Capcom quietly announced Monster Hunter Freedom Unite for North America which is simply a localized version of Monster Hunter Portable 2G. The news was well timed with Sony’s PlayStation 3 / PSP Ad-hoc party tunneling software which allows ad hoc games like Monster Hunter Freedom Untie to link up remotely with voice chat through a PlayStation 3.
Other new features from the Japanese version include more monsters, weapons, missions, and an Al felyne friend to follow you when you’re going solo. While a customizable cat is cool, the Monster Hunter series is best experienced with a group of friends huddling in a fast food restaurant.
Impromptu ad-hoc gatherings aren’t popular in the West, but online gaming is. Will network play finally push the Monster Hunter series to be a hit in North America? We’ll find out in spring 2009.
Images courtesy of Capcom.
