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Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, limited edition 3DS launches next month [Update]
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate will launch on February 13 worldwide, Capcom announced during this morning's Nintendo Direct livestream. The game will be accompanied by its own themed (new) 3DS XL, featuring a brushed silver cover and blue logo. The latest Monster Hunter game launches on the same day as the standard, red and black versions of the new 3DS. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (Monster Hunter 4G in Japan) is the updated version of Monster Hunter 4, which first launched in September 2013 in Japan. 4G reached Japan in October 2014. Update: Nintendo offered a new trailer for the game, found after the break. Additionally, GameStop announced that the Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate 3DS XL will be exclusive to the retailer, and is available for pre-order today. The system will come with the game pre-loaded on it for $230, and customers will have to pay for the bundle in full upon pre-ordering it. [Image: Nintendo]
Team up with Chun-Li, Blanka-themed Palicoes in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
Lest you somehow be underwhelmed with the crossover wardrobe planned for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate's Felyne Palicoes, Street Fighter-themed outfits inspired by Chun-Li and Blanka are the latest garment options announced for your sidekicks. The above announcing trailer was shown during yesterday's Capcom Cup tournament, and yes, that Blanka Palico is wielding a giant fish for its weapon. Would you have it any other way? While the hunter outfits shown in the trailer's player cards resemble Dhalsim and Guile, Capcom Unity notes that they're "not a special bonus or anything" – rather, they "show how versatile the character creation system can be." If you're wondering what MH4U's crossover collection is up to at this point, announced hunter and Palico outfits will play tribute to Mario, Luigi, Link, Samus, Isabelle, Mr. Resetti, Sonic, Taiko Drum Master, Mega Man and the design strengths of Tetsuya Nomura. Hunters and Palicoes can start trying things on when MH4U reaches the States next year, complete with a collector's edition. [Image: Capcom]
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate ships 2M in Japanese debut
Enhanced re-release Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate has already hunted and gathered two million shipments in Japan after hitting retail shelves four days ago. Capcom specified the figure as shipments rather than direct sales to consumers, but it does include download purchases. The early data suggests Capcom's on course to meet its projection of 3.9 million units for the 3DS action-RPG. After all, Ultimate isn't out in North America and Europe yet, and the original Monster Hunter 4 was limited to Japan. If Ultimate does go on to reach that figure it won't be far off the success of its predecessor, with Capcom noting today Monster Hunter 4 shipped more than 4.1 million copies - just to reiterate, that's in Japan alone.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate's wardrobe involves Mega Man, Tetsuya Nomura
Lest you worry that your battle-accompanying Felyne (or Palico, as Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate refers to them) fight beside you without armor recalling your favorite classic series, Capcom has revealed another aesthetic crossover for MH4U. Players will be able to forge replicas of the Blue Bomber's iconic armor for their Palico friends, as well as arm them with a weapon seemingly made from the skull of Rush, Mega Man's four-legged robotic sidekick. For those more keen on Tetsuya Nomura's legacy of character design, MH4U will also feature a pair of outfits designed by the longtime Final Fantasy contributor. The crimson-hued suit of armor seen in its debut image also bares resemblance to two images tweeted by Hidemi Matsuzuka, director of Square Enix's Play Arts Kai brand of figures. At the time of this writing, pricing and release details for the figure are absent from Matsuzuka's feed and the Play Arts Kai store. We do know, however, that fans can hunt down Mega Man apparel when MH4U lurks onto the 3DS in early 2015. [Image: Capcom]
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate gets a Metroid injection
It's more of the Samus, but not as you might expect. As revealed in today's Nintendo Direct for Japan, the latest Nintendo collaboration for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate brings Metroid-style gear to Capcom's multiplayer action-RPG. Capcom Unity along with Nintendo of Europe then indicated the Metroquipment is headed to the Western versions of the 3DS game, too. Details are sparse at present, but as Siliconera reports, Nintendo's Direct stream tied the collaboration to Wii title Metroid: Other M. According to Siliconera, players can undertake quests to hunt down what's needed to make both the Varia and Zero suit as well as the Arm Cannon-like weapon featured in a new trailer - you can check out the vid below the break.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate gears up with new Nintendo Direct
Like a hunk of raw meat rotating over a campfire, Nintendo is turning up the heat ahead of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate's release in Japan with a new Direct broadcast. Nintendo of Japan announced the game-focused stream is due to air on Wednesday, October 8 at 8PM Japan time (that's 4AM ET, 7AM PT and midday UK). To tune in, point your clickers and eyeballs here. Given that the 3DS action-RPG hits Japan's retail shelves later this week and there's no word yet from Nintendo of America or Europe on a concurrent stream, chances are there's only a Japanese version of the broadcast. That said, the Ultimate version of MH4 is the same one that'll mark the game's debut in the West in early 2015. So, as long as you don't mind the language barrier, the video should offer an extended look at the latest edition of Capcom's multiplayer beastie-besting series.
