Skip to main content

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

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.

Recommended Videos

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.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

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.

Danny Cowan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
Grab these Nintendo 3DS games before the eShop closes
wii u 3ds exclusive nintendo games eshop closure ever oasis

While the Nintendo 3DS had a rocky launch, the handheld system recovered gracefully and ended up having one of the best game lineups of any Nintendo system. Many of these 3DS games, like Super Mario 3D Land and Fire Emblem Awakening, were very popular and well-known. Still, the 3DS had a lot of fantastic games that not as many people know about and threaten to be lost to time when the eShop closes down.
The 3DS eShop will shut down soon, preventing people from purchasing new games. As such, we've been reflecting on the system's vast library and all of the fantastic games that 3DS owners will no longer be able to buy digitally. From games that we think will skyrocket even further in price after the store shuts down to some enjoyable hidden gems that didn't get the attention they deserve, you might want to snag these 3DS games before you can't anymore after March 27. 
Ever Oasis

Grezzo is one of Nintendo's most underrated developers. It's delivered top-notch The Legend of Zelda remakes like Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Link's Awakening. So what if I told you that it used that experience to make an original IP for 3DS that's one of the best-looking and expansive games on the system? Ever Oasis, a 2017 3DS game, follows a young kid as they help a water spirit named Esna build an oasis and try to save their brother from Chaos.
The result is a mix of 3D The Legend of Zelda and city management games. Players can venture out into surprisingly large open worlds and dungeons to restock and grow the number of "bloom booths." This mix of open-world exploration, dungeon crawling, and oasis-building will keep players engaged for dozens of hours, and it also stands as one of the deepest and best-looking action-adventure games on the platform. 
Ever Oasis didn't get much attention when it launched because the Nintendo Switch had been released a couple of months earlier. Still, it stands as one of the 3DS' best games, so it's a shame that more people don't know about it. It risks being forgotten forever now the 3DS eShop is closing down, so check it out before the closure; it will surpass your expectations. 
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Read more
The Nintendo 3DS’ best (and weirdest) cult hit is coming to Apple Arcade
Horses race in Pocket Card Jockey.

Apple Arcade is kicking off 2023 by adding three new titles in January. Most notable among them is Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!, a mobile port of one of the Nintendo 3DS cult hits set to launch on January 20.

The original Pocket Card Jockey, released in 2013 in Japan and 2016 in North America, is one of the 3DS' oddest titles. Developed by Pokémon studio Game Freak, it's a horse-racing RPG that revolves around solitaire. Players raise and breed horses and then race them by playing fast-paced rounds of solitaire. It's an extremely bizarre concept, but an incredibly fun one that made it one of the handheld's most charming hidden gems.

Read more
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak refreshes the game in June
Hunters celebrate in the Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak expansion.

Capcom finally gave a thorough overview and revealed a release date for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak during a digital event today. This major expansion for the Nintendo Switch and PC Monster Hunter game will be released on June 30. 
Monster Hunter Digital Event - March 2022
As Iceborne did for Monster Hunter World, players can expect this expansion to introduce plenty of new monsters, characters, and other content for Monster Hunter Rise players to sink their teeth into once they've made their way through the main game. Players must complete the seven-star hub quest "Serpent Goddess of Thunder" to access Sunbreak. 
Sunbreak takes place in a new area called The Citadel and gives the player a new base of operations called the Elgado Outpost. From here, players will work with lots of new characters from a distant, Britain-inspired kingdom to take down The Three Lords, the gigantic monsters threatening that foreign civilization.
The Three Lords are Garangolm, a large monster that attacks with both fire and water elements, Lunagaron, an icy fanged wyvern, and Malzeno, an elder dragon. These won't be the only new monsters, as Capcom also highlighted the Blood Orange Bishaten and a new version of Astalosed in the presentation. The expansion will also introduce new Master Rank quests for hardcore players and new wirebug actions.
Alongside the release of Sunbreak, Monster Hunter Rise will receive a massive 13 GB update that will adjust game balance and character edit vouchers in addition to preparing the software for this expansion. Players can also expect amiibo of the "Canyne Malzeno" Palamute, "Felyne Malzeno" Palico, and Malzeno to release alongside the game, these will unlock special armor and let players get items from a daily lottery. 
Overall, Sunbreak is stacking up to be a meaty expansion that will please Monster Hunter Rise players. It will cost $40 for those who already own Monster Hunter Rise, though new players will be able to pick up the Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak Set for $70.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak will be released for both Nintendo Switch and PC on June 30, 2022, though Capcom teased that the expansion will get plenty of updates following its release

Read more