Hunters are going to have it pretty rough in Monster Hunter 4, as Capcom recently introduced fearsome enemies such as the giant amphibious shark-like Zaboazagill found at the new Frozen Sea map. Capcom’s next update, however, gives us a look at a new resort-like island as the game’s third village, which looks like the perfect place for beat-up Hunters to take it easy.
Monster Hunter 4 will be bringing back the Felyne equipment feature which was available in Monster Hunter Portable 3rd for PSP in Japan. By visiting the blacksmith, you’ll get to make various equipment such as weapons, head gear and body armor for your Felynes. The headgear will give your Felyne characteristic traits on what type of monsters they’ll attack, such as small or large monsters.
We’ve already seen two of Monster Hunter 4’s towns—the trading commerce, Barubare, where many travelers and hunters around the world gather, and Naguri Village, a place that is surrounded by molting lava, ideal for any blacksmith. The third area is called Chico Village, and unlike the previous two, it’s a small and calm area surrounded by the sea.
The village elder is an old lady of the Wyvernian race. She spends her time happily living on the island with Felynes, who call her the “Cat Granny”. Chico Village rarely sees any visitors, and it is said that the only ones living there are the Felynes and the elder.
PocaPoca Island is a small island next to Chico Village. This island has many features that are similar to what was available on farms in previous Monster Hunter games.
The manager Felyne will be taking care of you on PocaPoca Island. The Felynes on the island seem troubled by a recent sighting of nearby large monsters, so they’ve been making efforts to find heroic Felynes. Their plan is to make the island a paradise that is flowing with Felynes of all kinds.
For example, you can send out the “Mon Nyan” Felyne crew off on quests and they’ll return with items that are needed to make Felyne equipment. There are three different routes of near, normal and far quest routes, with the further quests being tougher but more rewarding. You’ll need to equip food for them, which has a maximum of three slots and depletes as they go on quests.
The max amount of Felynes you can send on quests is five, and you’ll also have to take their skill types into consideration. For the first time, you’ll actually be participating in the Felyne quests by pressing the touch screen to activate their skills, however, you’ll also have to keep in mind which skills to use, as they can also back fire on you if not used properly.
Finally, here’s a look at the new fishing machine that is available on PocaPoca Island. It requires Felynes and stock to use. It may seem easy to use, but it can be quite tricky, as the goal is to aim for an area that has more fish. If the fish move during the last second before you shoot, you’ll end up with a rather poor catch. There are also Felynes who specialize in fishing, making them a great boost for this feature.
Monster Hunter 4 will be slated for release on September 14th, for 5,990 yen on Nintendo 3DS.