Dress Felynes as Isabelle, Mr. Resetti in Monster Hunter 4
Isabelle, Animal Crossing: New Leaf's helping-hand extraordinaire, and Mr. Resetti, champion of game resetting ethics, are both potential teammates in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, provided you're willing to dress up Felynes for either cameo. Capcom Unity paired the announcement with a trailer of both characters in action, which is waiting for you after the break. Felynes donning Animal Crossing outfits won't break the illusion with their meow-based language either – when worn, the Isabelle and Mr. Resetti costumes seem to grant instant fluency in Animal Crossing Gibberish. Players will also be able to make Isabelle's clipboard and Mr. Resetti's pickaxe, because where would either character be without town ordinances or find-you-anywhere tunnels? Capcom Unity's post encourages fans to look forward to these costumes as well as "other special collaborations" when MH4U's massive wildlife prowls the States in early 2015. Hopefully those "other" crossovers will include the Mario costume released for the vanilla version of MH4 ... Update: Our cautious optimism toward Link's tunic and weaponry was needless, as the hero's equipment has been confirmed for the Western release of MH4U, as reported by IGN. [Image: Capcom]
Spend $60, get a Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate supply box of treats
If you look at Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and wish reality would mirror its beastie-besting ways of big swords and even bigger swords, then Capcom's $60 collector's edition may be for you. Unveiled for North America this week, along with the 3DS game it bundles in a "translucent" Gore Magula figure, a Felyne pin, a lanyard dotted with colorful icons, and an emblazoned cleaning cloth (because why not we suppose). To top it all off, the whole lot is presented inside a blue supply box like the one in the game. Sadly, the box doesn't also include potions, whetstones and a torch, or any raw meat for that matter. More raw meat in all collector's editions, we say - nay, we implore.
Celebrate 10 years of Monster Hunter with a $29,213 Felyne
After a decade of swinging massive weapons at unfeasibly large dinosaur creatures, Capcom has decided to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Monster Hunter with a 24k gold statue of the series' adorable Felyne mascot. According to Siliconera, the anniversary statue depicts a Felyne wearing full Rathalos armor and smirking in that simultaneously adorable and infuriating way that only bipedal cats can. It stands 3.5 inches tall, 2.16 inches wide and has a depth of five inches. Despite only weighing about a quarter of a pound, the miniature statue is made of solid gold, which means this little Felyne has an asking price of 2.99 million yen (about $29,213). It's currently unknown if the statue will remain exclusive to Japan or if it will also be available in other regions. If you desperately need gold Felynes in your life and would rather import than wait, keep in mind that Capcom has instituted a strict "10 statues per customer" limit. [Image: Capcom]
Hori's 3DS accessory gives one hand a second circle pad
One of the bigger issues with playing a Monster Hunter game on the 3DS is the hand cramping that accompanies the game's camera controls. As discussed in our Deja Review of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, the Circle Pad Pro add-on is essential for the 3DS version of the game, and now Hori is taking the concept for the accessory and tweaking it for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (4G in Japan) players. Dubbed the Extended Slide Pad, Hori's new accessory adds an extra shoulder button to the right half of the 3DS or 3DS XL and a second circle pad to the left half for players' nimble index fingers to take hold of. The controller add-on also adds a "ZL" shoulder button to the underside of the 3DS near its Monster Hunter 4G branding, turning compatible games into a workout for players' left hands. There are two versions of the Extended Slide Pad controller, one for 3DS and another for the 3DS XL, and each cost 2,980 yen ($29). The accessory will arrive in Japan on the same day Monster Hunter 4G launches, October 11. [Image: Hori]
