Volcano Trailer

BY ARCHON AND ZANZIBAR

Monster Hunter Tri Volcano Trailer

April is Monster Hunter Facebook profile picture month

BY ARCHON

The Official Monster Hunter Tri Facebook fan page is promoting a "Monster Hunter Profile Picture Month" for April to promote the release of the game this April 20th. Will you be participating? What will your profile picture be?

Monster Hunter Tri: Drive Thru

BY ARCHON AND ZANZIBAR

Monster Hunter Tri Trailer from 2009

BY ARCHON

This Monster Hunter Tri Trailer is an oldy but a goody. Clocking in at over 3 minutes long, the great mix of breathtakingly gorgeous pre-rendered cut-scenes, action packed bits of gameplay footage, and the epic music all combine to send geeky chills up my spine. Watch this and you won't be able to tell me that you don't want this game

Better Know a Weapon Part 4- The Long Sword

BY ZANZIBAR

So the big idea here is the more you cut the stronger it gets and then you unleash your built up energy in a flurry of attacks. Basic combo is overhead slash,thrust, rising slash.  The Long Sword (LS) also has an evasive slash to make up for it's lack of blocking ability, with the wiimote/nunchuck combo or CC (Classic Controller) set to attack with the right stick you can control which direction you dodge after your slash with twist of the wrist or flick of the thumb. Setup 1 with the CC only had a backwards dodge.

The thing is if your using set-up 2 on CC or Wiimote combo then you don't have the right thumbstick to adjust the camera; hopefully this will be fixed by release. 


The the spirit gauge will fill up and glow red at it's peak this is the time to unleash a spirity combo by repeatedly hitting R on the CC. This combo has a tremendous amount of power behind it with each slash doing 120% of normal damage.  The running speed while the weapon is out is faster than the Great Sword and falls in pretty close to the middle as far as all weapons are concerned. The attack speed is fairly quick with good reach and the evasive slash can be combed into from any attack giving it good mobility.  


Happy Hunting.


Check out our other weapons guides here:
Great Sword
Sword and Shield
Hammer

Capcom attributes sales increase to Monster Hunter Tri

BY ARCHON

Capcom's 2009 fiscal year (which ends this month) was looking to be tough one. Who could blame them in this economy? However, it looks like they posted a net sales increase of 5.9% for the 9-month reporting period ending in December of 2009.

And how do they account for this gain? They attribute it to the massively successful release of Monster Hunter Tri in Japan of course! If all of Nintendo's marketing for the North American release is effective, I don't doubt they see the same jump in sales come this April 20th when Monster Hunter Tri is released here in the U.S.

link to original story by Aj Glasser, GamePro

New Split-screen footage

BY ARCHON AND ZANZIBAR

Here is some great new footage of Monster Hunter Tri's split-screen multiplayer. They are trying to take down one of the monsters featured in the demo; The Great Jaggi.

Video Games | Monster Hunter Tri | Great Jaggi Takedown Gameplay

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Better Know a Weapon Part 3-Hammer-time

BY ARCHON

Monster Hunter Tri's hammer is a slow-moving (but not as slow as the Great Sword) mostly offensive weapon with a wide range of attacks.

 

Unsheathe and strike upward in one motion by pushing "x" while moving forward. Hitting "x" while standing still will prompt your character to simply retrieve the weapon from his back (though any time I'm getting out a hammer I'd want to come out swinging!). Hitting 'A' will trigger a quick horizontal strike that stops directly in front of your character; 'X' will result in a downward horizontal strike, and hitting 'A 'and then 'X' in quick succession will yield a quick two hit combo.

 

If you successfully land a downward strike, keep hitting 'X' for up to a 4 hit combo as you strike at your enemy and hit the ground, dealing elemental damage as well.

