Monster Hunter is one of Capcom's biggest franchises – no joke. In 2008, the company announced that as a franchise Monster Hunter had sold more than 6.3 million copies; each week it seems Monster Hunter is on the best seller list from Japan; and everywhere you go in the Land of the Rising Sun, there are billboards and keychain fobs to represent the series.

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However, that runaway success really hasn't been replicated in the United States. Sure, the PSP games that have been released here have a dedicated following and the upcoming Wii game shows that there's a market for all things MH, but the franchise isn't a household name here like it is in Japan. It's a bit odd because Americans love killing massive baddies, having cats cook for them, and upgrading weapons as much as the next culture. Why isn't this game in every PSP on the continent?I'm Greg Miller, and I'm about as Middle American as they come. I can't pronounce ethnic names, I think the best beer is Budweiser out of a can, and I like professional wrestling. I think that there are a few key issues holding the Monster Hunter series back in the states – holding the game back from being popular with gamers like me. Below are five things Capcom could do to give the series a kick in the pants and get it the recognition so many think it deserves in the states.People will grind through games for hundreds of hours to make sure that they have the best equipment and that they've completed every quest, but the average gamer isn't into that sort of thing – or at least isn't that into it. It's been fun being the protector of villages here and getting the odd mission from the mayor there, but it's time to drop a story into Monster Hunter. Give us a reason to go out day after day killing pink rathians and evil ceanataurs – a love interest at home, a family, a villain trying to take control of our world, etc. Right now, Monster Hunter games kind of just plop you in these worlds with very little explanation of what's going on, why you do what you do, or how to succeed. Story whores like myself could get hooked on the game if a well told tale was there as a backbone, and noobs would get a needed tutorial if the story taught the basics while starting them off as lowly sword-wielders before moving onto conquering the biggest velocidromes you've ever seen.Without a solid story, players are left to learn by trial and error, Internet forums, and word of mouth. If Monster Hunter began packing a true online mode – lobbies where I could mingle with hunters, a gamercard system so that I could see who was super-good and thus know who to go out on quests to learn from, etc. – noobs could get their feet wet with the best and see why the series is so solid. How many players kill their first beast and don't stop to carve up the carcass? A partner along for the ride could show the kids these ropes. True, the Wii's packing a free online mode that uses WiiSpeak, but we haven't really kicked the tires on what that'll be like in America. Yes, the PSP has ad-hoc capabilities and a gamercard system, but you need to know who you're hooking up with to ensure you're getting the best experience. If you don't have any monster hunting friends that means you're pretty much on your own unless you're using a PS3 to hook up via Ad-Hoc Party. I'm looking for a world where I can get online and scope out prospective partners, read leaderboards showing me the biggest kill of the day, and have a system tracking the best squads. Capcom has a dedicated community; it's time to incorporate that into the game.So, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite took a step in the right direction by letting me install part of the game to my PSP for faster loads, but still, the mid-level loads between sections of the map need to go. It's a bit ridiculous to be in a heated battle with a monster and have to stop everything to load the next section of the game. When I start getting close to an area, can't the game start loading it up? You're not zipping around these big levels – the game has time to react and make a seamless experience. Right now, there are just these huge breaks that knock the wind out of exciting times.For the love of Mega Man, get the camera controls off the D-pad. I know that it sucks not having a second analog stick on the PSP or the Wii, but there has to be a better solution to the problem of keeping these massive enemies on my screen than hooking my left index finger and messing with the D-pad. I play a lot of PSP games, and the setup of Monster Hunter is truly one of the worst I've come across in a major game. Move the attacks to the shoulder buttons, move the character with the stick, and let the face buttons control the camera. Do something. There has to be an easy solution. In fact…I know, I know – Monster Hunter fans want to shoot me right now, but the game would be about a thousand times less frustrating if I could just lock-on to enemies – even parts of animals like legs, feet, etc. so that I could cycle through them. When I'm playing these games, I feel like I'm fighting my awful point of view as hard as I'm fighting the terrible dragon trying to kill me. I'm slashing, running, and setting traps, but I'm also trying to rotate the damn camera to a perspective that keeps the thing trying to run me over in the center of the screen. It's a chore. It's frustrating. It makes me want to stop playing. If you iron out this issue, the camera controls fall in line and the game is manageable to the more mainstream PSP audience. It's fun for all, people start talking about the new niche title, and Monster Hunter is a booming success in America.