For a time, it looked like Capcom had no plans to keep MHFU alive on mobile devices. When the game was pulled the company remained silent on the issue for months. Eventually, an announcement on the Japanese website announced a fix would arrive by spring 2016. May came and went, then Capcom said they encountered difficulties in preparing the patch and named July 10 as the for-real release. Turns out that was spot-on! The fix is now out in both Japan and North America, complete with online co-op for up to four players.
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MHFU on iOS will set you back $15 (and 820 MB of space). This is quite expensive for an iOS game, but remember, this is an optimized port of a PSP game known for its gameplay longevity. 4-player co-op is supported over Wi-Fi, but not over mobile data connections like 3G. There is no supported voice chat in the iOS version, but players will have a form of limited communication in the in--game lobbies via a new text chat system.
Freedom Unite is the PSP / PlayStation Vita incarnation of the Monster Hunter franchise, featuring just about what you would expect from a MH release, right down to the hundreds of hours of playtime you'll sink into it. The visuals have been "optimized", and all of the things that required physical buttons have been mapped to touch controls. The left side has a virtual analog stick, while the right side has buttons for attacking, dodging and blocking (if the weapon supports it). The lower center portion of the screen has a bar for items (a.k.a. need mega potion NOW). Swipe anywhere on the screen to move the camera. You can also use a handy auto-lock feature to track big monsters without fiddling with the camera itself.
When Co-Optimus reviewed the game all the way back in 2009 (that's Games With Gold levels of oldness) we felt that it was a much stronger co-op experience than solo. The game has 4 player co-op that allows you to team up against some of the harder enemies. However, there is a catch; the co-op in Freedom is ad-hoc. Initially this meant that you had to be close to another player, but now there is an adhocParty service available on the Vita that allows you to expand this online.
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As we reported last week, Sony is bringing adhocParty, a service that enables formerly local only co-op and multiplayer PSP game to branch out a bit, to the U.S. soon. In this case, "soon" meant "next week" as the adhocParty service is now available in the Playstation Store for download. To go with the launch of this service, the good folks at the Sony Playstation Blog have provided a brief walkthrough video of how to get this service up and running so you can enjoy your previously adhoc only PSP co-op titles over the Internet... or can you? Check out the video after the break to see if you caught the same caveat we did.
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If you're headed to the San Diego Comic Con, which runs July 23rd through the 26th, you might want to tote your PSP and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite along into the gaming goodness. Why? Not only will you be able to find other Monster Hunter gamers to co-op with, you'll have access to eight brand new quests totally free thanks to Capcom.
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Bigfoot, Lochness, Godzilla. The monsters found in Capcom's Monster Hunter Freedom Unite for the PSP make these creatures look like poodles. We review the latest iteration of the game as we take our four player hunting party into the wilderness to bring down beasts.
Nothing says Independence Day than fighting gigantic monsters for gold. With that Capcom has released a brand new free downloadable quest for Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on the PSP.
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Monster Hunter fan? Enjoy art? Capcom has announced The Gathering Hall, a new feature at the Lazarides Gallery in London.
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The latest game in the Monster Hunter franchise, subtitled Freedom Unite, is being released today. You and three others can team up together via Ad Hoc play. One particularly cool feature of this game takes a page from the PSP's big PS3 brother: an optional install allows for quicker loading times, and presumably saves a bit of battery life as well. Ars Technica has the details.
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Capcom has released the first Tutorial for the upcoming four player co-op Monster Hunter Freedom Unite for the PSP. The tutorial walks you through the basics of the game, from creating your character to learning about your home village.
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They may try to move quietly, and the monster might be "pretty small" but I'd still bring some heavy weapons. Perhaps it's the giant glowing eyes 25 feet in the air that does it to me, but I think they are going to need more than some rope.