 

For many weapons holding down "R" will cause your character to block. The hammer has no blocking move so make good use of your dodges and dashes to get out of harm's way. Instead, tapping or holding "R" for a second or two triggers a wide horizontal (almost diagonal-upward) attack. Keep holding "R" and your character will crouch into position and charge this attack. Hold it long enough to see a quick flash from your hammer, and you can release a devastating spinning attack perfect for clearing out those pesky jaggis. You can even move (at a pretty good pace too) while charging this attack! Be careful though as after releasing this your character is vulnerable for a few seconds while regaining his balance. Keeping this spin-move charged also depletes your stamina.

 

This weapons has medium to short range. It has none of the reach of the Great sword or the Long sword, but it on par with the switchaxes and outreaches the simple Sword and Board (shield). Oddly, it looses effectiveness and must be sharpened after a while. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to put a nail in a board and had to stop to sharpen my hammer just to get the job done!

 

The Hammer is one of my favorite weapons and has a satisfying mix of power and varied attack. Try taking it out on your next hunt!

Monster Hunter Tri Monster: Gobul

BY ARCHON

New videos featuring the terrifying underwater Gobul. I am NOT looking forward to facing that thing, and when I do I'll make sure to have friends with me to help take him down.

Monster Hunter Tri Demo Qurupeco walkthrough

BY ARCHON

Someone from Capcom-unity has posted a video that serves as sort of a walkthrough of the  Qurupeco hunter on the Monster Hunter Tri Demo. There are a lot of ways to approach a hunt and your technique will most definitely vary depending on which weapon you choose, but this video is helpful none-the-less. He takes down this difficult monster rather quickly using a switch-axe (the first several times I tried this hunt I ran out of time) and imparts techniques and tips that were both new and very helpful to me, being a Monster Hunter n00b.

For instance, did you know you can roast two steaks at once? Did you know that you can jump off a cliff at a certain point in the demo and end up in a completely new area? I didn't!

 While this is not a step by step of how to beat the Qurupeco, following his lead with bring you a lot closer to victory

Better Know a Weapon Part 2-Great Sword

BY ZANZIBAR

The Great Sword (GS) is an extremely powerful weapon in Monster Hunter Tri with tremendous reach. This is counterbalanced by it's slow attack spead and the slow movement rate that comes with the weapon when drawn. It also has a block function that works well in providing some defense. It's attacks aren't varied but they all have a function. The overhead swing is the default attack and can be charged for alot of damage if it connects. The 2nd blow is an attack with the flat side of the blade and causes blunt damage that will go towards making the target dizzy. Finally the end of the 3 hit combo is a horizontal slash that hits a wide radius around the hunter, great for getting little jaggi off of you. The other combo is to start with a kick, this is done with the plus button on the classic controller and then hit x this brings up the flat side attack and can be used quicker than if you did an over head swing to flat blade combo.  The final attack is a rising slash that is done with a combo of X+A on the classic controller, great for floating Qurupeco's,it can be combo-ed into from the overhead slash.

Great Sword tip, you can roll at the end of any of your swings to cancel much of the time that you would be stuck waiting to return to a neutral state, this is great for repositioning yourself, evading an attack or cancelling a misjudged swing.  The underwater attack are identical to their land based counter parts.  


Happy Hunting!

Official Monster Hunter Tri Facebook Page

BY ARCHON

So various Monster Hunter facebook groups and fan pages have been created by fans of the series, but just recently an official Monster Hunter Tri Facebook fan page has surfaced. Most of the post are written in dialect, presumably my Ironbeard McCullough himself. Here is a recent update.

"Ya know, there's one monster that I simply canna slay, and it's called "Daylight Savin's Time." If yer village dunna use it, consider yerself lucky. But while it may have threw me biological clock off kilter, that dunna mean it can stop me Dangerous Guides t' Monster Huntin'! This time, we're lookin' at the Gobul, a spiny angler fish/frog/balloon beastie, who uses its whiskers to lure in prey. So if yer not careful, it can literally get away by the hair of its chinny-chin-chin!