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate to be playable at Tokyo Game Show
Grab the biggest sword you can find and drag it along to this year's Tokyo Game Show in September, because Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate will be playable at the Japanese expo. You probably won't need the sword to play the upcoming 3DS action-RPG, but if you want to cut those queues you can [JOKE REDACTED] Details-wise, 4Gamer (via Gematsu) reports attendees can face off against the game's new main beastie in the TGS demo. Also, Capcom confirmed a new Monster Hunter Festa will deliver more monstrous celebrations to the country, but specifics are yet to be announced.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate coming to Japan in October
In Japan, Capcom slapped a release date on Monster Hunter 4G today, provoking millions of the country's 3DS owners to circle October 11 in their calendars. The expanded version of the 3DS action RPG is the same one headed west as MH4 Ultimate, bringing the game to North America and Europe for the first time when it hits in early 2015. As we saw at E3, among other things Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate brings jump attacks to the game with the Insect Glaive. The new weapon allows adventurers to propel themselves skywards, pogo-stick style, which sounds like way too much fun. Players who successfully pull off a jump attack enough times can then literally take monsters for a ride by climbing on top of it to inflict more damage. [Image: Capcom]
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate gets the cutest weapon
Forget giant swords and menacing clubs, the winner of Capcom's Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate weapon design contest is a regal little Poogie sitting atop a majestic throne. Dubbed the "Emperor's Speech," this unwieldy yet adorable hunting horn was designed by fan Lin Setzekorn. According to the designer, the weapon is modeled after those adorable porcine creatures which serve as something of a Monster Hunter mascot, and have little purpose beyond making even the most hardened of monster slayers squeal with childish delight. Setzekorn leverages this trait for the Emperor's Speech, as its official description claims the horn emulates a Poogie's plaintive oinks, thus raising the morale of nearby hunters. As reward for winning the design contest, the Emperor's Speech will be included in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate when the game debuts early next year. In the meantime, enjoy the above footage of the Emperor's Speech in action. [Image: Lin Setzekorn]
Joystiq Weekly: Battlefield 4's launch, an Entwined review, E3 previews and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Joystiq celebrated its tenth anniversary of existence this week, which means ... we're teetering on that edge of middle school angst? No, no, we're thankfully immune to that. What it does mean is that we're still alive, and we think being alive is pretty okay! While the site has presumably made it this far because of its content, quality isn't sustainable on its own – we've been able to write news, produce videos, record podcasts and talk about video games for years because of all of you. Whether you stop in every day, have only read a single breaking news story from us, or you've just fallen down an impressive wrong turn on the Internet and have no idea why you're here: Thank you. Your patronage is a huge part of why we get to cover this industry, and we look forward to creating compelling content for you for another 10 years. Speaking of content, there's a ton of it this week: EA CEO Andrew Wilson addressed Battlefield 4's launch, we have reviews for Entwined and Pushmo World, and there's an avalanche of written previews and video interviews from E3, all waiting for you in a neat pile of bulletpoints. Dive in after the break, right after you drop off our presents next to the cake.
