San Francisco Monster Hunters!  Come and join us tomorrow, Wednesday, May 20th--we'll be playing through multiplayer missions on the new MHFU demo, available soon on PSN. 

6-9 PM, downtown San Francisco (RSVP for address)

You must be 21 or over, due to the presence of beers (and fooling us here won't get you past the bouncers checking IDs, so don't bother faking us out!).

If you're interested and available, send Kramez a note, and we'll see you tomorrow. Space is limited, so only RSVP with us if you can really show up, and don't forget to bring your PSP (and read up over at Encyclopedia Gigantica).

MH Freedom Unite is about a month away from landing on Western shores, and so for anyone not already completely cracked out on these games, we're rolling out a series of brief tutorial videos. 

One of our four Japanese masters (I believe he is known as "Captain Stereotype") introduces you to the basic arc of the game, your quest to become a master hunter, things to do in Pokke village, and how to power up your gear before you... you know... hunt monsters.

This game demands some investment, but it also pays it back in spades.  Check out the Encyclopedia Gigantica for more background, and see why for millions, Monster Hunter isn't just a game, it's a way of life. 

Did you know there were amazing Monster Hunter Orchestral concerts in Japan?

Well, there are, and even better than that, we have a fantastic write-up of all the action at the 5th Annual concert from Unity member Jeriaska. 

He was there not only to listen, but also to take pictures and then provide some great background on everything that went down.

Check out the whole piece here. Really great stuff.

For those that don't know, Famitsu is like... THE gaming magazine in Japan, and they make and break whole franchises with their merest words.  Fortunately for us, they like good games, which means they really like Capcom.

Our unstoppable juggernaut Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G stole the show, winning "Best Game" and "Best Seller."  It may have also had something to do with rocketing Capcom to the top of the "Best Company" competition as well. 

Don't forget, that same award-winning game will be coming to the West on June 23rd, under the name "Monster Hunter Freedom Unite."  If you're new to the series, you owe it to yourself to see why the entire country of Japan has fallen in love with the game.  Via 1Up

So yeah, Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (we know it as the forthcoming Monster Hunter Freedom Unite!) is like... a juggernaut in Japan.  Just how big is that?  3 million big. 

How big is that?  This ad tells you that it's enough for everyone in the ENTIRE Ibaraki prefecture.  Of course, since most of you have no idea how big that is, or even what a prefecture is, this is adorably ineffective gauge.  As Kotaku points out, it's kinda like everyone in Kuwait having a copy. Or everyone in metropolitan Chicago.  It's a lot, okay?

Via Kotaku