Monster Hunter © Capcom

While it might traditionally be more popular in its native Japan, Capcom's Monster Hunter is nevertheless one of gaming's most lucrative franchises. Since its inception in 2004, the series has become a particularly profitable revenue stream for Capcom, generating million-selling games, piles of merchandise and even its own theme park.

With Monster Hunter Generations due to hit the 3DS this July, now is the ideal time to educate newcomers to the franchise. So if you can't tell your Rathalos from your Tigrex, gobble up the facts below so you can impress your friends at your next 3DS get-together.

Monster Hunter is a family affair

Monster Hunter producer Ryozo Tsujimoto has worked on the series since it arrived on the PlayStation Portable and became a million-seller. You could say that under his watchful eye, the franchise has become the cash cow Capcom values so highly today, but even if Tsujimoto's work hadn't been quite so profitable, there's a good chance he would still be around – his father is Capcom CEO Kenzo Tsujimoto. Even better, his sibling Haru Tsujimoto is company President. Talk about keeping it in the family.

It’s Japan’s highest selling third-party Wii game

Monster Hunter Tri © Capcom

The Nintendo Wii sold over 100 million units worldwide and is one of the most successful domestic games consoles of all time. Taking this into account, it goes without saying that getting a big hit on the system was incredibly rewarding for third-party publishers, and back in 2009 the only game in town for Japanese players was Monster Hunter Tri.

The first game in the franchise to be exclusive to a Nintendo platform, Tri shifted more than 500,000 copies during its debut week in Japan, eventually selling 960,000 units by the close of 2009. As of June 2012, the game has achieved global sales of 1.9 million copies. That's a lot of gold coins.

It’s going to overtake Street Fighter in lifetime sales

When you think Capcom, there's a good chance that the title Street Fighter springs to mind. It's the series that made the company a household name all over the world, generating numerous sequels and a (terrible) Hollywood movie starring Jean Claude Van Damme and Kylie Minogue.

However, despite having only been in existence since 2004 (Street Fighter made its debut in 1987), Monster Hunter is expected to overtake the famous fighting franchise in lifetime sales this year. With the release of Monster Hunter Generations, the series will charge past the 36 million units sold mark – a remarkable achievement given that it's only been around for just over a decade.

There’s Monster Hunter MMO on PC – but you probably can’t play it

You know what would be amazing? A Monster Hunter massively multiplayer online game, with thousands of hunters all taking part at once, teaming up to slay gigantic beasts and sharing the well-earned spoils. Guess what? This dream game already exists, but sadly it's exclusive to China at present.

Built using the powerful CryEngine 3 game engine, and employing a free-to-play business model, this collaboration between Chinese giant Tencent and Capcom is unlikely to come to consoles, or the West, but you can try it out if you wish. The language barrier will present a problem unless you're fluent in Chinese, but fans are working on English-language patches as we speak.

You can slay enemies with a teddy bear

Yes, you read that right. One of the most desirable weapons in the entire series isn't a sharp blade or deadly axe, but a hammer which takes the form of a cuddly toy. In Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, this odd weapon comes with the ability to send enemies to sleep, so while it might look a little silly, it's a surprisingly effective addition to your arsenal.

Cats and pigs are two recurring themes in the series

You won't just be getting up close and personal with dangerous monsters in Capcom's famous series, cat-like beings known as Felynes can be found everywhere, and will even accompany you during missions, adding their kitty might to your own. Felynes can be equipped with armour and weapons and even sent out on special tasks when you're busy – and as time goes on they become more effective hunters. The pig-like Poogles are little more docile however, and act as pets, which you can dress up for your own twisted amusement.

Monster Hunter was created for PS2’s online launch

The original Monster Hunter – released on the PlayStation 2 in 2004 – was part of Capcom's drive to embrace the network adapter, which had recently been revealed for the console. Along with racing title Auto Modellista and survival horror spin-off Resident Evil Outbreak , Monster Hunter had a strong focus on online play, and laid down the foundations of the series in the process. Sadly, the global online servers were closed down in 2007, while the Japanese servers lasted a little longer, finally being switched off in 2011.

Monster Hunter 4 was the first to let you leap on the back of beasts

While the tactical options available to players in Monster Hunter are wide and varied, the addition of the 'mount' move in Monster Hunter 4 felt like a game-changer. While it's possible to mount a monster with any weapon, the all-new Insect Glaive gives you access to a pole-vault move that makes it much easier to get airborne. Once mounted on a monster, you can cause massive damage with repeated attacks but you must be mindful of the fact that the beast will try to hrow you off. Mounting really opens up the game and once you become accustomed to it, you'll wonder why it was never part of the series before.

Going portable turned the series into a million-seller

While Monster Hunter's origins are on the PlayStation 2 , it wasn't until the franchise hit the road that it really began to rake in serious cash. Monster Hunter Freedom, the first instalment on Sony's PlayStation Portable handheld, became the first million-seller in the franchise, and was so popular that it turned the PSP's fortunes around. Prior to its release, Sony's handheld had been playing second fiddle to the DS.

Speaking of Nintendo, Capcom would switch focus to the 3DS handheld following the rather dismal commercial performance of Sony's PS Vita , and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate have both been massive sellers on that platform. This year's Monster Hunter Generations looks set to continue that trend.

There was a Monster Hunter theme park in Japan

Monster Hunter is absolutely massive in its native Japan – so massive that it even had its very own section at the Universal Studios resort back in 2014. The (sadly temporary) attraction showcased gigantic animatronic replicas of signature beasts from the series, paintball mini-games and even authentic cuisine to sample – and loads of branded merchandise to purchase, of course. Certainly beats riding the teacups at your local funfair.