Monster Hunter Generations was an excellent game for the 3DS. Capcom had clearly learned from developing Monster Hunter 4 for 3DS and improved upon the process for Generations. Fans of the series were rightly enamoured with the ability to take the game with them.
This was especially true given that Generations was a fully fledged Monster Hunter title. Capcom hadn’t sacrificed on the complexity of the title to make it work on 3DS.
Being released in 2016, Generations was a product of its time. Fast forward to 2018 and we’ve now seen the release of the incredible Monster Hunter World on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. It’s ushered in a whole new era for Monster Hunter and brought in all-new fans and players.
It’s a bit sad then that Switch owners are only able to play Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate Review
That’s not to say that Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is a bad game. It’s not. It’s a great game and it certainly suits the Switch well. It’s just that it’s a 2-3-year-old game that many fans will have already played before.
The re-release on the Switch does include some increased texture resolution and a higher resolution in general, but it still looks like a 3DS game. When compared with the visuals seen in Monster Hunter World, it does tend to make the Switch feel like the least favourite cousin.
Everything that was available in the 3DS version has been retained for the Switch release. There have also been some additions as part of the expansion which saw it released as Monster Hunter XX. This includes new quests, monsters and Hunter styles.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate actually has the most monsters of any Monster Hunter title with 93 larges monsters to hunt. This puts Ultimate 20 above the total included in the 3DS release.
Stylish Hunter
The new Hunter styles also give you two new ways to play and hunt. These new Hunter styles don’t radically alter the way you play but do provide something new for those who may have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours playing Generations on 3DS.
And for those players, the Switch version comes with a handy save transfer. This means that you can import your hunter from the 3DS and continue on your Switch without taking a break. Fans or the series with a Switch will lap it up.
Newbies will need to start from the beginning, but thankfully Generations does ease you into the game, slightly more than others in the series.
One issue I did have with Generations on 3DS was the control scheme which wasn’t optimal. Even with the ungainly add-on controller peripheral. Unfortunately, while it’s better on Switch, it’s still a bit of a nightmare.
Control Freak
You’re able to customise some of the controls, but not all. You can change how you activate Hunter Arts, but that’s it. Which leaves the minus (-) button as one of your attacks. It’s absolute madness, especially as you can’t use the Left Stick and press minus at the same time.
Why you can’t customise the controls to move your attacks to the shoulder buttons is beyond me.
Fans of Monster Hunter Generations who own a Switch well probably get a lot of out of this HD port. The same can be said of those who’ve not played the 3DS version and own a Switch. But anyone expecting a Monster Hunter World-style experience will be disappointed.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is decent, but it’s a case of been there, done that. Only fans need apply.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate was reviewed on Switch using a digital code provided by Capcom.
PowerUp! Reviews
Game Title: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
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Expanded content on the 3DS original - 8/108/10
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Looks like a 3DS game - 5/105/10
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It's not Monster Hunter World - 4/104/10
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Still a great game to play on the go - 7/107/10
