Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is just around the corner. It’s hitting the shelves on this Tuesday, June 23rd. I’ve talked a bit about the game previously when we released the demo a few weeks back, and now you get the chance to dive into one of the most immersive PSP games available.

Monster Hunter is a game packed with variety. As the name states, you’ll be hunting and slaying all various kinds of monsters in the areas around your home, Pokke Village. There’s so many different monsters that I’ve lost count. And you’ll be in a vast and varied landscape of deserts, jungles, swamps, mountains, caves, snow, active volcanoes, and more. Your character can be customized in just about anyway possible, down to even the sound of their voice. Taking pieces of the monsters you’ve carved off, and items you’ve gathered in the world give you the means to create thousands of unique pieces of armor and weapons. With so much to customize, you’ll probably never run into anyone with the same setup as you.

Being that the game is so large, you’ll never run out of things to do. There’s literally over 500 quests to go on, and you can even take three other friends with over AdHoc. In fact, the game is really built on bringing friends with you on the hunt. It’s a blast working as a team to bring down monsters that would seem insurmountable alone.

If you do decide to take on the monsters alone, we’ve implemented a great new AI partner to accompany you on your quests: The Felyne Fighter. They come along with you on your quest and can help you fight the monster, gather materials, and even help you lure monsters into traps. You can level the Felynes up and give them new skills, and even have more than one to choose from for bringing with you.

Also, for all of the fans out there that have been playing Monster Hunter Freedom 2, you will be happy to know that you can transfer your character over and keep all your hard earned work. In addition, we have drastically reduced the load times for Monster Hunter Freedom Unite with the new media install function, which means more hunting and less waiting.

This is all but a small fraction of what Monster Hunter has to offer. There’s something for everyone, whether you like swords, guns, or even a mix of both! Snag the demo on the PlayStation Store, and look for it in stores on June 23rd!

Have fun hunting!
Shawn

You’ve already heard about Monster Hunter coming to the west as Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. If you’re new to the vast world of Monster Hunter, we’ve got some great new things to help you better understand what this game really has to offer.

First, the official demo will be live today (once the PlayStation Store is updated – keep an eye on the PlayStation.Blog) and loaded with brand new monsters. There’s three quests to choose from: Hypnocatrice, Plum Hermitaur, and an Epic Hunting Quest with three monsters to slay. Aside from new monsters, there’s also pre-made characters for each weapon type to choose from. Great Sword, Long Sword, Sword, Dual Blades, Hammer, Hunting Horn, Lance, Gun Lance, Light Bowgun, Heavy Bowgun, and Bow… They’re all there. We’ve crammed as much into the demo as we could. You’ll be hunting in the forest, the desert, and in the swamp.

Monster Hunter just wouldn’t be the same without co-op, so the demo is fully capable of four player ad-hoc co-op! The demo isn’t going to just leave you to fend for yourself if you aren’t playing ad-hoc. If you play single player, you’ll have your choice to bring one of three Felyne Fighters with you. There’s Kota a Melee Fighter, and then there’s Ginger a Bomber, and finally Melody a Support type.

Now that you have a chance to finally hop into MHFU, we have a brand new set of videos coming to teach you some basics about hunting. Check out the first video right here!

There will be 3 more tutorial videos to come soon. You’ll be able to snag these videos online via the PSN so you can take the tips they offer with you on your PSP. In all, there’s going to be nine videos total for you to grab on PSN before the game launches.

And finally, we have one more tool to help you start your hunt: The Encyclopedia Gigantica. It’s focused on the community, and gathering all the knowledge from fans like you in a wiki style. Right now there’s not much in it, and the tools to add information about the in depth details of Monster Hunter will be coming around the E3 timeframe. Once that’s available, you’ll find much information about the world of Monster Hunter, including everything from the basics all the way to pro tips from other hunters who’ve contributed their own experience. Check it out right here!

And remember, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite hits shelves on June 23rd!

Good hunting!

The game? Monster Hunter for the PSP.

The latest version (Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G) was the top selling game in Japan last year and no amount of giant robots can change that. With over 3 million copies sold to date in Japan, about one in four Japanese PSP owners have the game. To be able to work on bringing a game of that caliber to the US is both a pleasure and an honor. It’s also the best game you’ll ever play on the PSP.

Yup, I’m a little biased…but, it’s hard not to be.

The upcoming release of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is exciting to everyone involved in the title. For those who don’t know, Monster Hunter puts you on the hunt for a variety of majestic beasts that you have to defeat in order to become the ultimate hunter. With thousands of different types of weapons and armor, as well as over 500 hours of gameplay, this is the most engrossing action/RPG title for the PSP ever created.

What really makes the game shine, however, is the excellent multiplayer that makes use of the PSP’s built-in Ad-hoc multiplayer. Join with three of your friends to hunt monsters that you simply couldn’t defeat on your own. Playing the game with friends is truly the best way to play it, and with the PSP’s network abilities, everyone has their own screen to play on.

Though we’ve had an awesome group of core fans in the US, our goal is to let everyone experience the adventure with Monster Hunter this time around. To introduce you all to the world of Monster Hunter, we’ve put together this “newscast” with our intrepid reporter covering the imminent onslaught of monsters into the west and the phenomenon they caused in Japan. Ever go on a weekend getaway in order to learn new strategies and play new games with friends? Well, 5000 Japanese gamers did that very thing with Monster Hunter.

This initial video is just the tip of the Narugakuruga’s tail when it comes to what we have in store for you with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. In upcoming weeks, we’ll have numerous videos to teach you about some of the weapons, monsters, and strategies you’ll need when Monster Hunter Freedom Unite ships. We’ve also planned a surprise for all PSP gamers in June to let as many of you experience the game as possible.

In the meantime, sharpen your swords, join your friends and equip yourself to hunt down some of the most majestic monsters you’ve ever seen. I’ll be hopping on the PlayStation boards from time to time to fill you guys in on the latest and try and answer all the questions you might have.