So I have a question, but let me get to what I mean exactly. I want to get into Monster Hunter and I have a 3DS (Not a new one), and a Wii U. I would prefer to play Monster Hunter on the big screen so I am leaning towards 3U on the Wii U..but my question is, is MH4U so much better than 3U that its worth playing over 3U? Is 4U a massive improvement, or such a little improvement that its better to just get 3U? Thanks bombers.

Major differences off the top of my head:

4U introduced a vertical aspect to the series. You can climb walls, jump off 'em, rodeo monsters and stab the shit out of them. The monsters can handle the terrain just as well as you, and the combat feels a lot more dynamic because of it.

3U introduced monsters which you spend a lot of time fighting underwater. The general consensus, which I agree with, is that the swimming controls are terrible and make the fights a chore. Capcom stripped underwater fights out of 4U entirely.

4U, no question. It's much better at teaching newbies the mechanics and, more importantly, it has no God-damn underwater battles.

As someone who put about 5 hours into MH3U on 3DS and didn't feel compelled to keep going, MH4U has been a huge step up for me. The big things:

1. No underwater battles. This is huge, because they featured heavily in the early quests, at least, in 3. I had no interest in fighting with the camera in four directions, but can cope with two.
2. The much improved tutorial flow also helped keep me on course through the earliest learning curve. It very slowly introduces new concepts, where I was pretty overwhelmed in MH3U. There are also optional tutorial levels (quests) for each of the weapon types, which were really useful in explaining the diverse movesets and helping me figure out what I wanted to focus on.
3. The ability to play online on the 3DS is awesome. There are social lobbies with text chat that you can join based on experience level (noob is an option), quest type, target monster, etc. The online element turns what once was a solitary grind into an exciting Dark Souls-style co-op experience. I haven't yet jumped into Skype chat with the GiantBomb forum members, but I plan on it once I get a bit more time under my belt.

I'm still playing MH4U on my original 3DS, and the graphics and ergonomics are fine with and without the Circle Pad Pro attachment. The more I play, the less I touch the right stick and just use the L-button to reposition the camera. I would prefer to play it on a big tv with a more comfortable controller, but it hasn't hampered my enjoyment. I really hope the PS4 gets one sometime this generation.

4U is an improved sequel of 3U, better for beginners for sure. Also the online system is way smoother.

3U on Wii U has the benefits of being on the Wii U like 1080p graphics and proper big controllers with analog sticks.

I would get 4U and get 3U later if you need more monsters and environments on a big screen. It might feel a bit clunky going back to the old one though.

EDIT: Also it is possible for a HD version of 4U on Wii U. That would definitely have save transferability and maybe cross platform multiplayer. I would still play it on 3ds until this happens and it might not.

4U is a better game, more beginner friendly and what the majority of the community is playing. I'm using an original XL and have zero control issues myself, so you don't need to have a N3DS to enjoy it by any means.

As much as I love my N3DS I second this, I had been playing 3U and 4U before my N3DS arrived and by the time it did I was already used to using the lock-on feature, I rarely use the nub. The head-tracking is nice and the textures a bit nicer but it's such a minor thing. It plays just fine on a regular 3DSXL.

And yes, what the other guys said, start with 4U, there's no reason to go back since monsters return in every game. Oh and 4U has the mobility, I can't go back to that slow climbing on to stuff and not able to jump on beasties.

I love 4U. I found 3U hard to get in to. I feel like I could go back to it now, but there seems to be no reason to as everyone who loves MH that I've talked to adores 4U and says it's by far the best the serious has been.

Honestly, the only complaint I have is that I'd love to have a Wii U version for the glorious graphics. The dev team said they won't make one but something tells me we may see Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate G EX+ Delta in a year or two.

edit: I also should add that I'm playing on an original XL. I think the lock on targeting is completely fine. Only thing I'd appreciate about the N3DS version is the better textures and faster boot/load times.

This was my exact question! Thanks for the info. Now my problem is I cannot find the damn game anywhere! Why is it sold out literally everywhere.... Wichita, KS fyi...

is it a distribution thing?

@af7lm: Yeah. I imagine they didn't expect it to sell nearly this well over here. It's on the eShop though if you don't mind going that route.

MH is the sort of game that you can keep going back to even as new games come out. I can't see any reason not to just buy it digitally so you always have it available.

Good idea. I'll look into that route. Thanks, duders.

4 is one hell of a game!

3 is also great, but like others said, it explains itself very poorly and underwater fights are awful

I have owned MH3U since it came out, but I struggled to get into it. After playing MH4 and really getting a better understanding and enjoying it, I went back to 3 and now it makes a lot more sense and I'm having much more fun with it than I had the first time around.

But yes, the underwater stuff sucks. I would say get 4 first and play the heck out of it. If you want more, 3 is a good option. Really the only reason I even went back to it now is because I already had it.

If you have a old 3ds or xl GET A CIRCLE PAD PRO!!!