I never expected myself to be here – a 3DS in my hands with the circle pad pro attached and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate in the cartridge slot. Not to mention, the thirst to hunt and make more equipment for my hunter. You see, I have played and gotten into other games similar to Monster Hunter like Toukiden, Freedom Wars, Ragnarok Odyssey, Soul Sacrifice, etc., but I was never able to truly immerse myself in any Monster Hunter game. Sure, I’ve tried Monster Hunter demos and played a bit of it here and there, but it just hasn’t been as appealing to me as Toukiden’s historical Japan theme or Freedom War’s futuristic sci-fi theme. Their learning curve isn’t as steep or difficult as Monster Hunter’s to overcome either. With that being said, I just haven’t been able to get into any of the Monster Hunter games and hopelessly I could not stick with them. What was the most bothersome for me, however, was that I would always be greeted and bump into Monster Hunter related things since it’s under the Capcom umbrella. Knowing nearly everything that falls under the Capcom umbrella, it was quite annoying that I didn’t know Monster Hunter as much as I could have, and I wanted to know what the heck things like the cats or meat meant. So, how was I able to finally get into and stick to a Monster Hunter game? Well, instead of ranting about why I love and can now appreciate Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, let me tell you how I was able to finally get into it and understand what all the fuss was about. Here are the 5 things that made me learn to love Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (MH4U).
1. The Circle Pad Pro/New 3DS
Once you’ve felt the comfort and ease of using an extra circle pad, or the New 3DS’s c-stick, there’s no turning back. Sure, Monster Hunter is playable without the circle pad or c-stick, but I find it pretty uncomfortable and difficult to truly enjoy. While their only function is really for the camera control, it makes a big difference for me to flawlessly control where I want to see. It’s even more critical for particular weapon types that constantly have their camera moving around. MH4U does not have much flat terrain, so you will need to move the camera up and down quite a bit. Without the circle pad or c-stick, you have to either use the d-pad below the circle pad that controls your hunter, or get a finger onto the touch screen to use the virtual d-pad, which I do not fancy at all. While it is possible to get used to the d-pad below the circle pad, or the virtual d-pad on the touchscreen, it definitely takes time and patience.
2. Tutorials and Guides
One of the greatest things about MH4U is its customization options. You can build a whole set of armour from head to toe, then top it off with a weapon of your choice; however, you’ll need certain materials to do so. To get these materials you’ll need to know what creatures they’re from or if you can mine/harvest them. Then you need to know what area the creature, mineral, or plant resides in. There’s also an overwhelming selection of different types of equipment you can choose to make. You see where I’m going with this? Well, this is where a tutorial and/or guide comes in. Even if you’re just simply finding the weapon or armour that suites your play style, or how to make them, that’s your queue to go lookup a tutorial or guide. Trust me; they’ll make your life so much easier. Some places you can get some help with are:
- Reddit (http://www.reddit.com/r/MonsterHunter/)
- Gaijin Hunter (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT84SVapAfSSD_iMfpKbFbA)
- Kiranico (http://kiranico.com/en/mh4u).
Whether you’re just getting started or trying to master the game, tutorials and guides are your best friends, and pretty much a necessity.
3. Hunting with Friends and the Online Community
If anything, having a friend to encourage and play MH4U with me was probably the most effective thing that made me learn to love the game. You learn things quicker, have more fun, and really understand the importance of teamwork. When not playing with friends, you can join or open your own room to hunt with the online community. By playing with others, not only can you learn new strategies and other nifty things, but also efficiently and enjoyably go on hunts to obtain needed material or complete missions. It’s also just downright rewarding. Seriously, scout some friends to play MH4U with, or introduce the game to them if they’ve never tried it. As they say, the more the merrier!
4. Practice, Practice, Practice…and Having Time for It
MH4U isn’t a game you can master in 10 hours, not even in 100 hours. There are various areas you can improve on and master. Not to mention, there’s a ton of creatures you fight and hunt with the various available weapons making the combinations endless. As you practice, you’ll find that certain combinations of attacks work much better than others and also fit more to your play style. So just having the combat down takes practice, and with practice comes time. Yes, it’s an investment and a time consuming process; however, if you get to the practice stage you’re most likely at the addiction stage in which time will pass way faster than you anticipated it would. Just be ready for it.
5. Continuous Learning Â
Just like practicing, you’ll need to learn a lot of stuff. There are many, many little details in the game that can’t be understood or absorbed overnight. Most of them you don’t even learn within the game’s tutorials, but rather from other MH4U players. As you practice more you’ll learn about other ways to overcome creatures easier, and learn which armour and weapon combinations to equip. As you learn, you practice and as you practice, you learn. Learning is continuous in MH4U which allows for something new every time you start up the game. It adds depth and the excitement of always being able to progress and grow as a hunter in the game. All you need is the willingness and determination to learn.
MH4U is a great game, but for people like me it wasn’t easy to get into and stick to; however, once I had the basics down and passed the initial stages of the game I became hooked. Of course I still go back to other Monster Hunter-like games for their unique themes and simpler, more casual presentation and mechanics, but sometimes a more complex and deeper experience is what I need – that’s when MH4U’s cartridge is in my 3DS.
So, if you have, how did you get into MH4U? If you haven’t yet, why not? Hopefully these 5 things can inspire you to try out the game. Meanwhile, for those already into the game maybe you can provide some nostalgia or other opinions. Let us know your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below!