "Gin Tama" had an arc that featured it's characters playing an online game called "Monkey Hunter" which replaces the monsters in Monster Hunter with monkeys.

The beginning of Episode 6 in the anime titled "Chūnibyō Demo Koi ga Shitai!" clearly depicted the main protagonist playing Monster Hunter.

Monster Hunter is also shown in the commercial bumper of the anime titled "Seitokai no Ichizon".

Several other anime also featured Monster Hunter.

Manga

A manga titled Monster Hunter Orage was published jointly by Kodansha and Capcom in April 2008. The author of the manga is Hiro Mashima. There are four volumes total with the last volume published on May 4, 2009. An English release of Monster Hunter Orage first took place on June 28, 2011.

Card game

A trading card game titled Monster Hunter Hunting Card was released in October 2008 with periodic updates planned.[7]

Film

In 2012, it was reported that Resident Evil director Paul W. S. Anderson might direct a film adaptation of Monster Hunter.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Fletcher, J.C. (2009-08-13). "Monster Hunter 3 is Japan's best-selling third-party Wii game". Joystiq. Retrieved 2009-08-13. 
  2. ↑ Platinum Titles. CAPCOM (2013-06-30). Retrieved on 2013-08-23.
  3. ↑ "MONSTER HUNTER｜モンスターハンター 公式ポータルサイト" (in Japanese). Capcom(Japan). Retrieved 2011-07-06. 
  4. ↑ 2014-01-26, Monster Hunter 4G Announced for Nintendo 3DS, Siliconera
  5. ↑ 2013-09-18, TGS: Monster Hunter: Frontier G Announced for Vita, IGN
  6. ↑ "Monster Hunter Nikki Anime Shorts Get Sequel". Anime News Network. 2011-04-07. Retrieved 2011-06-04. 
  7. ↑ "Monster Hunter becomes a card game". andriasang. August 22, 2008. Retrieved December 10, 2010. 
  8. ↑ Paul W. S. Anderson to direct Capcom's 'Monster Hunter'?

External links

Main series
Freedom series
Spin-offs
Others
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