newt carleton: Free online play for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

By Francesco De MeoPublished: 25 October 2012 8:09 AM UTC

Posted in: DS, DS News, News, Nintendo News, Wii U

Tags: 3 ultimate, 3ds, capcom, monster hunter, nintendo, online multiplayer, tri, Wii U

Today?s Nintendo Direct broadcast has shed some light on some additional details for the Wii U and 3DS versions of Monster Hunter Tri, named Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.

The Monster Hunter franchise is definitely one of the most successful Capcom productions of the generation with 3 mainline games available on Psp and Wii, an online only spin off called Monster Hunter Frontier online, a fourth mainline game being developed for 3DS and a few Psp spin offs
The series premises are simple yet addicting: as the name suggests, players will become monster hunters, exploring the vast wilderness and fighting gigantic beasts and monsters. What makes the Monster Hunter games so much fun is the way monsters have to be defeated: each monster has a specific weak point players must find out before hoping to have a chance to defeat them. Button mashing won?t get you far in the Monster Hunter games. Each monster has its own weapon and elemental weaknesses too and hunters must be really prepared before each hunt. Once defeated players will collect materials from the dead monster body and use them to make more powerful weapons and armors. Multiplayer mode allows hunters to join together their efforts and it?s definitely one of the series gameplay?s highlights.

The third game of the series, dubbed Monster Hunter Tri, was first released on Nintendo Wii on 2009 to critical and commercial success.
The game was ported last year on 3DS as Monster Hunter Tri G with some added content and general gameplay tweakings.
The Wii U and 3DS versions will be released in the west as Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate: today?s Nintendo Direct confirmed that the game?s online multiplayer mode will be free.
Four players will be able to join the hunts together; local multiplayer between the Wii U version and the 3DS one was also confermed.
The good news don?t stop here since all post release DLC of the 3DS version will be included in the WII U version.
Hunters will also be able to choose their ?weapons? outside the game as the Wii U version will be compatible with both the Gamepad and the Pro Controller: the Gamepad will offer some advantages in quick access to inventory and in-game maps.

On a related note, Nintendo Europe announced today that they will be taking care of distribution for the European and Australian markets.

Get your weapons ready hunters: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate will launch in the West in March 2013.