We’ve heard your requests, and we’re bringing Monster Hunter Tri to the west! Come 2010, you’ll be able to hop online in one of the most beautiful games for the Wii with your friends in 4 player hunts. Tri introduces a lot of new elements to the world of Monster Hunter, including the ability to swim through vast underwater areas, and fight huge aquatic beasts. New weapons, new armor, new areas… It’s an entirely new way to play Monster Hunter. 

Check out the press release after the jump.

CAPCOM ANNOUNCES WESTERN RELEASE OF MONSTER HUNTER^TM Tri FOR Wii^TM

Four-Player Online Co-Op, 2-Player Split-Screen and New Underwater Environments Introduced When Japanese Phenomenon Comes To North American and European Markets in 2010

SAN MATEO, Calif. — August 3, 2009 — Capcom® Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that Monster Hunter’ Tri will be released in both North America and Europe for Nintendo’s Wii’ system in early 2010.

Monster Hunter Tri will set a new bar in the action/adventure genre with the introduction of new features and game play elements as the multi-million unit selling franchise makes its debut on the Wii system.

One of the most strikingly beautiful titles ever developed for Wii, Monster Hunter Tri depicts a living, breathing ecosystem where man co-exists with fantastic beasts that roam both the land and the sea. Featuring both online and offline cooperative modes, players can join online hunting parties with up to four players or play with two players on a single TV for select quests. Players also have the option to face Monster Hunter Tri’s challenging quests as a single player experience accompanied by Cha-Cha, an AI hunting partner whose tracking and trapping skills will prove invaluable in the hunt. New items, weapons and armor sets will also be available to assist the hunters as they embark on the most incredible Monster Hunter adventure to date.

“Fans of Nintendo and Monster Hunter are eagerly anticipating the launch of this title in the US, which will be the first time the series is available on a Nintendo home console,” said Steve Singer, Nintendo of America’s Vice President of Licensing. “Having Capcom bring Monster Hunter Tri to the Wii console provides tremendous action, fun and entertainment to both veteran players and series newcomers alike.”

Visitors to this month’s GamesCom European gaming convention in Cologne, Germany August 19-23, will be the first to sample a localized version of the title on Capcom’s stand as it makes its English debut for a western audience. GamesCom attendees will have the opportunity to play the same game that took last year’s Tokyo Game Show by storm, with lines that stretched around Capcom’s stand as eager Japanese gamers waited in excess of five hours to play.

This desire to be one of the first to experience Monster Hunter Tri is indicative of the impact the Monster Hunter franchise has made on videogame culture in Japan. With sales of the series totaling well over 10 million units and 3.5 million sales of Monster Hunter Portable’ 2ndG alone, it’s no surprise to find that Monster Hunter has given rise to dedicated “training camps”, country-wide festivals and numerous licensed products. The franchise doesn’t just top the charts in Japan; it’s become a social phenomenon.