Report by James Bowden
I find something quite apt about an afternoon of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate in a venue called ‘The Scythe and Teacup’. The venue’s whimsical title lends itself well to Capcom’s creature besting epic, which is a game of two halves itself. The torment, fear and danger of the game’s trademark monster fights is mixed with the long periods of downtime spent eyeing up fancy gear, swapping war stories and, of course, prancing. The Scythe, and the Teacup.
The venue is no slouch either. A gamer’s hideaway not five minutes from the bawdy bustle of Liverpool’s city centre, it’s not hard to see why StreetPass Liverpool have made it their home, or why Monster Hunter Community UK were so eager to team up with the group for this event. Rows of tables, ample plug sockets, cheerful grub and understanding opening hours (open till 11pm. 11 at night. Also known as ‘Lunchtime’ to most gamers); the Scythe and Teacup is a welcome home to those interested in all things ‘game’, electronic and otherwise.
So the location is nigh on perfect, but what of the event? I’ve been to a StreetPass Liverpool ‘do’ in the past, so I know that front man Anthony John Boyd and his team are no slouches, but it must be said that Monster Hunter Community UK’s Angela Aquilina deserves a round of applause too. Monster Hunter style now; back straight, feet together. Whether it was through soft whispers or violent arm twisting, Capcom’s support was felt through free food and drink alongside exclusive swag and prizes for competitions (including signed copies of classic Monster Hunter games). And by ‘felt’, I mean that people were visibly hugging the ceiling from the amount of free caffeine and sugar available…
The event itself was generous in activities without being overpowering. The focus was certainly on community hunts, with everything from casual play, intense battles and boosting sessions happening all around the Scythe, but there was an Arena time trial going on for the more competitive hunters. ‘Kill the Lagombi’ was the arena bout of choice, a challenge I’ve seen many times at Monster Hunter events. I honestly think that the Lagombi population must be nearing endangered levels due to the mass bunny slaughter that has occurred over the past year at StreetPass UK events. Bunny Bloodbath Bonanza, that’s how I’d describe the past year of Monster Hunter 3 competitions.
That said they are bunnies, so if you think about it we’re probably doing the population a favour…
Anywho, alongside the advertised Monster Hunter there was further Capcom representation with a Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition tournament (won by yours truly with a tried and true Chun Li), and the expected Mario Kart 7 tournament, played with StreetPass Liverpool’s trademark ‘Standard Shyguy’ ruleset.
The hours sauntered by in the Sythe and the ambiance was absolutely pleasant. There wasn’t any real urgency to the event, just a calm, chilled atmosphere as players skewered, stabbed, exploded and otherwise perforated creatures far too large and deadly to logically exist in the name of fashion and armaments to facilitate the killing of bigger, nastier beasties. A worthy endeavour indeed.
The day was capped off with a novel call to a London gathering of the Monster Hunter Community UK, in which we all waved at an iPad, unsure quite how to act. Especially when one of the Londoners, sat front and center, refused to look up from his 3DS. Well, when you’re in the middle of a hunt…
All in all it was a truly satisfying afternoon that showed great support for and from many parties. Support for StreetPass Liverpool and Monster Hunter, and support from Capcom and Monster Hunter Community UK. Hopefully we’ll see more of these dedicated events over the year leading up to Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate’s release in early 2015 as Monster Hunter truly is a game that comes alive in these social environments, and a game that thrives on players working together in the intense fights, but also through sharing tales and advice in the downtime. Scythe and Teacup…
