Best Monster Hunter Games
Image: Nintendo Life

Update: Capcom's Monster Hunter series is celebrating its 20th anniversary on 11th March 2024. And to celebrate, we've decided to overhaul our Best Monster Hunter Game list into a reader-ranked format. That means you can influence the ranking!

Not only that, we've also changed the list to focus on Nintendo-only releases. That means no more World and OG PS2 entry — simply the finest Monster Hunters on Nintendo consoles.

As with all our reader-ranked lists, you can change the ranking of this list even after publication. Originally, we had Monster Hunter: Rise at the top of the tree — where will it fall here? Read on...

What's the best Monster Hunter of all time? In a series where half of the titles have the word 'Ultimate' fixed on the end, it can be a difficult question to answer.

Capcom's long-running series is now 20 years old, starting life on the PlayStation 2 before becoming synonymous with Nintendo's console line-up. Jumping between Sony and Nintendo consoles, the franchise has only grown in popularity over the years, fully exploding into the mainstream with Monster Hunter: World on PS4 in 2018. That's only grown since then, with 202's Monster Hunter Rise

Taking down monsters alone or with your friends online has never been better, so now's the time to hear which Monster Hunter game on a Nintendo console you think is the best. As with all of our reader-ranked lists, you can rate your favourite by clicking on the star next to the game and giving it a score out of ten. And who knows, maybe you'll change the order of the list!

The below list only contains full games, so we haven't included the Sunbreak DLC for Rise separately (though you can consider it as part of Sunbreak's entry). We've also omitted any Japanese-only releases such as Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village DX — sorry to all of you fans of cute spin-offs.

So, sit by the campfire, grab some meat, and read on to find out which monster Hunter game you lovely readers have voted as the best...

9. Monster Hunter Stories (3DS)

Monster Hunter Stories is an excellent adventure that channels the colourful world of Capcom’s storied series into a joyous JRPG that eventually got a Switch port following a sequel. The original suffers from performance issues on non-New 3DS hardware, but it’s still full of personality, beautifully presented and fun to play, with combat that’s easy to grasp but engaging throughout.

Longtime MonHun fans will appreciate Stories as a thoughtfully-made spin-off, but the gameplay template and tone are so different that you don’t need to be familiar with — or even enjoy! — mainline Monster Hunter to have a great time here. Regardless of whether you’ve been hunting Hornetaurs since the beginning or couldn’t tell a Felyne from a Fatalis, Stories is a charming 3DS RPG.

8. Monster Hunter Generations (3DS)

Monster Hunter Generations is a must-have for fans of the franchise, blending the old with the new for an excellent overall package (which you can also find in Ultimate form on Switch). Hunter Styles add extra intensity and tempo to combat while this game also tries to welcome newcomers with optional tutorials, with Prowler mode undoubtedly designed to be quirky and alluring to players of all kinds.

It does some things better than its immediate predecessor, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, but also a couple of things a little less impressively. The nod to nostalgia brings a lot of locations and quests to keep players busy, but loses a little of the narrative edge and focus of its predecessor.

This franchise is one of the most enjoyable and immersive time-sinks going. For anyone ready for a long-term challenge, with tough battles and plenty of complexity to master, this is still worth hunting down.

7. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U)

As its name appropriately suggested, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate took the already exceptional Wii title and added a daunting amount of new content and HD sheen. It's not a game for everyone, and unsuspecting players may have had a nasty surprise at the level of commitment and skill the game demands.

That's nothing new in the Monster Hunter series, though. Assuming you were up to the task, MH3U on Wii U was hard to put down. Some elements felt a little phoned-in (some ugly clipping, poor textures and the 3DS touchscreen ratio on the GamePad, for example), yet they were minor blemishes on an impressive package.

Those that missed Monster Hunter Tri the first time round had an excellent opportunity to catch up on Wii U, and veterans got the chance to upgrade to the big screen.

6. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (3DS)

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate was an excellent interpretation of a home console experience that allowed hunters to invest countless hours conquering hundreds of quests on the go, although with occasional moments where its smaller home wasn't entirely optimised; the absence of online play was a great pity, too.

MH3U was an accomplished effort, though, and a must for fans of the franchise who couldn't access the home console versions or those who simply want to always be able to slay an almighty beast on the bus.

5. Monster Hunter 3 (Tri~) (Wii)

While Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is arguably the best way to play Monster Hunter Tri, the original game is still an impressive piece of software from Capcom. It's something of a slow burn, and certainly a daunting challenge if this is your first hunt, but the old-school monster-hunting magic is in this game's DNA regardless of platform.

If you have the fortitude to persevere through the first few hours, you'll find out why this series has only gone from strength to strength over the decades.

4. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (Switch)

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is full of charm and boasts depth that can immerse the committed player or be dabbled with by those eager to simply experience the story. As a blend of Monster Hunter with a traditional RPG approach it's an accomplished effort, and offers the sort of meaty experience that'll keep most players busy for weeks. Switch owners will need to tolerate some disappointing performance, unfortunately, but the overall experience shines nonetheless. It's a game of bright colours and wholehearted optimism, which is always very welcome indeed.

Oh, and you can name your Monsties.

3. Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate may lack the accessibility that made Monster Hunter: World such a smash hit, but it more than makes up for it by being a sort of ‘greatest hits’ collection of the high points of the series, giving you hundreds of hours of content to play through. Couple this with the HD visuals, easy-to-use multiplayer, and the ability to play the full experience on the go, and you’ve got a game that will appeal to both veterans and newcomers alike.

It may not necessarily represent the future of the series, but this is a fantastic experience in its own right and a worthy follow-up to the 3DS original, and one that no Switch owner will want to be without, even if series newcomers might want to start with Rise first.

2. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS)

Monster Hunter: World did the business on other platforms and attracted a far broader audience than ever before to a series that already enthused a sizeable player base, especially in the East.

The Monster Hunter games have always required a significant investment and many fans insist the 'traditional' grind and other franchise foibles are necessary to the 'authentic' MH experience. Crafting items from the enormous beasts you’ve taken down can be hugely rewarding, and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is possibly the best of the 'classic style' — a good way to find out if you’ve got the bug for the series, although the newer iterations are more approachable overall.

Although Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate works on an original model 3DS, we’d recommend playing on a New 3DS for camera control and a better frame rate.

1. Monster Hunter Rise (Switch)

New mechanics, monsters, and a gorgeous setting meant that Monster Hunter Rise set a new standard for the franchise.

The Wirebug, Switch Skills, Palamute, and carefully thought-out monsters shook things up enough to make the game feel fresh for hunters who had previously spent thousands of hours with the series, and while the package can be slightly intimidating for newcomers, it's arguably the ideal place to get started if you're serious about getting into monster hunting. And with a peerless four-player multiplayer experience, the Rampage quests are a blast.

Monster Hunter Rise is one of the strongest entries into the series, then, and another stone-cold classic for Switch. And if the base game isn't enough, hunt down the must-have Sunbreak DLC, as well.

Where does your favourite sit on the list? Are you a Generations Ultimate fan, or does Rise take the crown? And don't forget, Nintendo Life readers can rate any game on the list and potentially affect the ranking in real-time. Just hunt down your favourite and click on the star! then share your thoughts in the comments.