Anyone who has played any of the Monster Hunter games knows that there are a ton of them. While not all of them are great, there are some that definitely stand out from the pack. And with the new Monster Hunter: World right around the corner, it’s best to look back at some of the beloved previous titles that made us all into the hunters that we are today.
Monster Hunter (2004)
Platforms: PS2
This is the one that a lot of veterans definitely remember. It’s the first Monster Hunter released outside of Japan and the one that gave Western countries a taste of what they’ve been missing out.
It starts with the basics of introducing you to the world itself. Everything from basic quests, hunting for herbs, and learning how to cook starts here. Then the moment players eyed the beasts that they would take down for the first time, majority were awestruck.
It was pretty clear that this was a game that was meant to be played with lots of people. Although you could tackle it alone, it’s pretty obvious that Capcom designed it so that people would actually find others to play with. It’s a good start and one that definitely helps new players understand the basic mechanics that every Monster Hunter would soon have.
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (2009)
Platforms: PSP, iOS
Although one could consider this an expansion, there’s no denying that it’s still awesome. It’s the follow up to Monster Hunter Freedom 2 and it’s a ton of fun to play. It looks and sounds fantastic, the addition of a ton of new monsters and quests that you can go through really ramps up the monster hunting thrill.
Although some will say that the updates are pointless, it’s still a good game to play through. It even fixed a couple of problems such as really long load times by utilizing the data installation option, and even added a special bonus of allowing your Felyne helpers (basically anthropomorphic cats) to aid you in battle.
Monster Hunter Tri (2010)
Platforms: Nintendo Wii
Now, this is the first entry on this list which a Nintendo console is introduced. However, just because it’s on the Wii does not mean that this game is any less hard. In fact, it’s even more engaging than most of the other titles.
Not only that, but it’s a title that has clearly improved over its predecessors. Smoother camera controls, greater visuals, and a great online experience really helped this game deliver. Its difficulty is fair in terms of you requiring to be patient so that you can fully understand the patterns of how each monster attacks. It’s without a doubt one of the more in-depth titles of the franchise, but the next two are the ones that really made the big changes.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
Although this isn’t the first game in the franchise to be on a portable console, it’s certainly one of the best. People who bought this definitely got their money’s worth as the core gameplay is amazing.
In previous Monster Hunter entries, you could only scale walls which had ivy tendrils. Now? You can pretty much climb any ledge that your character can grab on to. This then allows you to jump down on top of a monster’s back where you can repeatedly stab it until you eventually knock it down. It’s an amazing new mechanic that a lot of veterans and new players enjoyed.
If that’s not enough, then there’s the reintroduction of the Felyne companions, a new weapon that allows you to vault into the air, and an improved online multiplayer system really made this one of the best games of 2015 and the Monster Hunter franchise.
Monster Hunter Generations (2016)
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
While this doesn’t exactly fix old problems or introduce a lot of new mechanics, it’s basically a tribute to veteran players and it’s an amazing run of a game.
It gives players more options on how to take down monsters with the new Hunting Styles and Arts. Both of these add a layer of customization that consists of 4 different fighting styles. This alone gives players more depth in regards to which they should pick to take down different monsters.
It’s definitely a love letter for old players where they get to traverse old stages from the previous games. All of this with the added music and action-packed gameplay really makes for one of the best entries in the entire series.
Do you think that there are other Monster Hunter games that deserve to be on this list? Put your thoughts on the comment section below!
