Feature

Monster Mimics: A Monster Hunter Clone Roundup

How are Lord of Arcana, God Eater, and Monster Hunter Portable 3rd alike? Or different, for that matter?

By: Jeremy Parish January 14, 2011

Japan loves Monster Hunter. Hardly anyone else in the world cares about Capcom's multiplayer RPG, but the series' reception in its own homeland more than makes up for the rest of the planet's apathy. The most recent entry in the series, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, has shipped more than four million copies since its debut last month, putting it well on its way to toppling even the mighty Dragon Quest IX's domestic sales. Little wonder that seemingly every major portable series is taking a page from Monster Hunter these days in a bid to stay atop the charts -- everything from Phantasy Star Online (to which Monster Hunter owes a considerable debt to begin with) to Metal Gear Solid to, yes, Dragon Quest.

Monster Hunter and its imitators are still struggling to crack the American charts, and U.S. PSP owners have at least three of these titles to look forward to in the coming months -- well, presumably three. Capcom hasn't announced a U.S. release for Portable 3rd, but it seems a foregone conclusion for this summer (given that Capcom has reportedly registered a trademark for "Monster Hunter Freedom 3"). Before that happens, though, both Square Enix and Namco Bandai are getting in on the cooperative monster-hunting action with their own takes on the format: the former with Lord of Arcana, the latter with Gods Eater Burst (originally "God Eater Burst" in Japan).

Rachel Hunter Heidi Montag Katharine McPhee T.A.T.u. Amber Valletta