Monster Hunter Generations, limited edition New 3DS XLs debut in July

By Danny Cowan Published May 12, 2016

Capcom’s multiplayer creature-battling action game Monster Hunter Generations will make its English-language debut in July alongside a pair of limited edition New Nintendo 3DS XL portables, Nintendo announced today.

Players in North America can expect to see a blue Monster Hunter-themed New 3DS XL portable this summer, while Europe gets a region-exclusive red variant. Both editions will include a digital copy of Monster Hunter Generations.

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Released in Japan in 2015, Monster Hunter Generations is a cooperative action game in which squadrons of up to four hunters team up to take down massive dinosaurs, dragons, and other dangerous beasts. Multiplayer sessions can take place either locally or online via an internet connection.

Monster Hunter Generations looks to the series’ past for inspiration, incorporating many gameplay elements from previous Monster Hunter games that were abandoned in later series installments. Generations also adds a collection of new combat styles for players to master, and expands its playable roster to include Felynes, who were sidelined as non-playable helper characters in previous games.

Like its 3DS predecessor Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Monster Hunter Generations is one of only a handful of 3DS games to support the second analog stick and additional shoulder buttons present on New Nintendo 3DS XL portables. The game will still function on legacy Nintendo 3DS devices, where players instead must rely on an alternate control scheme.

Monster Hunter Generations is the latest entry in a long-running series that originated on the PlayStation 2 before finding mainstream success on the PlayStation Portable. Sequels for the Nintendo Wii and Wii U premiered in the years afterward before the series found an audience on the Nintendo 3DS, which hosted the recent fourth-generation sequels Monster Hunter 4 and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.

Monster Hunter Generations hits North America and Europe on July 15. A free demo version will launch via the 3DS eShop this summer.

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Monster Hunter Wilds regions are twice as big as World’s, with no loading screens

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Monster Hunter Wilds is shaping up to be a major upgrade from Monster Hunter World. I have learned that the maps players will explore in Monster Hunter Wilds are going to be twice as big as the ones in Monster Hunter World -- and they won't even feature loading screens while accomplishing that. I saw a hands-off preview of the game at Summer Game Fest Play Days and could instantly recognize the greater scope of Monster Hunter Wilds.

The game looks beautiful and the desert world Capcom showed was lively, with small birds living in trees to herds of monsters roaming the landscape. Quests could be started by just attacking monsters, and completing a quest didn't kick the hunter back to base or force any sort of loading screen. I spoke to some of the developers behind it and was left stunned by what could be one of the most impressive games to release during this console generation.
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"Seamlessness" is a big keyword at the center of both Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Wilds, according to Capcom.

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Host Geoff Keighley was joined on stage by series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto to talk more about what fans can expect from Monster Hunter Wilds. While on stage, Tsujimoto mentioned, "I hope players look forward to playing with their friends across different platforms when the game launches simultaneously in 2025." Crossplay is a huge step forward for the franchise, as both Monster Hunter: World and Monster Hunter Rise had issues with staggered launches and the inability to play with friends on other systems.

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Play these 3DS and Wii U games before Nintendo shutters their online features

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In April 2024, Nintendo will discontinue online services across its Wii U and 3DS consoles. While the eShops for both systems were shut down in March 2023, this will remove the online functionality of many apps and games, making gaming on either of these platforms an almost entirely offline experience. As a result, many games on those systems will lose important features and never be quite the same to play afterward. So, you'll need to get some gaming time in by next April if you want to refresh and preserve the memories of playing online on these two underdog Nintendo platforms.
While the aforementioned eShop closures make it impossible to buy new games digitally, plenty of games that you likely already own physical copies of or already had downloaded have online features that won't work properly come April 2024. As such, we recommend you play the following games online before the discontinuation of those services next year.
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Kid Icarus Uprising is mostly remembered for its entertaining story, charismatic characters, and odd controls, but it also features a surprisingly fun multiplayer experience in Together Mode. In multiplayer, up to six players can use powerful weapons and abilities from the main adventure in one of two modes. Free-for-all lets players loose on a map, tasking them with racking up the most kills within a set time limit. Light vs. Dark is more complex, as two teams of three face off until enough players are defeated that one respawns as an angel; when that powered-up angel is killed, the match is over.
While far from balanced, Kid Icarus Uprising's Together Mode is one of the most entertaining competitive multiplayer experiences exclusive to 3DS. It can be played locally, using bots to fill in empty spots, so thankfully it won't stop working entirely. Still, it's not easy in 2023 to come across multiple people near you who have copies of Kid Icarus Uprising and want to play. As such, check out this cult classic 3DS game's hidden gem of a mode before praying that the rumors of a remaster eventually become true.
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