Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD Ver. for PS3 (Japanese Language Import)

Just a disclaimer: I am a huge Monster Hunter fan, so there may be some bias in this review.I started playing Monster Hunter on the PS2 8 years ago, then moved through the various PSP ports before stopping before the Wii and Wii U ones (I wasn't going to switch platforms for a MH game that has less content). So when I found out there was another MH game on the PS3, I was ecstatic.. Until I found out it was only in Japanese. I don't speak a bit of Japanese, however I do understand the concepts of MH very well, which is one thing that will help you greatly if you plan on purchasing this game.Through the help of a couple wikis and some YouTube videos, I can manage to make out 95% of what is going on with the game and navigate it no problem, even with complete Japanese text and voices. The game is an absolute blast in single player and multiplayer, even if it feels a bit easier than previous MH games (Maybe that's just me though. At 3 hours into the game I already have a weapon that can kill the first "boss" monster in about 20 hits). I would definitely recommend it if A: You speak Japanese and understand Monster Hunter. B: You don't understand Japanese, but understand Monster Hunter and don't mind using the internet to help you with it. I would not recommend this if A: It's your first MH game or B: You don't speak Japanese and don't like using the internet to help. The final thing to mention is that this game IS upscaled PSP game for the PS3, so don't expect terrific graphics (that being said, the graphics are surprisingly good).This game is very grind based in terms of gear and there is no leveling, just like all the other MH games. Meaning, there is no actual XP related leveling for your character, stats are based purely off gear (armor, weapons, charms) and buffs from items. This can turn a lot of people away from the game, but I personally love it. It adds a certain level of skill to the game (think Dark Souls type weapon upgrading, without the leveling) that others don't have.The combat is phenomenal, there's all the same weapons plus a new one (Switch Axe), and they all flow just as well as always. I personally use the Long Sword (very long Katana/sword. Think Washing Pole from Dark Souls), and it is fantastic. The game uses the same controls as the PSP games, except you can use the right analog stick to turn the camera, which is a Godsend.Lastly, they added some new monsters and area (such as a giant blue bear type creature you encounter in an ancient Japanese forest), which help greatly mix up the game's variety and style. This game has a much great Ancient Japanese Mountains feel, and less of a run down village feel like the previous games.So, to sum up:Pros:Wicked fun.Upscaled PSP graphics look surprisingly good.Smooth combat.Easy to get into if you have experience with MH.New monsters.New areas.Refreshing new village.Cons:Language barrier is huge if you don't speak Japanese.Not a good idea if it's your first MH game.As said above, graphics ARE decent, but they are also upscaled PSP ones, so that can lead to some rather "blah" textures.Game price. I paid around $50 shipped for a new copy of this game, and it's been out for years.Difficult to find a group to play with online unless friends have the game.All that being said, I love the game. I can see myself putting many, many hours into it.

Ok first of all i have to say this game is amazing i played the hell out of the PSP version of the game, so i thought i'd get the PS3 version so when at home i wouldn't have to worry bout my battery life, ok now to get to the review the graphics of the game are incredible especially since it's a psp import, i wouldn't recommend this Japanese Dialog only Monster Hunter game to noobs though i mean for people like me who have played almost every Monster hunter game it wasn't that hard to get the hang of the Japanese dialog, in finding out what i had to do or get for armors and weapons and what not, and i don't really care what language the game is in as long as its fun, but for some it might be frustrating, oh and if you were playing the psp version first you could simply copy your save onto your ps3 and continue playing, same thing if you do the revers so you could play it on the big screen when you're home and continue on your psp when you go out or whatever, oh and about the Reign lock don't worry no matter what country your ps3 is from it will work, the ps3 is NOT reign locked like the wii or xbox, the one thing i don't see the point of is it comes with a free 3 month play time of Monster hunter frontier which is for the Xbox 360 so i don't really see the point in that, but in the over all thing it is an aamazing game and worth playing even if your a newbie and want to try out a Monster hunter game, if your a noob or just wanting a new MH game to play i'd get it if you aren't like me and don't wanna figure things out on your own you could always go to mhf3.com it has a complete dubbing of the game and could help you out greatly.i hope this helps and hope you enjoy it! :)one last thing if you have any questions about it or anything just contact me and i'll do my best to help :)

A great game. I originally played Monster Hunter Tri, and was disapointed when the servers closed. When I bought this game i was disappointed that it was all in Japanese. Fortunatly the setup was very similar to Tri so I am able to play it. The websites with translations are wither extremely hard to find or non existant. Honestly, Youtube works better XD. Good luck and happy hunting!

Great game, I was worried that because the game is all in japanese that I would not get much fun out of it since I can not read jap at all. But surprisingly since I was familiar with other monster hunter games I was easily able to pick this one up and have fun. The only thing that I am kinda disappointed with is that as far as I know you can't update the game on a US system and you need to update the game if you want to have offline co op with a psp, but other than that It is a great game. Definitely get this if you are a fan of monster hunter or if you just simply do not want to get a wii u or 3ds.

The first thing I must say about the game is how awesome it is! For sure, the game is in japanese and for new players it might be really really frustrating not knowing what to do since it's a complex game... but if you played others Monster Hunter you wont have that much trouble! The graphics are pretty impressive for an HD port of the psp game! The controls are a lot better than PSP (for those who have problem with "The claw" camera control) ! The game includes Ad-hoc party(jp) and you can play online with other hunter (which is a nice feature but required a wired connection not Wi-Fi or else you won't be able to play online). There is a 3D feature(I don't own a 3d television so haven't tried it) and being able to hunt epic monster in 3D must be awesome :)! These days, most game have only few hours of gameplay but this one like other monster hunter you can spend lot lot lot and (did I said lot?) lot of hours playing this game hunting and grinding items alone or with friend ! If you have a PSP save of MHP3rd you can transfer it on your ps3! In conclusion... A must-buy for MH Fans! :D