3DS: Monster Hunter 3U

Okay, so I admit I love Monster Hunter. I may not be the best hunter but I certainly taught a few people about the game and even got a couple hooked. When I saw Mh for the 3ds I squealed my fan girl squeal and picked up both the Wii U version and the 3ds version. For the sake of fairness this review is for the 3ds version ONLY due to not everyone wanting two copies.

Okay, so it's considered an expansion by many due to it sharing the same "story" as Tri (and being called 3U), that's how I would sum it up.  However, it's a darn good expansion.  The game added the bow, gunlance, and dual swords while keeping the ones from Tri around, increasing your weapon choices, and it also adds new monsters, from oldies like Plesioth and Pink Rathian to new ones like Duramboros and Zinogre from 3G (which was Japan only). It even tacked on a kind of lock-on for your convenience of knowing where your target is, my only complaint is that the lock-on seems to be there for those without the circle pad pro, as it just temporarily locks on. That being said I highly recommend the circle pad pro otherwise you could have trouble moving while moving the camera to keep up with that large monster trying to eat you. It is more of a convenience rather than a necessity so it's up to the individual there.

The gameplay is a sharp as ever, your character is responsive (despite the motion reactions to eating, potion drinking, etc), the hit boxes are accurate and they even fixed the horrible Plesioth hit boxes from his psp appearance. The visuals are gorgeous and the 3d is very well done as well. The touch screen makes customization very nice.  You can either keep it traditional, or clean up the main screen by putting your health and map on the touch screen, or do a mix, or whatever floats your boat.

Now, there are bad points to the game, for one, no online for the 3ds version.  A hazard if you're like me and you want to play with people but no one's nearby.  Not a deal breaker but it does make online a wee bit harder.  You do get an additional shakalaka pal Kayamba, so it's not all bad, but it does get irritating when you go g-rank and they can't take hits, making it pretty much a solo experience.  My other issue is that there is a lack of control customization.  That makes some weapons, like the bow, a difficult thing to get used to due to not being able to customize the buttons to make it a comfortable weapon.  A minor issue, practice makes perfect.

Overall, I would recommend this to many people, mh fans and newcomers alike.  It's different enough from Tri that it very much feels like a fresh experience with plenty of additional content.  I just wish it had online multiplayer.

8/10 stars