The wait is over -- Capcom has finally announced worldwide release plans for Monster Hunter 4, the blockbuster 3DS-exclusive fourth game in the creature-hunting game franchise. Now the only wait ahead is for the game to actually be released...

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As part of a special Monster Hunter event held in Japan earlier today, Capcom and Monster Hunter producer Ryozo Tsujimoto released an announcement that Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate will come out in North America and other western game markets exclusively on Nintendo 3DS in early 2015.This will not be the same game as what was released in Japan in 2013; Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate will be based on the new upgraded version of the game, titled Monster Hunter 4G in Japan (also announced at the event, and releasing in late 2014 in Japan.) Expect new monsters and additional content not seen in the original release. And for those not familiar with Monster Hunter 4 itself, prepare yourself for the next generation of Monster Hunter, as MH4 takes the series to new heights with advanced traversal mechanics and all kinds of new gameplay elements. Also exciting is that Monster Hunter 4 is the first portable title of the series to include fully-integrated online play instead of the traditional local-only multiplayer.Here is what Mr. Tsujimoto's has to say about the game:Unlike with Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, which came out on both Nintendo's Wii U and 3DS platforms, Capcom has currently scheduled this fourth game for release only on Nintendo's handheld 3DS/2DS systems. At the Tokyo Game Show last year, Capcom revealed a new version of its older online-oriented game Monster Hunter Frontier for the Wii U, PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3 platforms (alongside PC and Xbox 360 expansion packs of the same game.) Monster Hunter Frontier G is currently only planned for Japanese territory release.Monster Hunter 4 on Nintendo 3DS has shipped over 4 million copies in Japan alone, and has been cited by critics as a significant contributor to the complete turnaround in fortunes for the Nintendo 3DS platform, a once-floundering system now regularly topping Japanese sales charts.