Uniting Again

After playing Tri since it came out here in the states (preorder ftw), I've been neglecting my PSP and copy of Freedom Unite (my poor Freedom 2 has been collecting dust). This morning, I randomly found that I missed my badass sets of armor, I missed fighting Elder Dragons like Teostra, I missed watching my cats cook huge stacks of food for me.

I also remembered that I had yet to beat Fatalis and that I was working on my Ash Lao armor.

>_>

What. Anywho, I had a little bit of time before going to work this morning since I woke up early, and my PSP was beckoning me, so I sat down on the couch and got immersed yet once again in a bit of handheld awesomeness.

I only had time for a quickie and since I need Heavenly Scales off of Rathian, I did a Goldie, seeing as how I was equipped for it when I fired up the game anyway. Whupped her ass like no one's business and found myself trying to do the newer longsword backslash that lets you sidestep to no avail, but overall, it was amazing all over again and I think I'll sit down with it again at lunch.

I find it not only awesome, but amazing that I can still sit down and play Unite with the same passion that I do Tri. The differences between playing Freedom 2 and Unite...well...there weren't really too many of them to be honest, but they weren't enough to give a different feel to the game. Tri is great, sure, I don't regret my purchase, but it is missing some of the magic that got me into the franchise in the first place. The first time I sat down with Freedom 2 (yeah, late bloomer here), I was at first skeptical as I trudged through the tutorials, but since the first time I ran from a Tigrex in that game, I've been hooked.

It's not the weapons in Tri, it's not the mechanics of the game, because honestly, they've changed very little. Mostly, those things have been rearranged into something that just looks and acts different (I do oh so love the new spirit gauge combo/system for the longsword in Tri, however). I think it may be the monster set...but I can't say for sure. I miss a lot of the monsters from Freedom 2 and Unite. D: Having Los and Ian is cool, especially since they got revamped- I LOVE THE HOVERING THEY DO NOW, IT'S SO COOL, but at the same time it's almost like something is missing.

Nevermind that the 'a' button does not compute when I've been playing on the PSP for so long (to be fair I sat down with the first Monster Hunter on the PS2, just to see what it was like...I liked it. >>).

I think it might be the groaning when I tell the people sitting in the room and playing with me that I need a Heavenly Tigrex Scale.

Seeing this wonderful game on the TV, and not the small screen when you hook the slim PSP to the TV is awesome, I will give it that much. I even love the classic controller that looks like the bastard child of a Nintendo Classic controller and a PS2 controller.

But at the same time, if I'm going to play with friends, it always has to be when they're online, not hanging out at my house (unless they bring their Wii and we somehow magically get another TV to appear), and without the WiiSpeak thing (which I still haven't figured out), you can't talk and chat with them normally like you would with a living room full of people all playing on their PSPs together.

Player 1: Shit dude, my PSP is flashing.

Player 2: Where's your charger?

Player 1: I think I left it in my car.

Player 4: I think there's one by the couch, hang on. *gets up*

Player 3: Oh dude, you're getting mauled by prey. *laughs*

Player 4: Then kill 'em, dammit, I'm busy. *chucks charger at Player 1*

Player 2: He's here, you better hurry.

Player 4: It's just a Khezu, don't tell me you'll fail without me.

Player 2: Oh shut up, I'm always saving your ass.

Player 3: Yeah, she usually is. *laughs*

Player 4: Whatever, Miss Always Needs Stupid Pale Bones.

Player 1: Well, she is a woman.

Player 3: Hey! *laughs*

AND THEN EVERYONE LAUGHS AND KILLS THE STUPID KHEZU TOGETHER.

Player 3 still didn't get a Pale Bone.