Monster Hunter - Opening - PS2

When I was a kid I thought the other hunters walking around the village were other players. Hahaha

Even now this opening is still epic.

Funny, how we went from having, at most, Rathalos drinking water in MH1 to having a whole entire food chain in Monster Hunter World. I remember wishing monsters would fight eachother ingame like it was yesterday. In a few months, it looks like that wish will come true! January 26th, 2018 baby.

with Monster Hunter wilds it seems they're finally aiming to accurately achieve the sort of world depicted in this opening, it only needed 20 more years

Always liked the way they showed good teamwork in this opening. They risked their asses to pull off the perfect killshot.

Pretty much the only time the velociprey is actually acting as a predator instead of prey in an opening

Whether the Rathalos survived or the hunters all died at the end is still a mystery to this day.

You know, after starting with Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate, and then playing MH4U on the 3DS, I have to be honest, this opening gives me goosebumps.

My eyes cleaned now, after watching the movie trailer.

20 years...

the beginning of a legacy or something cool like that

I think this is the best intro in the series. And I'll tell you why: It felt real. That is to say, the games have always spouted that there is an ecosystem in Monster Hunter, which until MHW was only show in snippets when the predators had to heal and when herbivores sensed danger in the next area over. But this intro is the one that actually makes it feel like it's an ecosystem. Here we have two velociprey that panic a herd to weed out one of the weaker juveniles. The mother then proceeds to actually stop and attempt to defend her baby, and the velociprey intentionally avoid her attacks to move around her and capture her baby. Then, a Rathalos, rather than just swooping in to grab an adult, scares the predators off the already killed baby to steal it. They're acting like real animals in this one. Compare that to Monster Hunter Tri's opening. A herd of aptonoth stampeding from a jaggi pack while ludroth leap from the water to try to grab them even after some have fallen in to be eaten. The jaggi do not strategize, simply leap onto the first animal they can and start biting, and hold no regard for their own wellbeing, be it being trampled on by the aptonoth or being tossed into the water to the Ludroth. And then the Great Jaggi simply runs in and is about to go for the first one he sees before Rathalos tackles it to the ground, causing dozens of aptonoth and Jaggi to be maimed in a pile up. Then a Lagiacrus shows up to fight the Rathalos, before the Rathalos flies away to show that multiple packs of jaggi all within a few yards of each other are hunting aptonoth relentlessly. It felt more hectic and chaotic in Tri. Not so much like they were animals anymore but instead actually had become monsters, rabid and caring only for the next meal no matter what it took to get it. In World it at least feels like they're animals again, even moreso now than before.

this was one my favorite games as a child, but the gathering quest were a pain in the ass

Here in 2024, fuck I miss this. They need to do a remake

Kids today have no idea how epic this was in 2004

Several years on, having played nearly every Monster hunter released outside Japan, this opening is still the best. And it just highlights why, even if you're now playing the vastly superior MH4U, you still owe Rathy his dues, because even with Capcom basically shunting Rathalos and Rathian down to middle class monsters with Khezu and friends, they will still punish the shit out of unprepared hunters, and will satisfy anyone who had to do that goddamn egg quest from the first game no matter how high their HR is.

God. Damn. That looks amazing for a PS2 game. Tears man. I love this series.

I still remember the days when bullfangos are a real threat

Happy Anniversary!

I want David Attenborough to do a voiceover on this.