A while back on a recording of Infendo Radio I mentioned that Capcom and Nintendo teamed up to develop the Classic Controller Pro. Which was done for the game Monster Hunter due to the fact that Monster Hunter was original developed for the Playstation 2 whose controllers had the extra two shoulder buttons.

While the Classic Controller Pro is nothing more than an original classic controller with two added shoulder buttons and some fancy ergonomically friendly grips, nothing has really changed… and according to the press release Nintendo sent out today Monster Hunter Tri is coming bundled with it in April for 59$.

So anyone ready to hunt some dragons and monsters with a new controller? Anybody?

Famitsu’s live blog has reported that the highly popular Monster Hunter G’s online features will require a monthly subscription in Japan. Capcom will charge 800 points for one month, 1500 for two months, and 2000 for three months. Famitsu is naming the monthly purchase a “hunting ticket”. At this time it is unknown if Monster Hunter 3 will support an online fee.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Japan would pay even more than $8 a month just to play some Monster Hunter. It’s like drugs for them. Monster Hunter G probably won’t be released outside of Japan, but if so would you pay a monthly fee considering the title was built from the ground up for defeating monsters and quests with friends online? I know I would…I think.

Monster Hunter G will be released in Japan on April 23rd, 2009 and includes a demo of Monster Hunter 3.

Famitsu

Capcom has stated that the highly anticipated Monster Hunter 3 (tri) will be arriving in Japan this upcoming summer 2009. Surprised? I thought so. The third title in the main Monster Hunter franchise was originally estimated to be released in Japan very late into 2009, or even early to mid 2010. Capcom obviously gave the MH team a good kick in the development pants to get the move on.

I can guarantee the current shrinking Japanese Wii sales numbers will not only bounce back, but dominate the Japanese video game market for the rest of the 09-10 fiscal year, if not the remainder of the Wii’s lifetime.

What does this mean for U.S. and Europe Wii owners? The Monster Hunter development team has expressed interest in bringing MH3 to other regions if Capcom sees the market ripe for localizing. There’s no doubt we’ll see the title, but just when? 2010?

*Crosses fingers* Here’s hoping for a unlikely Q4 2009 localization.

What’s the game called? Well, it’s top-secret so I can’t tell you. Locally Grown, however, has the quiet details:

Right now, the 20 employees at Monster Games are working on a top-secret video game for Nintendo. They’ve worked on it for two years and are nearly finished. The process is so private the designers must darken their monitors when the bottled-water deliveryman enters the office. The company won Yahoo’s “Best Racing Game of 2006? award for its last game for the Nintendo Wii called “Excite Truck.”

I’d do cartwheels if it were Excite Truck 2 with online multiplayer, but that doesn’t sound so “top-secret,” does it?

See also:

• What’s your favorite Excite Truck music?
• Top 10 Wii games to play alone
• Nintendo Spotting: Excite Truck in Utah