Hi all! I know some of you must be incredibly curious to see what we think of Monster Hunter Tri for the Wii. We originally anticipated having a review up for you tomorrow morning (the US embargo lifts at 9 a.m. on 4/20), but as it happens, the fates were not kind enough to be in our corner. Capcom sent us a version of the game playable only on a debug unit--that is, a developer Wii unit that can play final code burned to DVDs that have not yet undergone the retail manufacturing process. Unfortunately, a number of outlets, including GameSpot, could not take part in scheduled online sessions due to limitations of certain debug units. And as you may know, Monster Hunter's online component is an integral part of the experience.
In the meanwhile, we also ran into difficulties getting a retail copy of the game from Capcom. We finally received a retail copy today, though the game's online servers will not be activated until later tonight. Because saved games and character data from the debug version can't be transferred to a retail version, this means starting the game from the beginning and replaying large chunks of it. It'll take some time, but I wanted to assure you that I'm spending lots of time with Monster Hunter Tri, and we'll have a review for you as soon as is feasible.
I'll be taking screens and video throughout the week, so keep an eye on the gamespace. I'll also get up some early impressions later this week so you have something to chew on until the review is published. And should you have any questions, don't hesitate to message me. In fact, if you pick up the game before the review is up, message me and maybe we can get some co-op in. Until then, I appreciate your patience!