Monster Hunter Rise took the gaming world by storm after it released on Nintendo Switch this March, and Capcom is keeping the game alive with a steady stream of small updates. The Monster Hunter franchise has featured numerous crossovers in the past with other Capcom properties like Devil May Cry, as well as industry staples like The Legend of Zelda, so it's no surprise that today the developer announced Monster Hunter Rise will get Okami content on July 30.
One of the new features that debuted in Monster Hunter Rise is the Palamute, a canine companion hunters can bring with them alongside the series' feline Palico. Palamute are primarily a means of transportation, allowing players to cross the game's various open maps faster and without wasting stamina, though they also do battle with monsters. Adding a layered armor set based on Okami's Amaterasu is a perfect way to showcase how new canine-themed crossovers can take place thanks to the Palamute, and there are a number of options Capcom should consider.
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Following Okami's Amaterasu event quest, there will be a third Capcom collaboration set in Monster Hunter Rise this August, and two more coming this fall. It's unlikely they will all focus exclusively on content related to the Palamute, but it seems like a no-brainer to add layered armor based on Rush from the Mega Man franchise.
There are a number of canines in Capcom's library beyond Amaterasu, but Rush feels like a more fitting inclusion than something like a T-Virus zombie dog from Resident Evil. Monster Hunter's mechanics may not allow Rush to fly, but Capcom could pay homage to the character's abilities with a spring animation when hunters leap off their armored Palamute.
With Monster Hunter Rise being a Nintendo Switch-exclusive for the time being, it would only make sense for Capcom to capitalize on a Nintendo crossover using one of the console's best-selling titles. Animal Crossing: New Horizons still has updates for 2021 in development, and it would be fun to see a crossover come to both titles. Given New Horizons has added Super Mario-themed cosmetics, it could just as easily do Monster Hunter.
Isabelle seems the obvious choice to join Monster Hunter, even if someone like K.K. Slider has represented the Animal Crossing series longer. That being said, even though Monster Hunter Rise's Wings of Ruin crossover DLC shows Capcom is willing to add more cartoonish armor sets for Palico, the bipedal Animal Crossing characters may not translate well to quadrupedal Palamute. In that case it may be better for the layered armor to simply change the Palamute fur color, or just give them a new Animal Crossing-themed weapon.
It's hard to say what Konami is willing to do with the Metal Gear franchise after its split with Hideo Kojima, but there is precedent for Konami and Capcom to work together considering Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker crossed over with Monster Hunter Portable 3rd in 2010. Thus it wouldn't be unusual to see Venom Snake from Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain appear as a hunter's layered armor set, but more importantly that means Diamond Dog (D-Dog, or just DD) could come with him.
Similar to Venom Snake, D-Dog is often depicted with an eyepatch over his missing right eye, and in MGS5 he can be recruited as an AI buddy to assist with reconnaissance and target eliminations. One of the pre-order bonuses for Monster Hunter Rise was a more realistic golden retriever armor set for the Palamute, so it wouldn't be strange to see a canine like DD racing across the Shrine Ruins.
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Dogmeat is one of the most iconic companions from Fallout 4, if not the Fallout series as a whole. This became apparent earlier this year when former Bethesda developer Joel Burgess announced Dogmeat's real-life inspiration River passed away.
There was an outpouring of support for Burgess and his family online as countless Fallout fans shared their fond memories with the canine companion. Xbox and Bethesda also donated to the Montgomery County Humane Society in honor of River shortly after the announcement. It's perhaps a stretch to imagine Monster Hunter crossing over with Fallout in this way, but memorializing the character of Dogmeat in more properties would be a nice way to pay respects.
The Annoying Dog from Undertale technically isn't just a dog, it's also an avatar representing the game's creator Toby Fox. Over the course of the Earthbound-inspired indie RPG, the Annoying Dog periodically appears to spread chaos, and a similar white dog is referenced in the first chapter of Toby Fox's follow-up Deltarune – apparently working on a computer game that it suggests may take a long time to complete, obviously referencing Deltarune's own development.
Monster Hunter Rise may not be the best place for an Annoying Dog crossover considering its design is little more than a blob of white pixels, but Toby Fox's rise to fame following the release of Undertale is a good indication that it's possible. Not only does Sans appear as a Mii Fighter costume in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate alongside the song "Megalovania," but Toby Fox also had the opportunity to work on music in Pokemon Sword and Shield for Game Freak. Crossing over with Capcom would be just one more accolade for the developer.
If Undertale has conceivably grown beyond its status as an indie game, Chucklefish's Wargroove is a prime candidate for indie representation in Monster Hunter Rise – should Capcom be in the market for that. Wargroove is a turn-based tactics game released in 2019 that's reminiscent of classic Intelligent Systems franchises Advance Wars and Fire Emblem (though mainly the prior), but it particularly stands out for its use of multiplayer and custom campaign creators.
One of the Commanders from the Cherrystone Kingdom where players begin the game is Caesar, the royal dog who can inspire his allies to take another action each turn. The character's white fur is reminiscent of Amaterasu and Annoying Dog, but the great pyrenees' armor is unique and seems fitting for a Palamute.
Monster Hunter Rise is now available for the Nintendo Switch. A PC port is expected to launch in early 2022.
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