3 days ago we revealed the North American box art of the upcoming  Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on our  tumblr and  Instagram pages (which you should totally follow for awesome moving pictures: videos and GIFs)…

Today I’m here to share the full image and some other cool info on multiplayer!

As you know, multiplayer is at the core of the  Monster Hunter  experience. And since it’s the first time we see a  MH with online on a portable system, we wanted to show that on the main piece of art for the title, that is, the box art.

You can also see a number of new in-game features in this piece, such as the hunter on the Gore Magala’s back and the more subtle idea of terrain differences affecting gameplay manifesting itself in the archer on the right.

But let’s talk about the main focus again: multiplayer! I’m proud to confirm that multiplayer in  Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate  will work amongst both North American and European versions,  online  AND  locally !

So whether you have friends on the other side of the pond or you’re traveling abroad, you can still join your fellow hunter and take on majestic beasts!

Exciting, right? Let us know what you think of the news. 😉

Catch more blood and gore with  Dead Rising 3   Apocalypse Edition this afternoon at 4pm PT! You know the drill–the game comes out September 5th, but you can tune into our Twitch channel for a glorious early look. Remember, the game also includes the four “Untold Stories of Los Perdidos” add-on chapters at no additional cost. Pre-order   today!

Over 100 costumes! That’s what you get when you pick up the retail version of USFIV. If you haven’t seen trailers one and two , hurry and check those out. After you finish watching all three, be sure to preorder so that you can all get the new challengers pack as well. With the full release coming out on consoles 8/5 and Steam on 8/7, the time to get truly get Ultra is right around the corner. 

Hey everyone, as you may know Japan Expo 2014 happened a few weeks ago in Paris, France and Monster Hunter Executive Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto was there to talk about some of the new monsters in  MH4U . Our European community guy, Jake, managed to take Tsujimoto-san aside for a short community-driven interview. Check out the full video below:

You’ll also notice they have Paul from our Germany branch as well as Lynyster, who is winner of the weapon design contest on the European side . Definitely worth a watch if you want to know more about how she came up with that lovely weapon.

The Yian Kut-Ku is back in  Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate , and it is ready to teach some new tricks to newcomers once again!

Hunting students, I present you one of your main hunting teachers: Yian Kut-Ku. This monster may not appear to be much of threat, with its goofy personality and relatively short stature, but it actually plays a big role in teaching key hunting skills to any aspiring hunter.

You see, up until you get to the Yian Kut-Ku, the monsters you hunt aren’t very dangerous. You can almost get away with focusing all your energy on attacking and not worry about defense. But the Yian Kut-Ku demands more from you, thereby teaching us one of the most important lessons in series: respect the monster.

Those fighting the Yian Kut-Ku for the first time will notice it will often ignore some of your attacks… and its response is usually an attack that deals more damage than you’re ready to receive.

This monster will also teach you about fatigue and weakened states. In  MH4U , monsters get exhausted after a while and will seek food to regain stamina. Using its large beak, the Yian Kut-Ku can scoop out chunks of dirt searching for delicious insects called Konchu . And when it is weakened (AKA almost dead and ready to be captured ), Yian Kut-Ku will not only try to limp away, but it will also lower its ears, making it super obvious of its condition.

Click the GIFs to see more GIFs 😉

The reward for learning these valuable lessons? Well, you’re now equipped to hunt pretty much any other monster in the game. And you can craft some of this gear:

Blademaster armor

Gunner armor

Dual Blades

Light Bowgun

Look out for the Yian Kut-Ku and many other monsters (that should be respected) in  Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate as it arrives on the Nintendo 3DS early next year.

Capo Toys has created a Kickstarter for production of their Ryu figure. This figure, amongst others within the series, were awarded “Best New Toy Line 2014″ at the Toy Fair International. These 7”, articulated action figures are like no other. Check out their kickstarter for more information on how to support!

What happens when Deadpool bumps into fellow superheroes, the Gore Magala and Ono-san? Sadly, it’s not an amazing all-out brawl that spans the entirety of SDCC’s showfloor, but it IS at least an amusing romp that shows Wade’s less murderous side.

For more costumed play, check out our SDCC roundup .

It’s impossible to grab  every  Capcom cosplayer who walks through the SDCC halls, but I gave it a shot and am happy to show off their great work on Unity!

The big show’s all wrapped up, and that means it’s time for roundup videos and cosplayer photos as far as the eye can see!

First up is this quick tour around the show floor, with close ups on a lot of the figures, statues and apparel on display. There’s also some b-roll showing off the Capcom booth itself, including the MH4U Gore Magala statue.

Finally, I spoke with Francis Mao about the Capcom Store and its exclusive items, namely the Mega Man helmets and the MH plushies!

It was a great show, thanks to everyone who came by the booth and said hi. More pics to come!

Finally, our second winner of the  Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate weapon design contest is revealed! I present to you the Clockwork Contraption , created by Agent Spectre :

I gotta say, running this contest has been a blast! We’ve received so many good entries (which we’re looking to share soon) and seeing an idea like this turn into a fully animated weapon in the game is pretty awesome!

So congrats to Agent Spectre  for capturing the MH designers’ eyes and winning the Americas’ section of our contest!

And if you haven’t seen it yet, check out the winner of the European side  here .

The number one question since we announced Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate was whether or not we’d get Link’s armor set and weapons… the answer:  YES!

And if by chance you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s the trailer:

This collaboration was announced for  MH4 in Japan a while ago and we had to keep quiet… but now that the proverbial Felyne is out of the proverbial Item Pouch, let me say this: we have  more special equipment like this planned for the title. Don’t ask me what they are, because I can’t say, but expect more news  soon ! 😉

The exploration-filled action-platformer throwback  Strider is currently available for 30% off on PlayStation 3 , and still FREE on PlayStation 4 for Playstation Plus subscribers. Assuming there is still anyone out there who doesn’t own this rad game, now’s a great time to pick it up.