@mogan: Russia is literally the size of South America. There are plenty of places they could ship to in the country that are away from the "volatile" areas.
That they don't condemn the war is bizarre to say the least. I haven't followed whether or not many other Japanese companies have been pulling out of there - mostly seen American - but this suggests to me they are.
Laziest blog update in awhile - would have been a slam dunk for SEO if you included Monster Hunter Portable 3rd or any of the other games left off this list when you first posted it.
@externalpower: I walk for upwards of 5 miles per day by habit and find sitting for long sessions, whether that be to play a game or watch TV, to be stressful.
This kind of system is perfect for a person like me.
Honestly think you should rank Portable 3rd, but you're doing this for Amazon Affiliate money and that game was/is Japan-only, so I understand.
Monster Hunter Tri should be ranked separately from 3 Ultimate, as there are a significant number of changes between the two games that make them different experiences. Primarily, Tri did not have all the weapons present in Dos or Freedom Unite, but they were added back in Portable 3rd and remained in 3 Ultimate. That alone makes 3U a better game. I would rank Tri above Freedom 2 but below Freedom Unite.
The really interesting choice in Third-Gen is between Portable 3rd and 3 Ultimate. I'd say Portable 3rd has better bosses in Amatsu and Akantor/Ukanlos over 3 Ultimate's Ceadeus and Dire Miralis. Portable 3rd also is an extremely good beginner Monster Hunter game, even today. Plus, it has Tigrex where 3 Ultimate lacks that, and it gets rid of the divisive underwater combat. Finally, it is the best-looking PSP game ever and has a really solid HD PS3 port. Runs flawlessly on PSP and is a technical achievement.
Where 3 Ultimate fires back though is with G-Rank and the inclusion of even more monsters, including Lagiacrus and all his forms, Savage Deviljho, Stygian Zinogre, Brachydios, etc. While I love Portable 3rd, I think 3 Ultimate gets the slight nod just because it does have more variety in the end. They're both amazing games, and I felt like giving them a little more credit than your article does.
@flyingfrog: ...it obviously isn't "meaningless" to many people, given the fact that there's a gigantic market share.
I, for one, almost exclusively play portable games because I dislike sitting in front of a big screen in a cushioned seat for more than 30 minutes, and I work in front of a massive computer screen all day. Portable games can be played out in the world, on a walk, out in the daylight, while exercising, or anywhere I choose.
Just as I acknowledge that many people enjoy consuming entertainment in the way you describe, how hard can it be to understand the way I (and many others, clearly) enjoy?
@chisoxrule: Speaking as someone who bought and played through the original Red and Blue when they came out, I distinctly remember having the exact same thoughts about Diamond and Pearl when they were released. I bought Pearl, played it for a few hours, said to myself "this is the exact same game as Red and Blue" and put it down.
Pretty amazing we find ourselves here, with even those games being remade now.
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