Oh, and there's some new videos t' watch of the Gobul in action! So go watch 'em! And make sure yer clock is correct!"

Click here to be directed to the fanpage.

Better Know a Weapon Part 1-Sword and Board

BY ZANZIBAR

1st in a 9 Part Series

The sword and shield (S&S)is the go to weapon set for versatility in melee combat. It sports the fastest attack speed of any weapon in the game along with having the fastest walking speed while the weapon is drawn as well. This is balanced out by having one of the lower attack power, 4 or 5 swings with the sword and shield combo is roughly equivalent to one swing of the great sword.

S&S has a basic 4 hit combo with 3 sword swings and a shield bash to it, there is also a horizontal slice to vertical ascending that is good for hitting things overhead. The shield can even provide some offense with a 2 hit combo . Underwater things change a little with a 3 hit combo or a shield hit followed by vertical slash that makes you rise up.  The thing to note is any time you connect with the shield it counts as blunt damage rather than slicing, if you can get some head shot with it then it will daze your quarry giving you time to get some extra damage in.

On the defensive side you do have your shield which you can use to block with, it's not as complete as the lance's shield and you will stagger and take a hit to your stamina so watch out! You can attack out from behind your shield but it's only one hit and it leaves you open. The last thing to note with this weapon set is that you don't have to sheath your weapon to use most items, simply block like normal and use your potion or trap at the right time and your ready to go.  Happy Hunting!

Monster Hunter Tri Hands-on Impressions

BY ARCHON

My impressions of the Monster Hunter Tri Demo were written from the point of view of someone who had never before played a Monster Hunter game. I think this is a valuable viewpoint but my guess is that there are thousands of people out there who have tried their hands at Monster Hunter back on the PS2 or on the PSP and want to get a taste of what the game might be like for them. Well Greg Miller over at IGN.com posted some of his impressions of the game (not the demo). Here are some of his thoughts along with a link to the full story if you'd like to read more.

"Monster Hunter Tri has me more excited for this series than any other entrant I've tried"


Speaking about the classic controller vs the wiimote-nunchuck controls: "Each and every review (of the previous Monster Hunter games), I complain about how rotating the camera via the D-pad is a slow and arduous process that leads to lowly Velociprey killing me. So to have the freedom today to swing that right analog stick and have the camera follow while one button snapped the camera to my back was incredible. "


"There are new weapons, new areas, and new monsters. In fact, only three monsters are returning from prior games."


And the comment that really caught my eye: "...after my short, short demo of Monster Hunter Tri, I can honestly tell you that I've never been more excited for a Monster Hunter game..."


Click here to read the full article

New Multiplayer Gameplay Footage

BY ARCHON and ZANZIBAR

Some new footage of  Monster Hunter Tri in action has surfaced. This video shows a pretty good example of how multiple players will team up online and work together to take out monsters.

Monster Hunter 3 Demo Impressions

BY ARCHON

So by now I've put quite a few hours into the Monster Hunter Tri Demo and feel I have a pretty good feel of everything, well enough to give my impressions on it. Keep in mind that these are the impressions of the demo and of course not the final game. Just to give you an idea of where I am coming from on this, though I'm very excited for this version, it is my first ever Monster Hunter experience.

My first two hunts I tried my hands at the wiimote-nunchuck control scheme. No doubt this would get easier with practice, but I had a really hard time with it. I think that might be a combination of my inexperience with the game, the complexity of the controls in general, and the control scheme itself. You move your character using the joystick, move the camera (an essential and constant function in Monster Hunter) using the D-pad. A-triggers your attacks, and twisting the wii-mote left and right changed your attacks. I might give this control scheme another shot sometime, but I have a classic controller, so I plugged that in and have been using it ever since. For some reason mapping the camera to the second joystick (I did have to invert both x and y axises on the camera controls for it to feel right) makes all the difference. I recommend this over the wii-mote and nunchuck setup. If anything this has solidified my decision to spring for the classic controller pro bundle version of the game.

