Capcom Monster Hunter Freedom Photo Contest

These were taken on October 23rd, 2007 at Electronic Arts Redwood Shores, where I worked at the time. I gathered up my Monster Hunter friends and took a photo for the Capcom Monster Hunter Freedom Photo Contest. I even brought my little Poogies.

When I was teaching my friends how to play I gave them a customized Combo Card I created listing all the possible combos for items, as well as recipes for the Cooking Felynes; I also used some art from the original Monster Hunter Japanese manual.

We were SO excited to have won the contest!! ^___^

Namja Town!

One of my favorite moments in Japan, was when I went to Namja Town and they were featuring a whole Monster Hunter Airu Village theme! When you enter Namja Town, it's like a theme park inside the Sunshine City mall. There are rides and attractions for kids, a haunted house, and an awesome huge arcade (the Taiko Drum Master featured the Monster Hunter theme song, one of the many things you'll never find here in the US!! I love Japan!!)...

But most importantly, there are Japanese festival-style booths where you can find MONSTER HUNTER THEMED FOODS. I tried to eat all of them but I got so full after the 5th meal! When you order the food, they give you a sticker of the Monster Hunter item it represents.

I was soooo excited to be here, I was bouncing around, my heart was racing so hard and I was making tiny *squeeee* noises at every Monster Hunter thing I saw!

Khezu - Ice cream with wafers! This is one of my favorite wyverns in the original game! Ten points if you can guess why! I can't say why because it's NSFW! XD

Hermitaur Gyoza - Fried crab shell with pocky-like biscuits & potstickers smothered in seafood sauce.

Airu Village Hut - Cake filled with custard, topped with wafers, strawberries, cookies, and cream-cheese icing.

Tigrex Head - They made this on the spot! Cut and shaped frozen sherbet into a Tigrex head and painted it with strawberry, blueberry and lemon flavors. The eyes were made of chocolate pieces.

Well Done Steak - When I think about Monster Hunter, one of the most iconic things I think about is MEAT ON A BONE! This was actually two buffalo wing drumsticks wrapped with delicious BACON!

Poogie in a Blanket - Strawberry gelato with whipped cream, wafers and white chocolate inside a crepe!

This is a huge model of the Airu Village, completely made from sugar--perhaps marzipan or fondant? Look at the detail and the humor and love put into everything! What I would give to have this in my collection!

Airu Village mascot (nya!) in front of the area where people can sit at a table and play Monster Hunter or Poka Poka Airu Village!

Watermelon Poogie!! SO CUTE!! :3

OMG, I'm roasting a giant meat on a BBQ Spit. I even sang the song out loud! There's also a game in the "cafe" where you buy a ticket to roast a meat similar to this (it even plays the actual BBQ'ing song while you spin) and a marble drops out. You get Monster Hunter prizes according to the color of the marble!

There is also another game where you pay to buy a random prize ticket. Each ticket has a letter corresponding to one of these prizes below--but this pic just shows a small sampling of it!! I wanted that vinyl Tigrex soo badly!!

Tokyo Game Show 2010

The purpose of my quest to Japan was to attend Tokyo Game Show 2010 knowing they would debut the new Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, and in hopes I would get my hands on it!

I woke up at 4am in the morning and got there at around 6:00am, and the line was already huge--it wrapped around the TGS building (which seemed the size of two airplane hangars side by side) three times. I waited 4 hours to get in and it was muggy and hot. Nearly everyone carried handkerchiefs and towels to wipe down sweat, and DS's/PSP's to occupy the time. I was delirious from thirst, excitement and lack of sleep all at once, it reminded me of the scene in Genshiken where Madarame and the gang were waiting in the endless line for Comiket!

Capcom MHP3 Booth! Sugoi ne!!

Tables where 4 players can gather and play a quest!

I bought practically everything MH in the TGS Capcom store--unfortunately, some stuff sold out before I could get in!

I found tons of awesome MH cosplayers...

Banewulfe's MH Collection

I love Monster Hunter SO MUCH I am willing to HUNT for anything related to the game. In fact, besides going to Tokyo Game Show just to play Monster Hunter Portable 3rd and buy up the Capcom store, the other part of my QUEST in visiting Japan--TWICE--was of course, to acquire tons of Monster Hunter treasures.

This is why I love Akihabara in Japan, because you'll find things there you'll never knew existed... when I first walked into one of the stores flanked with Monster Hunter stuff, I felt like I had died and went to Heaven, or I was walking through a blissful dream...

This is a 20000 Yen ($200) silver pendant I bought in Akiba.

...and a silver Airu pendant!

I have three display cases full of figures and stuff... Here is the top of my Monster Hunter-themed display case.

Re-enacting a Gordiant battle scene from Lost Planet 2 PS3, where you get Monster Hunter costumes!

Baby Gordiant discovers Monster Hunter camp!

I have a pet hermit crab, named Daimyo, after the Daimyo Hermitaur! When I first got him, I planned to chop up a plastic toy Triceratops Head and paint it like an aged skull to mount it to the top of his shell. However, I read that the glue and paint would harm the crab so I decided against it. 

Two Hunters: "Shh, don't move. A Daimyo's broken into our camp and is raiding our supply box looking for peanut butter and human flesh..."

"Oh shit! He spotted us!"

"RUUUUN!!!!"

Rathian, Rathalos, Khezu, and Kutku chompin' on a Rare Steak!

Monster Hunter University backpack, and Hunting Club sweater, surrounded by some of my Poogie and Felyne plushies! Note the exclusive TGS 2010 Capcom Special DVD!

Just a couple of my favorite MH soundtracks, especially the Orgel which plays the MH themes with xylophone so it sounds like a music box. I own every MH soundtrack as far as I'm aware of.

MH towel I use for a banner above my living room.

Full collection of the fully-articulate MH figures (I wish Revoltech had made these because the joints aren't as tight so they are difficult to stand on their own, but they can interchange weapons which is cool!) And yes, that is real MH TOILET PAPER! Also, a shirt I bought in 2010.

These are the stickers you collect when you order the snacks at Namja Town!

Vinyl Rathalos, Salt and Pepper Shaker Felynes, Airu Village cups.

Poogie stack! The bottom one plays music and walks, the middle one wiggles his nose to sound. Monster Hunter mochi (I bought a box to eat and a box to keep)

Airu pen prize from Namja Town, Rathian keychain from TGS 2010.

Kutku wants to eat the poogies!

Monster Hunter books and games.

I love this little supply box, you can open and close the lid, so cute! I wish you could take out the mega potions, too! I also have a mega potion and meat keychain on my cellphone!

Namja Town prize from roasting the Well Done Steak and getting the golden ball!

Mugs

Poka Poka Airu Village for PSP!

Flip-flops! They make paw prints on the sand when you walk!

Quest stamps!!

Closeups of Ian/Los keychains.

Airu Village hut plushie "stool," but it's tiny so it's kinda hard to sit on. XD

Meat cookies!

Felyne cookies in vanilla and chocolate!!