For those who don't know, Monster Hunter series is one of the most popular game in Japan. In just a year, Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G sold 3.5 million copies. It's also pretty fun for multiplayer, according to my old hunt friend who went to univ to Japan, people play this together practically anywhere.
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, the latest installment for the PSP is still in Japanese, but there's a patch for item/equipment/skills/etc translation. It still doesn't translate the dialogues, but not that you need those anyway, this game has practically no story to it. Not to say it's a bad thing, the gameplay makes up more than enough for the lack story.
As far as the gameplay goes, this is an unusual game IMO, unlike most action games where you can just mash the attack button and wait till the enemy dies, here you'll find yourself dodging enemy attacks more often, since the enemies can kill you in just several hits. It requires timing, knowledge of the enemy and yourself, and instinct to know when to attack and when to dodge. A game where your skills as a player is the most important factor that will determine victory or defeat. Another great thing about this game is the balance between the weapons. Each weapon has it's own pros and cons. Some are easy to handle but weak, some deal awesome damage but can't defend, some have terrific defensive capabilities but are hard to handle. With these assortment of choice, you can pick one that suits your playstyle the most. If you are adept at using multiple weapons, you can also pick different weapons based on the monster you're fighting.
Other than the gameplay, this game also excels in the graphics department. I'd say that out of all PSP games I've played, this has one of the best graphics. The details given to the scenery, equipments (some weapons have pretty cool animations), monster textures, etc makes it hard to believe that this is a game for a handheld console. The opening movie looks really great as well, probably my favorite out of all Monster Hunter opening movie.
The sound is also great. Musics played when you fight boss monsters can really get you into the mood and pump up your adrenaline. Not just musics, sound effects are also great. Miscellaneous sound effects such as bugs sound etc really adds to the experience. Against boss monsters, their growls and roars can even be used to determine what they are going to do next.
Video trailerOP movie