I started out with the sword and shield (the first option it gives you) since that seemed like a good balance of defense and offense. I walked around the starting area pressing all the buttons just to see what they'd do: I drank three potions in a row, swiped my sword madly in the air a few times, dove to the left, threw a flashbomb, then set down to roast a steak...yeah...it was productive.


Thinking I had a handle on the controls I rushed into battle, taking a look at the map in the corner of my screen to direct me to my target. It indicated a blue dino-shape a few fields off so I headed that way in earnest.

I have to say that the visuals in this game are breathtaking. I mean really really gorgeous. I think its the beautiful backdrops that first caught my eye with towering mountains and hazy oceans stretching before you. I also noticed that the character models are fantastically smooth, very detailed and fluidly animated. That goes for the monsters as well.

It is games like this that really highlight how lazy most other developers of wii games are. The price of the beauty I suppose are the load times while traversing in between the different areas of the map. As soon as you leave one area for the next you are confronted with a loading screen. It only stays up for one to three seconds but it really serves to break up the experience, which is too bad. After sinking many more hours into the game I have to say that the loading screens became less annoying. I just sort of feel them as part of the rhythm of the game at this point. If the load times are the price I have to pay for the amazing graphics, I'll happily pay.

Gameplay is engrossing, rewarding, but perhaps most noticeably, VERY challenging. At least for a Monster Hunter newby. Getting a handle on the controls for ridiculously huge and lumbering swords and hammers; and knowing when to dodge and how not to put away your weapon on accident (I did this SO many times) was a huge challenge for me. After my 4 or 5th failed battle I really started to get the hang of it and I have to say, successfully landing a huge blow to an enemy and watching him stagger back is fantastic! I think my advice on this front is to stick with it, as once you get the hang of controls everything starts to flow and the game really opens up and is really incredibly fun.

The single player is certainly a blast, but it is easily apparent how this game is even better while playing with friends. There was many a battle when I needed to run off to the side to sharpen my blade or down a potion only to get knocked over by the monster. Having a friend to two to distract and keep up the damage for these times would be a big help.

Overall I am really pleased with the demo and have gotten a ton of time out of it. An amazing value considering the price (free). So if you haven't already, go pick up a copy at your local Gamestop (the demos are free to all no matter what they tell you) and start hunting. My only hope is that the full game eases newcomers into the experience a little better (it no doubt will) and has a stronger emphasis on exploration and crafting, of which you only get a taste in the demo.

Well I've written far more than enough on this. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to use the comments section on this post.

An Oldie but a Goodie

BY ARCHON and ZANZIBAR

Monster Hunter Tri trailer from 2008 still impresses.

Ironbeard McCullough Strikes Again!

BY ARCHON AND ZANZIBAR

Monster Hunter 3 Demo Walkthrough Part 2

BY ARCHON and ZANZIBAR

Part 2 of the Monster Hunter Tri Walkthrough from Gametrailers.com. Watch Part 1 below first!

Video Games | Monster Hunter Tri | Demo Walkthrough Part II

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Monster Hunter 3 Demo Walkthrough Part 1

BY ARCHON AND ZANZIBAR

Monster Hunter 3 Demo Walkthrough (Part 1) from Gametrailers.com

Video Games | Monster Hunter Tri | Demo Walkthrough Part I

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

My First Hunt

BY ZANZIBAR


Well after much searching I finally got my hands a hold of the elusive Monster Hunter Tri demo disc.  I went with the classic controller for what I thought would be simplicity's sake. I chose the Great Jaggi Hunt,a really big raptor creature, just to get my feet wet.  The disc gives you a selection of 10 different characters each with a unique weapon. I chose the great sword cause the character was in some impressive looking red armor.  The instructions that come with the demo are for wiimote and nunchuck so after making sure I can accomplish all the moves listed I felt confident enough to seek out my quarry. 

