I just wanted to write about a game I recently imported from www.play-asia.com called Aquanaut's Holiday: Hidden Memories. If you're into oceanography, exploring, or mysteries then this is for you. I should mention that it is import friendly as well. There's 3 versions to be aware of. The Japanese, Asian, and the Chinese/English. If you're an english speaker then the last one is recommended.

The story starts off as you being a reporter. You have travelled to a fictional atoll in the South Pacific to investigate the where abouts of a missing marine biologist. A one-manned submersible is your means of navigation in the ocean. You can add various numbers of sealife such as fish, dolphins, whales, sharks, and etc to your library. It even has trophies. Yes this is a trophy enabled game! Playing this gives me the impression of the movie "The Abyss".

I remember back in September of 2004 I saw a one page ad for a game called Monster Hunter in an issue of GMR. An online action adventure game that let you and your friends hunt down large monsters. The page had one menacing looking dragon (otherwise known as a wyvern called Rathalos), and an armor clad man with weapon made from the jawbone of some beast. It looked so cool. So I went to my local EB Games and preordered it. The 21st of September 2004 I picked up my game and even purchased the error-filled strategy guide.

In the beginning I hated the controls, but after some practice I got the hang of it. I took my jawbone sword into the Forest and Hills area, and went searching for that wyvern. I didn't last long as his fireball of death instantly killed me. It wasn't long before I had him and all the other monsters mastered. I went online with it, and this made the game like 10 times better. Playing with other people who enjoyed the game like you did. Helping each other complete quests was also very fun. I was absolutely addicted to it. From showing off our new armor, making clans, plate running, headlocking(though I was against it), mining for ores, killing thousands of wyverns, it was pure fun.

Then talk of an expansion called Monster Hunter G was announced. Me and many other fans of the game were disappointed to hear it wouldn't be released outside of Japan. So then a true sequel was once again announced in Japan. Once again It would never be released for our western PS2s. Now we did get 2 ported versions for our PSPs, but that just wasn't what I wanted. I'm forced to play it on a tiny screen, and just to play online I have to struggle with some program called X-Link Kai? Then the series goes to PC as Monster Hunter Frontier. It already has 2 expansions, and a 3rd one on the way will be made. All the while, never being released to the western world. It's bad enough that outside IPs are banned from trying to play it.

I want the opportunity to enjoy this series just as the Japanese do. I believe it could very well be just as popular here if only there were more advertisement. It's as if Capcom of USA refuses to advertise this wonderful series. I go to the official Capcom website, and Monster Hunter isn't even there.

I'm aware that the original PS2 sales weren't that great, but don't punish us because you guys didn't promote this good enough. I find it sad when a devoted fan has to use Play-asia as his last resort on playing more Monster Hunter. It makes me so sick when I see the numerous new versions coming out each year in Japan. I hope that someday Capcom USA gets their act together and gives the fans what he/she wants.