And while we’re all waiting for the US release of Monster Hunter Tri, Capcom decided to make us fans drool even more with a press release confirming the next Monster Hunter PSP game due out THIS 2010. YAY!

More Monster Hunter grinding sessions. I’m thinking of reviving our weekly MH sessions (with a different set of players due to several) simply because Capcom made my day 😀

Do note that this is the Japanese version for the game. Although there’s no word for the english localization yet, you can bet that the groups of old that made the translation patch for Monster Hunter P2G will be at it again 😀 It’s just a matter of being patient for these guys to crank out a patch 😀

For those interested, here’s the Official announcement from Capcom:

Capcom Co., Ltd. (Capcom) is pleased to announce the release of “Monster Hunter Freedom 3” for the Sony PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), set for Late 2010.

“Monster Hunter Freedom 3” is a hunting action game that puts the player in the boots of a fearless hunter tracking down and fighting ferocious monsters in a breathtaking natural expanse. The distinctive and groundbreaking cooperative game play style of the “Monster Hunter” franchise, which lets friends work together to bring down huge, fearsome monsters as a team has fostered a new level of communication and interactivity in video games, and has spawned the social phenomenon known as the “Monster Hunter Craze”. As well as recently being awarded the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Prize, an award that commends the people who created it, and receiving a Special Award in the games of the year division at the Japan Game Awards: 2009, Monster Hunter won the highest award and accolades at the CEDEC AWARDS.

The latest addition to the “Monster Hunter” series, “Monster Hunter Freedom 3”, adds new elements of communication while enhancing the feel and beloved game play of the series. With the introduction of brand new regions and monsters to the series, an improved Felyne Comrade System, and having polished the cooperative play system that makes playing “Monster Hunter” on the PSP® so much fun, the game’s content will not only satisfy players who are already fans of the series, but new users as well.

Also, beginning on March 13th, 2010 for about one month, fans will be able to visit the “Monster Hunter World” exposition at the Greenland theme park in Kumamoto Prefecture and be immersed in the world of “Monster Hunter”. There will be Monster Hunter-themed attractions and “Monster Hunter” merchandise on display. We plan to hold even more events like “Monster Hunter World” going forward.

At Capcom it is our continued goal to bring our properties to multiple platforms to provide the best entertainment experiences, and the “Monster Hunter” series is no exception to this. We hope to continue meeting and exceeding the expectations of gamers with our dedication to develop exciting titles for the best gaming platforms available.

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So what’s new with Monster Hunter Portable 3rd?

• Better Felyne fighter combat/AI
• Better equipment/customization for Felyne companion
• Better graphics and sound quality
• Better communication system is added (probably making use of a keyboard/PS3/microphone on PSP)
• Infrastructure support added (Finally?!?!?!)
• No underwater combat (sadly, it’ll remain exclusive to the Wii game, MH3)
• The game is situated in Yukumo, an oriental village
• New fields/environments (this coincides with the new town)
• The game starts from scratch so no porting of your UBER character from MHP2g (or Freedom Unite for the US release)
• A new “Bathing/Spa Facility” feature to replace the Felyne Kitchen
• A fairly large farm

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For those who enjoy vids, here’s the official trailer from the Capcom channel:

As said above, the game will be available in June this year which is awesome 😀 Thanks for the birthday gift Capcom.