Monster Hunter reaches new heights with bug-shooting pogo stick
To some, each subsequent version in Capcom's Monster Hunter series only adds a few new beasts, weapons and gear while maintaining one core concept: Slaying large, ferocious creatures in lengthy quests. As series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto told Joystiq at E3 last week, "you have to keep the key elements intact but you also want to innovate, you also want to add some freshness." "Freshness" means more than just Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate's four new monsters and weapons (two apiece), but indicates Capcom's drive to improve the ways players explore and interact with the game's environment. "We tend to, on the design side, just think of things that we as players want to do in these worlds but are unable to do in the current state," Tsujimoto said. Looking back at the last game to launch in the west, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, the developer opened up the game to underwater sequences, introducing beasts like Gobul to spotlight submerged battles.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate welcomes you to the jungle
According to 1994's Ice-T tour de force Surviving The Game, the most dangerous game is man, but this new Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate trailer presents a convincing argument that the most dangerous game is, in fact, gigantic carnivorous reptiles. [Image: Capcom]
Capcom plans to sell 3.9 million more copies of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
Alongside Capcom's financial report for the 2013 fiscal year yesterday, in which it revealed an increase in net income by 15.9 percent year-over-year, it also offered some projections for the upcoming financial year (ending March 31, 2015). Given the continued success of its Monster Hunter brand, Capcom projected sales of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate to reach 3.9 million units in North America, Europe, Japan and other Asian countries. The game will reach the west in early 2015. Additionally, Capcom reported that its strategy for mobile includes the launch of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on iOS this month. The PSP game went free for PlayStation Plus users in March. Capcom also plans to launch another mobile game in the series this year called Monster Hunter Smart. The company noted strategies for PC in Japan and other parts of Asia, namely by introducing the beta phase of Monster Hunter Online as well as Breath of Fire 6 this summer. The latter was announced in August 2013 for PC, iOS and Android, whereas the former is the result of an April 2013 partnership between Capcom and Tencent to bring the free-to-play MMO to PC players in China. Lastly, Capcom mentioned plans to "develop titles exclusively for online games," specifically mentioning Deep Down for PS4, a free-to-play game first announced in September. [Image: Capcom]
Capcom sales up 8.6% thanks to Dead Rising, Monster Hunter
Capcom reported net sales of 102,200 million yen ($1 billion) for the fiscal year that ended March 31, an 8.6 percent increase over the previous year's sales. The publisher also announced a net income of 3,444 million yen ($33.8 million), which amounts to a 15.9 percent increase year-over-year. Capcom attributed some of its increased profits to its Monster Hunter 4 sales in Japan as well as that of Dead Rising 3 for Xbox One. It shipped over four million copies of Monster Hunter 4 as of December, as well as one million copies of Dead Rising 3 by the end of 2013. The publisher also reported a 1.5 percent increase year-over-year in operating income to 10,299 million yen ($101 million) as well as an ordinary income of 10,946 million yen ($107 million) for the year. For the next fiscal year, ending March 31, 2015, Capcom projects net sales of 80,000 million yen ($786 million) and an operating income of 10,500 million yen ($103 million). [Image: Capcom]
Monster Hunter 4G trailer plays in the sand
It'll be a long while before the next Monster Hunter game arrives in the West, so fans have plenty of time to gaze longingly at new trailers for upcoming games Capcom dishes out for Japan players. In this case, a new Monster Hunter 4G trailer emerged this week, putting the game's many beasts on display primarily in sandy locales. Monster Hunter 4G was announced in January for Japan and is only listed as a 3DS release. The game will offer players the ability to transfer their save files from the previous game, Monster Hunter 4, for use in 4G. Capcom reported in February that Monster Hunter 4 sold four million copies since it launched in September. North American players will have to wait until early 2015 for their shot at the game's new monsters; that's when Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is slated to launch in the West. Meanwhile, Capcom is hosting a design contest to challange fans to craft their own weapons for the game and is accepting submissions until May 5. [Image: Capcom]
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate contest asks fans to design weaponry
We've got the rest of 2014 to wait before Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate enlists Western audiences in its latest clash with oversized wildlife, but fans can begin crafting their dream-tier weaponry right now. Capcom Unity's Community Specialist Yuri Lindbergh has announced a competition where participants will submit design and name ideas for weaponry, the winners of which may be featured in MH4U. Capcom will select one victor from the Americas and one from the combined regions of Europe, New Zealand and Australia. Only one entry is allowed per person though, so make sure you submit the prime choice from your daydreamed arsenal to contest (at) capcom (dot) com. You'll need to title your email as "MH4U WEAPON DESIGN," and the design must be based off one of the 14 weapon classes present in MH4U. Submitting concept descriptions of up to 100 words is allowed, but not required. Participants also need to be 18 or older. Capcom is accepting submissions until noon EST on May 5, so there's no need to rush through creating your masterpiece. Winners will be awarded with a to-be-determined digital prize, though its monetary value will be $0. You can check out the rest of the contest's terms & conditions here before you start flexing your creative muscle. [Image: Capcom]
