I can’t help but think of imparting a decade of knowledge on to Monster Hunter newcomers feels like a die hard Star Wars fan introducing a friend new to the saga to the massive extended lore and that almost cultish Star Wars universe fervor. Monster Hunter is now a boundlessly complex multiverse with comic, manga, and a major franchise presence with humble origins dating to the PS2 back in 2005.

From that point a massive bang of popularity followed in Japan and now the series spread its deep roots embedded in the West.

The series has evolved over many main portable permutations, some console mainstays in Japan, and a few spin offs into a truly special one of a kind franchise. The famous (or infamous) complexity requires a steep learning curve adjustment but these games can offer so much for the dedicated player. Make no mistake. These games were not made for bitches. I hope this guide can serve as a primer for the casual gamer stupefied by the mystery of Monster Hunter and wants to get their hands dirty with pixelated monster blood.

16 Be prepared with Items (trap, support, buffs and heals)

One of the more obscure systems of Monster Hunter better explained in the recent games than in past entries are the item combos needed to sustain the player and his or her companion hunters. Lifepowders are a must with a team of Flash Bombs, Sonic Bombs, Barrel Bombs, and traps are items used to weaken and distract monsters.

Remember, much of the time any other multiplayer teammates playing will not make use of any of the necessary items demonstrate lack of skill and cooperative etiquette and it is usually these players that tend to die first. The “hunters” indeed do become the hunted and extra health boosting items and stamina buffs are needed in the event the player makes a trip, or several, out of the match and strapped to the kitty cart.

15 Customize second screen/HUD

Monster Hunter is best with an optimized HUD. Gamers should know their map and HUD placement preferences. The presentation selections make certain HUD items visible and others invisible? Does a large health and stamina bar stuck on top of my screen make gameplay too noticeable? Do I need the lock on function? Should I select items with the touch screen or side scrolling menu maneuver? Do I need the map on the top or bottom screen? These items alter the gamer’s perspective and approach to the art of monster hunting.

 14 Utilize DLC for quests, items, extra

DLC materials are not necessary to enjoy the game at all but the contents do ease the life of a hunter considerably. Numerous Gold and Silver eggs pile on to potentially sell or hoard while expand Pickaxes increase availability of rare ore and bone crafting materials. The increased cash flow will make the expensive top tier armor and weapon upgrades available without the strain of additional grind.

The extra quests provide a bunch of new challenges including White Fatalis for 4U and countless hyper monster variants of monster quests from Gen. The quests provide the extra incentive to receive special items the Event Quests upon quest completion. These items allow the player to purchase crossover sets from Zelda, Mario, Mega Man, Metroid and more. Many of the armor sets have decent functionality with skill sets in addition to possessing looking great with an essential faithfulness paid to the source material.

The many DLC packs can now be downloaded all at once now that the time window granting one pack per month since the start of the DLC has ceased.

 13 Gathering Items

Gathering knowledge will become second nature after the completion of a heavy gathering run. Hugging the corners and borders in every zone will result in greater Remember to stack the Gathering + Skill as much as possible to bleed the most items out of the dozens of assorted points on every major environmental map.

Continued...