Monster Hunter is a very popular series in Japan, so it’s no surprise that numerous franchises want to get involved. Several cameos have been announced for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, the latest title in the series.
First is Sonic the Hedgehog armor, strangely enough. It’s made specifically for Felyne characters (Felynes being a race of anthropomorphic cats). No doubt this was made to achieve maximum resemblance to the blue hedgehog.
However, this is not the only costume the Felynes will receive. In another crossover deal, Felynes will also receive costumes based on Animal Crossing favorites Isabelle and Mr. Resetti.
The final cameo piece is not a costume for Felynes. Instead, it is a type of hammer based on Capcom’s Taito Drum Master. Unlike the Sonic armor, this hammer bears a very strong resemblance to its source material.
A crossover trend?
What makes this announcement especially interesting is the timing. Around the same time as this announcement, Phantasy Star Nova was announced as having sevral cameos from tri-Ace games, like Valkyrie Profile, Star Ocean: The Last Hope, and Resonance of Fate. We should also remember Hyrule Warriors’ upcoming release, and Atlus’ continuing development on Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem.
This could be part of Japan’s general trend toward crossovers in games, which could itself be the industry’s response toward rising development costs. After all, what better way to increase sales than to combine two fanbases?
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is set to release in Japan this October for the 3DS. It’s expected to release in America in 2015.
