Ground Breaking Title in the Series
Weapons.
You have every single weapon class that was introduced in the previous version (minus the mix-n-match gun system in Tri) and add two more weapons to the already amazing weapon classes. Every single weapon class has a minor adjustment but still feels really familiar for the veterans after a mission or two. The two new classes definitely have their own feel and have their unique strong points and feels quite balanced. I can see the bug staff being a new favourite with some veteran players, as the vaulting ability that was built into the weapon class (you can jump and perform the air strike without the need of environmental ramps or ledges) can really make a difference especially in multiplayer hunts.
Monsters.
I have not yet gotten the chance to see all the monsters but I am impressed with the line up so far. About 35 hours into the game (soloing), many classic monsters have returned in this title. I have not see any monster left out just yet. Kut-Ku, Gypceros, the Crabs, Peach Monkey, Garuga,...etc. They are all back! Together with the new monsters, I believe this definitely has to be the largest line up of monsters kept within a single title. The new monsters really adds to the variety of the creature class. There are wasp-like monster, scorpion-like monster, spider, shark-like monster and my personal favourite (so far) the new snake monster as well as a dragon that looks to have taken inspiration from the movie Alien. Again i'm not through the game yet, and i'm sure there are still more new creatures that have yet to come.
Game Mechanics.
Once thing they really changed it up in the game is the addition of ground elevation. No longer are you in a map that is flat and except for a few ledges here and there. This time around, the whole ground has some sort of elevation. A hill there, and a high rising rock there to allow you to use it for a jumping attack. When you perform a jump attack on the back of the monster, you can mount it and if you play your cards right, you can bring them to the ground and stunt for a few seconds as well as breaking their backs for extra material. As there are a lot more elevation in the maps, so climbing becomes an essential part to access different areas. You now can climb in all directions when you are climbing, as you can position yourself to land on the back of a monster as well. They have taken the swimming mechanics out and I am glad at their decision. Though I didn't mind it in MH Tri and 3 Ultimate, but I feel it really takes up too much time to travel with that mechanics. Luckily that's all the changes in terms of the main gameplay mechanics. One of the biggest addition is the mode of Online Multiplayer. That is the first time ever in the series for a handheld title, without having to use another device to trick the system to play with others over the internet. I have tried out the mode and it was good without any lag in the two total games that I tried.
I feel this is by far the best title in the series and I do hope they will bring this title to North America. For those who has never try the series before, this is the best place to start as you'll get to even all the classic monsters from the first title in this series. For those who are madly addicted and in love with the series, you NEED this game. I imported a JPN version 3DS just to play this game and I would say it's worth every single penny even if this is the only game I get for my JPN 3DS system.