A look at the minimap show that he was on the other side of the map so off I went. I pass by several creatures, lumbering herd beasts,lil jaggi,and some tiny cat people. The vistas in this game are fantastic with sweeping cliffs and towering mountains.  After traveling over a mountain I arrived at the hunting grounds where my quarry awaited.  My opponent had numerous allies, a huge tail,claws, teeth, and a really nasty hip check. I had a humongous sword.  Our battle raged back and forth with both of us giving ground, the beast would flee to another area when it didn't have the upper hand or was wounded to complicate matter. But after blowing all of us up with a barrel bomb, chucking potions and flinging poo at it to give me a breather to sharpen my weapons the Great Jaggi final fell to my blade. The game congratulates you and sends you back to the start. 

So I've probably spent a good solid 4 or 5 hours playing this doing both hunts with all the weapons, Jaggi has fallen to all but I'm still working on Qurupeco for all  weapon types.  This game does not hold your hand by any stretch of the imagination. There is no lock on for helping aim at your enemies. Once you start an attack you are committed to it to the very end and one wrong button press has landed my flat on my back or worse several times.  Each weapon handles very differently and there is quite the learning curve just to feel like you won't stab your self in the foot. That being said it's extremely rewarding when you land a huge combo and knock that critter upside down.

I've definitely got some favorites among the weapons, the switch axe  is  a great combination of power, speed, and has great range, it lacks a bit on the defensive side but hopefully that will be where other people come in.  I have a feeling that certain encounters will heavily favor one weapon type over another and I look foward to see what else Capcom has to offer us. In the mean time go pick up a demo for yourself,they should be at all Gamestops by monday, and leave us some feed back on your impressions.

Happy Hunting.

Demo Discs Come Early for Some!

BY ARCHON

Demo discs of Monster Hunter Tri are being distributed at some Gamestop locations early! Accounts of demo disc being early rather than the scheduled release date of March 8th, began popping up on video game forums and blogs. Obviously anxious for a chance to try my hands a being a Monster Hunter well before the game release date of April 20th, I decided to stop by one of my local Gamestop locations on my way home from work.

Lo and behold, a demo disc free for the taking! I asked the guy at the counter if any of the demo discs for the new Monster Hunter 3 game were available. He informed me that demo discs are only available for people who pre-order the game from Gamestop. THIS IS FALSE!!! A rampant misconception since Capcom first released word about the demo discs. They are free to all!

I informed the guy working the counter that I had looked it up and that the demo discs were free to anyone regardless of whether or not they pre-ordered the game. He was very polite, went over and read something on the back of the box-display containing the discs, said "Sorry, I was mistaken" and handed me a copy. I thanked him and left the store.

The first thing I did was call up ZANZIBAR and let him know. The second was to drive home and plug in the game. Stay tuned for impressions of the demo!


UPDATE: I spoke with ZANZIBAR who tried obtaining a copy of the demo disc from his local Gamestop with no luck. So it seems for the moment that some stores have it and some don't. It's up to you whether the possibility of an early demo is worth the trip.

Monster Hunter Tri Website is Live

BY ARCHON

The Monster Hunter Tri Website is Live and features the same wise-cracking Irish-Scottish huntsman from the commercials featured below in the blog. It provides information about the game including monsters, weapons, and news as well as screenshots and videos of the game in action. While I don't think I would have guessed the humorous approach that Capcom and Nintendo have taken to promote this Monster Hunter Tri, I think it has potential to draw a lot of new attention to the franchise and to the game.

What kind'tov a pansy hunter goes out to shoot wee 'ittle animals?

BY ARCHON

Another Monster Hunter Tri Ad for your enjoyment and amusement
"Tis easy t' call yerself a hunter when yer chasin down a wee animal who can barely reach high enough t' bite yer knee. But that doesn't mean a ARE one, ya minces!"